Thinking of Buying My First TVR!

[Gavstar]

I'm thinking of taking the plunge and getting myself a TVR. I have up to 12k to spend, so am after a Chimaera. I only do about 4k a year, dont need it to commute, so will be just for weekend driving. I havent driven one yet, so am after some advice on what to look for etc.
Oh yeah, and jusy how unreliable are they..it seems all What Car et al mention is their constant maintenance.....can this be true?
Also how practical are they for long distance driving in terms of comfort and cabin noise. I know part of the thrill of a TVR is the V8 growl, but from a passenger's perspective can this be wearing on long motorway cruises?
This will be my 1st venture into performace motoring too, but before any kids come on the scene etc, my wife has agreed that we should get a sports car that is "not boring"...weh hey! Am I doing the right thing?

>>> Edited by Gavstar on Thursday 15th April 19:09

[micharea]

Go get one --I did three weeks ago
as for cabin noise and the the wife you won't know shes there

[ssc1]

i somtimes use mine for the round trip to work which is 140 miles and they are superb for that and yes they are a bit noisy but then so are most performance cars but i would not say that its really bad just not quiet like my mondeo , and as for maintenance thay are really easy to look after, if you know how to handle the spanners, i only use the specialists to keep the book stamped up to date, the wiring can be a bit of a mess but as long as it is kept clean a tight it should give no probs. just go for one that has been looked after and one that is dry inside with no damp smells( look at the carpets), and no rattles from the engine and no big clonks from the drive line , the diffs can be heard from inside as there is no sound deadening at all but as long as its not groaning it should be ok.

[UpTheIron]

Gavstar said:

I'm thinking of taking the plunge and getting myself a TVR.

Well done. Do it. You will regret it on an almost daily basis. Until you drive it, and every time the good will outweigh the bad.

Gavstar said:

I have up to 12k to spend, so am after a Chimaera.

I spent 9k & 3k trade in on my first TVR, so good'uns can be had, but there are a lot of cars at that price which need some serious TLC. Be careful. If buying privately (or even from a dealer) consider the services of someone like Rob Ingleby.

Gavstar said:

I only do about 4k a year, dont need it to commute, so will be just for weekend driving.

IMHO TVR's do not like to be left standing for long periods, so drive it as often as you can.

Gavstar said:

just how unreliable are they...

Not as bad as the car mags would have you believe, but don't expect it to be perfect all the time.

Gavstar said:

Also how practical are they for long distance driving in terms of comfort and cabin noise. I know part of the thrill of a TVR is the V8 growl, but from a passenger's perspective can this be wearing on long motorway cruises?

It can be wearing sometimes, but more often than not the thrill of driving it outweighs the occasional downside.

Gavstar said:

Am I doing the right thing?

YES YES YES YES YES

[drum4it2]

put it this way, you're not likely to see one post from a Tive owner saying DON'T do it... nuff said..

[UpTheIron]

I thought I was remarkably honest in my recommendation

[gaston]

Suggest you read carefully through the Chim threads and make up your own mind about what gets written about most and how it fits your plans. Don't forget that a £12k car costs just as much time and/or money to fix as a £25k car. I'm not putting you off; just make sure you take the plunge with your eyes open. That way you won't risk disappointment and can enjoy the full TVR experience!

[JohnnyS]

If you choose a good Chimaera then maintenance and reliability is not a problem. I have had mine 6 years without any big bills and have covered 70,000 miles. Using it every day seems to have helped!

For what its worth, my advice is to find a good independent specialist to look after the vehicle. TVR dealers seem to assume that we are all loaded.

[fatboy chim]

Do it.... got mine in January and i love it, drive lots before you buy, set a day aside and try 4 or 5. I ended up buying No 1 after touring s/e England. I Got Rob Ingleby to inspect mine and was very happy with the service he provided.

[shpub]

Chimaera's buyers guide on www.tvrbooks.co.uk

PS Get some driving tuition - we don't you becoming another accident statistic. Driving a TIv is not like anything else you will have experienced and additional driver training will enable you to enjoy the car and be a lot safer.

[Gavstar]

Nice one, thanks for all the tips! Rob Ingleby is the guy who runs www.findmeasprtscar.com or something isn't he? I guess the best thing for me to do is 1. Measure the length of my garage to check it will fit (!), and 2. Test drive some from a local dealer.
Can anyone recommend a sound specialist garage in the SE London/ North Kent area for repairs and servicing?

Also, a mate of mine just told me "don't get a TVR, they're crap, get a Boxster"....weirdo!

[snorky]

<'starskymode_on> DO IT, DO IT, DO IT <'starskymode_off>

[Gavstar]

Are they OK for all year round driving, ie in the wet? I guess they're only as safe as your right foot!

[UIL9794]

Gavstar - i have a nice Chianti starmist for sale at the moment. 93 with 66500miles TVRSH and in nice condition. The colour is a dark red in the sun then looks a black/red in the shade.

As for getting one, as everyone else has said go into it with your eyes open and test drive a few before you buy. Bascially it's a simple car with an big'ol engine. It's a lot easier to work on than anything more modern or Jap of course.

Best of luck

Lee

[snorky]

get a Boxster ......Baaaaaa Baaaaaa Baaaaa nice and safe....having a TVR is that thing of not following the crowd.... buy one you will NOT regret it even IF it does cost you money they're worth every bloody penny. IMHO of course.. when was the last time you saw people stop in their tracks to watch a Boxster go past...they'll do that every time you go past in yer Tiv.

[Gavstar]

My thoughts exactly! Since deciding on a TVR I have been hoping to see a few driving around so that I can check them out, and I've only seen one, parked, in the last month! As for Porsches.....seen 'em every 5 minutes! Porsches smorches.

>> Edited by Gavstar on Friday 16th April 09:05

[shpub]

Gavstar said:

Are they OK for all year round driving, ie in the wet? I guess they're only as safe as your right foot!

I've been driving a Griff as an all year shopping trolley for 3 years+, no problems.

You have to learn to adjust your driving technique to suit the conditions. Yes that does include learing that the right foot has positions between fully on and fully off but also techniques like heel and toe to prevent rear end lock up.

[shnozz]

Gavstar said:

Also, a mate of mine just told me "don't get a TVR, they're crap, get a Boxster"....weirdo!

if your mate can get boxsters for £12k, buy one of them.

flog it for £20k and buy a later spec chimaera

[over_the_hill]

Got mine in January. 98 R-plate.

Reliability: No problems yet other than a couple of
"tighten it up with a spanner" fixes. Reading the mass
printed stuff I was expecting to have the AA out every
week - don't believe the bad hype.

Practical: massive boot (at least compared to my
previous MGF) and being used to 2-seat soft tops
you soon get fairly ingenious when it comes to
items that don't fit in the boot.

Distance: Most comfortable car I have ever driven.
Seat comfort superb, can get a bit warm though.
Did Birmingham to Dover and got out feeling like I
hadn't been anywhere. Only get real noise when
accelerating. Steady cruising is OK.

Conspicuous: Be prepared for lots of conversations
with total strangers, everyone looking at you at
lights, junctions, pulling in and out of car parks.
If you don't like attention don't buy one.

Beware: After spending three months learning the car
and feeling my way in slowly, the back end broke away
and I span it last week. Hit crash barrier and it
is now in the body shop!! A bit gutted having safely
negotiated ice/frost/snow etc. in severe winter months
without problems. They can turn round and bite. Thank
heavens for Protected No Claims !

[raceboy]

shnozz said:

Gavstar said: Also, a mate of mine just told me "don't get a TVR, they're crap, get a Boxster"....weirdo! if your mate can get boxsters for £12k, buy one of them. flog it for £20k and buy a later spec chimaera

And don't forget that your going to need to look for a 5.0l car probably with NOS fitted so it doesn't feel too slow sorry small private running joke amoung green 4.0 Chimarea owners
Seriously, try to pop along to a TVRCC meeting in your area, or pop round to your nearest specialist and have a chat regarding running costs
My car which on a sunny day would be worth about £12k has just gone through it's annual service/MOT without too much stress (cheers Joolz ) but I generaly put away £1k a year for mechanical upkeep, sometimes it's a bit more, sometime a lot less but then you just end up spending the spare on shinny/performance/tarting up bit