Would you street park a Chimaera?

[tch911]

I am toying with street-parking a Chimaera in a sleepy area of west london.

Is it worth getting a shower cap, I've heard that hoods are rarely 100% watertight?

Is the battery going to run itself flat within being left for a two week period?

All tips gratefully received.

Thanks,

Tom

[thegman]

get a cover and you'll be fine. if your battery is in good condition and your electrics are sound you have a lot more than two weeks before the car is dead.

[im]

tch911 said:

I am toying with street-parking a Chimaera in a sleepy area of west london.

Is it worth getting a shower cap, I've heard that hoods are rarely 100% watertight?

Is the battery going to run itself flat within being left for a two week period?

All tips gratefully received.

Thanks,

Tom

Some observations:

I'd be concerned with how easily these cars are broken into and yes the battery may well not last 2 weeks if not fully charged.

Trust me - any scrote/scum worth the name will have worked out the quick way into your car after looking at it for 2 minutes. My (non Scrote/Scum) teenage son did...

No chance of renting a garage?

Some Hoods are waterproof and some less so. The only way to be sure is to leave it out in a shower and see. Does it leak at the moment?

[Chimjunkie]

Hi Tom. I have street parked my Chimaera since I've owned it (3.5 years). I generally leave it covered under a CoverCraft "tailored" cover which takes the edge off the weathering. The cars do leak if you do not keep on top of the causes. But shouldn't if you look after it. Fortunately i have not had any problems with vandals and break-ins. I leave the car regularly for weeks on end and have never had a problem. But that would be dependent on how good your battery is. I personally like to come home and see it sat outside my place. Not a garage fan for that reason alone. Find myself looking in the rear view mirror at it as i drive away and leave it everyday. Oh dear.

[tch911]

im said:

[

...yes the battery may well not last 2 weeks if not fully charged....

Trust me - any scrote/scum worth the name will have worked out the quick way into your car after looking at it for 2 minutes.

Does it leak at the moment?

So a brand new battery is a good idea, along with the ubiquitous jump leads.

Are the scrote's not put off by alarms? It's a very quiet, decent area so you takes a gamble!

Haven't bought an actual Chim yet but have money burning a hole in the pocket!

Tom

[Podie]

Between the missus and myself we’ve had 4 TVRs. None have leaked.

I had a shower cap on my Chimaera as it lived outside – helped for 2 reasons, 1) people can’t see in. 2) saved scraping ice off it.

Mine didn’t, nor did the one on the S I had for 2 years. Neither had a battery conditioner.

Tips? Life’s too short to worry about it, it’s a car. Buy it. Enjoy it.

[jev]

Mine was street parked in West London for 5 years with no real problems (but a few parking scars).

The hood was waterproof for the 1st three years, less so for the next two but was finally sorted with lots of Fabsil. I have a full cover which I put on when I've cleaned the car. Otherwise it is already dirty by the time I next use it.

Battery is no problem for 2 weeks.

I use the term 'was' in my first sentence as it is now my Tamora which is street parked.

Go for it...

[im]

tch911 said:

So a brand new battery is a good idea, along with the ubiquitous jump leads.

It's always a good idea to have a fully charged/conditioned battery and a decent length on your jump leads.

tch911 said:

Are the scrote's not put off by alarms? It's a very quiet, decent area so you takes a gamble!

Well, a friend of mine on here who shall remain nameless had his Chim pinched from within his attached garage overnight! Alarms etc only deter the opportunist, not somebody who is targeting your car. The law of averages says a car on display in the street is more likely to be targeted than one under cover.

Then of course there's the jealous scrotes who'll run a coin down it just cos they can.

tch911 said:

Haven't bought an actual Chim yet but have money burning a hole in the pocket!

"Life's too short" is one philosphopy but so is "Look after your property - or you'll pay the price".

Either way, get the car - you wont regret it!

[crackedfinger]

tch911 said:

I am toying with street-parking a Chimaera in a sleepy area of west london.

Is it worth getting a shower cap, I've heard that hoods are rarely 100% watertight?

Is the battery going to run itself flat within being left for a two week period?

All tips gratefully received.

Thanks,

Tom

Where abouts in West London? I'm in Chiswick and there are a few TVR's in the elements and on the street. The biggest worry is people driving into the parked cars as they are (supposed) to be hard to see.

[s5tuart]

crackedfinger said:

tch911 said:

I am toying with street-parking a Chimaera in a sleepy area of west london.

Is it worth getting a shower cap, I've heard that hoods are rarely 100% watertight?

Is the battery going to run itself flat within being left for a two week period?

All tips gratefully received.

Thanks,

Tom

Where abouts in West London? I'm in Chiswick and there are a few TVR's in the elements and on the street. The biggest worry is people driving into the parked cars as they are (supposed) to be hard to see.

That's why IMHO it's always best to fit a cover whether the car leaks or not.
Adds to visibility at night and stops the SCROTES peering inside to see what is worth nicking!

[tch911]

[quote=crackedfinger
Where abouts in West London? I'm in Chiswick and there are a few TVR's in the elements and on the street. The biggest worry is people driving into the parked cars as they are (supposed) to be hard to see.
[/quote]

Ha, ha, in Chiswick as it happens. I know what you mean. Someone has knocked my Ducati over twice now!

[John.T.]

I street park mine in Manchester, i use it daily. Its a car when all said and done, it cost me less than a new Fiesta so why worry.
Yeh it leaks, it'll not rust the floor though and i do dry it out. Maybe i'll seal the hood when i get a spare afternoon but i'm not worried. Just drive the wheels off it and enjoy it, worrying takes the fun out.

[Uncle Fester]

If you're going to street park it in London you should talk to Carl Baker.
He does a tracking system to add to the alarm.
It texts you the gps position and speed if the car moves. You can text back and imobilise the car.
Alternatively you can wait till they stop and you know where to find them.
Then we can pop round and have a word with them.

[Vipers]

Had a cover previously, cats loved it, used to use it to do their claws, and in doing so, scratched through it, and onto the paintwork, (Not a TVR I might add), but worth thiking about.

[ar0u2211]

John.T. said:

Its a car when all said and done, it cost me less than a new Fiesta so why worry.
Just drive the wheels off it and enjoy it, worrying takes the fun out.

Exactly!

i know these are all our pride and joys but they are there to be used, Yes they are easier to get into that a eurobox ... so dont leave anything in view.
If your worried about outriggers fair enough, but why have it if you can't enjoy it!!!!!

[im]

ar0u2211 said:

...but why have it if you can't enjoy it!!!!!

This threads getting a bit surreal now.

I think we'd all agree with your sentiment (above) but the OP's issues were about street parking (yes or no) and battery condition.

I don't know how the answer to either is "why have it if you can't enjoy it". Presumably even if he had to hide it in an underground nuclear bunker when not driving it he would still enjoy it when he did (drive it).

[StardustV8]

I bought my Chim over the phone, a crazy and expensive moment but one i needed to make at that time in my life and one i havent regretted.

I didnt consider at the time that i lived in a third floor flat in the centre of Swansea where i work.

So the car lived outside, opposite the pub. Cars get broken into a lot round here for the opportunist knuckle dragger after iPods, CDs etc.

As i didnt ever have anything in it, i had no problems. No scrapes from offset parking, no scratches either. Looks very fresh and targetable being silver and the paint is mint, but no ive had no problem. Which is weird as the turbo badges were lifted off my old saab!

However the alarm proved a problem, it was constantly going off-im not sure if it was a problem or folk peering in from the pub (theyd just introduced the go outside to smoke rule!).

Either way it annoyed me and locals (the meta system is horribly,screechingly loud).

It now lives in a garage (at my folks), under a cover systems cover, on a battery conditioner and i have a cheap saab 9-5 which i use.

I'm gonna have to move to somewhere with a garage or drieway just so i can use her!

[crackedfinger]

StardustV8 said:

Either way it annoyed me and locals (the meta system is horribly,screechingly loud).

Normaly the problem tends to be making no noise at all

[Aubrey]

crackedfinger said:

StardustV8 said:

Either way it annoyed me and locals (the meta system is horribly,screechingly loud).

Normaly the problem tends to be making no noise at all

Don't tempt fate!

Mine lives outside with no problems. I'm sure it annoys the neighbours a bit, but never mind I've got a Leven hood cover which goes on over-night if we're going to have heavy rain or frost, otherwise, I just try not to leave too much on display.

[davidindevon]

How do you guys street park at night?
My latest policy now states that the car must be locked and alarmed AND inside a locked garage between the hours of 10pm and 6am otherwise the policy is invalid for theft. Thieves do tail these cars to find out where they live and steal them later - sometimes hydraulically lifting them onto flatbed lorries. It's one thing losing the car but to lose the insurance payout is another. Compared to most cars the toll is very high (I believe that 4 or 5 years ago the later model TVR's were being written off/stolen and written off faster than the factory was able to produce them) so theft of the remainder is increasing.
Personally I wouldn't risk street parking. Carl Baker email: [e-mail] does a good tracker - the cost of which would soon be saved on reduced insurance premiums and you could consider a wheel clamp as well as a steering wheel lock.
Good luck - you'll need it!
Best regards.