Performance before/after a service...

[PreTVR]

Hi,

I test drove a 4.0 Chimera yesterday and (this is relatively speaking of course) it seemed a little "reluctant". That is, it really didn't seem to have any performance until over 3-3.5k rpm.

It is apparently due a service and the engine temp was only around 50 degrees (please don't crucify me if I shouldn't be accelerating at that temp!). Would both of these make a significant difference?

It was a 98 4.0 with 36k on the clock. Also, I found 2nd to 3rd hard to find... could this be temperature related or just lack of familiarity... or should I walk away?

Also, can anyone let me know what exactly "reconnolised" means with regard to the drivers seat. Is it completely new leather or a treatment to the existing leather?

Any help gratefully received!
Cheers,
Phil

>>> Edited by PreTVR on Sunday 17th November 16:40

[anonymous-user]

It took me ages to try and get 2nd and 3rd gear in mine.
I can now get it first time
Just takes a little getting used to.

You need to be a bit more heavy handed/assertive with it than a normal car.
I found myself getting out of the TVR back into the Spitfire yanking the gearstick all over the place as I had got used to the TVR box.

You tend to find it gets harder to put in gear as it warms up.

Re-collonising is just another word for treating the leather I think.

[the dodger]

Doesn't sound right to me. You should feel the grunt from idle. I've never had trouble selecting any gear in my 94 model with T5 box. Sometimes missed 5th in my wedge with the Rover box though!

Connolising is probably a trade name for the leather treatment and probably only applies to Connoly leather. I'm not an expert on leather but I think Connoly is a supplier of first-class treated hide to trimming firms (and OEM's like RR, Bently, maybe TVR, Lotus etc).

[tvrheart]

Like you describe it, it sounds long overdue a service, perhaps an oil change for the gearbox would help selection as well. If I was you I would do nothing until it had been serviced then re-assess. Even so it shouldn’t be that bad even if it is due a service, perhaps it has been a bit neglected. Have you drove any other Chimaera’s for comparison?

[SGirl]

I'd agree with Supraman on the T5 gearbox - it's not the lightest of shifts, and it does get heavier when it's warmed up. A handy tip someone on here gave me when the gears get a bit harder to shift is to blip the throttle just before you change gear. That seems to sort it.

I reckon you should be looking at some decent pulling power (torque, not the Mungo kind!) from idle, though. I don't think you should have to wait until further up the rev range - that sounds a bit odd. None of the ones I tried waited until they were up beyond 3000 revs before pulling.

As for reconnolising, I don't know what it entails but someone did this to my Griff's interior just before I bought the car and it looks very nice!

[simpo one]

'the engine temp was only around 50 degrees (please don't crucify me if I shouldn't be accelerating at that temp!).'

The general rule is not to take it over 3,000 rpm until it's warmed up a bit.

Also, I found 2nd to 3rd hard to find... could this be temperature related or just lack of familiarity... or should I walk away?

I've heard this before with T5 boxes - mine does it as well sometimes at high revs. If you just ram it into 3rd, it can baulk - better to do it in two stages - pause for millisecond in neutral and go up from there. Works for me anyway.

'Also, can anyone let me know what exactly "reconnolised" means with regard to the drivers seat. Is it completely new leather or a treatment to the existing leather?'

It's a treatment which restores colour to leather and can also be used to make it a darker colour. I think it comes from 'Connolly' which is the sort of leather Rolls Royce use.

So apart from a tune-up that car doesn't seem too bad, IMHO.

[M@H]

It should pull like a train at all revs really, and the torque curve feels fairly static, not Honda'ish as you describe.. you can even get it to pull from sub 1000rpm in fifth on a flat foad.. it doesn't sound quite right to me..
Cheers
Matt

50 degrees !

[p7ulg]

reconnolised means the existing leather has been treated.I would think the term belongs to "Connoly Leather" which is a trade name.But like a lot of terms now it may just refer to a process(ie every one refers to vacuum cleaners as Hoovers whoever they are made by)

[PreTVR]

tvrheart said: Even so it shouldn’t be that bad even if it is due a service, perhaps it has been a bit neglected. Have you drove any other Chimaera’s for comparison?

I have only tried 4.5's previously. And they all seemed a lot more powerful (more than I would have thought) which is why I was not sure about this car. It didn't give me the grin factor I am after.

I think a great piece of advice I have been given by a number of sources is to try as many as you can... a) it will give me some experience to bench mark and b) I may find the perfect car along the way!!

Thanks for the responses everyone.
Phil.