What do i buy??!
Discussion
Hello Kaiser,
TVR's get right under your skin, and have an (imo) incorrect image of bad reliability. But....in order for it to keep going, a tvr needs preventative medicine and you generally should be a bit of a 'tinkerer' They are great fun, but will prove to be a little more labour intensive than a jap quick turbo whizz bang nutter mobile.
Do your research, and hopefully we'll see you back here.
Mike.
ps. There is a wealth of knowledge on these here pages.
TVR's get right under your skin, and have an (imo) incorrect image of bad reliability. But....in order for it to keep going, a tvr needs preventative medicine and you generally should be a bit of a 'tinkerer' They are great fun, but will prove to be a little more labour intensive than a jap quick turbo whizz bang nutter mobile.
Do your research, and hopefully we'll see you back here.
Mike.
ps. There is a wealth of knowledge on these here pages.
You can take a look around the forums for running costs. But a service is between 350 and 650 pounds every 6000 miles assuming that everything is fine. You should keep a thousand pounds spare to cover any unexpected problems.
Other costs to consider:
Tyres
Insurance
Upgrades
Petrol (between 20 and 28mpg)
Join the club, get The Bible, read the forums and check out my website for more info!
Other costs to consider:
Tyres
Insurance
Upgrades
Petrol (between 20 and 28mpg)
Join the club, get The Bible, read the forums and check out my website for more info!
Also have a look through the FAQ's - lots of info there
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?faq=true&f=8
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?faq=true&f=8
for anyone thinking of buying a tvr this forum can be off putting because its for owners with problems and can add to the perception of tvrs being unreliable which is not true,visit problem pages for other marques ie mb bmw etc and you would never buy them,go with your heart buy your tvr and enjoy
chimalsu said:
for anyone thinking of buying a tvr this forum can be off putting because its for owners with problems and can add to the perception of tvrs being unreliable which is not true,visit problem pages for other marques ie mb bmw etc and you would never buy them,go with your heart buy your tvr and enjoy
Beat me to it.
That's why it's worth attending your local TVRCC meet. You'll find plenty of happy, contented owners/enthusiasts.
hut49 said:
If you need to ask the question, probably the latter
Absolute Rubbish!!! Nearly every TVR first timer will ask the question - I know I did 2 years ago when I bought my first Chim. Now 16000 miles later I still love every minute of it.
I was very nervous about going into ownership mainly due to hearsay and runours of unreliability by non-owners.
Yes it can be expensive but it can also be cheap - just make sure you find a well sorted car.
Also, take a look at the cost breakdowns in owners profiles as this will give you a very good indication of what it costs to run these cars.
If you're anywhere near Cambs/Beds I don't mind meeting up one weekend to show you round my car/talk about ownership etc. If not then try and find details for your nearest TVRCC meeting as most owners will be willing to chat.
zippee said:
hut49 said:
If you need to ask the question, probably the latter
Absolute Rubbish!!! Nearly every TVR first timer will ask the question - I know I did 2 years ago when I bought my first Chim. Now 16000 miles later I still love every minute of it.
I was very nervous about going into ownership mainly due to hearsay and runours of unreliability by non-owners.
Yes it can be expensive but it can also be cheap - just make sure you find a well sorted car.
Also, take a look at the cost breakdowns in owners profiles as this will give you a very good indication of what it costs to run these cars.
If you're anywhere near Cambs/Beds I don't mind meeting up one weekend to show you round my car/talk about ownership etc. If not then try and find details for your nearest TVRCC meeting as most owners will be willing to chat.
Actually the question from someone who had "always dreamed of owning a TVR" was "should i keep looking or get a Jap Boy-Racer Mobile". I don't see how the two pieces go together. Anyway if anyone wants a detailed breakdown of costs of running a Chimaera take a look at my profile.
For HUT49!
As i said i"ve wanted a TVR as long as i can remember after first seeing a Griffith and a Chimaera down the Brum NEC while i was still a kid, my point that i was trying to make is i"ve heard it costs a lot to keep a TVR on the road as opposed to a Jap Thingy so i was just trying to get some idea of the costs involved. Thankfully OTHER members have furnished me with some great information.RANT OVER.
As i said i"ve wanted a TVR as long as i can remember after first seeing a Griffith and a Chimaera down the Brum NEC while i was still a kid, my point that i was trying to make is i"ve heard it costs a lot to keep a TVR on the road as opposed to a Jap Thingy so i was just trying to get some idea of the costs involved. Thankfully OTHER members have furnished me with some great information.RANT OVER.
Hi there kaiser... In my opinion, the only way to tell if you really do want one is to go for a ride in one. A lot of the appeal is the noise, and the general rawness of the thing. I have a couple of friends with jap cars with bodykits, dump valves and all, but after driving the chim they seem a little too surgical and lose some of the fun. When I was looking to buy, I went for a test drive in an s2000 and a couple of other cars to get something to guage the chim against and after going for a ride in a 400 chim and wildfire's tuned griff, there really was no contest - totally sold! I have since never regretted my decision... In my eyes, there are very few cars which give you the same feeling as TVRs, so I really dont mind having to spend a little time giving the car a once over every now and then.
Incidently, I spend most of my time up in Brum city centre so if you want to go out for a ride in the chim to get a feel for the thing or just chat about ownership etc, just send me an email!
Cheers,
Nick
Incidently, I spend most of my time up in Brum city centre so if you want to go out for a ride in the chim to get a feel for the thing or just chat about ownership etc, just send me an email!
Cheers,
Nick
Kaiser,
It may be worthy of note, that if you are considering an older TVR, such as a Chim or a Grif, then a lot of repairs can be tackled by a reasonable home mechanic. Ford brakes, simple suspension, a highly modded but let's face it - age old pushrod V8 (bloody powerful though!). Jap rockets are generally a technology fest with endless electronickery in just about all areas of the car (ABS, TCS, ESP.....). The later speed six engines and AJP in the Cerb are I'm told savagely expensive to maintain and rebuilds are part of the normal service shedule.
Plus the one big thing is that a TVR has stacks of personality. You'd need to keep a keen eye on things if you want it as a daily driver though - and shares in Shell, BP or the like!!
It may be worthy of note, that if you are considering an older TVR, such as a Chim or a Grif, then a lot of repairs can be tackled by a reasonable home mechanic. Ford brakes, simple suspension, a highly modded but let's face it - age old pushrod V8 (bloody powerful though!). Jap rockets are generally a technology fest with endless electronickery in just about all areas of the car (ABS, TCS, ESP.....). The later speed six engines and AJP in the Cerb are I'm told savagely expensive to maintain and rebuilds are part of the normal service shedule.
Plus the one big thing is that a TVR has stacks of personality. You'd need to keep a keen eye on things if you want it as a daily driver though - and shares in Shell, BP or the like!!
Kaiser, why would you buy a jap racer?
Why would you buy a chimaera?
IMHO you are looking at two totally different machine types. For me, the Chimaera is for those who want to make progress using their skill. The jap cars are for those who want to drive fast, without needing the skill.
BUT, bear in mind posting the question on this forum the answer is going to be pretty much a foregone conclusion. I suspect if you post the same in the jap car threads..........
AS for running costs etc.. these can vary so much, if you get a complete dog then they are huge, but if you get a fine machine then really they are not too bad for the power of the car. Independant servicing can save hundreds (i.e. Main dealer could be 600 but indie 300). Tyres can be 300 a pair, fuel isn't cheap.. But I suspect these costs are similar to some jap boy racer machines (a friends Supra used to drink fuel, to the extent you could literally watch the fuel guage drop).
Why would you buy a chimaera?
IMHO you are looking at two totally different machine types. For me, the Chimaera is for those who want to make progress using their skill. The jap cars are for those who want to drive fast, without needing the skill.
BUT, bear in mind posting the question on this forum the answer is going to be pretty much a foregone conclusion. I suspect if you post the same in the jap car threads..........
AS for running costs etc.. these can vary so much, if you get a complete dog then they are huge, but if you get a fine machine then really they are not too bad for the power of the car. Independant servicing can save hundreds (i.e. Main dealer could be 600 but indie 300). Tyres can be 300 a pair, fuel isn't cheap.. But I suspect these costs are similar to some jap boy racer machines (a friends Supra used to drink fuel, to the extent you could literally watch the fuel guage drop).
kaiser77 said:
Hello All,
Completely new to all this malarkey but have been saving my pennies and have always dreamed of owning a TVR-but know VERY little about these cars ie running costs should i keep looking or get a Jap Boy-Racer Mobile?
Any help and info much appreciated.
Completely new to all this malarkey but have been saving my pennies and have always dreamed of owning a TVR-but know VERY little about these cars ie running costs should i keep looking or get a Jap Boy-Racer Mobile?
Any help and info much appreciated.
please put ads in the classified its free. Edited by on Friday 12th January 21:27
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