"Potential" New Owner

[Trevor Lover 66]

Hi All,
Am looking to get back into TVR ownership for the first time since about 1998ish. I have decided on a Chimaera (there's quite a few to choose from and prices seem quite steady at the moment) and I was set on a 450 or 500 depending on condition etc. However, there are quite a few very good 400's about too - some of which have had "enhancements" such as supercharge or turbo installed.

Now my question is this - if said car (400) has had a professional upgrade by a very reputable specialist firm and not only added turbo or SC (for example) but upgraded all relevant parts - ECU, brakes, clutch, cooling etc - and because the engine is more highly tuned (or stressed) should that give me more course for concern in terms of any additional maintenance, extra stress on the engine, increased servicing costs over any standard car - in other words are the chances of something breaking on it higher - purely based on your experiences - or are the risks negligible because the job was done to a high standard and the RV8 is so robust ?

Thanks for any insight, thought or advice you can give.

[Belle427]

No real issue if things are done properly and it's been looked after.
If it were an S/C or Turbo conversion personally I'd want to see it on an aftermarket management system, some will cut corners here due to the costs involved.

Edited by Belle427 on Thursday 26th August 16:54

[Trevor Lover 66]

Belle - many thanks for the comment - and yes the one I have my eye on is most certainly on an aftermarket system.

[Trevor Lover 66]

I meant to add that it's a pre-Serp too - although am not sure that matters given the quality of the upgrade ?

[QBee]

My car is turbocharged to 395 bhp max, and the only thing that caused any real issues was cooling at higher boost levels on track days.
But then my car only suffered these issues on track days, where I am on full throttle or full brakes for 15-20 minutes at a time.
I never had any issues at all on the public road.

If the car is boosted above 400 bhp you might want to consider stronger engine internals. It's perfectly possible to get over 500 bhp out of these engines, but at this level you are looking at strengthening engine and clutch, and drive shafts if you like drag racing, beyond standard.

With all these power mods better brakes are the most important thing - the standard ones are not the best.

[Trevor Lover 66]

Great advice QBee - thank you. But crikey - I bet that thing shifts with that kind of power to weight ratio......terrifying....or exhilarating.....

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Even the newest ones are knocking on the door of 20 years old. Condition, reliability etc will depend on the individual car & will have an element of luck of the draw about it.

[Trevor Lover 66]

Indeed Smokin Barrels - wise words.....

[Belle427]

This has been crying out for a new owner for almost a year now.
Looks to be on standard management though.

http://www.hhcsportscars.co.uk/car/supercharged-sp...

[Trevor Lover 66]

Yeah I did see this one Belle - I love the paint job but wasn't sure if the car was stuck with some kind of targa arrangement owing to the "hard-top" - I couldn't work out whether the roof would go all the way down or if the hard-top came away in its entirety (like on the MX5) . But as you rightly say could be standard management system.

[QBee]

I can answer that , as I have that hard top on my car.
It is in two parts, the targa panel, which is similar to the standard one but lighter weight, and the rear section.
Both parts go in the boot if needed, the rear section first, the targa panel after. You can then add soft luggage under the rear section, but certainly not a boot full.
I tend to decide whether I want to go completely topless (ooh Matron!) or just without the targa panel before I set off.
If the former and I am not going too far, I just leave the whole lot at home.
More often I remove the targa panel and put it in the boot in its bag - the bag is essential to protect the panel's paintwork.
The rear section helps reduce the buffeting from the wind.

The hardtops cost £1500 ish plus painting, buy the way.

Photos if you are interested:

[QBee]

Just to add, mine is an early hardtop.
The newer design, as on the orange car, has the rear 3/4 window and is nicer in my opinion.
All designed and made by Steve Edwards at worldwidewardrobe.steve-edwards.com in Huddersfield, which is somewhere in't frozen north to most TVR owners

[Trevor Lover 66]

Stunning Qbee, really gorgeous car that - and good information. I think i'd be interested in that Orange Chim if the price were a bit lower. I take it it's a lot more water resistant than the conventional roof too ?
You got Cerbera seats in there ? - where did you source them from and at what cost if you don't mind me asking ?

[Trevor Lover 66]

Re the Orange 400 - not sure about those MX5 seats and nothing about a clutch upgrade either. You would expect that wouldn't you unless the performance enhancement isn't that great....?

[spitfire4v8]

FWIW I think the orange one at HHC looks the dogs bits .. and those hard tops look fabulous.

[bobfather]

Trevor Lover 66 said:

Hi All,
Am looking to get back into TVR ownership.

What region are you from??

[Riff Raff]

Trevor Lover 66 said:

Re the Orange 400 - not sure about those MX5 seats and nothing about a clutch upgrade either. You would expect that wouldn't you unless the performance enhancement isn't that great....?

The ad doesn't say anything about the chassis either. As 2sb said in his post, the condition of that is important.

The other thing that crosses my mind looking at the cars you have been thinking about is that it's all very well being impressed by big horsepower numbers, but none of the ads say what was done to the engine before the turbo kits were bolted on. A big horsepower turbo bolted on to a tired engine might not last very long. I had my standard 44,000 mile 4 litre rebuilt last year, and the cost of that was about 9k. OK, I had top hat liners fitted which added to the bill (bigly), and they weren't absolutely necessary, but at least I can be pretty sure the engine will outlast me.

[Trevor Lover 66]

Very good point Riff Raff - about engine condition before any upgrade !

[Trevor Lover 66]

Hey Bobfather - am in Kent

[bobfather]

Trevor Lover 66 said:

Hey Bobfather - am in Kent

I thought you were northern England as folk were discussing HHC cars. No matter