Chimera under £10k

[tootingrich]

Hi

I'm kicking about the idea of buying a Chimera for less than £10k and have seen various examples on the web of 4.0ltr HC early 90's models with about 40-50k on the clock.

Can anyone offer any advice on what these will be like in terms of condition and what sort of mainenance cost can be expected ? I'm happy doing minor stuff but thing like cluthc and gearbox will go to the garage.

Having previously owned an old 911 I'm used to expensive trips to the garage however over 5 years the cost of ownership was actually quite reasonable. Can I expect the same from a TVR....particularly with the 'reliability' issue?

Any advice or sources of info gratefully received

Thanks
Rich

[Jasandjules]

What reliability issue?

Get a good one, keep it serviced and treat it well, and you won't have reliability issues IMHO.

What to look for? A copy of "The Bible" may be useful (by Steve Heath) - buy on condition over everything else too.

[StreetDragster]

Morning Rich

£10k will buy you a nice Chimaera with a decent spec, and one which is well looked after, you'll even get 450's and 500's for that money.
There are a few things to check over which could potentially cost a large chunk, such as camshaft, chassis outriggers etc but you can easily check these out prior to purchase

With regards for reliability, my car has been extremely reliable, and the "TVR's are unreliable" monikor is a myth in the majority of cars, there are some which cost uber dollar to look after, but these are few and far between.

Hope that helps

Matt

P.S Mines for sale http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/559080.htm

[mrbongo]

£10k will get you something very nice - I just sold mine for a little over, and it was a bargain for the guy who bought it. Don't believe the hype about unreliable TVRs, get one that's got lots of history, and has been used. And get involved while the summer's here! Look around, and get your cash out!

[tootingrich]

ok so is there a buyers guide thread ?

What are the major pitfalls ?

Have you had any problems sourcing parts now that TVR is no longer in existence ?

[StreetDragster]

http://www.chimaerapages.com/resources_buyers.php

Major gotchas are chassis outriggers, camshafts and bottom ends, everything else (IMO) is as per most other cars.

Parts arn't a problem, most parts are off a donar car anyway, and the TVR specific parts are well catered for

Cheers

Matt

[S6 Devil]

I budgeted on around £1500 a year for maintenance. Some years it's been more, others less. I would look for one with as much of the major work done as possible such as clutch, diff, chassis prep, shocks, etc. This one looks to have all been done Yes it is mine
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/569408.htm

Edited by S6 Devil on Wednesday 18th June 15:20

[tootingrich]

ok that sounds reasonable....my 911 cost me 2k per year over 5 years and was hoping for something similar.

One thing Autoglass mentioned to me once.....getting hold of windscreens was a problem, any opinion on that ?

[StreetDragster]

Never heard of any problems getting windscreens, but fitting them is a bit of a precise process, so worth finding someone who has done one before if the time comes that you need a new screen.

Thanks

Matt

[Aubrey]

Mine's for sale too, well under 10Khttp://www.pistonheads.com/sales/569778.htm

[ironictwist]

Aubrey said:

Mine's for sale too, well under 10Khttp://www.pistonheads.com/sales/569778.htm

Apologies for the O/T reply!

You're selling already Aubrey?! Didn't you just join the fray?

[tootingrich]

looks great...still waiting to confirm my garage arrangements but if its still there in a few weeks I may give you a call.

Cheers
Rich

[John.T.]

I'm selling mine too, i'm going to get a '500' and a runabout for work..

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/564366.htm

More pics on the add ;-)

[Aubrey]

ironictwist said:

Aubrey said:

Mine's for sale too, well under 10Khttp://www.pistonheads.com/sales/569778.htm

Apologies for the O/T reply!

You're selling already Aubrey?! Didn't you just join the fray?

Yep only in January! Mrs Aub and I are expecting a baby Aub in September. We found out the week after I bought the chim! lol. I've enjoyed it for a few months, but the time has now (regrettably) come to sell (the car, not the missus ). I'll get another one in the future though.

[ironictwist]

Aubrey said:

...I'll get another one in the future though.

Missus or Car?

Ah well, at least you got to drive one of ya dream cars for a little while which isn't a bad thing. Now do the sensible thing & buy a family runaround, just ask Fubes...The Cerbera is perfect for all that!

Oh & congrats on the news!!

Edited by ironictwist on Wednesday 18th June 23:23

[Aubrey]

ironictwist said:

Aubrey said:

...I'll get another one in the future though.

Missus or Car?

Ah well, at least you got to drive one of ya dream cars for a little while which isn't a bad thing. Now do the sensible thing & buy a family runaround, just ask Fubes...The Cerbera is perfect for all that!

Oh & congrats on the news!!

Edited by ironictwist on Wednesday 18th June 23:23

No comment I'd love a Cerb, maybe oneday! Yes I've enjoyed owning the Chim for a while, but time to be sensible for a bit. Still got my motorbike though

Thanks very much.