Ropey Chimaeras
Discussion
Hi folks, I'm very tempted to buy a ropey Chim to run and do up as I drive along, well not literally but you know what I mean. If you see or hear of any (the prices of some on eBay at present are eye wateringly tempting!) could you let me know.
Regards
Iain
(and no I'm not looking for another racer project this is just for road use)
Regards
Iain
(and no I'm not looking for another racer project this is just for road use)
Chassis 33 said:
Hi folks, I'm very tempted to buy a ropey Chim to run and do up as I drive along, well not literally but you know what I mean. If you see or hear of any (the prices of some on eBay at present are eye wateringly tempting!) could you let me know.
Regards
Iain
(and no I'm not looking for another racer project this is just for road use)
You'd better get on first name terms with your local MOT tester, buy a MIG welder and learn to weld, get good breakdown cover, ENJOY! Regards
Iain
(and no I'm not looking for another racer project this is just for road use)
My 21 year old son said the same to me the other day. He still hasn't got rid of the rusty old Mini that was his last project
What do you mean when you say ropey?
If the chassis has rot you would be waaaay better off buying one in better condition, Body off restorations cost real money.
Do you mean mechanically? If any of the major systems are broken replacing them will cost more than the value of the car.
Do you mean cosmetically? Now this at least you can fix. But show me a Chim that is cosmetically perfect and I'll show you one whose owner doesn't use it.
We drive a Chim. It's definitly "ropey" - but mechanically sound and we've kept the chassis waxoyled and avoided taking it out when the roads were salty. Every year it goes to David at the garage to have the host of minor crap like perished rubbers, tubes, hoses and clips sorted, the odd solenoid or gasket replaced, full service and any mechanical problems dealt with.
It looks ropey as hell because we don't fix the stonechips (they'd only come back).
My point is our car looks ropey - and all of them that are in regular use ALSO probably look fairly ropey. But any of the ones worth buying won't be underneath. And for that you will pay.
Buy one with problems under the covers and the repairs you make will be uneconomic versus buying a decent one in the first place.
If the chassis has rot you would be waaaay better off buying one in better condition, Body off restorations cost real money.
Do you mean mechanically? If any of the major systems are broken replacing them will cost more than the value of the car.
Do you mean cosmetically? Now this at least you can fix. But show me a Chim that is cosmetically perfect and I'll show you one whose owner doesn't use it.
We drive a Chim. It's definitly "ropey" - but mechanically sound and we've kept the chassis waxoyled and avoided taking it out when the roads were salty. Every year it goes to David at the garage to have the host of minor crap like perished rubbers, tubes, hoses and clips sorted, the odd solenoid or gasket replaced, full service and any mechanical problems dealt with.
It looks ropey as hell because we don't fix the stonechips (they'd only come back).
My point is our car looks ropey - and all of them that are in regular use ALSO probably look fairly ropey. But any of the ones worth buying won't be underneath. And for that you will pay.
Buy one with problems under the covers and the repairs you make will be uneconomic versus buying a decent one in the first place.
Agree with the above - but I think this serves to indicate that a reliable high miler with stone chips and some bits that have become a bit tatty with use as they do, is a better buy than a pampered garage queen. Only thing is don't try and do one up for profit as the mileage sadly will put people off, and we're IMO still some way off a market where people wil pay good money for a completely refurbished,suitably upgraded, better-than-new example (I'd call mine the 'Chimaera S' 
).
).900T-R said:
Agree with the above - but I think this serves to indicate that a reliable high miler with stone chips and some bits that have become a bit tatty with use as they do, is a better buy than a pampered garage queen. Only thing is don't try and do one up for profit as the mileage sadly will put people off, and we're IMO still some way off a market where people wil pay good money for a completely refurbished,suitably upgraded, better-than-new example (I'd call mine the 'Chimaera S' ).
Ours ia actually both. It's in regular use - but it spends the worst winter days in the garage. For example - this morning it's snowed so I'll take the Porsche to work. When I finally get around to getting a "runner" then on days like this IT will go to work and BOTH the sports cars will stay home. ).But both of ours will still see regular use throughout the year and they both get services/maintained mechanically without regard for cost.
Don said:
Ours ia actually both. It's in regular use - but it spends the worst winter days in the garage.
That's not a garage queen - that's a proper working car. My private cars have always been the same - except for the real snotters and mundane daily runners. Let's face it, not much fun taking your P&J out in snow and sleet, and if I have to - for work - I'd rather do it on 175/65s with FWD than in a lightweight sports car on wide summer tyres.Hi folks, right lots of assumptions by you guys here... lets try to settle some things... don't try and scare me with it will cost more to put right etc etc, I've probably enough accumulated spares for the race car to build a second Chimaera, even have a spare tub, albeit in several pieces... I know how they go together etc etc.
As for budget cars like http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TVR-CHIMAERA-rare-4-3Ltr-199... are frightfully cheap, back in June 2005 when I bought the race car as a road going Chim it was the cheapest I could find in the country and that was £8500. That 4.3 looks like brilliant value for money, and if it was late November instead of late October it would of been sat outside my house by now, and as the winter blues strike coupled with a scary economic outlook I can't help but think there's going to be many more similar examples around the £5k marker that may need a bit of TLC but are fundamentally sound cars like the eBay example above.
Regards
Iain
Edited to give some examples...if the engine is goosed I've a choice of 4 engines at home ranging from 3.5 to 4.6l that I could swap in in a day. It takes me 6hrs to swap an engine in the race car working alone, obviously its a bit easier in that cos I don't have heater hoses, carbon canisters etc to worry about but an engine swap isn't an issue. I've a spare gearboxes (both LT77 and T5), diff, wishbones, shocks, brake calipers, if I have an electrical problem with the engine I've spare looms, ECU, AFM, injectors.
As for budget cars like http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TVR-CHIMAERA-rare-4-3Ltr-199... are frightfully cheap, back in June 2005 when I bought the race car as a road going Chim it was the cheapest I could find in the country and that was £8500. That 4.3 looks like brilliant value for money, and if it was late November instead of late October it would of been sat outside my house by now, and as the winter blues strike coupled with a scary economic outlook I can't help but think there's going to be many more similar examples around the £5k marker that may need a bit of TLC but are fundamentally sound cars like the eBay example above.
Regards
Iain
Edited to give some examples...if the engine is goosed I've a choice of 4 engines at home ranging from 3.5 to 4.6l that I could swap in in a day. It takes me 6hrs to swap an engine in the race car working alone, obviously its a bit easier in that cos I don't have heater hoses, carbon canisters etc to worry about but an engine swap isn't an issue. I've a spare gearboxes (both LT77 and T5), diff, wishbones, shocks, brake calipers, if I have an electrical problem with the engine I've spare looms, ECU, AFM, injectors.
Edited by Chassis 33 on Wednesday 29th October 08:19
Chassis 33 said:
Hi folks, right lots of assumptions by you guys here... lets try to settle some things... don't try and scare me with it will cost more to put right etc etc, I've probably enough accumulated spares for the race car to build a second Chimaera, even have a spare tub, albeit in several pieces... I know how they go together etc etc.
As for budget cars like http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TVR-CHIMAERA-rare-4-3Ltr-199... are frightfully cheap, back in June 2005 when I bought the race car as a road going Chim it was the cheapest I could find in the country and that was £8500. That 4.3 looks like brilliant value for money, and if it was late November instead of late October it would of been sat outside my house by now, and as the winter blues strike coupled with a scary economic outlook I can't help but think there's going to be many more similar examples around the £5k marker that may need a bit of TLC but are fundamentally sound cars like the eBay example above.
Regards
Iain
Edited to give some examples...if the engine is goosed I've a choice of 4 engines at home ranging from 3.5 to 4.6l that I could swap in in a day. It takes me 6hrs to swap an engine in the race car working alone, obviously its a bit easier in that cos I don't have heater hoses, carbon canisters etc to worry about but an engine swap isn't an issue. I've a spare gearboxes (both LT77 and T5), diff, wishbones, shocks, brake calipers, if I have an electrical problem with the engine I've spare looms, ECU, AFM, injectors.
Now what other hobbies do you have??As for budget cars like http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TVR-CHIMAERA-rare-4-3Ltr-199... are frightfully cheap, back in June 2005 when I bought the race car as a road going Chim it was the cheapest I could find in the country and that was £8500. That 4.3 looks like brilliant value for money, and if it was late November instead of late October it would of been sat outside my house by now, and as the winter blues strike coupled with a scary economic outlook I can't help but think there's going to be many more similar examples around the £5k marker that may need a bit of TLC but are fundamentally sound cars like the eBay example above.
Regards
Iain
Edited to give some examples...if the engine is goosed I've a choice of 4 engines at home ranging from 3.5 to 4.6l that I could swap in in a day. It takes me 6hrs to swap an engine in the race car working alone, obviously its a bit easier in that cos I don't have heater hoses, carbon canisters etc to worry about but an engine swap isn't an issue. I've a spare gearboxes (both LT77 and T5), diff, wishbones, shocks, brake calipers, if I have an electrical problem with the engine I've spare looms, ECU, AFM, injectors.
Edited by Chassis 33 on Wednesday 29th October 08:19
Or is it your day job??
Some commitment.
Trev McM
Edited by K4TRV on Wednesday 29th October 08:50
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