getting one?

[leemarkadams]

Hello all, am possibly looking at getting a Chimera, but just have a few questions: The car will mostly be used for abit of weekend fun and the occasional track day, with no more than 2500 miles per year. It will also be garaged...

1. What are the running costs like?
2. What does it handle like?
3. Any major faults, apart from the hot-starting issue?

Thanks

Lee

[edtvr]

leemarkadams said:

1. What are the running costs like? Mine Costs about £55 to fill up does about 250 miles per tank, I paid £700ish for full service, with new front brake pads and new rear ARB bushes, 2. What does it handle like? Like sh1t on a blanket, I have never driven anything thats feels so planted. 3. Any major faults, apart from the hot-starting issue I had hot start problem, that's now resigned to history after fitting the "Hot start Mod" There are quite a lot of common niggles, but if I could recommend 1 thing to check, it would be the chassis outriggers for rust.

ED

[gazzab]

That many miles and decent indie = £1K pa ? Could be more , could be less.
Handle 'ok', but not really a track car unless you shove better suspension on. eg nitrons....
Reliability is great unless you happen upon a lemon. Starters can go but in the 2 yrs I had mine (albeit it was a new one!) I had no probs except for battery and starter. Sold it too a guy who had it for 2 yrs and all he had to do was replace the rad.

[the gazman]

Forget the 2.5k miles because you will be looking for excuses to use the car once its in the garage, I'd insure it for a 5k limit.

On running costs, I bought a low mileage example privately and even though it had had a £1200 service and MOT three months previously at a main dealer and a main dealer history, Steve Howard found it needed rear discs and pads,Ball joint, master cylinder,the cam was worn from sitting around dry and the power steering rack was leaking.
My point is that unless you buy from a dealer with some kind of warranty, allow for year one to be the most expensive year because if you go to a good indy they will give you a list of things that will bring the car up to standard and you will get obsessive about having the car perfect if these forums are anything to go by.(and my own experiance)

[pblake]

Ive had my chim for 8 months, It had been used as you proposed for the 3 previous years, this it turns out is not a good way to treat a TVR. After I had put right all the things that had been damaged by lack of use it has been fine. I now use it every day get an average of 24 MPG on its 24 mile round trip to work down some lovley twisty roads at 5am. If youre going to by one get out in it as much as posible, but I wont need to tell you that as once you get it wou will be bitten by the bug and never want to get out.

>> Edited by pblake on Saturday 6th May 08:17

[chlomeara]

The lesson I learned as I am now on Chim 2 is to research the market and buy with your head - not heart. I bought my first Chim through a non specialist dealer trading from his home becasuse he would take my Lotus as PX. I then spent a fortune getting the car into good order and faced continual misfire problems. The current Chim is a total dream but I got Rob Ingelby to source it and I spent as much as I could afford (and then some)... I found that he covered most of his fee with some excellent negotiation. Secondly the car came without the need to spend the sort of money the guys are talking about (and I experienced first time around)

I am insured for 5,000 miles, have another classic and a company car and that is never enough. You will just want to drive it. Mechanically they do not like to be stood in a garage unused....

[leemarkadams]

Thanks for the advice everyone, am hoping to look at some today....

Am torn between a Chim and a Cerb, but know the Cerb is more expensive to buy and to run...

We shall see.

Lee

[gemini]

Two totally different cars

Buy wisely my friend

[bennno]

leemarkadams said:

Thanks for the advice everyone, am hoping to look at some today.... Am torn between a Chim and a Cerb, but know the Cerb is more expensive to buy and to run... We shall see. Lee

Cerb will cost at least twice as much to run if not 3 times as much from my experience.

Bennno

[cic450]

Where are you based, you could come and view mine
www.pistonheads.com/sales/76546.htm

cic.

[Toady1]

leemarkadams said:

Thanks for the advice everyone, am hoping to look at some today.... Am torn between a Chim and a Cerb, but know the Cerb is more expensive to buy and to run... We shall see. Lee

Hi, ive got a cerb, and have been offered a chim plus cash for it, i was tempted as i thought they were cheaper to run than the cerb, but after reading the above posts im not too sure now! Sevicing is roughly the same as quoted above if taken to an indie, and as for fuel, i put 60quid of super in mine and get about 250-300miles to the tank!

[zippee]

Toady1 said:

leemarkadams said: Thanks for the advice everyone, am hoping to look at some today.... Am torn between a Chim and a Cerb, but know the Cerb is more expensive to buy and to run... We shall see. Lee Hi, ive got a cerb, and have been offered a chim plus cash for it, i was tempted as i thought they were cheaper to run than the cerb, but after reading the above posts im not too sure now! Sevicing is roughly the same as quoted above if taken to an indie, and as for fuel, i put 60quid of super in mine and get about 250-300miles to the tank!

You check the running costs of my Chim in my profile and I bet you'll say the Cerb is actually cheaper.

[bennno]

zippee said:

Toady1 said: leemarkadams said: Thanks for the advice everyone, am hoping to look at some today.... Am torn between a Chim and a Cerb, but know the Cerb is more expensive to buy and to run... We shall see. Lee Hi, ive got a cerb, and have been offered a chim plus cash for it, i was tempted as i thought they were cheaper to run than the cerb, but after reading the above posts im not too sure now! Sevicing is roughly the same as quoted above if taken to an indie, and as for fuel, i put 60quid of super in mine and get about 250-300miles to the tank! nah, cerb service with no extras is £1200-£1700 when it needs valve clearances checked. You check the running costs of my Chim in my profile and I bet you'll say the Cerb is actually cheaper.

[Toady1]

£1200-£1700! with who??? thats ridiculous! go to most indies and you'll expect to pay around £500-£700!

[bennno]

Toady1 said:

£1200-£1700! with who??? thats ridiculous! go to most indies and you'll expect to pay around £500-£700!

try getting a car serviced with valve clearances adjusted for under £1k.

[jensena]

I've had 2 Chim's and now have a Cerb. They are totally different cars, dont make the mistake of thinking a Cerb is just a Chim with a roof! The Cerb will cost at least twice as much to run, and will go wrong twice as much. The Chim feels quicker because you have power from low revs, Cerb has to be revved and feels a bit sluggish until you hit 3500 revs, then it flies. Cerb engine - not the exhaust note - sounds like a bag of nails especially when cold, the Chim sounds gorgeous, its a traditional V8 with that lovely V8 burble. Cerb is a flat plane crank V8, so it sounds like two (rough) 4 cylinder engines - its a noisy racing engine.
Chim is an easy car to drive around town, Cerb isn't, it's more of a 'Banzai! Go for it!!' type car.
I took both Chims to the South of france and back, the locals loved it, it never missed a beat, nothing went wrong, and I enjoyed every single minute. I'm doing the same with the Cerb this year, and all I will be doing is listening all the time for that 'sound' that tells me something has gone wrong !
It depends what you want, but if you buy a Cerb, keep £3k back to run it for the first year.

[Toady1]

jensena - very true!