160,000 Mile TVR Chimaera
Discussion
Hi there, I’m the previous owner that was “obsessed” with fitting the 16 inch wheels.
I think you’ve been finding out why I sold it on instead of fixing all of the issues, it would not have made financial sense. Makes more sense if you intent to keep the car for a long time which I didn’t, I like to try lots of different cars.
Your car was the cheapest 450 out there, it’s never going to be worth much due to the miles on it and the condition. I knew Peter had taken care of it and it seems that the next owner did all of the questionable things to it and then, as you said, I did nothing to it before selling it to you where I told you what I knew about the car and in no way tried to deceive you.
I lost money on the car but would have lost a lot more if I’d have tried to get it up to spec. I went on to own a lovely 500 after your car, now that was something else, lovely car.
I think you’ve been finding out why I sold it on instead of fixing all of the issues, it would not have made financial sense. Makes more sense if you intent to keep the car for a long time which I didn’t, I like to try lots of different cars.
Your car was the cheapest 450 out there, it’s never going to be worth much due to the miles on it and the condition. I knew Peter had taken care of it and it seems that the next owner did all of the questionable things to it and then, as you said, I did nothing to it before selling it to you where I told you what I knew about the car and in no way tried to deceive you.
I lost money on the car but would have lost a lot more if I’d have tried to get it up to spec. I went on to own a lovely 500 after your car, now that was something else, lovely car.
Well done for all the work. I’ve just bought a relatively high mileage Tuscan and it’s got quite a few jobs that are wear related and will need attention. Taking the body off will be one of the things in the future after I’ve enjoyed it a bit! This thread is helping with my confidence that I can do a lot of the labour myself so, the real experts only do the bit I need them for! Thanks.
Thanks guys! Appreciate the replies.
Can you help me to understand the history a bit - I actually didn't realise you had bought it then sold it on. Was there an owner inbetween you and pwd195 on here who put the new engine in?
shaun_1987 said:
Looks like a good thing you started to do some of these jobs now!
Agreed, I have found a lot of things wrong already.Mr Tidy said:
Great project OP. 
Funnily enough I just watched a 2013 episode of Wheeler Dealers where Mike bought a Chim with rusty outriggers and Ed ended up having to replace the chassis - among loads of other parts!
But they are pretty special cars so well worth saving so I hope it goes well.
Thanks, I've never seen that episode I'll have to give it a watch.Funnily enough I just watched a 2013 episode of Wheeler Dealers where Mike bought a Chim with rusty outriggers and Ed ended up having to replace the chassis - among loads of other parts!
But they are pretty special cars so well worth saving so I hope it goes well.
SkemJazzer said:
Hi there, I’m the previous owner that was “obsessed” with fitting the 16 inch wheels.
I think you’ve been finding out why I sold it on instead of fixing all of the issues, it would not have made financial sense. Makes more sense if you intent to keep the car for a long time which I didn’t, I like to try lots of different cars.
Your car was the cheapest 450 out there, it’s never going to be worth much due to the miles on it and the condition. I knew Peter had taken care of it and it seems that the next owner did all of the questionable things to it and then, as you said, I did nothing to it before selling it to you where I told you what I knew about the car and in no way tried to deceive you.
I lost money on the car but would have lost a lot more if I’d have tried to get it up to spec. I went on to own a lovely 500 after your car, now that was something else, lovely car.
Hi, I think I owe you an apology as reading back through this I realise I might have made some harsh comments out of frustration when finding some of the bodges, and as you say you did point out faults with the car. Agreed, it will never be worth a lot of money or really make sense financially but I'm really fond of the car so want to get it sorted properly. And at the end of the day it's still a 450 with a John Eales engine, T5 and mechanical LSD which is near enough the best spec for a Chimaera IMO. Glad you're enjoying your 500 they are great cars!I think you’ve been finding out why I sold it on instead of fixing all of the issues, it would not have made financial sense. Makes more sense if you intent to keep the car for a long time which I didn’t, I like to try lots of different cars.
Your car was the cheapest 450 out there, it’s never going to be worth much due to the miles on it and the condition. I knew Peter had taken care of it and it seems that the next owner did all of the questionable things to it and then, as you said, I did nothing to it before selling it to you where I told you what I knew about the car and in no way tried to deceive you.
I lost money on the car but would have lost a lot more if I’d have tried to get it up to spec. I went on to own a lovely 500 after your car, now that was something else, lovely car.
Can you help me to understand the history a bit - I actually didn't realise you had bought it then sold it on. Was there an owner inbetween you and pwd195 on here who put the new engine in?
Rob-c33sg said:
Well done for all the work. I’ve just bought a relatively high mileage Tuscan and it’s got quite a few jobs that are wear related and will need attention. Taking the body off will be one of the things in the future after I’ve enjoyed it a bit! This thread is helping with my confidence that I can do a lot of the labour myself so, the real experts only do the bit I need them for! Thanks.
Thanks, put a thread up Rob I would love to see that! The Tuscan is probably my favourite car ever.No probs and to be honest I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know that the car had so many bodges on it. Like you say though, it’s a great spec with a fresh engine and makes perfect sense as a project for you and you’ve already fixed loads of the problems yourself which must be very satisfying.
I bought it off a chap in the Bristol area, he didn’t do much to it from what I remember but he is the one who bought it from the almost infamous bodger. I remember the car being advertised on eBay by the bodger but I missed out on it. I don’t know what he did to it in his time but, looking back, there were some things that had been messed with such as having 15 inch wheels all round (there I go with wheels again
).
It’s been really interesting seeing how you’ve got stuck in and I look forward to more updates.
I bought it off a chap in the Bristol area, he didn’t do much to it from what I remember but he is the one who bought it from the almost infamous bodger. I remember the car being advertised on eBay by the bodger but I missed out on it. I don’t know what he did to it in his time but, looking back, there were some things that had been messed with such as having 15 inch wheels all round (there I go with wheels again
).It’s been really interesting seeing how you’ve got stuck in and I look forward to more updates.
SkemJazzer said:
No probs and to be honest I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know that the car had so many bodges on it. Like you say though, it’s a great spec with a fresh engine and makes perfect sense as a project for you and you’ve already fixed loads of the problems yourself which must be very satisfying.
I bought it off a chap in the Bristol area, he didn’t do much to it from what I remember but he is the one who bought it from the almost infamous bodger. I remember the car being advertised on eBay by the bodger but I missed out on it. I don’t know what he did to it in his time but, looking back, there were some things that had been messed with such as having 15 inch wheels all round (there I go with wheels again ).
It’s been really interesting seeing how you’ve got stuck in and I look forward to more updates.
Thanks, I hope your new Chim has 16" wheels haha. To be fair I had originally planned to put 16s back on the front but the prices were so expensive for them I decided to keep the 15s. I may go for something aftermarket eventually though as I'm finding it harder to get good tyres for them, especially the 15s. I bought it off a chap in the Bristol area, he didn’t do much to it from what I remember but he is the one who bought it from the almost infamous bodger. I remember the car being advertised on eBay by the bodger but I missed out on it. I don’t know what he did to it in his time but, looking back, there were some things that had been messed with such as having 15 inch wheels all round (there I go with wheels again
).It’s been really interesting seeing how you’ve got stuck in and I look forward to more updates.
Crazy to think how much damage that one owner did, I've seen pwd195s original ad and the car looks so much better back then.
Out of interest what does your new car drive like compared to this one?
I want to know who the bodger is, and I wonder what he's currently obliterating.
Great read though OP, I do really like these and find myself looking at them on eBay all the time. Your outlook & perseverance have definitely had a test, hats off to you for sorting it out calmly - it'll be great when you've turned it round, and underneath you've still got a good base with that fresh engine. Stuff like just removing the thermostat though, jesus f*ng christ.
Great read though OP, I do really like these and find myself looking at them on eBay all the time. Your outlook & perseverance have definitely had a test, hats off to you for sorting it out calmly - it'll be great when you've turned it round, and underneath you've still got a good base with that fresh engine. Stuff like just removing the thermostat though, jesus f*ng christ.
Your car and the 500 were similar to drive in a lot of ways, the ride was bouncier in your car and the 500 is standard suspension. They are both non PAS so same feel, yours had more shunting but was probably a smoother engine. The 500 stands out for the amount of low down torque.
I also drove a 400 with PAS which made it feel more chuckable down country roads. A real lack of power compared to yours or the 500 though which made it feel pretty tame. A 450 is a good choice.
I also drove a 400 with PAS which made it feel more chuckable down country roads. A real lack of power compared to yours or the 500 though which made it feel pretty tame. A 450 is a good choice.
Mr Tidy said:
Great project OP.
Funnily enough I just watched a 2013 episode of Wheeler Dealers where Mike bought a Chim with rusty outriggers and Ed ended up having to replace the chassis - among loads of other parts!
But they are pretty special cars so well worth saving so I hope it goes well.
That episode was a cerbera just been on sale again recently Funnily enough I just watched a 2013 episode of Wheeler Dealers where Mike bought a Chim with rusty outriggers and Ed ended up having to replace the chassis - among loads of other parts!
But they are pretty special cars so well worth saving so I hope it goes well.
CornedBeef said:
I want to know who the bodger is, and I wonder what he's currently obliterating.
Great read though OP, I do really like these and find myself looking at them on eBay all the time. Your outlook & perseverance have definitely had a test, hats off to you for sorting it out calmly - it'll be great when you've turned it round, and underneath you've still got a good base with that fresh engine. Stuff like just removing the thermostat though, jesus f*ng christ.
Me too! I'd love to track him down haha. Thanks appreciate that, I will hopefully turn this into my daily driver and as you say it should be a soild base albeit a bit rough cosmetically. I don't get why people do stuff like that - what's the cost of a thermostat?Great read though OP, I do really like these and find myself looking at them on eBay all the time. Your outlook & perseverance have definitely had a test, hats off to you for sorting it out calmly - it'll be great when you've turned it round, and underneath you've still got a good base with that fresh engine. Stuff like just removing the thermostat though, jesus f*ng christ.
CousinDupree said:
Enjoyed reading this OP, many thanks for posting.
I'm dealing with some mega bodges myself. The current fav is a Ti bolt snapped off deep in an alloy hub, that someone has rammed in there with thread full of powder coat, presumably until it sheared!
Cheers, oh dear that does not sound good. New hub time!I'm dealing with some mega bodges myself. The current fav is a Ti bolt snapped off deep in an alloy hub, that someone has rammed in there with thread full of powder coat, presumably until it sheared!
SkemJazzer said:
Your car and the 500 were similar to drive in a lot of ways, the ride was bouncier in your car and the 500 is standard suspension. They are both non PAS so same feel, yours had more shunting but was probably a smoother engine. The 500 stands out for the amount of low down torque.
I also drove a 400 with PAS which made it feel more chuckable down country roads. A real lack of power compared to yours or the 500 though which made it feel pretty tame. A 450 is a good choice.
Yeah the shunting is bad on this car and has honestly gotten worse since I've had it, I think it's a combination of backlash in the entire drivetrain just due to age, and I also think there's a fuel/air mixture issue. Good news that it feels as quick as a 500, that probably means the engine is making decent power as I'd expect. I'd be really interested to drive another one to compare it to still.I also drove a 400 with PAS which made it feel more chuckable down country roads. A real lack of power compared to yours or the 500 though which made it feel pretty tame. A 450 is a good choice.
Ok so a bit more progress, engine crane number one turned up but I'm still waiting for the second one so completing some little jobs.
Exhaust manifolds and Y piece got painted:
I think this might be the reason I can't get the manifolds to seal properly, the face has rusted and isn't flat all over. Any suggestions? I thought about getting them skimmed at a machine shop.
New washer cap. The old one escaped somewhere near John O'Groats
New vs old Radiator:
Some Megasquirt bits turned up:
Knackered badges removed, let's see how good I can get them.
Can't beat this stuff.
After a long time with brasso and modelling paint, I'm happy with the Chimaera badge but the TVR badge still needs a bit of work.
Then it was time for the pita jobs I have been putting off. First off it was the bonnet mounting bolts being loose. I started by removing the fibreglass piece that attaches the bonnet to the hinges:
Oh dear
Black glue stuff removed:
On this side the fibreglass and glue is cracked, on the other side the stud insert thingy is just loose in it's mountings.
Insert removed:
New fibreglass added:
I may or may not add some sikoflex sealant to that, but for now it feels very strong (although does look a bit horrific
). On the other side I just added some fibreglass resin into the mountings and that has stopped the movement it had.More updates soon.
Rob-c33sg said:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Like the new fibreglass updates. I've never gone any of that. Was it difficult to work with?
Cheers Rob, it was my first time and surprisingly easy actually. I just bought a kit that comes with fibreglass mats which you can cut to shape and 2 part resin to hold it together. I might also add some sikoflex to add strength which is a kind of hard setting sealant that's similar to the stuff TVR used originally.Like the new fibreglass updates. I've never gone any of that. Was it difficult to work with?
I've made a bit more progress on the car.
I rented and bought an engine crane, hmm something isn't right on the rented crane:
Wow.
Looks a bit better:
Body removed! I chose not to show pictures of this as I'm a bit worried someone will try to copy this method and get squashed under the body or something lol, if you want to see how I did it head over to here https://youtu.be/IdeJeuy-oh0 as I used the same method.
Doesn't look too bad:
This outrigger had rotted through and I could make holes in it with a screwdriver:
Not noticed on the MOT and didn't look this bad from below, a bit scary!
Rear suspension stripped:
Diff and fuel pump/filter removed:
Front suspension removed:
Destroyed engine mount that only got done 2 years ago:
Chassis totally stripped. Amazingly it's light enough to be carried by two people!
Burning out the rear diff bush:
And then I hit my finger with a hammer by accident and had to go to A&E, whoops! Be careful with punches guys, don't be an idiot like me. It's fractured but should heal ok with time.
Then I continued with removing bushes (albeit one handedly).
Rubber parts removed from the wishbones but the "shells" are still in place and will need to be cut and pressed out. I have a full powerflex kit on the way to replace these.
Springs looking very rusty on my nice coilovers:
All removed ready to be painted:
That's all for now, more updates soon!
I rented and bought an engine crane, hmm something isn't right on the rented crane:
Wow.
Looks a bit better:
Body removed! I chose not to show pictures of this as I'm a bit worried someone will try to copy this method and get squashed under the body or something lol, if you want to see how I did it head over to here https://youtu.be/IdeJeuy-oh0 as I used the same method.
Doesn't look too bad:
This outrigger had rotted through and I could make holes in it with a screwdriver:
Not noticed on the MOT and didn't look this bad from below, a bit scary!
Rear suspension stripped:
Diff and fuel pump/filter removed:
Front suspension removed:
Destroyed engine mount that only got done 2 years ago:
Chassis totally stripped. Amazingly it's light enough to be carried by two people!
Burning out the rear diff bush:
And then I hit my finger with a hammer by accident and had to go to A&E, whoops! Be careful with punches guys, don't be an idiot like me. It's fractured but should heal ok with time.
Then I continued with removing bushes (albeit one handedly).
Rubber parts removed from the wishbones but the "shells" are still in place and will need to be cut and pressed out. I have a full powerflex kit on the way to replace these.
Springs looking very rusty on my nice coilovers:
All removed ready to be painted:
That's all for now, more updates soon!
Nice work so far. The first drive after you've finished will be great I'm sure.
If you are getting the Nitrons rebuilt I'd think about using Simon at Meteor Motorsport rather than Nitron themselves. Give him a call about what you want from the suspension and he'll revalve them to your needs.
If you are getting the Nitrons rebuilt I'd think about using Simon at Meteor Motorsport rather than Nitron themselves. Give him a call about what you want from the suspension and he'll revalve them to your needs.
Rob-c33sg said:
Did you use two engine cranes or just the one? The tricky bit seems to be getting the chassis out from under the body if you have one either end! Checked out the video you sent. One day the Tuscan will get this treatment hence why interested
Hi Rob I went for two engine cranes instead of one, and moved the body away from the chassis instead of rolling the chassis out. It's actually not that hard - the only annoying thing is that the engine crane front wheels are 90 degrees in the wrong direction if that makes sense, so you kind of have to drag the cranes a bit. SamG40 said:
Nice work so far. The first drive after you've finished will be great I'm sure.
If you are getting the Nitrons rebuilt I'd think about using Simon at Meteor Motorsport rather than Nitron themselves. Give him a call about what you want from the suspension and he'll revalve them to your needs.
Cheers Sam I will get in contact, appreciate that.If you are getting the Nitrons rebuilt I'd think about using Simon at Meteor Motorsport rather than Nitron themselves. Give him a call about what you want from the suspension and he'll revalve them to your needs.
Shinyfings said:
I admire your dedication to the car and abilities. However, makes me glad I dropped my TVR plans and went Lotus. Good luck with the rest of the project.
Thanks, a Lotus would make a great project car but I've always been keen on larger engines so went in the TVR direction. Do those use a similar chassis design to this out of interest? I think a FWD Elan would make a great left field fast road car for slightly less than a Chimaera.Shed TVR said:
Rob-c33sg said:
Did you use two engine cranes or just the one? The tricky bit seems to be getting the chassis out from under the body if you have one either end! Checked out the video you sent. One day the Tuscan will get this treatment hence why interested
Hi Rob I went for two engine cranes instead of one, and moved the body away from the chassis instead of rolling the chassis out. It's actually not that hard - the only annoying thing is that the engine crane front wheels are 90 degrees in the wrong direction if that makes sense, so you kind of have to drag the cranes a bit. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff