Disgusted with rotting 5 year old Chimera
Discussion
I just looked at a 1997, 43k miles, drop dead gorgeous Paris Blue Chimera at £14k.
Much to my dissapointment though, what I saw under the bonnet was not so gorgeous.
Inch wide strips of paint peeling off the wishbones with thick rust showing underneath & every screw was rusty as if TVR hadn't used well plated screws !!!!
This was a £35k car new so why the heck can't the TVR factory splash out an extra £50 & use a hammerite type paint on the wishbones & chassis. What I saw left me wondering what else was rotting away out of view under the car. Consequently, I refrained from buying it.
Also I think on a long run the constant drone of the under silenced V8 would grate after a while. However I accept that is my personal preferance.
My 5 year old, 40k miles, ungaraged Mondeo is immaculate in comparison to the TVR which cost 3 times the price when new !!!
I want convertible car for the summer so it's going to have to be a car with Mercedes build quality for me like an SLK which I can get for the same money !!
I don't want the hassles of the rot from what I see as Austin Allegro type crap build quality on a TVR that would cost me £14k secondhand & cost someone £35k new !!!!
My message to TVR = Clean up your act & don't spoil the ship for a tuppeth of tar unless you want to go the same way as other British independant car manufacturers.
Much to my dissapointment though, what I saw under the bonnet was not so gorgeous.
Inch wide strips of paint peeling off the wishbones with thick rust showing underneath & every screw was rusty as if TVR hadn't used well plated screws !!!!
This was a £35k car new so why the heck can't the TVR factory splash out an extra £50 & use a hammerite type paint on the wishbones & chassis. What I saw left me wondering what else was rotting away out of view under the car. Consequently, I refrained from buying it.
Also I think on a long run the constant drone of the under silenced V8 would grate after a while. However I accept that is my personal preferance.
My 5 year old, 40k miles, ungaraged Mondeo is immaculate in comparison to the TVR which cost 3 times the price when new !!!
I want convertible car for the summer so it's going to have to be a car with Mercedes build quality for me like an SLK which I can get for the same money !!
I don't want the hassles of the rot from what I see as Austin Allegro type crap build quality on a TVR that would cost me £14k secondhand & cost someone £35k new !!!!
My message to TVR = Clean up your act & don't spoil the ship for a tuppeth of tar unless you want to go the same way as other British independant car manufacturers.
As someone else pointed out, wishbone-rot is notorious if the proper preventative maintenance is not applied regularly. Generally the chassis is not so affected, although there have been a few notable exceptions to this reported on PistonHeads over the past year or so.
If the rest of the car is sound - ignore a few rusty screw heads (they're not structural) - you may be walking away from a good 14k deal for the price of a new set of wishbones - maybe you can get it for 13k.
I've driven an SLK - it's a chalk and cheese thing with a Chimaera. I know which I'd rather spend the summer in. I'm not sure in what sort of condition you expect to find a reasonable performance 14k SLK either - missing several parts of it's anatomy I suspect.
Hutch
If the rest of the car is sound - ignore a few rusty screw heads (they're not structural) - you may be walking away from a good 14k deal for the price of a new set of wishbones - maybe you can get it for 13k.
I've driven an SLK - it's a chalk and cheese thing with a Chimaera. I know which I'd rather spend the summer in. I'm not sure in what sort of condition you expect to find a reasonable performance 14k SLK either - missing several parts of it's anatomy I suspect.
Hutch
My message to TVR = Clean up your act & don't spoil the ship for a tuppeth of tar unless you want to go the same way as other British independant car manufacturers.
Its not TVR that are at fault, my 11 year old Griff is in concourse condition because thats the way its maintained and you'll find many like mine that are well looked after and in great shape thanks to carefull ownership.
The powdercoating (not paint)on the wishbones can peel off if not waxoiled yearly and the rusty bolts can all be changed for less than a tenner, big deal.
So go buy your SLK and then cringe every time a TVR wipes its arse with your "Sports Car".
heliox
) - what a snoozemobile.
Heliox "Its not TVR that are at fault The powdercoating (not paint)on the wishbones can peel off if not waxoiled yearly and the rusty bolts can all be changed for less than a tenner, big deal."
To this I say - One doesn't expect to have to waxoil a modern car every year as all the main manufacturers now galvanise or similiar on the chassis.
Although obviously it seems one does have to waxoil if the build quality is as bad as an Austin Allegro or pre Glasnost Skoda or a TVR. That IS the manufacturer's (in this case TVR's) fault. Like I said powder coating would not peel off in the 1st place if the metal was properly prepared in the factory. Besides, why don't TVR use hammerite ? You can paint that on any metal even if rusty & it lasts for ever.
"So go buy your SLK and then cringe every time a TVR wipes its arse with your "Sports Car"."
So TVR's are driven by spotty 20 year olds who think arse is funny & who are set on killing themselves or anyone else in their way then ?
Heliox I have a joke for you - bum,willy,tit.
To this I say - One doesn't expect to have to waxoil a modern car every year as all the main manufacturers now galvanise or similiar on the chassis.
Although obviously it seems one does have to waxoil if the build quality is as bad as an Austin Allegro or pre Glasnost Skoda or a TVR. That IS the manufacturer's (in this case TVR's) fault. Like I said powder coating would not peel off in the 1st place if the metal was properly prepared in the factory. Besides, why don't TVR use hammerite ? You can paint that on any metal even if rusty & it lasts for ever.
"So go buy your SLK and then cringe every time a TVR wipes its arse with your "Sports Car"."
So TVR's are driven by spotty 20 year olds who think arse is funny & who are set on killing themselves or anyone else in their way then ?
Heliox I have a joke for you - bum,willy,tit.
Oh dear someones a little touchy!!!! Actually please don't buy a TVR, You obviously are not the type of person that is genuinely interested in the marque or what they are about. If you want your german build quality buy a sodding german car and don't come on here winging about ours!!! I for one love my TVR, I love almost everything about it and don't mind having to get under it every now and again or having to scratch my head over a little problem, it makes it all the more enjoyable when I drive it!!!, Also I am 22 and do not drive it with a death wish as you make out, neither for that matter am I that spotty!!!!!!!!!!, You seem the type suited to a SLK so go buy one!!!! 
(No offence to SLK drivers!!, Sorry that we have imposed him on you!! 
)
(No offence to SLK drivers!!, Sorry that we have imposed him on you!! )You twerps, can't you see that my criticising TVR for their skimping on corrosion proofing (but not on the £35k+ price they charge for the car) does not mean I dislike TVR's ? On the contrary, I don't want to see them let their reputation down with crap attention to detail. D
uhhhh hey guys, what kind of quality control is it to powder spray unprepared metal ?
Christ, can't you agree it is CRAP quality control & lets the TVR mark down.
uhhhh hey guys, what kind of quality control is it to powder spray unprepared metal ?
Christ, can't you agree it is CRAP quality control & lets the TVR mark down.
Anyone who can honestly compare an SLK with a TVR doesnt really get it. I mean its like comparing a Chimaera with a Boxster 
. Still, they are very different beasts and you should put things in perspective here. I have driven an SLK and was SHOCKED, thats right, SHOCKED by the build quality! It was awful, the hood / roof creaked, the central dash was peeling away and the auto selector was shockingly loose.... and this was a 1 year old car from a dealer (who then tried desperately to convince me that these things would be fixed!). Never the less, I will now refuse to look at a Merc again - also coupled with the CLK 320 that I drove which also had shocking quality problems with the interior and convertible hood (and that was a £40K car!). So the moral here is that all manufacturers suffer duff cars....
So, what about TVR then? Well, they produce less than 2000 cars per year - in the great scheme of things thats tiny, small fry, minisule. That naturally means that some things are not done or missed in comparison with other manufacturers. Where a decision has been made it will have been done for a simple reason, probably cost and criticality. Sealing the wishbones for a life time of 20 years isnt really that critical in the great picture is it? In general they are a weak point in the car and are easily replaced for not a lot of money - they can also be looked after too, with some simple maintenance. I have rusted wishbones on mine and they are prefectly safe and solid - its just surface rust... nothing more and not an issue. Dont get stressed about them as they are NOT important - what you need to do is ensure that the engine, interior and history are all correct. Get this right and any other 'issues' can easily be solved.
Anyway, jumping to conclusions on one car isnt fair or representative. For example, do you know any of the history for the car? Has it been used every day? Is it flood damaged? Was the car left outside 24/7? Did the owner take care of the underside? Does an expert say the wishbones are OK? .... jumping to conclusions after seeing one car with rusted wishbones isnt exactly looking at it in perspective.
If the truth be told, if you get worked up about small problems like that then DONT get a TVR. Get something efficient, dull and predictable like a Merc.... I am sure that you will love it (and judging by the slating that Mercs get in reliability and customer care, you will be back here having a go at them too...).
Cheers,
Paul
P.S. Really shitty day at work and still doing it - so sorry if the tone is really bad...
. Still, they are very different beasts and you should put things in perspective here. I have driven an SLK and was SHOCKED, thats right, SHOCKED by the build quality! It was awful, the hood / roof creaked, the central dash was peeling away and the auto selector was shockingly loose.... and this was a 1 year old car from a dealer (who then tried desperately to convince me that these things would be fixed!). Never the less, I will now refuse to look at a Merc again - also coupled with the CLK 320 that I drove which also had shocking quality problems with the interior and convertible hood (and that was a £40K car!). So the moral here is that all manufacturers suffer duff cars.... So, what about TVR then? Well, they produce less than 2000 cars per year - in the great scheme of things thats tiny, small fry, minisule. That naturally means that some things are not done or missed in comparison with other manufacturers. Where a decision has been made it will have been done for a simple reason, probably cost and criticality. Sealing the wishbones for a life time of 20 years isnt really that critical in the great picture is it? In general they are a weak point in the car and are easily replaced for not a lot of money - they can also be looked after too, with some simple maintenance. I have rusted wishbones on mine and they are prefectly safe and solid - its just surface rust... nothing more and not an issue. Dont get stressed about them as they are NOT important - what you need to do is ensure that the engine, interior and history are all correct. Get this right and any other 'issues' can easily be solved.
Anyway, jumping to conclusions on one car isnt fair or representative. For example, do you know any of the history for the car? Has it been used every day? Is it flood damaged? Was the car left outside 24/7? Did the owner take care of the underside? Does an expert say the wishbones are OK? .... jumping to conclusions after seeing one car with rusted wishbones isnt exactly looking at it in perspective.
If the truth be told, if you get worked up about small problems like that then DONT get a TVR. Get something efficient, dull and predictable like a Merc.... I am sure that you will love it (and judging by the slating that Mercs get in reliability and customer care, you will be back here having a go at them too...).
Cheers,
Paul
P.S. Really shitty day at work and still doing it - so sorry if the tone is really bad...
Meester Pearce .. don't give up on them yet. You are dead right that the rust proofing is pants, but that is not the end of the world, coz where the factory laid off the owner can get pick up, and it isn't much effort. If you're feeling enthusiastic you can tackle the rust proofing yourself, or bung the service people some extra money and let them do it. Problem solved. Would I be so understanding if I had just forked out £35k for a new Chim? No ... but like you, I didn't fork out £35k. You or I can pick them up for mid-teen prices. Is that value? Cue "do bears shit in the woods, is Pope catholic, are TVR owners defensive, etc, etc..."
Mambit Giggler said: You twerps, can't you see that my criticising TVR for their skimping on corrosion proofing (but not on the £35k+ price they charge for the car) does not mean I dislike TVR's ? On the contrary, I don't want to see them let their reputation down with crap attention to detail. D
uhhhh hey guys, what kind of quality control is it to powder spray unprepared metal ?
Christ, can't you agree it is CRAP quality control & lets the TVR mark down.
Troll alert. Don't feed it chaps !
I think you need to do a bit of research :
If you have never had a sports car before and it sounds like it you havent the TVR may have rusty whishbones, surface rust on the chassis etc etc but it ONLY cost £35k when new for a car that hits 60 in under 5 sec in every format 4.0,4.5,5.0 and goes onto over 160 mph.
To find the equivelent performance in 1997 you would have had to buy something like a SL 55 (£106K) 993 TT (£90k ish) etc etc
Whilst I dont defend TVR you gets what you pays for and I guess this is the whole point with TVR very fast car not the best build quality.
Any proper sports car is going to cost money as well if you have had mundanos for years you may not be used to this and with these kind of cars you need to be aware you may have a year when you spend routine servicing £1500 - £2000 and there may be years where you spend double that.
If money is an issue I would suggest buying something like an MGF / MX5 low running costs and decent mpg (25-35 v Tvr 7 - 25) you get a soft top in good condition probably with a warranty for £14k. (and if things go wrong you can probably get a whole new engine for a MGF / MX5 for under £2k)
It doesent sound like you are aware yet of the costs / time you need to spend maintaing a real sports car it is more of a hobby than just purely a car
I think unfortunatley chaps this type (i.e. the original one) is going to become more common the chaeper TVR's become unfortunatly the older ones are comming into the afordable (to buy anyway) teritory.
If you have never had a sports car before and it sounds like it you havent the TVR may have rusty whishbones, surface rust on the chassis etc etc but it ONLY cost £35k when new for a car that hits 60 in under 5 sec in every format 4.0,4.5,5.0 and goes onto over 160 mph.
To find the equivelent performance in 1997 you would have had to buy something like a SL 55 (£106K) 993 TT (£90k ish) etc etc
Whilst I dont defend TVR you gets what you pays for and I guess this is the whole point with TVR very fast car not the best build quality.
Any proper sports car is going to cost money as well if you have had mundanos for years you may not be used to this and with these kind of cars you need to be aware you may have a year when you spend routine servicing £1500 - £2000 and there may be years where you spend double that.
If money is an issue I would suggest buying something like an MGF / MX5 low running costs and decent mpg (25-35 v Tvr 7 - 25) you get a soft top in good condition probably with a warranty for £14k. (and if things go wrong you can probably get a whole new engine for a MGF / MX5 for under £2k)
It doesent sound like you are aware yet of the costs / time you need to spend maintaing a real sports car it is more of a hobby than just purely a car
I think unfortunatley chaps this type (i.e. the original one) is going to become more common the chaeper TVR's become unfortunatly the older ones are comming into the afordable (to buy anyway) teritory.
So you looked at a car that was not to your liking! Well there are others out there, and I looked at 12 before settling on mine.
What you get for your 14-15k is performance and style, and the odd issue, but they can be resolved.
Look at some others, if you still think TVR's are rubbbish then buy the Merc and we'll all look for you in our mirrors.
Mambit Giggler said: One doesn't expect to have to waxoil a modern car every year as all the main manufacturers now galvanise or similiar on the chassis.
Well, perhaps "one" should remove "one's" head from "one's" arse for five minutes and realise that a TVR isn't an "everyday car". Lamborghini Diablo's and Ferrari's have been known to rot through if not treated with waxoyl yearly and regular cleaning/maintenance is far more prevalent on a specialist hand built sports car than it is on a mass produced car like a Merc SLK.
In case you didn't realise (as you obviously haven't done much research) TVR changed the method of powdercoating in 2000, and the later cars don't suffer from this problem.
As for the engine, well if you don't want engine noise then a TVR is never going to suit you, the engine sound on a TVR is every bit as important as the howl of a Ferrari V8....
Heliox I have a joke for you - bum,willy,tit.
Very Good!! an accurate self assesment of your posts so far.....
Mabit,
If you read your postings from your profile you will see that you have done nothing but slate TVR's
You say your looking for a Chimaera, my questions to you is why? By reading your posting I would say that a TVR is not the car for you, and to save anymore of your time I would start looking at other cars.
Remember, If you do get one and you dont look after it when you go to sell it, you won't be able to, no one will buy it from you because you are not willing to keep up the pretentative maint.
Sorry, IMHO TVR's are not the car for you.
If you read your postings from your profile you will see that you have done nothing but slate TVR's
You say your looking for a Chimaera, my questions to you is why? By reading your posting I would say that a TVR is not the car for you, and to save anymore of your time I would start looking at other cars.
Remember, If you do get one and you dont look after it when you go to sell it, you won't be able to, no one will buy it from you because you are not willing to keep up the pretentative maint.
Sorry, IMHO TVR's are not the car for you.
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