Chimaera Prices

Chimaera Prices

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Matt-hi3m1

Original Poster:

42 posts

68 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Have been browsing the usual formats for Chimaeras everyday trying to work out how much to spend to get a good example. The prices seem to range from £9k to £20k+ with similar cars being priced nearly double the price of each other.

Just wondering why this is and whether the higher priced cars sell.

I have narrowed my choice down to a red or yellow MK2 with the TVR rear lights and different number plate. The yellow ones seem to be more expensive than other colours, I would of thought this was an acquired taste of colour and can't see a reason for it.

I also prefer the Griffith wheels but not many seem to be specced with this option.

Hoping to buy the above for £11k, is this feasible?

TheRainMaker

6,303 posts

241 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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The Griffith wheels as you put it, are standard fitment on the Chimaera 500 and the last of the 450.


Matt-hi3m1

Original Poster:

42 posts

68 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Ah right, I've been looking at 400's. A 430 would be ideal but seem to be rare. 450's tend to be £15k unless previously crashed.

I'm buying in Jan so maybe the cooler weather will bring the prices down.

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

148 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Pretty unlikely but some of us get desperate to sell.
Each car has its own set of circumstances and condition, interiors for example can range from well worn to fully replaced or really well cared for.
Tvr like any car cost lots to repair / maintain/ upgrade at approved and respected Tvr centres
If major works have been carried out in the recent past or the car has been updated/ upgraded there can be a large difference in how these cars drive and what’s going on under the skin which is difficult to see in pictures.
Rather than upset selling owners kicking tyres go to a few Tvr sales guys and have a test drive of a few and you’ll get a better idea. Better still find a local Tvr meet and go talk to owners and get a few rides.
You realise at 11k this is around the lower end of the price structure as it stands today so expect to but a car that might need a bit of love ( money) spending on it and it’s very unlikely to be anything as good as say one at 18k with replacement dash, riggers, Ecu, engine etc etc.
My point is if you buy one that needs work you’ll be very lucky to do it and still stay below the budget of an 18k car. Ask any owner and they will confirm they have probably spent well into the 20k bracket so cars around that price are still often sold at a loss!

Go in with your eyes wide open and do the research while you can.
Sorry if you are already well aware but it’s important to note.

I have a 450 2000year I’d rather sell a leg that sell the car but it’s looking more and more likely I’ll sell.
It’s been re painted 5k, Powers Performance engine rebuild and Ecu 8.5k and much much more and I’m well over 25k in costs but what a car. Totally reliable 28 mpg on a run, fast and I love driving it. I’ve done 25,000 miles without breakdown or any real problems over 7.5 years, probably needs outriggers next year but will be available for less than 20 but slightly more than 15 wink depends what you want and how hands on you are but you will need a hell of an accountant to do what Ive done for that money. Riggers 1500 so take that into account. Look on my profile and you’ll get the picture.
From what I have learnt, save up some more and safe yourself a fortune unless you like working on cars and enjoy wasting money hehe
Good luck in your search.

Edited by Classic Chim on Sunday 19th August 14:43

schmokin1

1,212 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Loads on sale at the moment, people seemed to be hanging on to them over the winter then all deciding to sell when the weather picked up!

Two types of owners IMHO, and I hope no one will get offended, ones with active chequebooks and ones with active socket sets smile

The former seem to have shinier cars but spend triple what the latter do to buy and run their cars. If you are the former then you must buy the right car from the off. If you can handle a tinker then I can’t think of another car that gives you the same bang for the buck....

The really nice thing is the wealth of knowledge and helpful owners on this forum. I’ve been away for 5 or so years after stupidly selling my 400 and now I’m back having just bought a 400, it’s nice to see a lot of the same enthusiasts still here and still loving the Chimaera experience!

Good luck with finding the right one for you!

Matt-hi3m1

Original Poster:

42 posts

68 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Thanks for the reply, I went to a TVR meet a few weeks ago and was a passenger in two Chimaeras - loved it as I thought I would.

£11k is what I will have to spend, £15k would mean another 10 months of saving frown I sold my S500 in Nov last year and cannot wait another 10 months so I will buy the best I can afford for my budget with hopefully at least the outriggers done. I am quite handy with a spanner and have replaced engines etc.

This will be a second car as I have an Accord for boring stuff so if I need to work on it, I won't be stuck for transport.

Yours sounds like a good example and a steal at the price! But will you regret it...

Matt-hi3m1

Original Poster:

42 posts

68 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
quotequote all
schmokin1 said:
Loads on sale at the moment, people seemed to be hanging on to them over the winter then all deciding to sell when the weather picked up!

Two types of owners IMHO, and I hope no one will get offended, ones with active chequebooks and ones with active socket sets smile

The former seem to have shinier cars but spend triple what the latter do to buy and run their cars. If you are the former then you must buy the right car from the off. If you can handle a tinker then I can’t think of another car that gives you the same bang for the buck....

The really nice thing is the wealth of knowledge and helpful owners on this forum. I’ve been away for 5 or so years after stupidly selling my 400 and now I’m back having just bought a 400, it’s nice to see a lot of the same enthusiasts still here and still loving the Chimaera experience!

Good luck with finding the right one for you!
Yeah this is partly the reason I want a TVR, because the the forums are quite active on here and people are friendly and happy to help.

I have also fancied getting involved with meets and shows.

I'm quite good with anything car related and will attempt anything after research except welding which is why I want this work completed.

Did you post pictures of your new purchase?

Welcome back! cool


Belle427

8,862 posts

232 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Looking at the classifieds £12k buys you a really nice 400.

Matt-hi3m1

Original Poster:

42 posts

68 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Has to be red or yellow biggrin

schmokin1

1,212 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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There are large price anomalies out there. I frankly got very very lucky because my budget was about half yours wink Got a SERP/T5 400.

It is red too! Is it a good 'un, well time will tell once I have got it sorted. Current job list is headlamp reflectors, radiator recore, alternator refresh (not charging), suspension and brakes once over, wiper arms and blades, fix broken bonnet hinge, full fluid service, front tyres, new battery. 500 in bits should do it and a few days effort.

Later jobs will be fix heater, address crap seats that don’t fit me (same on my previous car), polish out the scratches that the blind man who used to wash the car has inflicted, bit of paint here and there, wheel refurb. Chassis is Ok but will need titivation as they all do.

It’s already had outriggers, a new roof and a few other bits and bobs, so has potential.

For you, don’t immediately think later car is better, the grey chassis ones can rust less than the later white chassis ones due better quality powder coat. Don’t get carried away, you are buying the previous owner's care and attention as much as the car IYSWIM.....

Matt-hi3m1

Original Poster:

42 posts

68 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Wow so you picked one up for £6k! Have you got any pictures? How many miles?

I prefer the later one due to the lights, number plate and door buttons being under the mirror although I'm sure I could change the rear lights and the buttons wouldn't bother me too much but there are so many variations I just chose those specifics to make it easier picking one.

I have read about the grey and white chassis. Suppose it's pot luck with either. Until you've done at least a 2 inch body lift you'll never know what condition it's in...

I'd be willing to buy a car that needed chassis work if it ticked the boxes and was cheap enough - I just don't want one that's been accident damaged.




fullpull

260 posts

166 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Why would anybody sell a Chimaera for 6,000 quid? Answer: because it is the ultimate project money pit. Sure, there will always be the odd exception. Happy hunting, you will enjoy it.

schmokin1

1,212 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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Like I said, we will see how it works out, the lowish mileage and good service history it came with suggests it might be otherwise!

I think some people get scared with these cars - if you are an active chequebook owner and you have one that needs a few recommissioning jobs like mine the bill could be well into the thousands, so you sell without an MOT as a project. If you can get stuck in, the parts are not expensive....

In any case, there seem to be loads of cars about for 10k ish with MOT histories littered with references to underbody corrosion, yet all the owners seem to do is waxoyl!

OP you must get under any prospective purchase and have a good look, rust is your no1 enemy.....!

trev4

736 posts

161 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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I think a car with fewer previous owners is always a good sign.

Smokey Boyer

509 posts

130 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
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trev4 said:
I think a car with fewer previous owners is always a good sign.
Not sure I agree with that entirely, or at least might not ignore a car with high owners. An alternate view for balance...

When selling a car or trading it in you will normally try and fix anything obviously wrong, which might be stuff you have put up with but know it will result in a lower price or no sale if not resolved.

A new owner will nearly always spend a bit of money on the car or at least spend some time working on it, fixing the niggles a previous owner has got used to or applying a few upgrades.

Cars are almost always serviced at the point of sale if being sold via a dealer and if via a good dealer they will fix stuff that is likely to give them a bad reputation if left to fail after the sale is complete.

The more frequently this process takes place, within reason, the more opportunity the car has had to be someone's pride and joy before the excitement of a new toy wears off.

I know long term owners sometimes spend a fortune on their cars, but normally those that do spend big money rarely sell them. The reality is that there are cars with a few owners that have spent much of their life being neglected or parked up without being used.



As for prices, they are hugely varied at the moment, but I do not think that is unusual. However, I cannot remember there being so many TVRs for sale in the 6 years I have owned one which makes the spread of prices far more obvious, and the comparison between similar cars and their prices easier to make.

When I sold my S3 three years ago, it sold within a week, and I could have sold 4 times given the very serious interest being shown in it. When I was trying to buy a chimaera 3 years ago, I really struggled to get one as they were being sold within hours or days of being advertised and I missed out on three having arranged to view them. In the end, I paid a deposit over the phone without seeing the car to secure my 500.

Now that I want to sell mine, the market has simply stalled. Having spoken to a few sellers it seems to be the same for Porsche, Lotus and others. My car has been for sale twice this year with lots of enquiries but no sale. I have tried lowering the price when I had found my next car and wanted a quick sale (now missed that annoyingly) and raising the price, both to see if it sparked any more interest but it made no difference. It is a modified 500 running Megasquirt MS2 for fuel and spark, up for £15,500 which I think makes it one of cheapest 500 spec cars for sale that has not been written off previously. It does have 93000 on the clock, but has a rebuilt engine and box, new diff, new roof, outriggers done etc. etc. I will not let it go for silly money, and that may well be the problem with a flooded market and sellers who need to sell their cars even if it is a lower price than they really should.




Classic Chim

12,424 posts

148 months

Sunday 19th August 2018
quotequote all
That’s really odd Smokey, you’d think anyone doing there homework would have snapped yours up.
Oddly enough I’m effectively only the second owner after the doctor who owned mine before me had it from 3 months old until I got hold of it. A good thing so you’d think, a late car but once I’d had an informed look at it, the thing was woefully under serviced in my opinion. Not a car that had had many spanner’s over it and in need of quite a bit of restoration so your point about dealers servicing is spot on really.
My only concern with High owner numbers is the thought a boy racer buys it, rags it, has his fun then moves it on taking no responsibility for his actions so to speak. Long term owners are more likely to be gentle on the car but it’s pure guess work. Saying that I’ve drag raced mine a couple of times so who am I to talk,,, at least I replaced the diff and clutch afterwards biggrin much to my disgust at the time hehe

ETA
I started mine tonight for the first time in nearly two months I think it is,,,,
I can’t sell it as what a sweet engine, I knew I shouldn’t have done that. Music to soar ears.


Edited by Classic Chim on Sunday 19th August 22:57

900T-R

20,404 posts

256 months

Monday 20th August 2018
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trev4 said:
I think a car with fewer previous owners is always a good sign.
More to the point: for how long has the last owner kept it? Mine has seven previous owners but I've owned it for the best part of 12 years now - and it show as you are hardly going to keep a car around for that long if you don't address all the stuff that irritates you. (mine has turned into an Eagle/Alfaholics sort of car in that timespan) winksmile

Edited by 900T-R on Monday 20th August 07:33

trev4

736 posts

161 months

Monday 20th August 2018
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900T-R said:
trev4 said:
I think a car with fewer previous owners is always a good sign.
More to the point: for how long has the last owner kept it? Mine has seven previous owners but I've owned it for the best past of 12 years now - and it show as you are hardly going to keep a car around for that long if you don't address all the stuff that irritates you. (mine has turned into an Eagle/Alfaholics sort of car in that timespan) winksmile
That's what I meant to say, I was attracted to my car because the previous owner had owned it for 9 years, I have had it for 11 years and carried out many upgrades and improvements over the years which I hope will make it stand out from the crowd if I ever sell. Can't see that happening though as we have become strangely attached over the years.

SILICONEKID 345HP 12.03

14,997 posts

230 months

Monday 20th August 2018
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Matt-hi3m1 said:
Yeah this is partly the reason I want a TVR, because the the forums are quite active on here and people are friendly and happy to help.

I have also fancied getting involved with meets and shows.

I'm quite good with anything car related and will attempt anything after research except welding which is why I want this work completed.

Did you post pictures of your new purchase?

Welcome back! cool
I wouldn't overlook a Cat d ,there are loads around and these cars can be written off with very little damage .
The non specialist insurance companies did not want to get them repaired .

Belle427

8,862 posts

232 months

Monday 20th August 2018
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I think people are still scared to own one, I personally would not have bought if i could not fix/maintain myself.
Lifestyles change too, I find myself looking at every day cars such as the golf R as they do everything so well, are reasonably cheap to run and are also easily tuneable if required.
A bit boring i know but to jump into a nice quiet climate controlled car as I'm getting older appeals to me more, even though a blast in the Tvr is hard to beat.