To buy or not to buy?!
Discussion
Hello all
Bored of my Ford Cougar and looking to realise my childhood dreams of owning a TVR, therefore looking to buy a Chimaera. Trouble is my budget is upto 14k. I have found a few on the autotrader website but would welcome some info on what to look for - although looking at these pages it seems that they have a lot of problems? Is this true or am I looking to far into it?
Comments please.........Thanks v much.
James.
Bored of my Ford Cougar and looking to realise my childhood dreams of owning a TVR, therefore looking to buy a Chimaera. Trouble is my budget is upto 14k. I have found a few on the autotrader website but would welcome some info on what to look for - although looking at these pages it seems that they have a lot of problems? Is this true or am I looking to far into it?
Comments please.........Thanks v much.
James.
This question has been asked many times on here - have a look through the posts. TVR's can be problematic, but you shouldn't take the number of "problem" posts on here as an indicator - people are just asking for help.
I seriously thought about a Chimaera. In the end I bought a Honda S2000, I didn't buy a TVR because:
1. No matter what any owner says on here, TVR's are not as reliable as mainstream products (and you shouldn't really expect them to be give the performance per £)
2. Servicing is very expensive (dealer service is around £450 every 6000 miles).
3. TVR's customer service is terrible.
4. The TVR warranty on older cars is not that comprehensive.
4. Some of the dealers are not as good as they should be.
5. A TVR as an every day car is expensive to run and will probably let you down at some point.
If you have only £14K to spend you are looking at a 93/94 pre-serpentine/roverT5 gearbox car (the serpentine/borg-warner(?) cars are meant to be better)
Buy a car with a full dealer or recognised specialst service history.
Shop around - dont buy the first car you see.
Get a specialist to check out the car before purchase.
Have a look at the cars for sale on here - they are more likely to be owned by enthusiasts.
There are lots of things to check...trawl the posts and compile a list...
If you buy a car, get Steve Heaths book in the Griffith and Chimaera. (www.tvrbooks.co.uk I think)
I seriously thought about a Chimaera. In the end I bought a Honda S2000, I didn't buy a TVR because:
1. No matter what any owner says on here, TVR's are not as reliable as mainstream products (and you shouldn't really expect them to be give the performance per £)
2. Servicing is very expensive (dealer service is around £450 every 6000 miles).
3. TVR's customer service is terrible.
4. The TVR warranty on older cars is not that comprehensive.
4. Some of the dealers are not as good as they should be.
5. A TVR as an every day car is expensive to run and will probably let you down at some point.
If you have only £14K to spend you are looking at a 93/94 pre-serpentine/roverT5 gearbox car (the serpentine/borg-warner(?) cars are meant to be better)
Buy a car with a full dealer or recognised specialst service history.
Shop around - dont buy the first car you see.
Get a specialist to check out the car before purchase.
Have a look at the cars for sale on here - they are more likely to be owned by enthusiasts.
There are lots of things to check...trawl the posts and compile a list...
If you buy a car, get Steve Heaths book in the Griffith and Chimaera. (www.tvrbooks.co.uk I think)
Dont think...do it.
I've had my Chimaera for 6 months and 6k miles now, i use it for work nearly every day, the mileage is 46k so it's been a well used car. I've found a local guy who specialises in TVR's but without the main dealer overheads (and he is a bloody nice bloke to boot). But even better I've met a great bunch of enthusiasts, which has opened up a whole new world to me.
Oh! and did i forget to mention "what a fantastic car to drive too"
TdF
P8 TDF
I've had my Chimaera for 6 months and 6k miles now, i use it for work nearly every day, the mileage is 46k so it's been a well used car. I've found a local guy who specialises in TVR's but without the main dealer overheads (and he is a bloody nice bloke to boot). But even better I've met a great bunch of enthusiasts, which has opened up a whole new world to me.
Oh! and did i forget to mention "what a fantastic car to drive too"
TdF
P8 TDF
You should be able to get a decent late '94 or 95 Chimaera for £14k, i.e. with a serpentine engine. Not sure if these are any more reliable but the cooling is apparently better??
If you're brave, you could get one private for even less and then buy a decent warranty afterwards?
Either way, I agree with the sentiment that you don't touch one without fsh. Specialists are better than dealers IMHO at the moment because of the turn over in the dealer network.
Good luck looking - you won't regret the experience. I haven't (so far?!?!)
If you're brave, you could get one private for even less and then buy a decent warranty afterwards?
Either way, I agree with the sentiment that you don't touch one without fsh. Specialists are better than dealers IMHO at the moment because of the turn over in the dealer network.
Good luck looking - you won't regret the experience. I haven't (so far?!?!)
quote:
1. No matter what any owner says on here, TVR's are not as reliable as mainstream products (and you shouldn't really expect them to be give the performance per £)
True to some extent, except for the performance bit
quote:
2. Servicing is very expensive (dealer service is around £450 every 6000 miles).
true
quote:
3. TVR's customer service is terrible.
true, but not relevant if buying used
quote:
4. The TVR warranty on older cars is not that comprehensive.
Same again - not relevant if £14k to spare
quote:
4. Some of the dealers are not as good as they should be.
So buy from a good one
quote:
5. A TVR as an every day car is expensive to run and will probably let you down at some point.
Depends on the mileage, and many run perfectly
quote:
If you have only £14K to spend you are looking at a 93/94 pre-serpentine/roverT5 gearbox car (the serpentine/borg-warner(?) cars are meant to be better)
Not true, you will be able to get a serpentine engine for that cash with a Borg warner box
quote:
Buy a car with a full dealer or recognised specialst service history.
Absolutely
quote:
Shop around - dont buy the first car you see.
Get a specialist to check out the car before purchase.
Have a look at the cars for sale on here - they are more likely to be owned by enthusiasts.
There are lots of things to check...trawl the posts and compile a list...
If you buy a car, get Steve Heaths book in the Griffith and Chimaera. (www.tvrbooks.co.uk I think)
Agree with all of that
Many of the issues here arise because pistonheaders are enthusiasts rather than company car owners, who faced with the same problems would drop their mondeos off at the Ford garage to be fixed regardless of expense.
My advice is to do it, but buy one with your eyes open, remembering that you are buying a handbuilt, high power sportscar not a repmobile. It won't chew the miles in the same way as most cars, but does them in a style which few cars can match.
You'll rediscover some of the joys of motoring which many manufacturers have spent billions over the years trying to remove. Nothing compares to the smile you get when you bury the accelerator pedal for the first time.
Good luck.
R, totally impartial chimaera owner
>> Edited by yum on Saturday 22 June 10:34
Probably not adding anything with this, but my 2p:
I'd always wanted a TVR since about 1990, and started looking round about 4 yeras ago when I saw a cerbera for sale at £25k.
I saved up about 10k, had a car to trade in at 4k and got a loan for 10k. This allowed me to get a car at 20k from a dealer (not keen on buying/selling privately - wuss!) and have 4k spare for things to go wrong.
Started looking in earnest last Oct/Nov, and decided on a 4.0 chimaera as I'd not driven anything fast or rear wheel drive before.
Found that Joolz (www.joospeed.net) had set up locally (about 2 miles from where I live/work) which was the final thing that kicked me into action.
Kept getting gazzumped on cars at dealers, so ended up putting a deposit on one without driving it (due to weather)
Joolz checked it out and gave the all clear - had them do a few things like suspension bushes, resprays of certain panels, full service.
Bought it/took delivery in mid January, and since then the only things to go wrong are:
Radiator leak - got a recon rad
Clutch master cyl leak - got replaced
Slight problem with stalling - a little TLC from joolz sorted it
None of these faults left me stranded, and arent particularly surprising on a car thats 4 years old and done 33k miles.
Ok I paid over the odds by buying from a main dealer, but thats my choice, and you can buy privately if you prefer to save a few £k and accept the risks.
Hope that helps
I'd always wanted a TVR since about 1990, and started looking round about 4 yeras ago when I saw a cerbera for sale at £25k.
I saved up about 10k, had a car to trade in at 4k and got a loan for 10k. This allowed me to get a car at 20k from a dealer (not keen on buying/selling privately - wuss!) and have 4k spare for things to go wrong.
Started looking in earnest last Oct/Nov, and decided on a 4.0 chimaera as I'd not driven anything fast or rear wheel drive before.
Found that Joolz (www.joospeed.net) had set up locally (about 2 miles from where I live/work) which was the final thing that kicked me into action.
Kept getting gazzumped on cars at dealers, so ended up putting a deposit on one without driving it (due to weather)
Joolz checked it out and gave the all clear - had them do a few things like suspension bushes, resprays of certain panels, full service.
Bought it/took delivery in mid January, and since then the only things to go wrong are:
Radiator leak - got a recon rad
Clutch master cyl leak - got replaced
Slight problem with stalling - a little TLC from joolz sorted it
None of these faults left me stranded, and arent particularly surprising on a car thats 4 years old and done 33k miles.
Ok I paid over the odds by buying from a main dealer, but thats my choice, and you can buy privately if you prefer to save a few £k and accept the risks.
Hope that helps
quote:
Honda S2000, shame you have to drive it like you stole it :E
Indeed, if I wanted a cruiser, I would have bought a 3.0 Z3 (ughh) or a TT225 (yuch). It needs to be driven hard to get the best from it and it likes to wag its tail - but thats what a sports car is all about.
I still feel a tinge of regret when I see a nice Chim (R500 LTR in Bridge of Allan recently for example), but I'm just not the kind of person who tolerates niggles and the £700 per year I save on servicing pays for weekends away in the car in the Highlands (or it would if it would stop feckin raining...)
Thanks for all the posts guys, I'm off to test drive one tomorrow - can't wait! Is it worth stretching to 15 - 16k? and whats the deal with the snake sounding engine and the borg box? 
Just ahd a look through some previous posts and keep coming across the pre / post-facelift phrases. Could someone tell me when the facelift took place and what the changes were please - thanks
>> Edited by Bangers on Sunday 23 June 08:54
quote:
Just ahd a look through some previous posts and keep coming across the pre / post-facelift phrases. Could someone tell me when the facelift took place and what the changes were please - thanks
>> Edited by Bangers on Sunday 23 June 08:54
Go to www.adrainblyth.co.uk and take a look at the images. The post facelift have a different front grill and indicator surrounds. If memory serves, the older cars have a one piece mesh type front grill. They also have a door handle as opposed to a button under the wing mirror At the rear, the lights were upgraded in 99.
On that note, if you see an older car with a new front end, its probably had a bump. Here are a few things to check:
Have a look under the car and check the condition of the front wishbones - they are prone to corrosion and may need replaced.
Check the condition of the visible chassis members - the coating cracks and peel off and is a bugger to repair. On that note, ask if the owner if its been waxoyled
Check the exhaust for sign of damage and grounding (easy to do).
Check all the dials and warning lights work OK - replacement can be a dash out job.
Check there are no splits in the wood dash and the leather is in good condition (V expensive to repair).
Ask if the wishbones, radiator and clutch master cylinder have been replaced - these are common failure items (every 2 - 3 years on some cars)
Check it wears Bridgestone S02's all round and they are in good nick.
Check the body for chips and stress fractures.
Check the carpets for signs of rot.
Check the roof seals and velcro.
Ask the owner when they last treated the hood (a good sign if the have a habit of doing it).
Check the service history - if its been a while, factor in a few hundred for a service and other repairs.
When you are out, check the temp sits about 90. When you get back (or in traffic), let it sit - the fans should come on at 95 - 100 (ish !). This is a common fault, but one you would expect an owner to fix quickly.
Check for oil leaks (engine, gearbox and diff)
I cant think of much else...
Finally, you will be assaulted by the noise, the speed and the tactile nature of the car. DO NOT let this cloud your judgement - if you buy a bad one, your wallet will take months to recover and you will regret it big time. Buying a good one may be one of the best things you ever do - time will tell...Good luck.
Facelift happened around 1997. Main differences are a bar across the air intake, rather than a one-piece grill, a button door release under the wing mirror rather than on the wing and a few minor fascia changes.
Think carefully whether you want or ned power steering, too, as some cars have it, others don't. There is generally a price difference of up to £1000.
R
Think carefully whether you want or ned power steering, too, as some cars have it, others don't. There is generally a price difference of up to £1000.
R
Test drove one today - v.nice but not the serpentine engine. What is the actual difference in the engine and gearbox between the old and the newer serpentine/borg? This car ran a temp of 70 before the fans came on - is that OK? or is it too cool?
Just want to add a big thank you for all your help, I've learnt a lot over the last 48 hrs! But what a beauty!!! The noise, oh the noise.........!
Just want to add a big thank you for all your help, I've learnt a lot over the last 48 hrs! But what a beauty!!! The noise, oh the noise.........!
bangers ... hahahah you know you want to ... serpentine describes the route taken by the fan belt. The serpentine engines have a different cooling system to their predecessors, mat also be differences to the layout of the alternator and other bits driven by the belt. Older cars had a T5 rover box, later cars have a borg warner box which is considered to be better.
Get Steve heaths book right now. it explains the questions you've asked, it'll give you a great overview of the car, and specific tips for buying. money very well spent.
Get Steve heaths book right now. it explains the questions you've asked, it'll give you a great overview of the car, and specific tips for buying. money very well spent.
quote:
bangers ... hahahah you know you want to ... serpentine describes the route taken by the fan belt. The serpentine engines have a different cooling system to their predecessors, mat also be differences to the layout of the alternator and other bits driven by the belt. Older cars had a T5 rover box, later cars have a borg warner box which is considered to be better.
I'll put this down to the Friday defeat and late hours... The T5 box is the Borg Warner one. The Rover box as you say fitted to the earlier cars is a SD1 Vitesse box as also fitted to Sherpa vans... The serpentine engine also has improved oil pump and oil pump drive, different timing covers and so on which makes it virtually impossible to retrofit a Serpentine front end onto a pre-serp engine. The downside is that the access to the spark plugs is a bit more difficult.
Steve
Ps thanks for the book comment.
When I bought mine I had a few ideas I noted down of what I wanted to try and get within my budget (16k).
Wanted the serp engine and later gearbox. Wanted PAS. Wanted dark blue with oxblood interior (never seen one though) and wanted the pre-facelist back of the car but the facelift front (and before anyone pipes up, I've seen 'em about!)
Looked at four, both private and dealer and drove three. Bought from TVR main dealer because couldn't believe the deal they were offering - a clean N reg car with pas, full leather interior and a years warranty and with £2k just spent on it at the dealers (new w/screen, diskcs and pads, tyres, wishbones etc. with FTVRSH for what seemed like private money
Snapped their 'and orf.
"We've sold this at a grand too cheap I think" he said as I shook hands with the guy.
Had to compromise on: interior and exterior colour, facelift front. But what the hell, the colours were an 'ideal world' situation. And I've got the backlit no.plate which is what I wanted.
Had car since Feb, only problem, one of the mirror glasses dropped off. Stuck it back on. Cost 0p. Happy as Larry
Only cost has been petrol. Uses no oil hardly. 40k miles. Enjoy it every time I drive it.
I'll second the comments on Steve Heath's book as well. Invaluable.
Best of luck. You won't regret it as long as you make all the right checks etc.
Edited becuase forgot to say what I paid for it! £15.5k
>> Edited by MikeyT on Monday 24th June 13:03
Wanted the serp engine and later gearbox. Wanted PAS. Wanted dark blue with oxblood interior (never seen one though) and wanted the pre-facelist back of the car but the facelift front (and before anyone pipes up, I've seen 'em about!)
Looked at four, both private and dealer and drove three. Bought from TVR main dealer because couldn't believe the deal they were offering - a clean N reg car with pas, full leather interior and a years warranty and with £2k just spent on it at the dealers (new w/screen, diskcs and pads, tyres, wishbones etc. with FTVRSH for what seemed like private money
Snapped their 'and orf.
"We've sold this at a grand too cheap I think" he said as I shook hands with the guy.
Had to compromise on: interior and exterior colour, facelift front. But what the hell, the colours were an 'ideal world' situation. And I've got the backlit no.plate which is what I wanted.
Had car since Feb, only problem, one of the mirror glasses dropped off. Stuck it back on. Cost 0p. Happy as Larry
Only cost has been petrol. Uses no oil hardly. 40k miles. Enjoy it every time I drive it.
I'll second the comments on Steve Heath's book as well. Invaluable.
Best of luck. You won't regret it as long as you make all the right checks etc.
Edited becuase forgot to say what I paid for it! £15.5k
>> Edited by MikeyT on Monday 24th June 13:03
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