20 years ago today.....
Discussion
So 20 years ago, back on the 30th October 1995, somebody drove my Chimaera 4.0 out of the showroom as a brand new car.
20 years later, and on 90k miles its going as good as ever. Only 2 previous owners, and I have had it for 14 of those 20 years.
Just treated it to some small upgrades along the lines of new carpets, Nitrons, bigger brakes, outriggers done so its ready for another 20 years. If the first owner of N358MHG is on here, your old Chimaera is in rude health, albeit it on a different private plate for the last 14 years. These cars really get under your skin!
20 years later, and on 90k miles its going as good as ever. Only 2 previous owners, and I have had it for 14 of those 20 years.
Just treated it to some small upgrades along the lines of new carpets, Nitrons, bigger brakes, outriggers done so its ready for another 20 years. If the first owner of N358MHG is on here, your old Chimaera is in rude health, albeit it on a different private plate for the last 14 years. These cars really get under your skin!
Many happy returns to your chim 
Mine is a similar story, mine entered the world on 3rd March 1995, I bought it with my brother at 4 yrs old (neither of us could afford a whole one), sold him my half after 3 yrs and bought the whole car back after 5 yrs, just coming up to 100k and still going strong but is a little tired around the edges but still looks great from a distance ..
Mine is a similar story, mine entered the world on 3rd March 1995, I bought it with my brother at 4 yrs old (neither of us could afford a whole one), sold him my half after 3 yrs and bought the whole car back after 5 yrs, just coming up to 100k and still going strong but is a little tired around the edges but still looks great from a distance ..
grand-one said:
So 20 years ago, back on the 30th October 1995, somebody drove my Chimaera 4.0 out of the showroom as a brand new car.
20 years later, and on 90k miles its going as good as ever. Only 2 previous owners, and I have had it for 14 of those 20 years.
Just treated it to some small upgrades along the lines of new carpets, Nitrons, bigger brakes, outriggers done so its ready for another 20 years. If the first owner of N358MHG is on here, your old Chimaera is in rude health, albeit it on a different private plate for the last 14 years. These cars really get under your skin!
20 years later, and on 90k miles its going as good as ever. Only 2 previous owners, and I have had it for 14 of those 20 years.
Just treated it to some small upgrades along the lines of new carpets, Nitrons, bigger brakes, outriggers done so its ready for another 20 years. If the first owner of N358MHG is on here, your old Chimaera is in rude health, albeit it on a different private plate for the last 14 years. These cars really get under your skin!
2OOM said:
Many happy returns to your chim
Mine is a similar story, mine entered the world on 3rd March 1995, I bought it with my brother at 4 yrs old (neither of us could afford a whole one), sold him my half after 3 yrs and bought the whole car back after 5 yrs, just coming up to 100k and still going strong but is a little tired around the edges but still looks great from a distance ..
Excellent stuff chaps, two examples of how well these cars can last Mine is a similar story, mine entered the world on 3rd March 1995, I bought it with my brother at 4 yrs old (neither of us could afford a whole one), sold him my half after 3 yrs and bought the whole car back after 5 yrs, just coming up to 100k and still going strong but is a little tired around the edges but still looks great from a distance ..
Chimaeras have a poor reputation for chassis corrosion but I think it can be overstated, lets face it needing some outriggers after 20 years and 90,000 miles of use is excellent durability in the automotive world.
Take a look at any 20 year old monocoque car with similar miles on it and you'll soon see what corrosion is all about. Now compare the complexity and cost involved in properly restoring that 20 year old monocoque car, with lifting the body of a Chimaera and replacing a few tubes.
You'll soon appreciate how the separate chassis TVR makes life so much easier and cheaper.
My mate is into a very expensive restoration of his Porsche 912 right now, ok so it's an older car but it's had years of patch welding that probably started just 10 years after the car was first built. When I showed my mate I could buy a complete new made chassis from RT Racing for £3k including the VAT he was shocked.
Having the much better earlier silver/grey chassis finish certainly helps us pre 1997 Chimaera owners go the distance, a coat of etch primer pre coating and more top coat curing heat was the secret.
My Chim is a very late 1996 part face lift car so one of the very last cars to get the silver/grey finish avoiding the dreaded flakey white powder coat by the skin of it's teeth. Careful inspection shows I've got a good few more years left before the body has to be lifted and some new tubes welded in.
I think it'll be her 21st birthday present, or maybe her 25th?
By then I'll really have no problem spending few grand to give the car another 20-30 years of life
Great post chaps, lets have more like this to show people what an undervalued and practical classic car the Chimaera is
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