New owner with some questions

[combine04]

Hi folks,

Agreed a deal on a 400 Chimaera today, after a long few years of wishing...

A few questions that I'd be grateful of some insight on;

- Clive F or ACT Y piece - any opinions on which as I have options on both. Noted the Clive F item comes with a resistor to dial in, believe to help running (too rich?)? Forget looks - solely interested in function

- a rolling road printout with history notes 180bhp. Is the claim of 240 from a 4l just manufacturer pub chat? Anything I can do to help this? I have the ACT induction kit planned as well as the above Y piece.

- finally, a bit of a broad comment - what's the best thing you did to your Chim in the first year of ownership? Modification, preventative maintenance, trips?!

Looking forward to learning and the TVR experience... hoping my first year is better in my Chim than a buddy in his Cerb, which saw £13k in chassis work!

JD

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Enjoy it is the most important thing!

Pop up some pics so we can enjoy.

When the dash lights don't work check your left knee

[Belle427]

Don’t think there is much to choose between the two, both are good quality.
I had the switchable resistor Supplied when I bought my car, I think it’s supplied so you could experiment between the white and green maps to see which runs best.
I’m sure I’ve since read that this isn’t possible though as the green tune would revert to standard Range Rover?
Perhaps someone can correct me.
The best mods you can do are to carry out the small jobs that will make a difference to the overall running such as ditching the plug extenders, fitting bpr6es spark plus and adding a decent set of ht leads.
Checking your rubber fuel lines is priority too.
240 Bhp was marketing bull, I would expect to see closer to 200.

[latham91]

180 bhp suggests room for improvement. When I first got mine I put it in the rolling road at the Neil garner open day and it only made 168bhp. A year later at the same event having changed just about every serviceable item it made 232bhp. They do seem to respond well to new air/fuel filters, plugs, coil, amp etc etc if the previous servicing was poor or nonexistent in my case!

[swisstoni]

My standard 400HC made a 219bhp at the wheels on a rolling road if I recall. I believe TVR rated them at 275bhp. Presumably at the flywheel. I must have had a really draggy transmission.

I would make sure the car was absolutely spot on mechanically before chasing performance. That’s going to mean boring old chassis and brakes.

[PhilF329]

Other than drive and enjoy it, the best things I did were fitting new headlight reflectors / bulbs and a suspension geometry set up. Great cars so hope you enjoy it

[combine04]

Thanks folks. This is the car;

https://www.hpcclassics.co.uk/product-page/1999-tv...

Very pleased with the service from Miles. Highly recommended.

Good to know re upkeep to help the engine - makes perfect sense.

I’m having a few bits done including act coolant and fuel lines, 100A fuse and holder, outriggers are solid but need a brush and paint to give them some protection. Car has a new coil and ceramic leads 👍

Planned is the above y piece plus act induction bits and as has been said, to just enjoy it!

[combine04]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Enjoy it is the most important thing!

Pop up some pics so we can enjoy.

When the dash lights don't work check your left knee

Now doesn’t this sound just like a Tvr! Do elaborate?!

[5.0ltr]

combine04 said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Enjoy it is the most important thing!

Pop up some pics so we can enjoy.

When the dash lights don't work check your left knee

Now doesn’t this sound just like a Tvr! Do elaborate?!

Dash light switch is above left knee, well on a Griff it is. Caught easily.

[Belle427]

Looks a lovely car, mentions it has a sports exhaust upgrade but is this just sales speak or is it sleeved etc?

[Zeb74]

Belle427 said:

Looks a lovely car, mentions it has a sports exhaust upgrade but is this just sales speak or is it sleeved etc?

Or it seems to have a weld bead on the manifold so maybe the pre-cat has been removed.

Else nice color, not a great fan of red cars, but the crimson red I like it.
This car seems to have been well maintained, it seems a good value for the price.

Edited by Zeb74 on Wednesday 7th October 07:46

[Classic Chim]

combine04 said:

Thanks folks. This is the car;

https://www.hpcclassics.co.uk/product-page/1999-tv...

Very pleased with the service from Miles. Highly recommended.

Good to know re upkeep to help the engine - makes perfect sense.

I’m having a few bits done including act coolant and fuel lines, 100A fuse and holder, outriggers are solid but need a brush and paint to give them some protection. Car has a new coil and ceramic leads ??

Planned is the above y piece plus act induction bits and as has been said, to just enjoy it!

Add up the cost of said bits including Y piece especially if someone else is installing them and then look at something like a new ecu install aka Joolz Emerald installation. That might find just as much power but more spread out before you buy those bits which will add to the power but a decent ecu would get the best out of them. It’s a long term solution to a few known issues too so you hit lots of birds with one stone.
It’s the best single thing you can do to any old car really, it’s not strictly necessary though but well worth thinking about if your thinking of clawing more power/ reliability out of the car. Before spending a penny drive it about a lot Get it checked over with a keen eyed Tvr man, get the truth, then start working out what you need to spend where but I must say that looks a lovely car, Reds a great colour, welcome to the thrill seeking madhouse of the TVR world.

[combine04]

5.0ltr said:

Dash light switch is above left knee, well on a Griff it is. Caught easily.

Ah ha, that's good to know, thank you!

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

combine04 said:

5.0ltr said:

Dash light switch is above left knee, well on a Griff it is. Caught easily.

Ah ha, that's good to know, thank you!

And everybody does it some time

[Zeb74]

My brother has done a body-off restoration of my Chimaera, changing the outriggers, renewing the engine, all bushes... and the brake and clutch sender/receiver.
I think that doing this last operation, with the limited access (despite having removed the steering column), he has touched this button.
When he was mounting everything back, he realized that the dash was dark. He spent time to check the electrical feeds and finally discovered the switch.
I've not thought to mention it before and I wasn't working with him when it happened.
By the way, someone knows why they have implemented such a feature? If at least the speedometer was remaining, I would have imagine a dark panel feature like on Saab, but here, I don't understand the goal.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Zeb74 said:

My brother has done a body-off restoration of my Chimaera, changing the outriggers, renewing the engine, all bushes... and the brake and clutch sender/receiver.
I think that doing this last operation, with the limited access (despite having removed the steering column), he has touched this button.
When he was mounting everything back, he realized that the dash was dark. He spent time to check the electrical feeds and finally discovered the switch.
I've not thought to mention it before and I wasn't working with him when it happened.
By the way, someone knows why they have implemented such a feature? If at least the speedometer was remaining, I would have imagine a dark panel feature like on Saab, but here, I don't understand the goal.

It's supposed to aid night vision.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

...useful when the headlamps are so rubbish

[Zeb74]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

It's supposed to aid night vision.

Not the night vision of the dials for sure ;-)
I would rather have a rheostat instead.

[FoxTVR430]

The only use I could think of was if you are going to use the "parking (side) lights" but did not want the dash lights on as well.

[combine04]

Classic Chim said:

Add up the cost of said bits including Y piece especially if someone else is installing them and then look at something like a new ecu install aka Joolz Emerald installation. That might find just as much power but more spread out before you buy those bits which will add to the power but a decent ecu would get the best out of them. It’s a long term solution to a few known issues too so you hit lots of birds with one stone.
It’s the best single thing you can do to any old car really, it’s not strictly necessary though but well worth thinking about if your thinking of clawing more power/ reliability out of the car. Before spending a penny drive it about a lot Get it checked over with a keen eyed Tvr man, get the truth, then start working out what you need to spend where but I must say that looks a lovely car, Reds a great colour, welcome to the thrill seeking madhouse of the TVR world.

Great advice and know Joolz reputation very well (friend has an extremely punchy Cerbera that's been seen to by the man in the know). Emerald also a known entity to me from the car I'm moving away from and is definitely interesting.

Lucky to have a good buddy who has a 450 and really is hands on (I'm not so much but learning). He really enthused about it, so a good start!

Yes, red hasn't ever been my thing but seem to just keep finding the best kept examples of the car I want in this colour. Ideally it'd be a bright blue with cream or BRG with biscuit... however, this car just sang!