Chimaera newbie advice
Discussion
First time on ph's and have to admit the level of knowledge seems amazing. I have been interested in a chimaera for years and am going to take the plunge for the summer. However need some advice on options, can anyone hazard a guess to the following:
- best engine to go for?
- best year for value for money, considering i only want to pay between 10-14K?
- best option to look out for?
- is PAS really a necessity considering the overall weight?
- what should i stay away from?
- what tell tale signs of abuse should i look out for?
- what are the most common problems to look for, bodywork, engine, interior?
- how about the old problem of reliability?
- how much is an average service?
- miles to the gallon?
I could go on but advice would be great!
p.s. if anyone know of any hidden gems drop me a line!
- best engine to go for?
- best year for value for money, considering i only want to pay between 10-14K?
- best option to look out for?
- is PAS really a necessity considering the overall weight?
- what should i stay away from?
- what tell tale signs of abuse should i look out for?
- what are the most common problems to look for, bodywork, engine, interior?
- how about the old problem of reliability?
- how much is an average service?
- miles to the gallon?
I could go on but advice would be great!
p.s. if anyone know of any hidden gems drop me a line!
- best engine to go for?
- 4.0 or 4.5 if you intend it as a road car. 5.0 if you'll be spending a lot of time on the track. 5.0 can be a little lumpy and jerky at town speeds
- best year for value for money, considering i only want to pay between 10-14K?
- '95/6 but get one that has miles on. These cars don't like living in garages and being driven once a month.
- best option to look out for?
- Keep it standard, you can't improve on perfection
- is PAS really a necessity considering the overall weight?
- Big front tyres are a handfull when manouevering without PAS
- what should i stay away from?
- Anything that has an incomplete TVRSH
- what tell tale signs of abuse should i look out for?
- Doors don't fit well usually a sign of lots of hard track miles
- how about the old problem of reliability?
- This model including the Griff have been around for long enough that the bugs are out of the build now. I beleive them to be the most reliable TVR
- how much is an average service?
- £300 and £800 depending on which service
- miles to the gallon?
- 18 to 22
Not going through all the points but in general:
Buy the best car you can find for the money you have, and drive it as much as possible. When left in a garage for weeks on end, and taken out to play at weekends, things go wrong. Use it regularly and things don't (touch wood). 14 months and 1 headlight relay up to now. Servicing is usually cheaper at a good indipendant rather than a dealer.
Apart from that.....do it and don't look back
Buy the best car you can find for the money you have, and drive it as much as possible. When left in a garage for weeks on end, and taken out to play at weekends, things go wrong. Use it regularly and things don't (touch wood). 14 months and 1 headlight relay up to now. Servicing is usually cheaper at a good indipendant rather than a dealer.
Apart from that.....do it and don't look back
lefish said:They are all the same engine, just different capacities. Try 'em and see.
- best engine to go for?
tvrbob said::jawdropsmilie:If you are around London it's probably more like £600/£1000 from main dealers but I don't know about independants (yet).
- how much is an average service?
- £300 and £800 depending on which service
Rob Ingleby is reckoned to be good if you're prepared to pay for someone to find it for you.
lefish said:You'll be looking at early cars, so I would recommend one that has done a reasonable mileage as any problems should have been sorted.
- best year for value for money, considering i only want to pay between 10-14K?
lefish said:What about it? The worst problem I've had is learning how to drive it. Others have had other problems. It seems (to me) to be rare that a Chim fails to get home for reasons other than driver error. I've had no problems at all. If you're seriously worried don't buy one, it'll only impair your enjoyment of the car. As far as I can see, if you use it it'll keep going.
- how about the old problem of reliability?
lefish - here are my thoughts (as a newbie myself):
Purchased 4.0 Chimaera on 5 March. £10k on the button. 1994 (L), 50,000 miles, half leather, full TVRSH.
Optional extras - nothing. Don't care. Air-con may have been nice. PAS - ain't got it. After just a couple of drives, got used to it. Pleased with feel of steering and handling. Bit heavy reversing into parking spaces.
I would not look at damaged/repaired cars or no/part history cars. I worry about such things.
Common problems/abuse - pay specialist to inspect on your behalf.
Reliabilty - car lives on driveway. Been cold and wet on a few mornings and car has started straight away. Engine temperature seems fine. Really easy to drive in stop/start traffic.
Servicing - have got figures of £600 to £800 per year in mind with independant. Hopefully this will be about right.
MPG - first couple of days I kept accelerating every opportunity for no apparent reason. Got down to 14 - 16 mpg. Drove sensibly on long run on A12 on Thursday. Stuck to about 2,200 to 2,500 revs. Easily kept up with flow of traffic. Seemed to have got about 24 - 25 mpg if my calcs are correct.
Fun factor is unbelievable in TVR. Overtaking in sensible situations is simple. Interest from people at work, neighbours ,etc. that I don't really know is amazing. It's a fairly cheap car, yet it seems to be perceived as something really out of the ordinary.
I love it.
Purchased 4.0 Chimaera on 5 March. £10k on the button. 1994 (L), 50,000 miles, half leather, full TVRSH.
Optional extras - nothing. Don't care. Air-con may have been nice. PAS - ain't got it. After just a couple of drives, got used to it. Pleased with feel of steering and handling. Bit heavy reversing into parking spaces.
I would not look at damaged/repaired cars or no/part history cars. I worry about such things.
Common problems/abuse - pay specialist to inspect on your behalf.
Reliabilty - car lives on driveway. Been cold and wet on a few mornings and car has started straight away. Engine temperature seems fine. Really easy to drive in stop/start traffic.
Servicing - have got figures of £600 to £800 per year in mind with independant. Hopefully this will be about right.
MPG - first couple of days I kept accelerating every opportunity for no apparent reason. Got down to 14 - 16 mpg. Drove sensibly on long run on A12 on Thursday. Stuck to about 2,200 to 2,500 revs. Easily kept up with flow of traffic. Seemed to have got about 24 - 25 mpg if my calcs are correct.
Fun factor is unbelievable in TVR. Overtaking in sensible situations is simple. Interest from people at work, neighbours ,etc. that I don't really know is amazing. It's a fairly cheap car, yet it seems to be perceived as something really out of the ordinary.
I love it.
Just felt the need to add something to my earlier comments.
Acceleration is both brilliant and lethal. Unlike most cars this is rear wheel drive so accelerating whilst cornering, and that includes the small amounts of steering you do when overtaking numpties, will need to be controlled. Foot to the floor could easily cause you an embarrassing moment and in the wet / damp or on cold tyres it is a near certainty. Watching this site over my time here it has become obvious that most spins and shunts are the result of too much power combined with steering. You should spend time enjoying the straight line acceleration and get to learn about cornering grip in dry, cold, wet & damp conditions so you don't become another sad PH story.
Acceleration is both brilliant and lethal. Unlike most cars this is rear wheel drive so accelerating whilst cornering, and that includes the small amounts of steering you do when overtaking numpties, will need to be controlled. Foot to the floor could easily cause you an embarrassing moment and in the wet / damp or on cold tyres it is a near certainty. Watching this site over my time here it has become obvious that most spins and shunts are the result of too much power combined with steering. You should spend time enjoying the straight line acceleration and get to learn about cornering grip in dry, cold, wet & damp conditions so you don't become another sad PH story.
tvrbob said:
Just felt the need to add something to my earlier comments.
Acceleration is both brilliant and lethal. Unlike most cars this is rear wheel drive so accelerating whilst cornering, and that includes the small amounts of steering you do when overtaking numpties, will need to be controlled. Foot to the floor could easily cause you an embarrassing moment and in the wet / damp or on cold tyres it is a near certainty. Watching this site over my time here it has become obvious that most spins and shunts are the result of too much power combined with steering. You should spend time enjoying the straight line acceleration and get to learn about cornering grip in dry, cold, wet & damp conditions so you don't become another sad PH story.
Ah
. Using the throttle as an on/off switch instead of progressively, especially coming off a roundabout, is often known in performance car circles as 'hitting a patch of diesel'
M@H said:
- what should i stay away from?
- Anything that has an incomplete TVRSH
I think thats a bit pessemistic.. I used Indie servicing for mine.. As long as there is a FSH it doesn't actually need to be TVR.
Cheers,
Matt.
>> Edited by M@H on Monday 15th March 11:51
I would add that as long as it is TVR or a recommended TVR Independent (have a look on here for recommended independants) service history you will be OK... not so sure about servicing from unknowns.
In answer to your "how long is a peice of string" question
It depends what you want it for road? track? town? country? posing?
Look at as many as you can
condition condition condition
Get a serpentine engine if you can afford it, especially it you're going to be giving it Johnny large potatoes
It depends what you want it for road? track? town? country? posing?
Look at as many as you can
condition condition condition
Get a serpentine engine if you can afford it, especially it you're going to be giving it Johnny large potatoes
chimyellow said:
I would add that as long as it is TVR or a recommended TVR Independent (have a look on here for recommended independants) service history you will be OK... not so sure about servicing from unknowns.
just something that interests me re this point - at what point does an "unknown" become a "known"? - I assume the "known" indpendants were "unknown" before they were "known".
rude girl said:
just something that interests me re this point - at what point does an "unknown" become a "known"? - I assume the "known" indpendants were "unknown" before they were "known".
small green and white pill for Shnozz please Nurse!
if it prevents insomnia I'll take it. Oh hold on, M@H is carrying on the argument re mileage, no need for that pill now.
shnozz said:
rude girl said:
shnozz said:
just something that interests me re this point - at what point does an "unknown" become a "known"? - I assume the "known" indpendants were "unknown" before they were "known".
if it prevents insomnia I'll take it. Oh hold on, M@H is carrying on the argument re mileage, no need for that pill now.
>> Edited by M@H on Monday 15th March 16:21
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