Viewing a Chimaera Tomorrow, Unused For 10 Years.
Discussion
New to the Forum, please be gentle with me.
I'm a BMW guy at heart, had more e30's than I can count, currently own an e21, e30, e39 M5, and a few more. Completed a few restorations in my time, my e21 323i is a full nut and bolt resto.
A friend of mine has owned a Chimera 400 for a very long time, probably 25 years but life changed and it has been dry stored for the last 10 years. There was nothing wrong with it when laid up, just got put away and never touched. He's realised he will probably never do anything with the car and has decided to part with it. I've never seen the car, don't think it's done a lot of miles, black, unmodified, that's about all I know.
I've previously recommissioned cars that have sat for longer than 10 years so that part doesn't concern me so much, I'm not even going to try and start it. It's more the things that are TVR specific that I need to look at? I've heard a lot about the outriggers and seen plenty of pics on the internet but would be good to understand which parts of the main chassis need looking at and what other TVR issues I'm likely to uncover?
Any helpful information gratefully received!
I'm a BMW guy at heart, had more e30's than I can count, currently own an e21, e30, e39 M5, and a few more. Completed a few restorations in my time, my e21 323i is a full nut and bolt resto.
A friend of mine has owned a Chimera 400 for a very long time, probably 25 years but life changed and it has been dry stored for the last 10 years. There was nothing wrong with it when laid up, just got put away and never touched. He's realised he will probably never do anything with the car and has decided to part with it. I've never seen the car, don't think it's done a lot of miles, black, unmodified, that's about all I know.
I've previously recommissioned cars that have sat for longer than 10 years so that part doesn't concern me so much, I'm not even going to try and start it. It's more the things that are TVR specific that I need to look at? I've heard a lot about the outriggers and seen plenty of pics on the internet but would be good to understand which parts of the main chassis need looking at and what other TVR issues I'm likely to uncover?
Any helpful information gratefully received!
Outriggers tend to go first due to location, they can start to rot where you cant see it on top.
The rest of the chassis is pretty good but will show signs of surface rust around the welds, powder coat can also be affected in the engine bay due to close proximity of the exhausts, so worth looking here.
You may be lucky if its been dry stored, you wont know until you have a good inspection.
Dont attempt to fire it until you have replaced the rubber fuel hoses and only use high quality ethanol resistant stuff from a reputable supplier, much the same for any recommission work really.
If you have the skills they are not difficult to work on and there is endless help here.
The rest of the chassis is pretty good but will show signs of surface rust around the welds, powder coat can also be affected in the engine bay due to close proximity of the exhausts, so worth looking here.
You may be lucky if its been dry stored, you wont know until you have a good inspection.
Dont attempt to fire it until you have replaced the rubber fuel hoses and only use high quality ethanol resistant stuff from a reputable supplier, much the same for any recommission work really.
If you have the skills they are not difficult to work on and there is endless help here.
I recently recommissioned an e30 that had sat unused since 2002, had to go through and replace every piece of rubber in the fuel system plus the tank and a few other bits. I’ve learnt you don’t even try and start it until all that’s been done.
Outriggers I’’m sort of expecting to have to be done, if they don’t I regard that as a bonus!
Outriggers I’’m sort of expecting to have to be done, if they don’t I regard that as a bonus!
What’s the mileage on your friends Tvr.
The only way to know if riggers are intact would be to lift the body as the road crud gets trapped along the top of the tubes and rusts there. The underside can look fine but the topside of those tubes a very different matter.
Turn steering onto full lock and use a torch through wheel arch as necessary to check top chassis tubes under exhaust manifolds on both sides where heat destroys the powder coat.
That requires a full body off and strip down to repair. If it’s just surface rust they are usually intact enough to re coat but again requires body off to do a proper job IMO.
The only way to know if riggers are intact would be to lift the body as the road crud gets trapped along the top of the tubes and rusts there. The underside can look fine but the topside of those tubes a very different matter.
Turn steering onto full lock and use a torch through wheel arch as necessary to check top chassis tubes under exhaust manifolds on both sides where heat destroys the powder coat.
That requires a full body off and strip down to repair. If it’s just surface rust they are usually intact enough to re coat but again requires body off to do a proper job IMO.
Think it’s done about 53k miles, been stored in a dry garage since 2010.
Whilst the car is unlikely to be expensive, factoring in recovery, outriggers at £2400 with vat plus everything else I just need to make sure I don’t end up with a car that cost more to rebuild than buying a better car in the first place.
I’ve seen the body removed from the chassis using a 2 post lift, but I’m not paying someone else to do it and won’t have the luxury of a lift.
Whilst the car is unlikely to be expensive, factoring in recovery, outriggers at £2400 with vat plus everything else I just need to make sure I don’t end up with a car that cost more to rebuild than buying a better car in the first place.
I’ve seen the body removed from the chassis using a 2 post lift, but I’m not paying someone else to do it and won’t have the luxury of a lift.
You don't need a lift to raise the body.
People have found many different ways of doing it.
The easiest way is to raise the whole car, support the body and then lower the chassis from it. You can use an engine hoist at each end, or similar (or even axle stands and jacks and lots of 2X4). Plenty of people of devised their own unique solutions to fit their own space and facilities.
People have found many different ways of doing it.
The easiest way is to raise the whole car, support the body and then lower the chassis from it. You can use an engine hoist at each end, or similar (or even axle stands and jacks and lots of 2X4). Plenty of people of devised their own unique solutions to fit their own space and facilities.
A body lift, riggers replaced and any other areas dressed up after shot blasting can cost as little as 3k - 5k doing it at home if your replacing oils and filters pipes and fuel lines/ track rod gators etc etc but it’s not the work of a moment.. more like 3 months if your knees are getting on a bit 
But that will result in a car with a completely re coated chassis and another 15-25 years life.
So it’s really down to how good the rest is.
Engine/ box/ Dif. That will be difficult to assess on a car that’s been parked many years but at 53,000 with a careful owner you should be ok.
Painting a Tvr will cost 3 but more like 5k for a class finish by someone who knows how to do it so that matters…
No question you can buy examples with all of this work completed for 20k or even less.
I’d invest in a small camera that can look at out rigger tubes if your friends car is as good as it sounds.
It could be a cracker so just go warned basically.
50,000 miles is usually when cams will be worn for example. Not always but very often a flat lobe or two will be loosing power at this point.
Was the car wax oiled at any time and when. If it’s been protected for many years there is a chance the riggers are intact as your friend has owned it so many years with a decent resto it’s got to be a valued car surely. Good luck.
A few pictures would help the experienced people on here give you a gut feeling about the car. Outriggers and interior and general body condition. Does it have many stone chips on the front of the car. Has the windscreen started delaminating around the base near the doors….
This will all add cost to restore so look carefully. What’s the seat runners look like. Are they rusty as hell?
Important facts worth taking note off on first inspection.
The rest can be fixed fairly easy
They are fantastic cars that are unique almost.
Well worth it.
.
But that will result in a car with a completely re coated chassis and another 15-25 years life.
So it’s really down to how good the rest is.
Engine/ box/ Dif. That will be difficult to assess on a car that’s been parked many years but at 53,000 with a careful owner you should be ok.
Painting a Tvr will cost 3 but more like 5k for a class finish by someone who knows how to do it so that matters…
No question you can buy examples with all of this work completed for 20k or even less.
I’d invest in a small camera that can look at out rigger tubes if your friends car is as good as it sounds.
It could be a cracker so just go warned basically.
50,000 miles is usually when cams will be worn for example. Not always but very often a flat lobe or two will be loosing power at this point.
Was the car wax oiled at any time and when. If it’s been protected for many years there is a chance the riggers are intact as your friend has owned it so many years with a decent resto it’s got to be a valued car surely. Good luck.
A few pictures would help the experienced people on here give you a gut feeling about the car. Outriggers and interior and general body condition. Does it have many stone chips on the front of the car. Has the windscreen started delaminating around the base near the doors….
This will all add cost to restore so look carefully. What’s the seat runners look like. Are they rusty as hell?
Important facts worth taking note off on first inspection.
The rest can be fixed fairly easy
They are fantastic cars that are unique almost.
Well worth it.
.
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 5th October 19:36
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfokIQ_fMTx-A6w...
Episode 2 if you want to see how to get the body off with little equipment and no skill
Episode 2 if you want to see how to get the body off with little equipment and no skill
My friend hasn’t really looked at the car since it was parked up, but he did say that last time it went to a garage they cleaned off the chassis and waxoyled it. No idea how well it was done or what state the chassis was in at the time. I’m probably viewing tomorrow afternoon so will know more afterwards.
Costs of repairs don’t look horrendous. I have a habit of selling the right car at the wrong time, like the e30 I sold in 2008 for about 10% of its current value.
Costs of repairs don’t look horrendous. I have a habit of selling the right car at the wrong time, like the e30 I sold in 2008 for about 10% of its current value.
s p a c e m a n said:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfokIQ_fMTx-A6w...
Episode 2 if you want to see how to get the body off with little equipment and no skill
Episode 2 if you want to see how to get the body off with little equipment and no skill
f
k that It would only take one post on here to discover the manifolds need to come off
It clearly gives you an idea of what is involved.
The rolling chassis is actually fairly easy to dis assemble when raised onto axle stands.
The engine and gearbox comes out in less than an hr doing it on your own with a crane and straps for instance.
I left my engine and ancillaries assembled as much as possible to save work later.
Labelling up the wiring harness as you dis connect is vital etc.
There are a few great body off threads with detail explaining the order of dis assembly which helped me hugely.
If your up for a challenge and have a winter free in the garage you can easy come out in spring with a completely new chassis and everything replaced or upgraded to today’s specs
It might be a good idea to visit a Tvr sales centre or a meet so you can try a few out.
I owned mine for years so doing it was a no brainer as I love how they drive and sound but it’s a big job no question.
e21Keith said:
My friend hasn’t really looked at the car since it was parked up, but he did say that last time it went to a garage they cleaned off the chassis and waxoyled it. No idea how well it was done or what state the chassis was in at the time. I’m probably viewing tomorrow afternoon so will know more afterwards.
Costs of repairs don’t look horrendous. I have a habit of selling the right car at the wrong time, like the e30 I sold in 2008 for about 10% of its current value.
You won’t have any worries there. These stay flat so the price today is likely the same price in 5 years time. They don’t historically depreciate which is really the good thing about them. Costs of repairs don’t look horrendous. I have a habit of selling the right car at the wrong time, like the e30 I sold in 2008 for about 10% of its current value.
A top line chassis’ed good looking car is worth 20k and some go for 25k but probably had a lot of care/ updating over the years. That can easily cost 30k to achieve if engines and ecu work are needed.
The best cars are seriously enhanced from the originals in many ways.
One other thing to look at will be things like headlight reflectors. If the chrome has worn away they will need replacing which is not easy to get replacements so many owners look to more modern equivalents and or upgrades to Mk3 spec as in enclosed which requires a fair bit of work but people like Central Tvr can do this for a reasonable price although it can be done at home if your brave and talented enough.
Tvr are a lot of fun to work on if it’s your thing and not overly technical just a bit awkward here and there. Requires very few specialist tools other than engine lifts etc so costs are as minimal as it gets if you have facilities.
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 5th October 20:35
Never driven or even been in a TVR, love the looks and the sound. Non PAS steering would be a problem for me as I have injuries to both shoulders, just won’t be able to drive a TVR without a pas conversion, I can hear the purists tutting already!
Wouldn’t be the first time I’d bought a car which ticked all the boxes just to find I didn’t like it, but the TVR is a V8 with decent performance, convertible etc. But it’s also a project and I enjoy projects sometimes more than the ownership and driving.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow?
Wouldn’t be the first time I’d bought a car which ticked all the boxes just to find I didn’t like it, but the TVR is a V8 with decent performance, convertible etc. But it’s also a project and I enjoy projects sometimes more than the ownership and driving.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow?
e21Keith said:
My friend hasn’t really looked at the car since it was parked up, but he did say that last time it went to a garage they cleaned off the chassis and waxoyled it. No idea how well it was done or what state the chassis was in at the time. I’m probably viewing tomorrow afternoon so will know more afterwards.
Costs of repairs don’t look horrendous. I have a habit of selling the right car at the wrong time, like the e30 I sold in 2008 for about 10% of its current value.
Take a look inside the power steering reservoir as soon as you can. Costs of repairs don’t look horrendous. I have a habit of selling the right car at the wrong time, like the e30 I sold in 2008 for about 10% of its current value.
If it’s PS the racks are now rare so if it’s degraded or failing requires replacing with something like a Suburu rack which is again more work and cost. Sadly leaving the car 10 years can cause more harm than it’s worth so that’s one thing I’d look to see how the fluid has faired.
The Tvr racks can be repaired but if it’s worn no spare parts are available.
Theoretically the rack was fine when car got parked so if the fluid has survived so should the seals in the rack.
I bet the car just requires new fluids and lines and a bit of petrol to fire it up but until you can run it up you better check the fluid condition in each system to be sure.
Dry stored it should be ok other than the chassis rot that might have occurred before that date.
e21Keith said:
Never driven or even been in a TVR, love the looks and the sound. Non PAS steering would be a problem for me as I have injuries to both shoulders, just won’t be able to drive a TVR without a pas conversion, I can hear the purists tutting already!
Wouldn’t be the first time I’d bought a car which ticked all the boxes just to find I didn’t like it, but the TVR is a V8 with decent performance, convertible etc. But it’s also a project and I enjoy projects sometimes more than the ownership and driving.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow?
Well there are lots of us on here who enjoy tinkering just as much as driving but driving a good one is very rewarding so well worth doing a good job so to speak. Wouldn’t be the first time I’d bought a car which ticked all the boxes just to find I didn’t like it, but the TVR is a V8 with decent performance, convertible etc. But it’s also a project and I enjoy projects sometimes more than the ownership and driving.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow?
I reckon you’d love doing it.
We have some wonderfully talented knowledgable chaps on here who have done all this work time and time again.
If you ask nicely almost all your questions re body off resto or whatever will be answered giving clear instruction.
I did mine with help on here and advice that served to be invaluable.
Infact without it I would have struggled so the time and aggro this advise saves is priceless.
The body off video above would have been 5 mins long if they had taken the manifolds off or removed engine and box first.
Taking the manifolds off is possibly one of the most time consuming things you will ever do so allow 2 hrs for each side and if you do in less you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment
Take some pictures then have a long think/ look at old posts on here if your serious about it.
Then look at some cars with this work done and consider what that costs most owners to achieve.
If you can do it at home and can weld or have a mate who can,, a time served welder is all I’d consider then you can do the lot for 2.5k as long as wishbones are intact enough to take shot blasting and chassis only requires riggers.
I don’t see much point in doing riggers if the rest of the chassis is scabby. It won’t help resale as much as blasting the chassis clean and re costing the lot. Mine has been done with epoxy mastic paint which is incredibly durable if applied to a prepared bare chassis and then maintained.
Budget for new engine mounts and basics like that and you can rebuild one to a high standard at a very reasonable cost.
Mine with as little as possible replaced. Lol
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 5th October 21:18
e21Keith said:
Never driven or even been in a TVR, love the looks and the sound. Non PAS steering would be a problem for me as I have injuries to both shoulders, just won’t be able to drive a TVR without a pas conversion, I can hear the purists tutting already!
Wouldn’t be the first time I’d bought a car which ticked all the boxes just to find I didn’t like it, but the TVR is a V8 with decent performance, convertible etc. But it’s also a project and I enjoy projects sometimes more than the ownership and driving.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow?
PAS is a non issue imho, the car doesn't weigh anything, if it feels heavy then the tyres are knackered and the the steering/suspension needs complete refresh, clutch is heavier than the steering.Wouldn’t be the first time I’d bought a car which ticked all the boxes just to find I didn’t like it, but the TVR is a V8 with decent performance, convertible etc. But it’s also a project and I enjoy projects sometimes more than the ownership and driving.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow?
Mine was parked up for 15 years or so, needed quite a bit sorted to get it through MOT, it now has had a few thousand miles shakedown and it is showing, everything is getting stiff and creaky, I factored a body lift in when buying it earlier this year, it is coming off the road in the next month and the body is coming off before it starts to rattle itself apart.
Classic Chim said:
s p a c e m a n said:
They're good lads, I do need the subtitles on for some of their stuff though
I thought they were Norwegian Yes I agree, I might be wrong but is’nt the silver car in that film being advertised forsale on FB?
Well worth a look if so
Not sure how the crank oil seals hold up over years of non use? You could end up with an oil leak behind the flywheel that would require a engine out to fix but you also might well get away with some engine stop leak added to the oil that softens up and expands hardened rubber components. Time will tell on that one.
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