Is there a massive difference between4.0,4.3 and 5l engines?

[simonas]

Im planning my Chimaera purchase now I have a cheap company car run around.

Ive always had a 4.5l in mind but for no particular reason.

Is there a massive difference between the 3. ie is the 5 a lot quicker than the 4 etc?

cheers Simon

[db418BHP]

The 400 guys will say not much.
The 500 guys will say a lot.
The 450 guys will say they have nearly as much power as the 500's but with superior reliablility and driveability.

All are different. You need to test drive as many as possible and see what you like.
If you are asking this question now i would guess you will soon be wanting for more power anyway.

Buy a modified now and save yourself a load of expense and grief

[bobfather]

Simple answer is 'yes' however the differences are not only acceleration and top speed related, for example the 5l engine is known to be rougher at low speeds, not smooth at 30mph.

[V8 GRF]

bobfather said:

Simple answer is 'yes' however the differences are not only acceleration and top speed related, for example the 5l engine is known to be rougher at low speeds, not smooth at 30mph.

That all depends on cam and set-up. My 500 will tickle along in 5th, 1500rpm and 30 mph with no shunting or hesitation.

[pwd95]

It'll be down to the individual car these days. A good 400 will be as quick on the road as a poor 500 but a good healthy 500 will just make you laugh all day long.
You will of course have to be very progressive with that right foot.

[ChimpOnGas]

More important than:

Is there a massive difference between 4.0, 4.3 and 5.0 litre engines?

Is to understand that:

There's a massive difference between a good & bad Chimaera of any engine capacity


You'll get lots of different answers to your question, for example:

• People with a 4.0 litre will tell you it's still a fast car & offers more than enough power for road use

• People with a 4.3 will tell you it is the best Rover V8 engine architecture, it revs better and was more likely to have porting work to the heads

• People with a 4.5 litre will tell you it's the perfect compromise between a 4.0 litre & a 5.0 litre

• People with a 5.0 litre will tell you it's a massive step up & is the only one to have

TBH all these statements are correct


The truth is a very good 4.0 litre will be the equal of a mediocre 5.0 litre.

For example my 4.0 litre makes 260hp and there are plenty of tired 5.0 litres out there that dont make that.

However, there are also plenty of lightly fettled 5.0 litres out there that make 300hp, and you'd never see a 4.0 litre make 300hp without some very serious work.


I'd be inclined to put the engine size thing to the back of your mind.

You're much better off focusing on finding a well loved Chimaera that's not hiding chassis corrosion and other such big bill issues.


Drive as many cars as you can, get a feel for what you like & dont like, try and find the very best example you can within your budget


You will pay a £2,000 premium (or more) for a 5.0 litre over a 4.0 litre, the 4.5 sits somewhere between the two.

But a worn out 5.0 litre making 250hp that needs it's outriggers replacing will be hiding bills that could run into £5,000 to get it right.

Or you could just buy a really nice well performing 4.0 litre with a good chassis for the same money as that worn out 5.0 litre.

You get to enjoy that tidy 4.0 litre straight away and it'll save you a lot of money & heartache too.


You should also remember the 5.0 litre is a rare car, the vast majority of Chimaeras are 4.0 litres giving you a much bigger pool of cars to choose from.


On the other hand, if you absolutely must have the 5.0 litre, then only a 5.0 litre will do

Edited by ChimpOnGas on Wednesday 17th April 10:54

[bobfather]

ChimpOnGas said:

I'd be inclined to put the engine size thing to the back of your mind.

You're much better off focusing on finding a well loved Chimaera that's not hiding chassis corrosion and other such big bill issues.

That was my approach when I was looking for mine. I test drove 8 Chims, 5l, 4.5l & 4l, and the engine size did not have any influence on my choice. I chose on condition, service history and drivability, as a result I still have the car 11 years later.

[pac1uk]

If you restrict yourself to a particular engine size e.g. 5L there are far fewer cars about. The 4L is the most common and offers more choice in terms of condition, colour and price.

I would have liked a 5L, but in the end I bought a 4L based on condition and colour. I wanted a decent car to that I can improve performance over time.

[Robert Lees]

It also depends on what else you drive. I have a remapped golf gti mk5 with 250 bhp which is fairly rapid. I bought a modified 450 , trumpets, induction kit etc and it feels fast ( not much over the golf though!). Had i gone for a standard 400 i think i would have been dissapointed, however if u drive a kia picanto ( no offence) a 400 will blow your socks off!

also with them all u get the looks, noise and admiring glances ,,,

as above condition first, then colour ( blue ) then engine ( 450) not that I'm biased! Good luck you will love what ever u buy.

Edited by Robert Lees on Wednesday 17th April 09:33

[simonas]

ChimpOnGas said:

More important than:

Is there a massive difference between 4.0, 4.3 and 5.0 litre engines?

Is to understand that:

There a massive difference between a good & bad Chimaera of any engine capacity


You'll get lots of different answers to your question, for example:

• People with a 4.0 litre will tell you it's still a fast car & offers more than enough power for road use

• People with a 4.3 will tell you it is the best Rover V8 engine architecture, it revs better and was more likely to have porting work to the heads

• People with a 4.5 litre will tell you it's the perfect compromise between a 4.0 litre & a 5.0 litre

• People with a 5.0 litre will tell you it's a massive step up & is the only one to have

TBH all these statements are correct


The truth is a very good 4.0 litre will be the equal of a mediocre 5.0 litre.

For example my 4.0 litre makes 260hp and there are plenty of tired 5.0 litres out there that dont make that.

However, there are also plenty of lightly fettled 5.0 litres out there that make 300hp, and you'd never see a 4.0 litre make 300hp without some very serious work.


I'd be inclined to put the engine size thing to the back of your mind.

You're much better off focusing on finding a well loved Chimaera that's not hiding chassis corrosion and other such big bill issues.


Drive as many cars as you can, get a feel for what you like & dont like, try and find the very best example you can within your budget


You will pay a £2,000 premium (or more) for a 5.0 litre over a 4.0 litre, the 4.5 sits somewhere between the two.

But a worn out 5.0 litre making 250hp that needs it's outriggers replacing will be hiding bills that could run into £5,000 to get it right.

Or you could just buy a really nice well performing 4.0 litre with a good chassis for the same money as that worn out 5.0 litre.

You get to enjoy that tidy 4.0 litre straight away and it'll save you a lot of money & heartache too.


You should also remember the 5.0 litre is a rare car, the vast majority of Chimaeras are 4.0 litres giving you a much bigger pool of cars to choose from.


On the other hand, if you absolutely must have the 5.0 litre, then only a 5.0 litre will do

Thank you that is a quality response. I intend to start testing them soon.I have just been searching for a Cheshire TVR that used to exist but doesnt seem to anymore as I thnk I will go down the route of buying fro ma garage with a warranty something Ive never bothered with in the past

[sapper]

My last Chimaera was a 4.5, great engine and more than enough power for most uses. When I was looking for this one I wanted a 5.0 as i thought anything else would have been a step backward. However I found a lovely 4.0 and bought it.
The 4l is more than enough power for road use and great for touring. However there are options such as turbos and supercharging to think of if the 4l is still not quick enough for you.
Buy on condition there are lots of option to play with the engine later, wich is half the fun.

[brett84]

sapper said:

more than enough power for most uses..

This is what I found, tried a few, went for a 4.6 in the end but when do you really get to fully test it on the roads? Most of my time is spend doodling around just enjoying the drive. It's more of an occasion than a drive and I'd rather it took a little longer.

[Chimaeraman]

As most above have said the real criteria is condition. I have a humble 4.0L and that is MORE than enough for general cruising and posing!!! The soundtrack is just as good as the bigger engined cars. If you intend to get seriously into track days then a 5.0L is probably best. But above all buy with your head not your heart. I bought from a very reputable TVR dealer and yes you pay top dollar but as with most things you get what you pay for.

Whatever you end up buying it will put a smile on your face EVERY time you start it up. Enjoy the search and keep us informed.

[simonej]

My 500 is putting out 280bhp and I find it relatively slow once above 60mph or so - probably on a par with something like an Audi S3. I wouldn't want to be 40bhp down like in a 400. Although as others have said, there's so much more to them than the speed.

[jamienshelly]

brett84 said:

sapper said:

more than enough power for most uses..

This is what I found, tried a few, went for a 4.6 in the end but when do you really get to fully test it on the roads? Most of my time is spend doodling around just enjoying the drive. It's more of an occasion than a drive and I'd rather it took a little longer.

It all depends on what you are going to be using it for. If you are using for "normal" road use then a 400 will not embarrass you, unless racing between the lights so to speak, they have good road manners too, but if you want bragging rights then a 500 is the one.
As has been said earlier the main factor with chims is not the engine size but the condition.
But I think even a 400 will surprise you

[chris1972]

I would try all the models back to back to see which one you prefer. Go to a good dealer with plenty of good examples to try. I would then purchase the best example you can afford. Very few cars will be absolute factory spec, so quoting BHP figures etc is pretty useless and not always a good indicator of engine health. One thing I have learned is that the factory figures for performance were optimistic (or economical with the truth). Here is what I mean about BHP figures.

A typical healthy 'standard' 500 will produce around the 270BHP+ and so on cascading downwards through the models; however, many examples may have had replacement or uprated components, some will not have been looked after very well. All this will affect the power output. A reasonable output figure from a standard model may give you an indication as to the engine's health, but don't forget, that figures will also vary quite a lot from dyno to dyno.

Be wary of those quoting huge BHP figures, unless they can demonstrate that the car has been heavily modded. Otherwise, it is likely to be guestimates or BS. Heavily modded cars can also reduce their value/ desirability for prospective owners. It's a fickle market. As for the quotes regarding the reliability between different engine sizes are probably negated now and it will all boil down to how well the car has been maintained.

If you go to a recognised TVR dealer, get a decent extended warranty. Warranties from standard forecourts are normally pretty worthless. If you're buying privately, put some money aside for repairs and take somebody with you that knows what to look for etc.

My choice was between a heavily modded 450 and a 500. I went for the 500 in the end, but it was pretty close. The modded 450 produced more BHP than my standard 500, but the 450 was also quite specialised. The scope for my standard 500 is greater and I have learned a great deal through the people on PH.

I did notice from your profile that you had a twin turbo Supra, so you may find that the 400 etc may lack the torque you have been used too. You wont know until you drive them as the choice is completely personal. My 500 is pretty much standard and the last dyno was 274BHP. I have learned through this forum that the cam I have is a Kent 218, which produces a smooth drive but poor BHP. However, a Stealth cam and some induction mods, cat removal etc could easily increase this figure over 300BHP. Depending if you're mechanically minded, you could do this work at home for about £1200ish. Such costs may be worth factoring into the price if you're looking at power. Adding a super charger or turbo to a 400 is a much more specialised job and will cost you a lot more money.

I'll round this off by saying, "drive them all". Ensure you check out the service history and built a pattern of the car's maintenance history. Get a vehicle that has been driven regularly, as this keeps the engine lubricated and the gaskets supple. Make sure that the chassis is not full of holes. Get the car you want and the best you can afford.

[StarmistBlue400]

Agree with all of the above but at the end of the day would I like a healthy 450 or 500 over my 400? Sure I would, you can never have enough power

However, Im very happy with my 400 and now that I have a less powerful daily drive it feels much faster whenever I drive it.

Drive as many as possible, get to a meeting and talk to owners. They will all put a smile on your face (cars, not owners although they probably will too)

[simonas]

Thanks for that .

I used to have fast Japanese cars and I do enjoy acceleration but also loved my Stag which wasnt particularly fast but made me smile because of the noise and nature of the drive. I had an old mk 1 MX5 which people took the mick out but I had so much fun in that as it was light and anlogue feeling

I really cannot wait to get one I wouldnt want to turbo or supercharge it I just want it to sound great give me no jip and for the sun to shine!!

[chris1972]

simonas said:

I just want it to sound great give me no jip and for the sun to shine!!

The first one is a given. The last two... no guarantees!

[Malcster]

I really do have to agree here, if speed and acceleration is what you are after, you are looking at the wrong car.

Even a 500 in tip top shape will be left for dead by a mildly tuned, sub £5k Impreza/Evo/RX-7 etc.

The Chimaera is so much more than that.