How long will it last!
Discussion
Hi all, now most weekends my Chimaera gets a good seeing to around the country side with a mate in his Porker, I dont abuse it but use it hard with respect, now my buddy Tone, he's got a 20 year old immaculate 944 in which goes and handles like its just been come out of its box, it has all its history on file with no major work ever done. What is my TVR going to be like in 20 years- not that I will still have it, still as solid as it is now, I here horror stories of bent wish bones due to rust etc......and only a few years old....whats that all about then?
Just interested, I would like to have a car like this in 20 years time as a collectors classic, I love it to bits(not literally) and would like to know if it would get that far or end up on the scrap heap.... god forbid. How are the older Chims fairing what sort of mileage do they have on them..who has the highest. Mines done 65k on and a 95 model. vinny
I bought a new 350i in 1985 and I am reliably informed it is still on the road! I would also say that the Chimeara I have now is head and shoulders above the 350 on build qualty!So draw your own conclusions.As for having a 20 year old TVR as a classic you can keep any car indefinitly as long you are prepared to spend money on it.P.S have also seen lots of 944 etc which are sheds!
The car is just the sum of its parts. If you maintain and replace the bits as required, then the car will go on forever. The car only dies when you decide to stop maintaining it. Normally this would be when it is cheaper to just go out and buy a newer model. But that logic doesn't really apply to a TVR. If you thought along sensible economic lines you'd have bought a Primera.
I guess the trick is to really stay on top of the maintenance. You have to accept that, although in an ideal world you shouldn't need to, with a TVR it is vital to do stuff like keep a close eye on the state of the chassis, and except the cost of getting problems sorted out as soon as they arise, rather than assuming they can be left alone. This just leads to bigger bills in the end, and then the crunch point where you say this is bollocks and bin the car.
I guess the trick is to really stay on top of the maintenance. You have to accept that, although in an ideal world you shouldn't need to, with a TVR it is vital to do stuff like keep a close eye on the state of the chassis, and except the cost of getting problems sorted out as soon as they arise, rather than assuming they can be left alone. This just leads to bigger bills in the end, and then the crunch point where you say this is bollocks and bin the car.
One major advantage with a TVR is that the body is never going to rust away (like loads of 924/944's I've seen). As long as the chassis is maintained in good order ( I recommend Hammerite + Waxoyl, then keep on top of the waxoyl every couple of years) the rest is just routine and replace when worn out. There are LOADS of good wedges still around at or near 20 yers old.
Roar on and keep it TVR!
Roar on and keep it TVR!
I have owned 7 TVRs from early Wedges to Griffith i have to say that i am impressed with the build quality of the Griffith its now 10 yrs old and is in really good shape apart from a few stone chips the interior is like a 2 yr old car, due to only 24,000 miles the chassis is perfect, but the amazing thing is that everything still works !
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