TVR's in New Zealand

Author
Discussion

griffo

Original Poster:

20 posts

263 months

Tuesday 23rd March 2004
quotequote all
Fellow NZ PH'ers,

What was the final word on importing TVR's?

I've just been offered the opportunity to work in Wellington. At the moment I have a 1998 4.0 HC Chimaera and love it to bits and can't think of a better way of getting around NZ.

Will I be able to take it over with me?? Has anyone had any luck with importing?

Paul

jamieheasman

823 posts

285 months

Tuesday 23rd March 2004
quotequote all
Officially no, no chance, nil, nish, zip.

Unofficially, someone did manage to get a Chimaera in recently (through Wellington) but it was down to some serious rule bending (read 'breaking').

Personally I wouldn't risk it as it will probably be a very good way to blow a few thousand quid.

If you want something British then it's either something made in quantities less than 200 (total annual output for the manufacturer) or a Lotus Elise (or any other car that's crash tested to the appropriate standard).

Hopefully, one day they'll change the rules to something sensible.

p.s. I've got a '94 4.0 HC that I'll be selling in a month or two...... ;-)

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Sunday 13th June 2004
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Or ya could just do what I'm doing, buy another car and slot a TVR engine in

Roger A

1,267 posts

241 months

Sunday 13th June 2004
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but unlike you, I'm not really techno enough to appreciate the mechanicals alone-it's the whole package for me and I confess it's the beauty of it's bod that turns me on! (autoerotism,me?)

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Sunday 13th June 2004
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Fair enough... they are beatuiful... I justdont have the cash to stretch that far.....yet anyway

Roger A

1,267 posts

241 months

Monday 14th June 2004
quotequote all
I should imagine that with your skills,money will come looking for you b4 long -mind you, what I'm making money from now has NOTHING to do with my training or education. By the way, where did you see that Auckland Cerbera? I want to see it!!!!!
You'd better order the personalised plate : TVR7 -I doubt that one's gone.

Roger A

1,267 posts

241 months

Monday 14th June 2004
quotequote all
I guess you've already considered the (more purist) option of importing a 20+ yr old TVR and throwing a modern tvr lump in it?
ps: what do you make of my(blatantly obvious?) p. plate idea?.
I had the idea a few years ago of coming up with innovative wordplay ideas and having plates made and onselling them and reaping substantial profits.(ha!)
My first attempt was BARUCY-I figured there'd be someone out there who was a SuBARU legaCY nut called Bruce you see. -I've still got it (oops)

jamieheasman

823 posts

285 months

Monday 14th June 2004
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For some time now I've been toying with the idea of a 3000M or Taimar fitted with an AJP8. I think it would be a lovely package as without that boat-anchor up front the 'M' series cars handle really well. A 4.2/4.5 AJP8 with all ancilleries can be picked up for 3000GBP, usually with a T5 gearbox. Of course you'd need to upgrade the suspension and brakes (that salisbury diff' should more than cope!) but I don't think it would be too much of an issue.

My Chimaera has the plate 'TVR V8' and I also have 'V8 TVR' on retention which was meant for the Cerbera I can't have!

Roger A

1,267 posts

241 months

Tuesday 15th June 2004
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YET! (keep it positive!)

dejoux

772 posts

284 months

Tuesday 15th June 2004
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So I cant own a Cerbera in the future in NZ

Ill have to console myself with a few Lotus's(yes I know its technically Loti) and a Noble

>> Edited by dejoux on Tuesday 15th June 14:00

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Tuesday 15th June 2004
quotequote all
Roger A said:
I guess you've already considered the (more purist) option of importing a 20+ yr old TVR and throwing a modern tvr lump in it?
ps: what do you make of my(blatantly obvious?) p. plate idea?.
I had the idea a few years ago of coming up with innovative wordplay ideas and having plates made and onselling them and reaping substantial profits.(ha!)
My first attempt was BARUCY-I figured there'd be someone out there who was a SuBARU legaCY nut called Bruce you see. -I've still got it (oops)


Lol, nah, I've not considered that, YET. I've always loved the TR7 and have always wanted to build the "ultimate" TR7..... without going NUTS and basically having it a custom car with a TR7 shell... so I'm gonna use a TVR V8 (Rover Based) out of the Griff 500 tweak it a little more and dump that in... should be fun.... bt this is just my first major project.... will undoubtedly be more to follow now that I'm in the black and continuing to earn

I'd love to stick an AJP lump in the TR7, but they're out of my price range at the moment, so the Rover unit it is

jamieheasman

823 posts

285 months

Tuesday 15th June 2004
quotequote all
I think you'll find that the price difference between an AJP8 and a Rover is neglible. However, tuning and servicing parts could be a different matter.

The average 4.5AJP8 puts out a genuine 380bhp, the average 5.0litre TVR Rover about 260bhp - a big difference and to get that extra 100+bhp out of the Rover is very, very expensive (been there done that!).

I guess another aspect of a conversion like this is that the Rover exchange has been done hundreds of times whereas I haven't heard of anyone using the AJP8.

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Wednesday 16th June 2004
quotequote all
Jamie..... if you can track me down a cheap AJP V8 I'll buy it! (I mean cheap comparatively. I'm currently looking at a TVR RV8 in oz for about 5 grand australian, that's a bargain.... 285bhp (dynoed) and with tweaking will see ~315 bhp in the car.... I'd LOVE to go the AJP route, but cost is the only thing stopping me.... I would be prepared to pay for the AJP.

Another point for the TVR RV8 is it's still "original" at least in architecture anyway Having said that, bugger original if it means firring an AJP

jamieheasman

823 posts

285 months

kylie

4,391 posts

258 months

Thursday 17th June 2004
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Yeah I seen those, great site have sold a heap of art on auction site. Bought some little treats too.

darren

94 posts

285 months

Thursday 17th June 2004
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TVRs fall into an unusual category with LVVTA - they can't be treated as a high volume vehicle, yet they make too many to be treated as a low volume vehicle. Currently LVVTA are pushing LTSA for a change to some definitions within the rules to allow small quantities of specialist and performance vehicles to be imported. Of course, it then has to comply with the frontal impact regulations. Check out the next issue of NZ Performance Car Magazine (issue 92) for more info (I'm proofreading it right now - should be on the shelves in a couple of weeks)

Izza

571 posts

277 months

Friday 18th June 2004
quotequote all
darren said:
TVRs fall into an unusual category with LVVTA - they can't be treated as a high volume vehicle, yet they make too many to be treated as a low volume vehicle. Currently LVVTA are pushing LTSA for a change to some definitions within the rules to allow small quantities of specialist and performance vehicles to be imported. Of course, it then has to comply with the frontal impact regulations. Check out the next issue of NZ Performance Car Magazine (issue 92) for more info (I'm proofreading it right now - should be on the shelves in a couple of weeks)


NZ Performance Car?
Surely you mean NZ Max Power monthly?

kylie

4,391 posts

258 months

Friday 18th June 2004
quotequote all
Izza said:

darren said:
TVRs fall into an unusual category with LVVTA - they can't be treated as a high volume vehicle, yet they make too many to be treated as a low volume vehicle. Currently LVVTA are pushing LTSA for a change to some definitions within the rules to allow small quantities of specialist and performance vehicles to be imported. Of course, it then has to comply with the frontal impact regulations. Check out the next issue of NZ Performance Car Magazine (issue 92) for more info (I'm proofreading it right now - should be on the shelves in a couple of weeks)



NZ Performance Car?
Surely you mean NZ Max Power monthly?


Got some good stuff in it but a bit too young and bling bling for me, keep up the good work though darren and keep us updated on any interesting events. Drift events for the Esprit NOOO!!!

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Friday 18th June 2004
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Kylie.... if you can drift an Esprit, then you've bigger balls than I!

kylie

4,391 posts

258 months

Friday 18th June 2004
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George...I just checked and there are no balls down there but am very aggresive on the track. I try not to drift if recording lap times, but its just too easy to oversteer a mid engined car and its fun so long as you can control your high speed drifts...
Am mounting my camera inside the car for the next sprints at Taupo in Nov. Am on the Lotus Committee and have put forward another proposal for a track day at Puke in Feb. If you get your car sorted by then I can send you out some official CLNZ details if you want to try out your beast.

Keep us updated in your car progress.
K