Chimaera DIY Maintenance?

Chimaera DIY Maintenance?

Author
Discussion

ANDYSUPRA

Original Poster:

73 posts

282 months

Thursday 20th December 2001
quotequote all
Unfortunately I do not own a TVR (haven't even been in one let alone driven one) , however I intend to get one soon ,. I am a TVR fanatic & a member of the TVRCC. I have always had a passion for the Rover V8 engined cars due to their simplicity, reliability and most of all THE SOUND!!!
I intend to get a Chimaera or Griffith and am wondering if they are suitable for DIY maintenance? I am a maintenance fitter by trade and have generally maintained all of my own vehicles in the past. I understand that on a newer vehicle it is essential to have dealer servicing to validate the warranty, but looking longer term I would like to maintain myself. Great discussion board by the way, keep up the wit and humour!!!

TVR owner eventually

bling

60 posts

276 months

Thursday 20th December 2001
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Start off by going to www.amazon.co.uk
they stock 2 good books on Tiv diy.

philshort

8,293 posts

277 months

Thursday 20th December 2001
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Chimaera/Griffith are IMHO very simple cars to maintain. They are not complicated at all. Unusual combinations of metric and imperial fixings make it interesting though!



Phil

yum

529 posts

273 months

Monday 24th December 2001
quotequote all
Don't tell anyone, but they are a medley of fairly standard parts from Rovers, Fords and Vauxhalls so should be easy if you have the time.

A full service history is usually a prerequisite for purchasers, so before you go down the DIY route, do your sums carefully.

Happy christmas

Greenv8s

30,198 posts

284 months

Monday 24th December 2001
quotequote all
quote:

Don't tell anyone, but they are a medley of fairly standard parts from Rovers, Fords and Vauxhalls so should be easy if you have the time.

A full service history is usually a prerequisite for purchasers, so before you go down the DIY route, do your sums carefully.

Happy christmas



Often true, but on the other hand there are various 'TVR special' parts that are based on standard parts (and still have the original part number on) but have been modified by TVR. When you go the DIY route you take responsibility for getting all this right.

Cheers,

Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

MikeyT

16,541 posts

271 months

Monday 24th December 2001
quotequote all
quote:

there are various 'TVR special' parts that are based on standard parts (and still have the original part number on) but have been modified by TVR.



Has anyone ever compiled a 'definitive' list of what these parts are? And is it even possible to find/compile such a list

TVR owner one day (after Christmas)

dlewis

315 posts

269 months

Tuesday 25th December 2001
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MikeyT

I have a listing of key components.

I'll let you have when you are an owner!!!!!!

Happy Christmas

shpub

8,507 posts

272 months

Thursday 27th December 2001
quotequote all
quote:

Has anyone ever compiled a 'definitive' list of what these parts are? And is it even possible to find/compile such a list



There are some lists around but to be honest they are not worth much as they reflect what was done on someones car and this is frequently not applicable to later cars as the TVR have a policy of continious improvement.

Many of the so called cooling problems have been caused by fitting the Land Rover parts to the engines which have the wrong the temp spec compared to the ones used by TVR, for example.

If you are going to source TVR parts from elsewhere, the best thing I can say is take the original with you and match it up. Don't rely on a part number as it will often be wrong. And chcek the prices with a TVR dealer as often there is no price advantage and you save all the hassle of trying to find an alternative.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

pbrettle

3,280 posts

283 months

Friday 28th December 2001
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I must admit that I have done more DIY to my current TVR than to any other car that I have owned (except a Honda that I once had then wrote it off - learnt my lesson there!). Easy to do work, simple to "fiddle" and leave the specialist jobs to the experts - like paint (unless you are really good), and servicing. However, everything else is relatively easy (just brused and scraped knuckles....

If you do want to do some work on a TVR, do check back on Pistonheads newsgroups for recommendations and advice. Some owners put up pictures of work (Trefor - thanks, need to take my dash off soon!). However, the best start is to get Steve's book (see above) at www.tvrbooks.co.uk - the only real source of information seeing as there is no Haynes manual....

Cheers,

Paul

MikeyT

16,541 posts

271 months

Friday 28th December 2001
quotequote all
quote:

MikeyT

I have a listing of key components.

I'll let you have when you are an owner!!!!!!

Happy Christmas



Ya cheeky bugger (but of course I will agree!)

TVR owner one day (after Christmas)

chuckh

194 posts

269 months

Tuesday 1st January 2002
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douglasr i stand by what i said a proper collection of tarts hanbags the japs make great superbikes but lousy antiseptic cars all plastic and gizmos you cant polish a *urd

anonymous-user

54 months

Tuesday 1st January 2002
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quote:

douglasr i stand by what i said a proper collection of tarts hanbags the japs make great superbikes but lousy antiseptic cars all plastic and gizmos you cant polish a *urd
-------------------------------------------------------

And now in English!!

chuckh

194 posts

269 months

Tuesday 1st January 2002
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oh dear havent touched on a thony one have i sometimes the truth is just to much to bear sell yer jap crap an get yourself a proper sports car

anonymous-user

54 months

Tuesday 1st January 2002
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I have been thinking of getting a TVR, but haven't brought myself around to spending £15k on something that's put together worse than my Triumph Spitfire.Which is classic British Sports car, (ALL the parts & components were made in this country)!!
I like most cars, where ever they are made and am not so blinkered to think anything other than my choice of car is crap.

Now flame me you lot!!

Happy new year.

Lee .