Spending too much time thinking about taking the plunge

[dlkbs1]

New to posting on here but have been reading with interest for some time, so hello everyone.

I have loved TVR's for years and in particular the Chimaera. So much so I want one.
Feel my budget is around the £12k mark at the moment. Trouble is I am not a car mechanic and wouldn't know a good one from a bad one and I am sure a dealer is going to spot me a mile off. I also do not know anyone who I could take along that knows what to look for when viewing this type of car.

So I keep delaying, some of you must have been in similar postions at one point what do you suggest.

Also noticed the odd advert for damaged cars that have had body repairs but the damage gets logged and hence the price is somewhat discounted, whats the general view on cars like that or the slightly older 4.3's that seem to be advertised from time to time, should I be steering clear.

Once I do take the plunge I do intend to try and improve my mechanicl skills so I can look after the car myself as a hobby as well as driving it.

Anyway that's enough to start any advice appreciated!

[dadamsv8]

Not sure where you are based but I used Rob Ingleby www.findasportscar.co.uk/

Great service he will either inspect a car you find or if you give him what you are looking for and budget he will find one for you.

Realy nice guy with a passion for TVR

I'm sure others will be along to agree

[V8 Archie]

A good start at the Chimaera Pages.

[bigdods]

Yep Rob found me my baby too. A year on and Im still grinning. Best bit is I have over the last year had her to 3 different indies for servicing and minor fettling and all have said to me - hey thats a nice one, great condition, nothing up with it at all.

And before anyone jumps in , no its not beacuase I didnt like them that I tried 3 different ones, just down to where I was working at the time and the closest indie :-)

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

As you are in Northants, you are not a million miles from James Agger in Nottinghamshire. He's a top bloke.

[lockhart flawse]

Yup - you need Rob Ingleby.

L.F.

[That Daddy]

if you have limited knowledge of cars please dont be tempted to buy a chim & rush in with your heart,you could get burnt,theres a few duff chims out there, seek a recommended dealer or specialist if i was you,cheaper in the long run.Good luck with your purchase.

[zippee]

lockhart flawse said:

Yup - you need Rob Ingleby.

L.F.

Trust me - No you don't!!
Give James Agger a call instead!!!!

[jagracer54]

If you're prepared to go a bit more than 12K then you might want to head south on the M1 to J12 as I can thoroughly recommend my mate's 94/95 4.3 Chimaera. Very well maintained and he recently painstakenly stripped her to have her completey repainted to remove the stone chips - a problem on the older cars (like mine). Due to lack of use (since acquiring his new toy) he's considering selling it. Also unlike me, he drives very sedately. If I hadn't already got one I'd definitely buy it as its just sitting there in the garage at the moment...

I've got no cut in this. Hell I don't even know if he'll really sell, but he did say he was thinking about it. Let me know if you want me to ask...

[apache]

That Daddy said:

if you have limited knowledge of cars please dont be tempted to buy a chim & rush in with your heart,you could get burnt,theres a few duff chims out there, seek a recommended dealer or specialist if i was you,cheaper in the long run.Good luck with your purchase.

tell you what, ask me......or any other V8 owner or ex owner

[Fire99]

Hi Mate,

Well the Chimaera isn't a complicated car but there are a good few things to look out for when you're buying which could be the difference between having a car you really enjoy or a car that you lose heart with cause of all the money spent.
I didn't have mine inspected but i'm quite confident of my own technical knowledge and did alot of research before buying and at its first service with me they commented on it being a very nice one.

If you are in any doubt get it inspected once you have found one you really like. The likes of James Agger & Rob Ingleby are well respected here.
Or buy from a good specialist. I know they are quite a way from you but Fernhurst in Sussex are a great independant.

[dlkbs1]

Thanks for the posts all.

Seems the repeating theme in the answers on this thread and other similar threads in the past is to spend up front to save in the future. So using Rob Ingleby/James Agger or a dealer like Fernhurst seems the likely/sensible option for me.

I'll have a chat with Rob Ingleby and have a day out in Surrey soon.

Anyone have any idea what Rob's fee is to find a suitable car?

[zippee]

dlkbs1 said:

Anyone have any idea what Rob's fee is to find a suitable car?

Hmmmm YHM!!

[ATG]

dlkbs1 said:

... is to spend up front to save in the future.

I'd question that a little. If you buy from a dealer you can easily end up spending thousands more than you would pay for the same car privately, and I'm not at all sure the price difference is justified in terms of the increased confidence it brings. Personally I would go for a private purchase after the car has been thoroughly independently inspected ... ideally I'd be looking to buy from an enthusiast.

p.s. worn record, but condition is everything. If a car has had accident damage and has been properly repaired and the price is discounted accordingly, I'd look on that as a bargain.

Edited by ATG on Tuesday 20th June 10:41

[pupp]

Come along to one of the Northants meets, there'll be folk there happy to point out the pitfalls on their own cars...I'll happily do it if I'm about.

[paulathome]

Hi Barry, just my 2 pence worth.
I bought my car for the same budget as you have.
I started looking about October last year.
I finally parted with my cash in late March for a 98 4.0l with 26k on the clock.
I looked at a total of 12 cars before I found the one that ticked all the boxes.
Belive me there are some seriously crap cars for that sort of money, sold by dealers
who have no idear about TVR's but want silly money just because they offer warranty. (most of which isn't worth
the paper it's written on)
But buying privately you can get a cracking car for 12K, but you must take someone who knows about TVR's
not just a good mechanic as they are fairly specialised cars.

I have a good car which has just passed it's MOT with flying colours first time, and has been 100% reliable.
But buy a bad one and it will cost you dear.
Be very careful and chose wisely and you will have one hell of a car and appauling face ache from all the grining.
Cheers and good luck.
Paul

[stu 9thgate]

Im in exactly the same possition m8 i must have read the steve Heath book back 2 front 2 or 3 times now!. with my 12k i hope to get at least a late 98' with the rear light cluster face lift. From what i have read low milage makes very little difference so a full tvrsh is a good start. So many to choose from but hardly any in the south east.
When i finaly hit the road im going to have to plan a rout across country visiting all the cars in one go, like some milatery op!

would be nice too know what Rob Inglby and the other guys's fee is to save me the effort but a good inspection by myself then a local tvr dealer once-over, should I hope be enough.
I was thinking of bugeting 1k a year for sevicing and parts, is this realistic in your opinion guys?

[pupp]

stu 9thgate said:

I was thinking of bugeting 1k a year for sevicing and parts, is this realistic in your opinion guys?

Swings and r/bouts I'm afraid. One year, you'll spend more, another less... maybe much less. The way I keep it sensible is I do as much stuff as possible myself. First it's cheaper and, secondly, I know stuff is done right (or at least I know what has actually been done and how). If I had to pay a specialist everytime the car needed a spanner laying on it, it would be history. It possibly wouldn't go as well either but that's another story altogether...

[lockhart flawse]

There's no reason why the car should cost a lot to run. I have put on 4 tyres but apart from that the only thing I have had to pay for is its annual servicing which at an independent doesn't cost a lot. You can be put off by reading this (very informative and helpful) BB too much because by its very nature it tends to feature problems. My car never breaks down and doesn't cost a lot to run which I suspect is the experience of quite a lot of people but you tend not to hear from them.

One thing I don't do is spend any money on so-called improvements or upgrades as this is a surefire way to waste your dough unless your planning to keep it for many years.

If you buy the right car it will be fine - they're essentially very straight-forward.

L.F.

Edited by lockhart flawse on Wednesday 21st June 08:16

[ATG]

stu 9thgate said:

... so a full tvrsh is a good start.

TVRSH is good, service history with a respected independent is at least as good