looking for a tidy chim
Discussion
Hi all i am new to tvr i have loved the chims for years and now want to buy one for the summer and use it as a second car. i have been reading up on them and the major thing i keep seeing is the Chassis rot what other main points do I need to look for, and how reliable are these cars really?
Thousands of these cars were made and a few have had their chassis outriggers replaced and documented (mainly on this site). Whilst it's inevitable that they'll eventually rust on a car that's used and that they're relatively costly to repair, it shouldn't be seen as a showstopper.
Do a search on this forum and you'll dig up a number of reliability threads. There's a couple of niggly faults that crop up time and again that can stop the car (fuel pump relay failure, alternator fuse failure) but both are fixed for less than a tenner. Beyond that I reckon reliability is above average and they're certainly not deserving of the 'unreliable' tag that TVR seems to have picked up over the years.
A further search will show up threads about what to look out for when buying a Chimaera but the best resource is probably the Chimaera Pages Buying Guide.
Do a search on this forum and you'll dig up a number of reliability threads. There's a couple of niggly faults that crop up time and again that can stop the car (fuel pump relay failure, alternator fuse failure) but both are fixed for less than a tenner. Beyond that I reckon reliability is above average and they're certainly not deserving of the 'unreliable' tag that TVR seems to have picked up over the years.
A further search will show up threads about what to look out for when buying a Chimaera but the best resource is probably the Chimaera Pages Buying Guide.
The more you look at the better, and if possible get an owner/maintainer to go look with you. Just remember all that 'glitters is not gold' and take your time - too many buy the first sparkly thing that shows up 
A perfect car with rusty out-riggers may be better than a miscreant dog with nice chassis... All depends on what you want, by & large it is quite feasible to completely rebuild the cars as many have done or are in the process of. Biggest diversity here is the type of owner, and it encapsulates all ranges from the driver/polisher to the DIY rebuilder. Not all of us want the same things from our TVR's..
Dave
A perfect car with rusty out-riggers may be better than a miscreant dog with nice chassis... All depends on what you want, by & large it is quite feasible to completely rebuild the cars as many have done or are in the process of. Biggest diversity here is the type of owner, and it encapsulates all ranges from the driver/polisher to the DIY rebuilder. Not all of us want the same things from our TVR's..Dave
scotty_d said:
Hi all i am new to tvr i have loved the chims for years and now want to buy one for the summer and use it as a second car. i have been reading up on them and the major thing i keep seeing is the Chassis rot what other main points do I need to look for, and how reliable are these cars really?
That's two questions. Chassis rot? Personally I think it's been overstated. That's not to say there aren't some dogs around but in the main, provided the car has been reasonably looked after and had regular Waxoiling or similar there are, IMHO, other issues to focus on. And as Spend said, it can be remidied.
But there are some good ones around and though I haven't personally seen it, here's a very expensive dealer priced 500 http://www.castlesportscars.co.uk/index.php?mod=de... I'm sure you could find similarly good looking examples privately. My advice would be to buy a couple hours of workshop time from a TVR specialist (but NOT one who had been maintaining the car for the seller!!) get the proposed car up on a ramp and go over everything in detail. If they know TVRs and may have you as a future service customer you can hardly do better.
By the way, be clear that whilst the one in the link I have given LOOKS and reads every well, again as has been said, all that glitters isn't gold. But it's a good starting point.
How reliable are they? Had mine a year, carried out the procedure I just suggested and never regretted a single moment. The car hasn't missed a beat - never let me down in any way - and delivered 50% more fun and enjoyment than I ever imagined when deciding to buy it!!
Remember this, generally in this forum you will only read about people who have technical issues. That's why they're posting. So the forum will be fairly full of people with problems. But there's a huge slew out there who don't have real issues so there's no point in them all posting messages saying how good things are. If they did, it would dilute what may appear widespread problems.
I'm not very good on Scottish geography but have heard good things about these people: http://www.dreadnoughtgarage.co.uk/ I called them once about a Chimaera they maintained for it's previous owner (no I didn't buy it) and they couldn't have beem more helpful and informative. Top people, they appeared to be. Nick.
Had a look online...this will help find a good chim..
http://www.friendsofwashoe.org/visit_the_chimpcam....
hope this helps
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