Are there any other Chimaera's out there running well?

[BabyDriver]

I think if I had read the contributions to the forum before buying my TVR Chimaera I would have been scared off. There seem to be so many potential problems with these cars. They always seem to be breaking down or having one problem or another. I understand the forum is an invaluable place for help and guidance between members so I realise that problems will be highlighted here; but but but is anybody's Chimaera running well without problems?

I'm glad to say I have done 2,500 trouble free miles since buying mine in April.

[CHIMV8]

BabyDriver said:

I think if I had read the contributions to the forum before buying my TVR Chimaera I would have been scared off. There seem to be so many potential problems with these cars. They always seem to be breaking down or having one problem or another. I understand the forum is an invaluable place for help and guidance between members so I realise that problems will be highlighted here; but but but is anybody's Chimaera running well without problems?

I'm glad to say I have done 2,500 trouble free miles since buying mine in April.

Yes thanks;)

[madmarsie]

That unfortunately is the downside to any forum. People only post when they have a query or problem, so they look like they are plagued with faults . But for every person that posts a fault there are probably hundreds with no faults

I had a similar conversation with a fellow land rover owner recently who was scared off by forums
Paul

p.s my Chimaera is running spot on

[Adrian@]

PH is a slice of a fraction of TVR ownership and as such should be taken a viewpoint but nothing more...I have owned 78 TVR's and only broken down three times, once in 1980 (voltage stabaliser reading a temp gauge in correctly so stopped to ensure that the engine was not damaged)BUT drove it and once it was looked at! last week (electronic ignition failed after car had been at the trimmers for a year AND done nigh on zero miles in 10 years!!!) both my current V8 cars have been faultless.
Adrian@

[jojackson4]

No probs here

[ray von]

Put my tin hat on, but dare I say it's the cars that are modified that have the most running problems?

[jamienshelly]

As said above people post on here for information on 'issues' from large to tiny. Most of the banter is to be had on the General TVR forum. Its a bit like walking into a morgue and saying "There is a lot of dead people here!".
the thing is, the newness has worn off our cars, and things can and will go wrong whether it be large or small and the knowledge base on here is so vast it would be a crying shame not to make use of it.
There are a great many TVR's running perfectly and many of the posts are for preventative maintenance or upgrade info.
I am really pleased yours is running perfectly and I hope you have many more trouble free miles .
Enjoy the car and don't get caught up in the 'reliability' net
Jamie

[jimbo1812]

i use mine as a daily drive and have just put her in for a 6K services and no mayor issues found.
Also just done a 1,200 mile trip around the dutch lakes with no issues.

[phazed]

Adrian@ said:

I have owned 78 TVR's
Adrian@

[Mikeoupe]

Been one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned, all I've had to do in 4 years (with regular use) is change the starter motor. Runs like a dream, everything works, brilliant car!

[BabyDriver]

Ah it's good to hear that there is trouble free TVR motoring to be had. My Chimaera is completely standard and I will keep it that way. It's just right for me as it is, apart from the heavy roof which I've dealt with on another thead. t

[TVRJAS]

I have been in ownership of my 97 Chimaera for 12 months covering 7,350 miles and have loved driving everyone of those miles.

No breakdowns in this period...Had One occasion where I was asking nicely please start,not now please start(And it did) which was due to my battery being 9 yrs old. Replaced with a new one which now gives the car a new lease of life on start up. Manifold gaskets were my other costly outlay but I could still drive the car and just down to age and maintenance.

It had a M.O.T on Tuesday and passed with One advisory of a rear tyre that needs replacing soon. Also had a written valuation for insurance purpose by a TVR specialist and it's more than I paid last year buying from a specialist.

So to confirm... I TVRJAS am a very happy Chimaera owner

[QBee]

ray von said:

Put my tin hat on, but dare I say it's the cars that are modified that have the most running problems?

Mine has been no less reliable since being modified in April last year.
Only issues could have happened on any 15 year old car - knackered battery, knackered immobiliser and broken caliper bolt.
I have done 14,000 miles in 14 months, including about 12 track or sprint days. TVRs are great and very reliable so long as you use them regularly.

[QBee]

Apart from some starting and running issues, generally when the cars have been left undriven for a period, perhaps the main issues on the forum are people converting to forced induction themselves, and asking advice to complete the set up.

Good for them for taking their cars to that stage - its a challenge and can be very rewarding. The cars were never designed for FI, so any prospective owner should just discount these issues. The normally aspirated car is, IMHO, generally very reliable.

[Adrian@]

My 4 litre only has a... TVR power engine and Mark Adams Tornado...and oh yes, NOS....seems to run OK though.
LOL
Adrian@

[Chuffmeister]

There's a lot of tinkering, restoring and modding that goes on here. You compare this to the 'daily diesel' type forums, then it will appear this way. Most modern cars will end up at a indie garage or main dealer. The issues or mishaps with them would less frequently appear on a forum as they would be sorted by the garage or under warranty. A lot of TVR issues are sorted out by enthusiastic owners, hence the posts. Some do take their cars to specialists, but expect to pay a specialist premium and sometimes a wait. It's unlikely that those whom visit a specialist will post as often with mechanical issues, same as a lot of other forums. However, visit modern day car forums and you'll see no end of DMF, AGR, MAF, cat, electrical and injector issues, that usually cost more in diagnostics.

Do go into it with your eyes open though. They're modern classics and do have known issues. You'll need a budget to run one. Either pay a premium for a well sorted model with a 2/3 year warranty, from somewhere like Fernhurst, or get stuck in and sort the issues yourself.

There is tons of help and experience on here, plus a bloody good bunch of people.

Remember... Eyes open!!! If I was to do it again, I would get one with a restored chassis and then do the rest. I bloody hate scraping and painting!

[ph1l5]

Im in the 100+ club and have enjoyed the miles. I think the more you drive them the better they get.

[Johnniem]

Sorry OP but you are a victim of decades of ruthless muck spreading by those who don't own a TVR (and never will, thank goodness!). If you drive a Chim or Griff what you have experienced is quite normal. These cars have bombproof engines SO LONG AS THEY ARE DRIVEN OFTEN!! Most troubles start with underuse. I had my chim from 2007 until last November and I had no major problems at all. In fact the only issue to stop
me driving was loss of an oil sump plug and that was fixed in minutes once the part had arrived. I bought her with 55k on the clock and sold her with 93k to a lucky chap local to me. I would hazard a guess that he has continued with the trouble free motoring that most Chim owners experience. The other poster was right, there are but a few people who some on PH and say how wonderful things are in their TVRs but, thankfully, there are more in the TVR sections than any other marque. Keep smiling fella, it's normal to do this in a TVR.

[simonej]

Five years with my Chimaera and it's had to stand in as my 'daily' on many occasions now when the other has failed or been sold.

My brother wrote my Rover off last month so I was left with taking my Chim to work and leaving it in a dusty, mucky car park for 4 weeks whilst I left the country. When I got back on Wedneaday I was fully expecting to call out the RAC to get it going, but no, as usual it started first crank! Even the brake discs hadn't rusted over like all my other cars have done!

Don't get me wrong, it's had its niggles over the years and there's always something that could do with attention (like now the oil pressure sender seems to be playing up and a diff bush sounds like it needs replacing) but it's never anything catastrophic and is usually something I can fix myself in my own time.

Great cars and if only they were a bit safer in a crash I'd use it as my only car. No fun in the winter, though.

[wuckfitracing]

So all cars are over 240 BHP and some cars are now over 20 years old.
They get my vote.