Youth revisited - hello Chimaera 500!
Discussion
This (the bloke in the middle with the very dodgy tie) was me when I was 20. I worked (we'll, sort of!) for a sports car garage in Exeter called Brooklands TVR. Starting out as the sales admin bloke, my job morphed into a bit of a salesman, come factory tour, come track day, come Tuscan race team hospitality chap - pretty much a car-mad blokes dream job, which was made better by a genuinely superb bunch of chaps (some of whom are still getting their hands dirty with TVRs even now).
During my time at the garage, I had a couple of favourite cars, one of which was a disgracefully quick and loud Griff 500 in Ocean Haze (L5 SLA) the other was an Imperial blue Chimaera 500 (N113 WTA), which came with a story that always made me chuckle : it was owned by a local guy who, if memory serves got a loan from his Dad to buy his original 4litre car, then upgraded to a 5 litre car in exactly the same colour, transferring the plate as he went, so that his father wouldn't know!
The car was Imperial blue with magnolia/blue trim, gold badges and pas. It was simply my perfect TVR (and went around Donnington very well when we took it back!).
I left the company in 2000 and after a few years saving for houses got back 'into' cars about ten years ago. I've tinkered with Landys, old Triumphs, and old Porsche, a loopy Westfield and a couple of old Fords including and RS1600i and a MK1 Mexico rep.
I always fancied my own TVR though, but never really saw the perfect one.....
Until around a couple of weeks ago, when I viewed a sorry old thing under a pile of leaf debris, with no MOT that wouldn't start (had to call in the AA while I was there!).
I don't generally mind a project (the Mexico rep had a nut and bolt rebuild) and once I knew the spec/colour, it was pretty much always going to be coming home with me!
Cash was drawn and handed over and I trailered the car home.
It was on axle stands in the garage the same day and now benefits from patched up outriggers (though I plan to lift the body over the winter and replace them completely), a good clean, oil change and sports a fresh MOT.
It's not perfect - it needs a bit of paint, a wheel bearing and the dash is coming out shortly for a carbon refurb, but it's sublime.
Not many things in life are as good as we remember that they once were, but this is much, much better - it sounds awesome, feels tight and even smells just as I remember that they used to.
I haven't just bought a car, but a time machine - I think that this one might last more than my usual 12 months!
Updates and record of tinkering to come....
What a cracking story. There's nothing much left in this world quite like a good old Tvr that looks like it's still from the future. I'm sure your going to fall for the ( working on them lark) as many of us do.
And on here you've got a solution or helpful tips and pointers so you'll never go in the wrong direction,,, for long
It's great to hear of ex Tvr men coming back to the fold.
You'll find there's plenty of mods or ugrades available to do pretty much anything you like with the car and some of these mods bring the car well upto 21st century standards so onwards and upwards for these cars.
They actually age and mature well if loved and cared for.
Im not sure if it's just me that thinks every other car gets older, these seem to get younger and sort your riggers out and youve got the start of another 20 years motoring.
And on here you've got a solution or helpful tips and pointers so you'll never go in the wrong direction,,, for long
It's great to hear of ex Tvr men coming back to the fold.
You'll find there's plenty of mods or ugrades available to do pretty much anything you like with the car and some of these mods bring the car well upto 21st century standards so onwards and upwards for these cars.
They actually age and mature well if loved and cared for.
Im not sure if it's just me that thinks every other car gets older, these seem to get younger and sort your riggers out and youve got the start of another 20 years motoring.
Lovely story and nice looking car. Well done sir! Excellent colour - assuming it's Imperial Blue from your back-story and a 500 to boot. (Blue ones are.... oh, never mind.)
Curious combination of magnolia dash top and blue door tops. Mine are magnolia throughout and I continually flirt with the idea of a blue dash top to cut down widscreen reflections on a sunny day. As the condition is good and the windscreen would need to come out to do the job properly, I've not done anything about it yet - but I do wonder how much the blue dash top would improve things. In your case, you already have the blue door cappings!
Good luck with your voyage of discovery. Hope it treats you well!
Curious combination of magnolia dash top and blue door tops. Mine are magnolia throughout and I continually flirt with the idea of a blue dash top to cut down widscreen reflections on a sunny day. As the condition is good and the windscreen would need to come out to do the job properly, I've not done anything about it yet - but I do wonder how much the blue dash top would improve things. In your case, you already have the blue door cappings!
Good luck with your voyage of discovery. Hope it treats you well!
pb450 said:
Lovely story and nice looking car. Well done sir! Excellent colour - assuming it's Imperial Blue from your back-story and a 500 to boot. (Blue ones are.... oh, never mind.)
Curious combination of magnolia dash top and blue door tops. Mine are magnolia throughout and I continually flirt with the idea of a blue dash top to cut down widscreen reflections on a sunny day. As the condition is good and the windscreen would need to come out to do the job properly, I've not done anything about it yet - but I do wonder how much the blue dash top would improve things. In your case, you already have the blue door cappings!
Good luck with your voyage of discovery. Hope it treats you well!
Blue dash topCurious combination of magnolia dash top and blue door tops. Mine are magnolia throughout and I continually flirt with the idea of a blue dash top to cut down widscreen reflections on a sunny day. As the condition is good and the windscreen would need to come out to do the job properly, I've not done anything about it yet - but I do wonder how much the blue dash top would improve things. In your case, you already have the blue door cappings!
Good luck with your voyage of discovery. Hope it treats you well!
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