Help for potential newbie owner
Discussion
At last, I may soon be in a position to get that TVR I have always lusted after (getting an internal garage!).
My choice of TVR has come down to budget, which I don't want to exceed £15k. A Chimaera is top of my list. Noise and cruising is my desire - not track work or anything like that.
I guess it has been asked here a million times before, but here goes... where is the best place to start? This would be my first RWD, so which engine should I start off with? Which spec would be the most reliable, and easiest to service? What options should I avoid, and which should I seek out? Any years to be avoided? From whom should I purchase?
Also, is there anyone around Herts/Beds/Bucks that you can hire to check out the potential purchase, for peace of mind?
Any help is much appreciated.
P.S. how big a garage do you actually need??!??!
My choice of TVR has come down to budget, which I don't want to exceed £15k. A Chimaera is top of my list. Noise and cruising is my desire - not track work or anything like that.
I guess it has been asked here a million times before, but here goes... where is the best place to start? This would be my first RWD, so which engine should I start off with? Which spec would be the most reliable, and easiest to service? What options should I avoid, and which should I seek out? Any years to be avoided? From whom should I purchase?
Also, is there anyone around Herts/Beds/Bucks that you can hire to check out the potential purchase, for peace of mind?
Any help is much appreciated.
P.S. how big a garage do you actually need??!??!
Hi
The guys at the local tvr club should be a good source of information, go along to the monthly meet, you may even pick a car up there.
I believe generally TVRCC members look after their cars well too.
I would go for a 4.0 V8 Chimaera facelift model 98 onwards with a strong chassis FSH supported by recent bills, for items like shocks,wiper motor, brakes etc.
Don't let your heart dictate what to buy in the end go for an informed decision backed up by knowledge from a local tvr garage. You will get the car checked over before you buy it for £40 to £100.
Paul
The guys at the local tvr club should be a good source of information, go along to the monthly meet, you may even pick a car up there.
I believe generally TVRCC members look after their cars well too.
I would go for a 4.0 V8 Chimaera facelift model 98 onwards with a strong chassis FSH supported by recent bills, for items like shocks,wiper motor, brakes etc.
Don't let your heart dictate what to buy in the end go for an informed decision backed up by knowledge from a local tvr garage. You will get the car checked over before you buy it for £40 to £100.
Paul
I have a 4.0 and it gives the impression of having endless power/torque compared to everyday traffic. The reason why most TVR's are 4.0 Chimaeras must simply be down to the fact that for a great many people they are plenty fast enough and return reasonable economy. I mean in normal life 0-60 around the 5 sec mark is not exactly slow!
Age wise, you might see a late car with poor chassis and an early one with perfect chassis. Same goes for engine condition. I tried a 38k, 60k, 80k and 100k car to get a feel for how the engines cope with miles. The result was the 38k car was actually the fastest/most perky feeling second to the 100k miler. The others were simply not good examples which had been run into the ground to some degree and you could tell visually tbh!
You could get advise from Bespoke Performance in Hertford (Formally The TVR Center in Arkley).
Age wise, you might see a late car with poor chassis and an early one with perfect chassis. Same goes for engine condition. I tried a 38k, 60k, 80k and 100k car to get a feel for how the engines cope with miles. The result was the 38k car was actually the fastest/most perky feeling second to the 100k miler. The others were simply not good examples which had been run into the ground to some degree and you could tell visually tbh!
You could get advise from Bespoke Performance in Hertford (Formally The TVR Center in Arkley).
As above , try local TVRCC members and have a ride in a few different types. Be aware though that if you do buy a 4.0 within a year you will start looking at ads for 450s and 500. As an owner of some 14 months and only 3500 miles you do find the yourself running out of revs very quickly in 2nd/3rd gear as the speedo flies to illegal levels, but the noise and surge is sooooo addictive. Best of luck.
What V8 Owl said, also, bought mine in December and not driven it much but went for purchasing from a dealer so the car came fully serviced, waxoyled, and with 12 month warranty for my peace of mind (I don't get much time at home). My budget for buying the car was the same as yours, and I went for a mint '98 500 with 32,500 miles on the clock. Had to be the 500 because I knew if I hadn't I'd be wishing I had in six months time, but that's just me. I did a huge amount of research, would suggest you read everything you can on here, as I did, it's worth its weight in gold !!
To answer your garage question, I'm currently having to keep mine in a garage with a 7ft door width, which leaves about 5" on either side driving it in, but just enough room to squeeze out (tho not very daintily) once it's in.
Good luck with it Phil, You'll get loads of advice from more experienced guys than me on here.. but I would say, get yourself behind the wheel of as many as you can (or need to) before you buy..
Oh, and if you're good with the spanners buy the best 400 or 450 you can for about 8-9k and put a supercharger on it.... I would happily have gone that route if I'd had the time and the garage space..
To answer your garage question, I'm currently having to keep mine in a garage with a 7ft door width, which leaves about 5" on either side driving it in, but just enough room to squeeze out (tho not very daintily) once it's in.
Good luck with it Phil, You'll get loads of advice from more experienced guys than me on here.. but I would say, get yourself behind the wheel of as many as you can (or need to) before you buy..
Oh, and if you're good with the spanners buy the best 400 or 450 you can for about 8-9k and put a supercharger on it.... I would happily have gone that route if I'd had the time and the garage space..
Hi Phil,
I bought a '99 450 last November and just love it! The best thing I've done for ages.
I broke all the "rules" and bought the second one I looked at (and the first I drove) but it's fantastic.
A few tips:
1/ Get the Steve Heath "bible" now. It's full of useful info about buying, driving and using the Chimaera/Griffith.
2/ If you're buying privately then www.ecarinsurance.co.uk offer 1 day insurance cover. Mine was about £15 for fully comp.
3/ Mine fits into a council garage in a block - not sure of the garage size but from the handbook the car is 4015mm long and 1865mm wide inc the mirrors.
4/ Your local TVR club meeting is worth a visit - you'll pick up a load of advice.
5/ Again, if buying privately get and HPI. ALso if you get the V5 Reg document number you can check the MOT history for free at www.motinfo.direct.gov.uk
Good luck with the search!
Chris
I bought a '99 450 last November and just love it! The best thing I've done for ages.
I broke all the "rules" and bought the second one I looked at (and the first I drove) but it's fantastic.
A few tips:
1/ Get the Steve Heath "bible" now. It's full of useful info about buying, driving and using the Chimaera/Griffith.
2/ If you're buying privately then www.ecarinsurance.co.uk offer 1 day insurance cover. Mine was about £15 for fully comp.
3/ Mine fits into a council garage in a block - not sure of the garage size but from the handbook the car is 4015mm long and 1865mm wide inc the mirrors.
4/ Your local TVR club meeting is worth a visit - you'll pick up a load of advice.
5/ Again, if buying privately get and HPI. ALso if you get the V5 Reg document number you can check the MOT history for free at www.motinfo.direct.gov.uk
Good luck with the search!
Chris
Hi Phil,
This is a very subjective personal descision, personally I would go for a 450 or 500 from the off with power steering, Serpentine engine, T5 gearbox and with the best chassis condition, paying special attention to the outriggers.
I have a 400 but really would like a bigger variant, but having spent a fortune on it it is not financially viable, the best bang for buck upgrade is a supercharger which will give you an uplift if you can find a perfect 400.
Good luck
This is a very subjective personal descision, personally I would go for a 450 or 500 from the off with power steering, Serpentine engine, T5 gearbox and with the best chassis condition, paying special attention to the outriggers.
I have a 400 but really would like a bigger variant, but having spent a fortune on it it is not financially viable, the best bang for buck upgrade is a supercharger which will give you an uplift if you can find a perfect 400.
Good luck
Just for comparison, the 4.0 Chimaera has a similar power to weight ratio of an E34 BMW M5 3.8. I appreciate peoples feelings of wanting to go for the larger Chimaeras, hell maybe it will happen to me! However, for the first time Chimaera buyer simply the comparison to an M5 (even the old one) in power to weight terms may help put things into perspective.
Of course it also highlights how much more power on top of that the 4,5 and 5,0 would be!
HTH
P.S might the larger engine variants hold their value better?
Of course it also highlights how much more power on top of that the 4,5 and 5,0 would be!
HTH
P.S might the larger engine variants hold their value better?
Have had the Chimaera 10 years this April, my random thoughts:
There is only one thing to consider when buying - condition. Forget about engine size and to some degree colour. I knew the colour combo I wanted and so discounted all others, what I didn't worry about was engine size. In the real world, random driving - not track days - the difference between a 4.0 and a 5.0 is negligible, unless you are chatting in a pub.
These cars are getting old now so as others have said, check the chassis thoroughly because that's a minimum £2k if the outriggers need doing. Check the wishbones and bushes, they'll be getting tired. Aftermarket shocks are a good thing to look out for. Your first TVR I'd suggest buying from a dealer - Fernhurst is well worth the trip in my experience their after sales service is second to none.
Drive a few if you can, another good thing about buying from a dealer is the ability to try out different cars back to back, personally I preferred the non-PAS, it just felt more involving.
Mileage doesn't matter too much, the engines are pretty much bullet proof and one with lots of service history is a good bet, whether that's dealer or indie doesn't really matter as long as it's all stamped up.
Mine lived outside for years and now has a large double garage so can't really help about garage width needed, but there is nothing to these cars so you could hop out and push it in to the garage, not a big deal.
Hope that was useful, the guys here and TVRCC forums know all there is to know so ask away. If you want a chat on the phone, happy to do that too if you like
There is only one thing to consider when buying - condition. Forget about engine size and to some degree colour. I knew the colour combo I wanted and so discounted all others, what I didn't worry about was engine size. In the real world, random driving - not track days - the difference between a 4.0 and a 5.0 is negligible, unless you are chatting in a pub.
These cars are getting old now so as others have said, check the chassis thoroughly because that's a minimum £2k if the outriggers need doing. Check the wishbones and bushes, they'll be getting tired. Aftermarket shocks are a good thing to look out for. Your first TVR I'd suggest buying from a dealer - Fernhurst is well worth the trip in my experience their after sales service is second to none.
Drive a few if you can, another good thing about buying from a dealer is the ability to try out different cars back to back, personally I preferred the non-PAS, it just felt more involving.
Mileage doesn't matter too much, the engines are pretty much bullet proof and one with lots of service history is a good bet, whether that's dealer or indie doesn't really matter as long as it's all stamped up.
Mine lived outside for years and now has a large double garage so can't really help about garage width needed, but there is nothing to these cars so you could hop out and push it in to the garage, not a big deal.
Hope that was useful, the guys here and TVRCC forums know all there is to know so ask away. If you want a chat on the phone, happy to do that too if you like
If I were looking to buy with your budget today I would buy exactly what I already have, the best late 400 I could find at the time. Obviously latest doesn't necessarily mean best but in theory all things being equal a newer car should be a better place to start. The late cars all have the same running gear regardless of serp engine size, T5 box, bigger brakes etc. They also have a different boot hinge arrangement making it easier to put the roof top in the boot, whilst still allowing plenty of luggage space (unlike Griff owners 
)
I have no interest in doing track days so buying the "economy" model has not made any difference to me, if it is costing me any less to run fuel wise then even better. I would say that even today the performance is still more than adequate, even for spirited road use.
If you are not familiar with the cars an inspection by a proper TVR garage would be money very well spent, forget anyone who inspects normal cars, eg AA, RAC..... they are not up to speed with TVRs. It is worth paying a bit more for a good one, more so if you are not going to be doing any work on it yourself.
After 8 years and untold trips all over Europe I have yet to experience the unreliability I was promised by so called experts. If you buy the right car and TVR is your thing then you will be delighted with a Chimaera.
Good luck with it.
)I have no interest in doing track days so buying the "economy" model has not made any difference to me, if it is costing me any less to run fuel wise then even better. I would say that even today the performance is still more than adequate, even for spirited road use.
If you are not familiar with the cars an inspection by a proper TVR garage would be money very well spent, forget anyone who inspects normal cars, eg AA, RAC..... they are not up to speed with TVRs. It is worth paying a bit more for a good one, more so if you are not going to be doing any work on it yourself.
After 8 years and untold trips all over Europe I have yet to experience the unreliability I was promised by so called experts. If you buy the right car and TVR is your thing then you will be delighted with a Chimaera.
Good luck with it.
phil1979 said:
Thanks Mark - very useful.
I know Google is my friend, but can someone explain the 'outriggers' issue, which I've overheard a few times. I immediately think 'fishing trawler', but I guess I'm wide of the mark in this instance.
In my very layman terms:I know Google is my friend, but can someone explain the 'outriggers' issue, which I've overheard a few times. I immediately think 'fishing trawler', but I guess I'm wide of the mark in this instance.
The main chassis is a central ladder type affair down the centre that all the big heavy 'stuff' is bolted to. The outriggers come out from the side of that (bit like the Hawaii 5-0 boat) on both sides between the front and rear wheels, you can see them in the rear of the front arches and the front of the rear arches. Historically these have been made out of old coke cans and rolled up tin foil (that description might not be accurate) and are prone to stone chips, trapped water and stone, and trapped Nissan Micra's, this leads to a bit rusting issue, and this is a problem because at the rear it's where the seat belt mounts are and along it the body is bolted to it, so any rust is an MOT failure.
This can be repaired by what is called the 2 inch body lift (cheaper) but more thoroughly done by removing the body completely (dearer).
Hope that helps
.Mark said:
In my very layman terms:
The main chassis is a central ladder type affair down the centre that all the big heavy 'stuff' is bolted to. The outriggers come out from the side of that (bit like the Hawaii 5-0 boat) on both sides between the front and rear wheels, you can see them in the rear of the front arches and the front of the rear arches. Historically these have been made out of old coke cans and rolled up tin foil (that description might not be accurate) and are prone to stone chips, trapped water and stone, and trapped Nissan Micra's, this leads to a bit rusting issue, and this is a problem because at the rear it's where the seat belt mounts are and along it the body is bolted to it, so any rust is an MOT failure.
This can be repaired by what is called the 2 inch body lift (cheaper) but more thoroughly done by removing the body completely (dearer).
Hope that helps
Helps a lot - thanks. I've now seen pics of the issue, so I'm up to speed there.The main chassis is a central ladder type affair down the centre that all the big heavy 'stuff' is bolted to. The outriggers come out from the side of that (bit like the Hawaii 5-0 boat) on both sides between the front and rear wheels, you can see them in the rear of the front arches and the front of the rear arches. Historically these have been made out of old coke cans and rolled up tin foil (that description might not be accurate) and are prone to stone chips, trapped water and stone, and trapped Nissan Micra's, this leads to a bit rusting issue, and this is a problem because at the rear it's where the seat belt mounts are and along it the body is bolted to it, so any rust is an MOT failure.
This can be repaired by what is called the 2 inch body lift (cheaper) but more thoroughly done by removing the body completely (dearer).
Hope that helps
Another question.... considering my age, where/how would be the best place to insure such a vehicle, on the assumption it would be used as a toy as opposed to a commuter?
phil1979 said:
This would be my first RWD, so which engine should I start off with?
In at the deep end then! TVRs aren't as tricky to drive as the chest wig and medallion brigade would sometimes like to make out. But the flipside of the coin is that any of them will light up the rear tyres if you're overly aggressive with the throttle in a low (or sometimes high!) gear, and any of them will lock the wheels if you're hamfisted with the brake.
Yes, if you're coming from a 4-litre, the extra mid range torque of a 450 or 500 will be noticeable. But if you don't have any RWD experience then any of them will require a degree of mental recalibration, so I wouldn't worry about aiming for any specific model on those grounds.
I would, however, suggest doing a few car control days or something - that way you'll know if you're cruising well within the car's ability and you won't be lost if you suddenly find out to the contrary!
Other considerations? Well, there's an argument that says 500s are significantly rarer and therefore hold their value better, but, on the other hand, they're said to be thirstier and fractionally more prone to engine issues. Most people regard the 450 as the best compromise if performance is a concern, but as has been said above, you're unlikely to step into a 400 and think 'this is a bit slow'. All sound glorious and all prove surprisingly comfortable/practical as tourers. With the parcel shelf down on my Focus daily driver, for example, it has a smaller boot than the Chimaera! If I could afford to do so I'd run mine every day.
Oh, and power assisted steering is probably worth looking out for. It loses very little feel to the unassisted rack, which can be very heavy around town.
phil1979 said:
Another question.... considering my age, where/how would be the best place to insure such a vehicle, on the assumption it would be used as a toy as opposed to a commuter?
Don't think you have mentioned your age, but, currently both of mine are with Classicline, as 'future classics'. They have a reasonably strict policy. Limited mileage, must be garaged overnight, must be a second car type stuff, but they do offer agreed valuation (generous valuations too if you read peoples assumptions on prices here), no need for NCB as it's a 'classic', stuff like that..Mark said:
Don't think you have mentioned your age, but, currently both of mine are with Classicline, as 'future classics'. They have a reasonably strict policy. Limited mileage, must be garaged overnight, must be a second car type stuff, but they do offer agreed valuation (generous valuations too if you read peoples assumptions on prices here), no need for NCB as it's a 'classic', stuff like that.
I'll be 32 in July, with a clean license since passing my test in 1996. I'll be using the Alfa for daily duties, and the TVR would be garaged, for sure.Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff