New member hi & which tvr
Discussion
Hi there just joined ,
i am just selling my v8 ford powered 34 ford roadster street rod {been into street rods and hotrods for over 20 years now bored } and fancy a tvr ,i've reseached S series including v8s but also am now considering a chimaera as they seem to be available for under £7000 ,i dont mind doing work on cars but dont want to get into any body off chassis rebuilds anymore .so which has the better build quality for example chassis protection ,does the chimaera go,ride,handle much better ,they both seem fairly simple cars ,advantages ,disadvantages . sorry for some many questions
cheers jez
i am just selling my v8 ford powered 34 ford roadster street rod {been into street rods and hotrods for over 20 years now bored } and fancy a tvr ,i've reseached S series including v8s but also am now considering a chimaera as they seem to be available for under £7000 ,i dont mind doing work on cars but dont want to get into any body off chassis rebuilds anymore .so which has the better build quality for example chassis protection ,does the chimaera go,ride,handle much better ,they both seem fairly simple cars ,advantages ,disadvantages . sorry for some many questions
cheers jez
Going from street rods to TVR seems like a very wise move to me, but then I'm biased.
I suggest you go and look at some and drive them, then make your mind up which your prefer. There seem to be lots of cheep Chims around at the moment but I suspect they are cheap for a reason. I don't think the Chim chassis is any less prone to corrosion than the S and as for ride and drivability, the only way to tell that is to drive them (as I have already suggested).
One thing to remember is that these are all hand built cars so are all slightly different even when comparing cars of the same model. Throw in the fact that they have all been looked after and modified differently. When I bought my S I drove five cars and they were all different, the one I bought had a much nicer ride and feel to all the others.
I suggest you go and look at some and drive them, then make your mind up which your prefer. There seem to be lots of cheep Chims around at the moment but I suspect they are cheap for a reason. I don't think the Chim chassis is any less prone to corrosion than the S and as for ride and drivability, the only way to tell that is to drive them (as I have already suggested).
One thing to remember is that these are all hand built cars so are all slightly different even when comparing cars of the same model. Throw in the fact that they have all been looked after and modified differently. When I bought my S I drove five cars and they were all different, the one I bought had a much nicer ride and feel to all the others.
Think the concensus is that the Chim is a more modern feeling and handling car with stacks of power,whilst the S is less refined but great fun to drive, and enough power.
The S is somehow much more a 'hands on' drivers car than the Chim and you feel your arse is 3" off the ground. Perhaps the V8S is the best of both worlds...so owners would claim.
Pretty bullet proof mechanics on both and the rule is, the later the year, the better build quality.
Maintainance wise, both pretty basic with a very similar tubular Chassis. If they have been kept well then a hammerite every two years and good spray with Waxoil should keep the worst out.
If neglected...walk away! Most on this site are likely to be good.
Great cars...buy one and you will be hooked.
(We on the S forum are bound to a little bias mind)
The S is somehow much more a 'hands on' drivers car than the Chim and you feel your arse is 3" off the ground. Perhaps the V8S is the best of both worlds...so owners would claim.
Pretty bullet proof mechanics on both and the rule is, the later the year, the better build quality.
Maintainance wise, both pretty basic with a very similar tubular Chassis. If they have been kept well then a hammerite every two years and good spray with Waxoil should keep the worst out.
If neglected...walk away! Most on this site are likely to be good.
Great cars...buy one and you will be hooked.
(We on the S forum are bound to a little bias mind)
Not driven the Chim, but I think for a driving experience you will find the S hard to beat, I have decided that whatever else I buy in the future I will not be parting with the S, its just one of those cars you go out for a short spin in and as in my case recently ended up driving 143 miles aimlessly just for the sheer enjoyment of it.
I have had many cars from 1300 Mk1 escorts through 455ci Dodge Chargers and kit cars etc and can honestly say none of them have been as entertaining as the S.(the sound of the Charger was close admittedly
)
Also if you look in the classifieds you will note for sale 83 Chims ,22 S Series, maybe some residual issues later on ???, I appreciate there was a lot less S models made hence the difference but that just emphasises the point.
I have had many cars from 1300 Mk1 escorts through 455ci Dodge Chargers and kit cars etc and can honestly say none of them have been as entertaining as the S.(the sound of the Charger was close admittedly
) Also if you look in the classifieds you will note for sale 83 Chims ,22 S Series, maybe some residual issues later on ???, I appreciate there was a lot less S models made hence the difference but that just emphasises the point.
Edited by clarenceboddiger on Tuesday 5th December 17:17
Only passing on what I was told, be cautious of any early model TVR. I was informed that TVR do/did a fair of their development work post prototype so earlier cars have some wrinkles that were sorted on later models.
I know my co director wont drive his Chim in the winter as he has not had it treated (waxoiled) so i guess both have the same potential chassis problems.
I bought an S over a Chim for the more involved experience, the S may be down on power but is true to the spirit of great british sportscars.
I know my co director wont drive his Chim in the winter as he has not had it treated (waxoiled) so i guess both have the same potential chassis problems.
I bought an S over a Chim for the more involved experience, the S may be down on power but is true to the spirit of great british sportscars.
The S is a great car, I went from an S3 to a V8s. Both a delight, the grunt of the V8 is fabulous, but I do miss the S3 it was a fabulous to drive and the sound of the V6 was wonderful at high revs. These are drivers cars. I drove a few chims but they did not have the same effect as the S. The Griff is close but more expensive to run. Driving different types will help the decision process. Buy the best you can. Areas to look are chassis, one thats been wax oilyed and painted is a good sign. Cooling check the engine temp when driving also allow it to sit with engine running to check fan kicks in. Signs of salt stains around the swirl tank indicate over heating issues. Manifold cracks are also common have a look around the manifolds when the engine is running.
THANKS A LOT EVERYBODY ,YOU S OWNERS CERTAINLY SEEM A FRIENDLY BUNCH .
I'LL GET ON WITH LOOKING, V8S OR S3 STILL SEEMS FAVORITE FOR ME
I REALLY WANT A`FUN CAR FOR WEEKEND ETC USE {ALREADY GOT A BORING DAILY DO'NT WANT A BORING SPORTSCAR ASWELL]I BASICALLY WANT A HOTROD SPORTSCAR IF YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN, FOR BLASTS ,RUN UP TO CADWELL FOR ODD TRACKDAY ,DO NOT WANT TO SPEND A FORTUNE {BEEN THERE DONE THAT BEFORE NO FUN THEN }I THINK I'M SOLD ON AN S .CHEERS JEZ
I'LL GET ON WITH LOOKING, V8S OR S3 STILL SEEMS FAVORITE FOR ME
I REALLY WANT A`FUN CAR FOR WEEKEND ETC USE {ALREADY GOT A BORING DAILY DO'NT WANT A BORING SPORTSCAR ASWELL]I BASICALLY WANT A HOTROD SPORTSCAR IF YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN, FOR BLASTS ,RUN UP TO CADWELL FOR ODD TRACKDAY ,DO NOT WANT TO SPEND A FORTUNE {BEEN THERE DONE THAT BEFORE NO FUN THEN }I THINK I'M SOLD ON AN S .CHEERS JEZ
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