Just bought my first - wot now?

[Jem]

Just purchased my first chimaera, 5l, great condition, gunmetal grey, black hood 31k miles. [Actually the lurvely Mrs Jem bought it for me].

v nervous...

But wot now? want to keep it in the very best nick but also use it all year/regularly [every other day in country]. Any thoughts?

I'm thinking of a service, good engineer inspection and remedial work, waxoil the chassis, roling road at austech asap to ensure she's running well.

Any other ideas how to get her up to the best speed and keep runing well? Wot should I be doing?

All comments welcome for my first baby...

Jem

[Gavstar]

Buy the "bible" and take it to Austec. Got mine back from them last night and it is soooooooooooo lovely to drive now! I'd only had it 10 days before it went to them and the difference is amazing....

[DustyC]

- The Polishing Company (see the PH links page). Get the £60 kit, its excellent.

- Trackdays, lots of em. Brilliant. (Subscribe to Circuit Driver magazine before the end of july and get a free book a track day)

- APM for servicing. If Liphook is ok for you. Andy provides a very good service.

- TVRCC, if you arent already a member get along to some meets and meet the locals

- And I couldn't go without saying....start saving up for the better looking version, the Griff
(Just kidding, they are all great. Start looking forward to the friendly rivalary and banter though!)

[Jem]

Gavstar, did you get the full rolling road tuning done?

How much £ if you don't mind me asking?

...and DustyC, didn't I hear somewhere that the griff's ass looks like Les Dawson gurning but despite that, has a boot too small to fit the roof in?

J

[DustyC]

Jem said:

...and DustyC, didn't I hear somewhere that the griff's ass looks like Les Dawson gurning but despite that, has a boot too small to fit the roof in? J

Haha!
Wrong way round!
it was me that suggested that the CHIM's ass looks like Les Dawson gurning. Look at that eyebrow!


In truth though, a beaut of a car. The essence of power.
Id struggle to find any thing bad about it so have to make these silly comments

>> Edited by DustyC on Thursday 29th July 10:40

[Jem]

damn,


BTW I always liked les...

[Nano2nd]

i think the first thing to do is post some pics

then buy a bucket of leven accessories, get the exhaust modded, MA chip, silicone hoses, bigger airflow meter yadda yadda

seriously though get the top off and smoke it round as much as possible applying grin reduction paste as often as possible coz if the wind changes you'll stick like it...

[Incorrigible]

track day

[Gavstar]

Jem said:

Gavstar, did you get the full rolling road tuning done? How much £ if you don't mind me asking? ...and DustyC, didn't I hear somewhere that the griff's ass looks like Les Dawson gurning but despite that, has a boot too small to fit the roof in? J

No I just had the shocks replaced, new distributor cap and wires, new rotor arm. Had some sensor cleaned out as well i think (!!!). It still needs a major service but the difference is incredible. I would just call them for a quote on what you want.....

[Jem]

then buy a bucket of leven accessories, get the exhaust modded, MA chip, silicone hoses, bigger airflow meter yadda yadda


ok, wot accessories? cant' mod the exhaust on pain of death from Mrs Jem [ie can't get a sports exhaust, are other mods?] , live in a tiny village and will only upset the locals ++ when I go out early am...

MA chip sounds like a piggy-back chip as per the modifications from the rolling road article?? Will do

Silicone hoses; for all water hoses?

Bigger airflow meter? Does that stop shovellign water up the air intake to f**k the engine?

I'll search all these - do insurance companies get upset when you do this stuff - is it legit?

Same with track days - nedver done one, how do I go about it, I live near Goodwood, can we get tuition how to drive the beastie - and should my insurance be ok about that??

Thanks

Jem

[greenv8s]

Leave it standard, drive it as much as possible, go along to your local TVR club meetings (if you don't already) to meet like minded people in your area. I would stay off the track until you're comfortable driving the car (if you drive it every day this won't take too long), if you then feel confident enough to take it on track then go to a club track day and take advantage of the instruction they offer. Very few road insurance policies will cover you on track days, your insurer may increase your premium if you modify the car especially if the modification affects the performance or value of the car.

Above all bear in mind that it is a very light powerful car on wide tyres so in adverse conditions the grip drops off far more quickly than it would in a eurobox, and the handling is far less forgiving than run-of-the-nill front wheel drive cars. You need to get yourself into the rear wheel drive mindset before you try to drive in slippery conditions. It only takes a small change in the road conditions to change the car from a purring pussy cat to a snarling beast that chews you up and spits you into the nearest hedge.

[Jem]

oooh scary - thank you

if the mods [tune up and piggy back ICU chip] do not increase the original quoted BHP, but just make the engine work more efficiently, would the insurance company still be negatively interested?

I've got mod'd front discs [for the better may I add, should I declare those?

yours nervously [again]...

J

[cosmoschick]

DustyC said:

- And I couldn't go without saying....start saving up for the better looking version, the Griff

When you've got the best, why bother with the rest?!

Defo take your Chim to Austec - Paul and Mike are great and will take very good care of it. Any niggles you may have just give them a ring, they'll always endeavour to sort it out.

There's the East Sussex TVRCC meeting tonight (see 'Events' forum) in Scaynes Hill. I don't know if you live near there but it may well be worth you popping along to have a chat and show off your new P&J.

Congratulations and welcome...

Happy and I shall look out for you!

[DustyC]

cosmoschick said:

DustyC said: - And I couldn't go without saying....start saving up for the better looking version, the Griff When you've got the best, why bother with the rest?!

I agree.
You'll like it when you get there too

[Jem]

girls...steady,

thanks, busy tonite seeing patients, will try asap, andy has been very helpful. Nice bunch of folks.

J

[DustyC]

Jem said:

Same with track days - nedver done one, how do I go about it, I live near Goodwood, can we get tuition how to drive the beastie - and should my insurance be ok about that?? Thanks Jem

I live 20 mins from Goodwood and did my first track day there last week. The tuition is the best part of it. After that the whole day was a million times better. I didnt realise it was that fast!

If you are going to do track days thought dont bother with the exhaust mod. They do sound good but you wont get on many tracks. This is why I have not done it and am glad I didnt. i intend to be on a lot more tracks yet. Silverstone Grandprix in a couple of weeks

Try GoldTrack and BookaTrack. They are both good.

Like I said before get a subsription to Circuit Driver and its free.
hang on a min.......

Just look here:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=106706&f=18&h=0
Off ends July 31st I think. Get in there quick, you wont regret it.

There are also some threads on insurance in that forum. I ened up getting seperate track day insurance.

>> Edited by DustyC on Thursday 29th July 13:05

[cosmoschick]

Get there, DustyC? I've already arrived...Trev

Now be off with you back to the Griff forum where you belong!

>> Edited by cosmoschick on Thursday 29th July 13:08

[Nano2nd]

you could see bhp increase with the chip, my might not, depends on your engine... I'm sure Austec will detail it all for you also i believe the trumpets are a quick win

check out www.leventechnology.co.uk/index.htm
for the leven stuff they did have a 10% discount running the other week that might have expired now though, perhaps worth giving them a call...

[Jem]

DustyC said:

I live 20 mins from Goodwood and did my first track day there last week. The tuition is the best part of it. After that the whole day was a million times better. I didnt realise it was that fast! If you are going to do track days thought dont bother with the exhaust mod. They do sound good but you wont get on many tracks. This is why I have not done it and am glad I didnt. i intend to be on a lot more tracks yet. Silverstone Grandprix in a couple of weeks Try GoldTrack and BookaTrack. They are both good. Like I said before get a subsription to Circuit Driver and its free. hang on a min.......

thx, insurance ok with that?

[DustyC]

Jem said:

hang on a min.......

thx, insurance ok with that?[/quote]

That minute expired and I updated my post to include trackday and insurance details.

Also, Hants region meets are near you.
Check Cerber450's profile for the web address and details.

Fancy drag racing? Its bloody good fun. A few of us are going to the Pod next month. See the events forum.