Help Please - Looking to Buy a Chimera/Griff
Discussion
I have been looking for a car for a few months, and so far have not found anything that really is exciting to drive. But going back to 2001 and being a passenger in a Chimera with a guy I worked with was great fun.
My daily drive is a boring Audi (SQ5 Petrol Version) while overseas. But when I am back in the UK I want something that is a bit of fun for the weekend drive in the countryside.
The cars I have previously look at and ruled out are
BMW M3 V8 (Didn't like image)
Audi RS4 (to Dull Driving)
Impreza STi CS400 (Over budget)
The car will be used for maybe around 4-6 weeks in the year as I work offshore. I have another sensible car to use on a daily basis. My budget is around 15k to 18k. Are there any real differences when driving a Chimera to a Griff?. Also as with TVR there are a lot of engine changes over the years. Are there any noticeable differences between a 400 to 450 or going from a 450 to 500?
My daily drive is a boring Audi (SQ5 Petrol Version) while overseas. But when I am back in the UK I want something that is a bit of fun for the weekend drive in the countryside.
The cars I have previously look at and ruled out are
BMW M3 V8 (Didn't like image)
Audi RS4 (to Dull Driving)
Impreza STi CS400 (Over budget)
The car will be used for maybe around 4-6 weeks in the year as I work offshore. I have another sensible car to use on a daily basis. My budget is around 15k to 18k. Are there any real differences when driving a Chimera to a Griff?. Also as with TVR there are a lot of engine changes over the years. Are there any noticeable differences between a 400 to 450 or going from a 450 to 500?
You'll get a better condition Chimp for your money than a Grief.
TVRs don't like being 'stored'. They are much happier being used so if you are going to be leaving it for so long how is it going to be stored?
Are you 'hands on' or are you looking just to get in it and go? You can't own a TVR and ingnore the fact that they need attention - either from you or a mechanic who knows whats required.
Regarding performance. Well, they are all quick. They can all be tweaked to handle great - as demonstrated by Mat Smith in his 'lowly' 2.9 S2 spanking the big V8 guys at Donny a couple of months back.
What is pretty common is people 'wanting more' performance after a while. There are lots of options for this, for all the engines, all of which cost money.
If you are looking for a car that you need to be 'alert' to drive then a TVR is just that.
ETA: There's a fewTVRs in the Middle East too! Meets can be found on social media.
For a V8 powered one then your money will go furthest on a 'Wedge'. There are a few '400' and above V8 powered ones, in great condition, for sale at the moment for less than you budget. Ultimately not as fast as a Chimp or Grief due to chassis improvements.
Get yourself to a TVRCC monthly meet. There will be a few in your area. Should be an opportunity to meet owners in person, see various different models and you may get a heads up on cars being sold.
TVRs don't like being 'stored'. They are much happier being used so if you are going to be leaving it for so long how is it going to be stored?
Are you 'hands on' or are you looking just to get in it and go? You can't own a TVR and ingnore the fact that they need attention - either from you or a mechanic who knows whats required.
Regarding performance. Well, they are all quick. They can all be tweaked to handle great - as demonstrated by Mat Smith in his 'lowly' 2.9 S2 spanking the big V8 guys at Donny a couple of months back.
What is pretty common is people 'wanting more' performance after a while. There are lots of options for this, for all the engines, all of which cost money.
If you are looking for a car that you need to be 'alert' to drive then a TVR is just that.
ETA: There's a fewTVRs in the Middle East too! Meets can be found on social media.
For a V8 powered one then your money will go furthest on a 'Wedge'. There are a few '400' and above V8 powered ones, in great condition, for sale at the moment for less than you budget. Ultimately not as fast as a Chimp or Grief due to chassis improvements.
Get yourself to a TVRCC monthly meet. There will be a few in your area. Should be an opportunity to meet owners in person, see various different models and you may get a heads up on cars being sold.
Edited by mk1fan on Thursday 27th April 11:39
mk1fan said:
You'll get a better condition Chimp for your money than a Grief.
TVRs don't like being 'stored'. They are much happier being used so if you are going to be leaving it for so long how is it going to be stored?
Are you 'hands on' or are you looking just to get in it and go? You can't own a TVR and ingnore the fact that they need attention - either from you or a mechanic who knows whats required.
Regarding performance. Well, they are all quick. They can all be tweaked to handle great - as demonstrated by Mat Smith in his 'lowly' 2.9 S2 spanking the big V8 guys at Donny a couple of months back.
What is pretty common is people 'wanting more' performance after a while. There are lots of options for this, for all the engines, all of which cost money.
If you are looking for a car that you need to be 'alert' to drive then a TVR is just that.
ETA: There's a fewTVRs in the Middle East too! Meets can be found on social media.
For a V8 powered one then your money will go furthest on a 'Wedge'. There are a few '400' and above V8 powered ones, in great condition, for sale at the moment for less than you budget. Ultimately not as fast as a Chimp or Grief due to chassis improvements.
Get yourself to a TVRCC monthly meet. There will be a few in your area. Should be an opportunity to meet owners in person, see various different models and you may get a heads up on cars being sold.
Agree with mk1fan they don,t like being stored TVRs don't like being 'stored'. They are much happier being used so if you are going to be leaving it for so long how is it going to be stored?
Are you 'hands on' or are you looking just to get in it and go? You can't own a TVR and ingnore the fact that they need attention - either from you or a mechanic who knows whats required.
Regarding performance. Well, they are all quick. They can all be tweaked to handle great - as demonstrated by Mat Smith in his 'lowly' 2.9 S2 spanking the big V8 guys at Donny a couple of months back.
What is pretty common is people 'wanting more' performance after a while. There are lots of options for this, for all the engines, all of which cost money.
If you are looking for a car that you need to be 'alert' to drive then a TVR is just that.
ETA: There's a fewTVRs in the Middle East too! Meets can be found on social media.
For a V8 powered one then your money will go furthest on a 'Wedge'. There are a few '400' and above V8 powered ones, in great condition, for sale at the moment for less than you budget. Ultimately not as fast as a Chimp or Grief due to chassis improvements.
Get yourself to a TVRCC monthly meet. There will be a few in your area. Should be an opportunity to meet owners in person, see various different models and you may get a heads up on cars being sold.
Edited by mk1fan on Thursday 27th April 11:39
specially in wet / damp conditions and he can couch for that Thanks for the reply.
The car will be in a heated garage, while I am away. But the maximum time it will not be used is 8 weeks as I travel back to see my family regularly.
I don't mind rolling my sleeves up and looking after the car. I know things will break and will need replacing either due to age or TVR quality Control.
I have been looking at this one
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
The car will be in a heated garage, while I am away. But the maximum time it will not be used is 8 weeks as I travel back to see my family regularly.
I don't mind rolling my sleeves up and looking after the car. I know things will break and will need replacing either due to age or TVR quality Control.
I have been looking at this one
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
Whereabouts are you in the UK? If you are around Surrey/Berks area then I can highly recommend you pop along to the TVRCC Berks monthly meet in Bracknell. ALways well attended and usually 30+ cars are there. Very friendly bunch too.
Not heard anything negative about Fernhurst. Indeed, they have a very interesting 'precat' 4.0 Grief on sale.
Not heard anything negative about Fernhurst. Indeed, they have a very interesting 'precat' 4.0 Grief on sale.
mk1fan said:
Whereabouts are you in the UK? If you are around Surrey/Berks area then I can highly recommend you pop along to the TVRCC Berks monthly meet in Bracknell. ALways well attended and usually 30+ cars are there. Very friendly bunch too.
Not heard anything negative about Fernhurst. Indeed, they have a very interesting 'precat' 4.0 Grief on sale.
Hmmmm " interesting 'precat' 4.0 Grief on sale." are you suggesting that they are trouble and will give the owner "Grief"??Not heard anything negative about Fernhurst. Indeed, they have a very interesting 'precat' 4.0 Grief on sale.
Or did you mean Griffith???
Brit, it's a bit of banter between the Chimaera and Griff boys, and yes a Griffith.
We are girls cos we have a prettier car (Chims)
Griff boys are often known to own big medallions and wear chest wigs,,
It's just friendly banter.
I've never met a Griff owner that has both, often at least one but both, very rare indeed
We are girls cos we have a prettier car (Chims)
Griff boys are often known to own big medallions and wear chest wigs,,
It's just friendly banter.
I've never met a Griff owner that has both, often at least one but both, very rare indeed
I am buying the car as a long term car. So looking for one that can give me the most fun without me wanting to much more.
I wanted to buy a TR6 initially and keep as a restoration project but I just don't have the time. So have changed plan to buy a car that I can use, but also one that I can restore a little later in its life.
Just looking at Brake changes, suspension upgrade and a complete chassis replacement to give me a good idea of what needs to be done.
I wanted a Griff when I was 22/23 but never had the money to buy. So how have the ability and while I have approval from other half will be buying and not letter go.
I wanted to buy a TR6 initially and keep as a restoration project but I just don't have the time. So have changed plan to buy a car that I can use, but also one that I can restore a little later in its life.
Just looking at Brake changes, suspension upgrade and a complete chassis replacement to give me a good idea of what needs to be done.
I wanted a Griff when I was 22/23 but never had the money to buy. So how have the ability and while I have approval from other half will be buying and not letter go.
ClassicChimaera said:
Brit, it's a bit of banter between the Chimaera and Griff boys, and yes a Griffith.
We are girls cos we have a prettier car (Chims)
Griff boys are often known to own big medallions and wear chest wigs,,
It's just friendly banter.
I've never met a Griff owner that has both, often at least one but both, very rare indeed
Hey I have a large Bronze medalion ............................. somewhere ...... it's still in it's plastic case where ever it is!! Bought it in 82 at Kennady Space centre along with a big mug with a shuttle on it!!We are girls cos we have a prettier car (Chims)
Griff boys are often known to own big medallions and wear chest wigs,,
It's just friendly banter.
I've never met a Griff owner that has both, often at least one but both, very rare indeed
Perhaps I should be looking for a Griffith then?????
Brithunter said:
Hmmmm " interesting 'precat' 4.0 Grief on sale." are you suggesting that they are trouble and will give the owner "Grief"??
Or did you mean Griffith???
Yet to have a Grief or a Chimp. Satisfied the V8 ich with a Wedge. The precat Grief at Fernhurst is very tempting to me for a variety of reasons.Or did you mean Griffith???
mk1fan said:
Brithunter said:
Hmmmm " interesting 'precat' 4.0 Grief on sale." are you suggesting that they are trouble and will give the owner "Grief"??
Or did you mean Griffith???
Yet to have a Grief or a Chimp. Satisfied the V8 ich with a Wedge. The precat Grief at Fernhurst is very tempting to me for a variety of reasons.Or did you mean Griffith???
jesfirth said:
What no has said yet is that griffs and chime are identical except for the body. All the mechanicals, engine, gearbox, diff, suspension, brakes wiring etc etc are the same
Not sure about that. The chassis and suspension were only the same from 1998 onwards, many website reviews say that early suspension on the Chimaera was slightly softer with Bilstein shocks instead of Konis. They were the same later on.Although early Griffs were 4.0 and there are a few rare 4.3 versions, it was only available as the one 500 model (a 5.0 litre) from 1995. It had no rear anti-roll bar until the introduction of the 500 according to this:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VhWbCgAAQBAJ&a...
The Chimaera could be had as a 4.0, (also a few 4.3), 4.0 HC, 450 and 500.
Edited by ianwayne on Thursday 27th April 22:42
ThePlanner said:
I am buying the car as a long term car. So looking for one that can give me the most fun without me wanting to much more.
I wanted to buy a TR6 initially and keep as a restoration project but I just don't have the time. So have changed plan to buy a car that I can use, but also one that I can restore a little later in its life.
Just looking at Brake changes, suspension upgrade and a complete chassis replacement to give me a good idea of what needs to be done.
I wanted a Griff when I was 22/23 but never had the money to buy. So how have the ability and while I have approval from other half will be buying and not letter go.
YHMI wanted to buy a TR6 initially and keep as a restoration project but I just don't have the time. So have changed plan to buy a car that I can use, but also one that I can restore a little later in its life.
Just looking at Brake changes, suspension upgrade and a complete chassis replacement to give me a good idea of what needs to be done.
I wanted a Griff when I was 22/23 but never had the money to buy. So how have the ability and while I have approval from other half will be buying and not letter go.
ThePlanner said:
I have been looking for a car for a few months, and so far have not found anything that really is exciting to drive. But going back to 2001 and being a passenger in a Chimera with a guy I worked with was great fun.
My daily drive is a boring Audi (SQ5 Petrol Version) while overseas. But when I am back in the UK I want something that is a bit of fun for the weekend drive in the countryside.
The cars I have previously look at and ruled out are
BMW M3 V8 (Didn't like image)
Audi RS4 (to Dull Driving)
Impreza STi CS400 (Over budget)
The car will be used for maybe around 4-6 weeks in the year as I work offshore. I have another sensible car to use on a daily basis. My budget is around 15k to 18k. Are there any real differences when driving a Chimera to a Griff?. Also as with TVR there are a lot of engine changes over the years. Are there any noticeable differences between a 400 to 450 or going from a 450 to 500?
I owned a 1992 4.0l Pre-Cat Griff and a 1996 4.0l Chimaera before I got my Tuscan.My daily drive is a boring Audi (SQ5 Petrol Version) while overseas. But when I am back in the UK I want something that is a bit of fun for the weekend drive in the countryside.
The cars I have previously look at and ruled out are
BMW M3 V8 (Didn't like image)
Audi RS4 (to Dull Driving)
Impreza STi CS400 (Over budget)
The car will be used for maybe around 4-6 weeks in the year as I work offshore. I have another sensible car to use on a daily basis. My budget is around 15k to 18k. Are there any real differences when driving a Chimera to a Griff?. Also as with TVR there are a lot of engine changes over the years. Are there any noticeable differences between a 400 to 450 or going from a 450 to 500?
The Griff felt the most like a TVR to me. It was noisy and driving it, it felt like you were just strapped to a big engine. It was great as a weekend car for short blasts, but very hot and tiring for day to day use.
The Chimaera felt much more refined and I used it as my main car. It could still be hard work in traffic, but it was a good compromise and still fun to drive. It didn't feel quite as fast though.
I tried a few 5.0l Griffs before I bought the Tuscan. None of them felt hugely faster than the 4.0l Griff, just smoother with more pulling power.
Ultimately I would go for the one you like the look of most. The roof is a lot easier to get into the boot of a Chimaera (without an engineering degree), but I've always preferred the Griff's looks.
Drive a few. In my experience, they vary incredibly in condition. A lot of the cars I have driven have felt like rattley old sheds - they should feel tight and poised to be fun.
I'm no expert, but I have been told that build quality dropped off in the late nineties - with chassis protection being a problem in particular. So a newer car might not necessarily be a better car.
I had a Griff 500 for about three years.
Lovely car and shatteringly quick.
I would say go for a 500, if you don't you will always wonder if you should have.
A lot of the enjoyment was trundling along slowly, people turning around to see what was making all the (lovely) noise, the banging and popping of the exhaust.
More of the enjoyment was the almost sensuous experience of lovingly polishing its beautiful curves, using the entire range of Autoglym products, the heady aroma of curing fibreglass, warm leather and burnt Optimax.
Some of the enjoyment was cruising along at say 80mph, then opening the throttle and feeling the almighty shove in the back as it rocketed to 160.
Oh, and Griff vs Chim? C'mon.
Lovely car and shatteringly quick.
I would say go for a 500, if you don't you will always wonder if you should have.
A lot of the enjoyment was trundling along slowly, people turning around to see what was making all the (lovely) noise, the banging and popping of the exhaust.
More of the enjoyment was the almost sensuous experience of lovingly polishing its beautiful curves, using the entire range of Autoglym products, the heady aroma of curing fibreglass, warm leather and burnt Optimax.
Some of the enjoyment was cruising along at say 80mph, then opening the throttle and feeling the almighty shove in the back as it rocketed to 160.
Oh, and Griff vs Chim? C'mon.
TUS 2 CON said:
I'm no expert, but I have been told that build quality dropped off in the late nineties - with chassis protection being a problem in particular. So a newer car might not necessarily be a better car.
Talking from experience, my 2000 Griffith and 2000 Chimaera felt much better put together than my '94 Griffith. No leaks, no rattles, better engine (serpentine) better gearbox, better diff',,,,,,,,,,,, I'd say a newer car is a better car. Being told something and having experience are two different things. Not wanting to cause issue, just giving a view that's been asked for 
Edited by macdeb on Saturday 29th April 17:28
Hi ThePlanner, I work away and get back similar to you. I've had two Chimaera's in the past but was using them as my daily's driving on the continent.
8 years ago I bought my second and current Tuscan and then 4 years ago I bought a 'work' car to keep miles of my Tuscan.
I've found that because I get it serviced and any problems are dealt with quickly then she's fine. We drive down to Spain for a month every summer no problem.
I really enjoyed my first Chimaera 400. Easy, comfortable, mile munching motorway GT or fun and fast B roader.
Can't comment on Griffs or the bigger engines other than to say the 400's sound great, 450 great + and 500 great ++
PS I've bought a Cerbera to replace my 'Work' car.
8 years ago I bought my second and current Tuscan and then 4 years ago I bought a 'work' car to keep miles of my Tuscan.
I've found that because I get it serviced and any problems are dealt with quickly then she's fine. We drive down to Spain for a month every summer no problem.
I really enjoyed my first Chimaera 400. Easy, comfortable, mile munching motorway GT or fun and fast B roader.
Can't comment on Griffs or the bigger engines other than to say the 400's sound great, 450 great + and 500 great ++
PS I've bought a Cerbera to replace my 'Work' car.
Edited by so called on Sunday 30th April 16:13
Edited by so called on Monday 1st May 12:46
Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff