buying a chimaera 1998 or a 2001 model

[PYNEY]

hi, need some advice on buying a chim budget does not matter ! would i get a better made chim going for a 2001 model or was there no improvements to this model , on the later ones they seem to have the steel dash has anyone have a view on this or the wood dash whats best !

i love the sound of the engine and the classic sports line of these car's but on driving one the other day i found the car was driving me and the handling wasnt to great it just seemed hard to control is it true that "they all drive differently" and should i test drive some more to see if i get a better drive,

[jev]

PYNEY said:

is it true that "they all drive differently" and should i test drive some more to see if i get a better drive,

Yes.

PYNEY said:

on the later ones they seem to have the steel dash has anyone have a view on this or the wood dash whats best !

This make no difference to how they drive

[PYNEY]

can you explain this to me in the best way possible on "how they drive" i dont want to buy a bmw or porsche which i know drive well , i've wanted a tvr for years but i've been put off by the car i test drove the other day help !!!!!

[jev]

You probably need someone more knowledgable than me but I drove a few when buying mine and they just are different. There are some real 'dogs' out there.

However, some cuplrits are:

Cam wear - tend to only last 50k miles but this could be between 30 - 70k. A worn cam will lose a lot of bhp and a replacement will cost about 2k.

Shocks / springs / Discs / suspension bushes generally. Again if worn will loosen and deteriorate the drive.

Joint between the rear anti-roll bar & wishbone can snap and will 'transform' the handling. Cheap to put right.

Tyres.

All from personal experience over 5 years but sure there are loads of others.

Get down to a dealer & talk them in to letting you drive 3 - 5 cars - then you'll have a better idea what they can do.

Jev.

Edited by jev on Sunday 9th September 20:44

Edited by jev on Sunday 9th September 20:44

[_Neal_]

Chimaeras (and TVRs generally) don't really drive in a "modern car" way - bit more old school - weighty clutch and accelerator, hefty-feeling gearbox, hard low-down torque delivery, and the ride can feel slightly skittish over certain surfaces. I found that slow speeds/small throttle openings need far more finesse than normal cars.

It's all a very personal thing though - I loved my Chimaera because I felt it needed to be driven, rather than being really easy, so when you got it right (nice smooth rev-matched downchange for example) it was far more rewarding.

Drive a few though, you will notice a difference between cars. What exactly was it that put you off the one you drove?

[richy759]

sounds like you drove a bad one.
Mines a complete gem to drive, sharp turn in, lots of grip, no body roll, controllable rear end action. I think you really have to tell it what to do rather than ask it (don't be intimidated by it), if you see what I mean

But generally TVRs are real drivers cars which I love, but some don't.
I would also like you know what was wrong with the one you drove

Rich

Edited by richy759 on Sunday 9th September 21:29

[PYNEY]

hi neal, i went to view a 4.5 chim from a bmw dealer in kent who didn't know much about the car ! the photo's of the car looked great but when i turned up the bodywork had some marks on it and the inside was dirty which put me off !!! on driving the car i found it heavy i dont know if it had power steering ! breaking didn't seem to good either "heavy", and the seat postion wasn't comfortable, but i still want to buy one when i've found it "i must be mad"

[PYNEY]

thanks for your view richy

[richy759]

I could see how some people might consider the steering heavy (although I think its spot on), are you used to light steering? like a clio or something. As for seat comfort most people I have taken out comment on how good it is, I guess it comes down to a matter of opinion. Don't forget, the pedals, seat, steering wheel are all adjustable so if somethings not right, move it.
Again with the brakes, they are heavier than a normal car but it's something you quickly get used to.

I'd suggest getting to a good dealer, giving a few a go, and really take your time with it, go for a nice long drive and don't rush into anything.

Rich

[_Neal_]

Even with PAS (which most 4.5s, being later cars, probably have) the steering isn't light. One you drove sounds like it may have been a bit of a dog, so go and drive a few more!

[Hut49]

Speaking with the benefit of experience it is possible to absolutely transform the handling of a Chimaera by having it properly set up. Geometry can be all over the place and from a handful of Chimarea's that I have driven it is poor set up that is a regular culprit in the dodgy handling department. Frankly I'm amazed what some people must put up with, believing it can all be put down to that hugely irritating "TADTS". They don't, and if you pay for a specialist to sort it (assuming all the components involved with handling (including the driver are within spec and without necessarily replacing the standard Bilsteins with Nitrons etc etc) you get a car that handles well, corners predictably and gives you confidence through good feedback and doesn't feel like a meccano set fixed up with a bag of rubber bands. Two of the 5 I've driven felt positively dangerous because the handling was so imprecise (despite FTVRSH etc) - I can't understand why people put up with such crap. Although with the usual chorus of TADTS I'm not surprised that people generally expect so little from their TVR and figure that a poorly handling Chimaera is OK because it sounds great and was hand-built in Blackpool so you have to make allowances. No sir! Get it properly set up, get some professional driving tuition and then make an informed observation on how a Chimaera handles. And i bet you won't even be thinking about whether it has a steel or wood dash.

[PYNEY]

good advice from you all thankyou !!!! its given me confidence to test drive some more cars and see how it goes