Market for mid-age Chims
Discussion
I am bewildered - have had a green 97P 4ltr with 36k on clock up for sale on classifieds for 3 months, and it just won't shift despite being a good model and well cared for. Anyone have a clue where I'm going wrong? The ask is just over 14k which seems cheap vs. comparables I can see on site..
Thanks James
Thanks James
swilly said: Currently over a hundred chims in classifieds so i guess it is not standing out.
The Chimaera is by far and away the most successful TVR ever in Sales volumes IIRC. If not *the* most successful it is *very*, *very* successful.
This means there are lots and lots and lots of second hand decent Chimaeras out there. Any buyer has loads to look at. This means getting people to look at your car is hard...
Doesn't mean it shouldn't go at a fair price though - especially if its in good condition.
We've decided recently NOT to change our Chimaera (4.5 98 S) but instead to lavish a few grand on it restoring it to "as new" condition. Then we intend to keep it a few more years.
If yours doesn't go...could that be a route for you?
I must admit i keep looking at mine (96p) and thinking maybe a tuscan or a T350, but then i look at the Chim again and carnt see the point... Ok i spend a few grand a year on buggering around with it ( wheels, suspension, engine,roll bar trim ect) but still less than the 6k a year in finance for a new car. and then there is the amount id loose on a new car... ( tvr, porker fezza ) anything is going to loose more than 15k in the next few years so i think i'll just keep playing with the chim until i can afford to keep here and buy a new one..
G
G
It seems the only way to make it shift is make it stand out from the crowd. How? It's got to be in a better condition for its age and price than the rest -- it seems to be as simple as as that.
I had no bites on mine until I dropped the price down £1500 below what I would have hoped (I thought at the time realistically) to get. That's supply and demand for you.
I had no bites on mine until I dropped the price down £1500 below what I would have hoped (I thought at the time realistically) to get. That's supply and demand for you.
I had exactly the same discussion with a Griff owner last night. We're both strongly of the opinion there's as much fun to be had in driving a well spec'd and sorted Rover powered Tiv as the newer stuff.
My wish list is currently as follows :
1) Roll bar
2) Nitrons or possibly Ohlins suspension package
3) Zertec Brembo WRC brakes
4) 18" Spider Wheels (dunno if this is poss. with the leven kit)
5) ACT triple plenum, Jag airflow meter, Tornado chip and a session with Mark Adams
What's on your list?
Steve
My wish list is currently as follows :
1) Roll bar
2) Nitrons or possibly Ohlins suspension package
3) Zertec Brembo WRC brakes
4) 18" Spider Wheels (dunno if this is poss. with the leven kit)
5) ACT triple plenum, Jag airflow meter, Tornado chip and a session with Mark Adams
What's on your list?
Steve
It's the supply and demand angle as manek suggests. Mine is a Cooper Green Chim - common as muck 
and probably won't help when it comes to resale - but most cars of the M, N and P regs are blue, green or red anyway from what I've seen.
As the cars get older, it means the more updated cars, R, S, T reg etc become more affordable and some of the colours you can get are *nice* - purples, topaz, oyster etc, which are quite popular nowadays with buyers.
You'll just have to stick in there and hope - don't drop the price dramatically unless you HAVE to get shot of it. Have you had many people to view - or just no response at all? If you've had a lot to view and no buyers, the car is faulty somewhere, history condition etc - but as you say it's one of the better ones, I'm guessing attracting the initial attention is the problem.
The green Chim suits me fine - understated - I let the missus drive the purple car (MGF) but I wouldn't have a Chim in it.
Best of luck
and probably won't help when it comes to resale - but most cars of the M, N and P regs are blue, green or red anyway from what I've seen. As the cars get older, it means the more updated cars, R, S, T reg etc become more affordable and some of the colours you can get are *nice* - purples, topaz, oyster etc, which are quite popular nowadays with buyers.
You'll just have to stick in there and hope - don't drop the price dramatically unless you HAVE to get shot of it. Have you had many people to view - or just no response at all? If you've had a lot to view and no buyers, the car is faulty somewhere, history condition etc - but as you say it's one of the better ones, I'm guessing attracting the initial attention is the problem.
The green Chim suits me fine - understated - I let the missus drive the purple car (MGF) but I wouldn't have a Chim in it.
Best of luck
1) Roll bar - on order (still)
2) Nitrons - got em
3) 300mm & willwood 4 pots - got em
4) 17" speedline 2120's - got em
5) Emeral ecu, ( dissy soon to be removed) - got em
Next
1) 4.8 engine
2) Wildcat heads
3) twin/ triple throttle bodies with bigger inlet
4) touch up the paint
5) new carpet in darker colour
6) Better seats...
7) replace wooden dash with ally/ carbon
8) front splitter to stop lift...
9) maybe speed 12 light conversion...
an probably not cos everyone would think it daft, but i've seen a loverly ally and carbon rear wing that would look great if not too max power
Graham said:
2) Nitrons - got em
3) 300mm & willwood 4 pots - got em
4) 17" speedline 2120's - got em
5) Emeral ecu, ( dissy soon to be removed) - got em
You've probably been asked about these upgrades already, but I'm interested, how do each of them compare to their previous version. Can you describe how the car felt before and after?
To anyone else listening - has anyone tried the Ohlins setup in comparison to the Nitrons setup?
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks guys for yr helpful responses to my unloved Chin. If I went down the spend a bit of cash tarting it up route, does anyone know what a front end respray would cost to get the stonechips sorted out and where to go w/in the M25?
On another question, is there nothing that can be done to improve the terrible fuel economy? Is an LPG conversion completely laughable??
James
On another question, is there nothing that can be done to improve the terrible fuel economy? Is an LPG conversion completely laughable??
James
parson0j said: Thanks guys for yr helpful responses to my unloved Chin. If I went down the spend a bit of cash tarting it up route, does anyone know what a front end respray would cost to get the stonechips sorted out and where to go w/in the M25?
I think my sister paid about £700 inc vat, she's in Hampshire but not sure where it was done.
On another question, is there nothing that can be done to improve the terrible fuel economy? Is an LPG conversion completely laughable??
James
Terrible fuel economy? Recreational driving, I was getting over 20/gallon in mine. In normal driving conditions I could get up to 24. I thought that was pretty good.
Graham said:
1) Roll bar - on order (still)
2) Nitrons - got em
3) 300mm & willwood 4 pots - got em
4) 17" speedline 2120's - got em
5) Emeral ecu, ( dissy soon to be removed) - got em
Next
1) 4.8 engine
2) Wildcat heads
3) twin/ triple throttle bodies with bigger inlet
4) touch up the paint
5) new carpet in darker colour
6) Better seats...
7) replace wooden dash with ally/ carbon
8) front splitter to stop lift...
9) maybe speed 12 light conversion...
an probably not cos everyone would think it daft, but i've seen a loverly ally and carbon rear wing that would look great if not too max power
10) Some logos down the side reading HKS, Blitz, TRD, Nismo, Bomex... (yes, all japanese
) seriously tho, I've considered (8) but know it'd be removed as soon as i drive over the first roadhump.
Would like some racing seats but apparently normal ones dont fit Chimaeras as they (the seats) are a bit too wide.
Re the 17 inch wheels, whats the official line on offsets, tyre sizes etc? I've seen so many figures thrown around that I'm not confident about telling my local wheel supplier what I need.
Steve_T said:
Graham said:
2) Nitrons - got em
3) 300mm & willwood 4 pots - got em
4) 17" speedline 2120's - got em
5) Emeral ecu, ( dissy soon to be removed) - got em
You've probably been asked about these upgrades already, but I'm interested, how do each of them compare to their previous version. Can you describe how the car felt before and after?
the nitrons made the car handle so much better ( some of this may have been due to setup) turn in is much sharper and traction out of the bends is dramatically better. the biggest difference is under braking, now the back of the car doesnt lift as much under heavy braking so removes the standard tvr trait of spinning under heavy braking..
Brakes... i do like big brakes, the modulation and the power is great. They also work much better on the track as the standard things arnt up to much. Im not sure about ebc pads they are a bit unpredictable from cold.
17" wheels..(so3 tyres) i had to back the suspension off a little more but now the handling is even betters as its removed a bit of undamped movment from the tyres. it would be interesting to try toyo's though these are supposed to be better.
ECU. still playing with it and the dissy has yet to go. Currently im a little down on absolute power ( it was running a modded ecu as standard) but the throttle response is much better and the through the gears time is improved.( flatter power curve ?)
any use...
As for seats the Zertec ones look good if pricey and if you can get hold of them.
Offsets, carnt remember i got mine from peninsula and they got the fronts slightly wrong and i need spacers ( i think they have this sorted now)
Compomotive should know them as they supplied wheels as oem to TVR Malaysia for their Chimaeras, in quite a few sizes.
I'll soon find out if anthracite wheels goes with purple/pink as im getting a new set for the taz...
parson0j said:
On another question, is there nothing that can be done to improve the terrible fuel economy? Is an LPG conversion completely laughable??
James
The Chimaera is the most economical car i've ever had.... even my mini only did 20 mpg ( 1000, big valve heads, wild cam, twin carbs, lcb, custom shaped needles) im sure i could have collected the fuel comming out of the back... the suspension was all siezed solid and the body was maily filler and air
but boy did it go....... if you did want to LPG it i know a guy ( qualified) that would probably do it for you he currently does range rovers in lincs..
G
As the owner of one of the 'older' green Chims in the classifieds (although the price does reflect this!) I was wondering what people think to the cost of a respray in a different - more desirable - colour as a means of helping move the car on. Of course I may decide that I love the new colour and keep it! Just windering...
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