Could i use a Chimaera on a daily basis?
Discussion
Hi guys,
Just wondering on your thoughts about using a Chimaera as a daily driver. Does anyone do it? If so what are your experiences. Im looking to spend 9-10K max, so i appreciate it will be an older car but my commute is 20 miles a day, in London traffic. Will it cope? In an ideal world i would run a cheap second car but ive already tried that, running a Saxo and Caterham and in the end had to sell the 7 after two years. Being in my late 20's i found it just too expensive to insure, tax, service and run two cars (it was a vts though), hence the one car idea ie the Chimaera?
Looking forward to your reply.
Just wondering on your thoughts about using a Chimaera as a daily driver. Does anyone do it? If so what are your experiences. Im looking to spend 9-10K max, so i appreciate it will be an older car but my commute is 20 miles a day, in London traffic. Will it cope? In an ideal world i would run a cheap second car but ive already tried that, running a Saxo and Caterham and in the end had to sell the 7 after two years. Being in my late 20's i found it just too expensive to insure, tax, service and run two cars (it was a vts though), hence the one car idea ie the Chimaera?
Looking forward to your reply.
I do have another car but frequently run my Chim 450 through central London traffic. It will certainly cope but the pot holes and speed humps (Islington) really take their toll. The clutch on mine seems to be wearing a lot faster than I had expected it to, presumably from the constant stop-start. I find it quite wearing to drive in London traffic to be honest; controls are quite weighty and the 0 - 30 - 0 dash is frustrating as it is a car that demands to be unleashed! Fuel consumption in town is abysmal too. Overall, I would say you certainly can use it on a daily basis providing oil is kept topped up, it is well maintained and you try to avoid trashing the underside, but for trawling through traffic on a daily basis, it is less than ideal.
To do 20 miles a day in London traffic the Chim would be a long way down my list.
Whilst they can "cope" with traffic ok if everything is working as it should be the underbonnet temperatures are less than ideal. That can also makes the cabin a little too hot for comfort, unless you have air con. Some speed bumps are also Chim unfriendly. Fuel consumption?
Have you considered running a cheap classic car as a second car? Insurance is not NCB dependant and cheap, even in London. Repairs can also be cheap if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.
Whilst they can "cope" with traffic ok if everything is working as it should be the underbonnet temperatures are less than ideal. That can also makes the cabin a little too hot for comfort, unless you have air con. Some speed bumps are also Chim unfriendly. Fuel consumption?
Have you considered running a cheap classic car as a second car? Insurance is not NCB dependant and cheap, even in London. Repairs can also be cheap if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.
Hi, I'm running my chim daily at the moment (as my second car expired a few weeks ago) to do my to-from work journey, although my journey is only 6 miles each way in more friendly Midlands traffic. I think it's fine, although, as mentioned above, the stop-start is a bit of a pain - heavier than normal clutch, gearchange, etc. Otherwise, it should be ok - just keep an eye on water and oil regularly, at least once a week if you're doing that kind of journey.
Ideally though you should look at a second car to do that job - and think with your head, your second car can't be even mildly cool if you want it to be cheap. My commute car was a thirteen year old 1.0 Micra that cost £15 a month to insure, £65 every six months to tax and I put 1 tank of petrol in it every month at about £30. Not glamorous in any way, but cheaper than running the chim every day on fuel alone. It sat quiet happily in traffic jams with everyone else and you can listen the radio! And you can sit in those traffic jams smugly knowing that at home, for when the conditions and the time is right, you've got an awesome motor to use that's brilliant for blatting round the smaller roads as well as eating miles of A roads and motorway.
Ideally though you should look at a second car to do that job - and think with your head, your second car can't be even mildly cool if you want it to be cheap. My commute car was a thirteen year old 1.0 Micra that cost £15 a month to insure, £65 every six months to tax and I put 1 tank of petrol in it every month at about £30. Not glamorous in any way, but cheaper than running the chim every day on fuel alone. It sat quiet happily in traffic jams with everyone else and you can listen the radio! And you can sit in those traffic jams smugly knowing that at home, for when the conditions and the time is right, you've got an awesome motor to use that's brilliant for blatting round the smaller roads as well as eating miles of A roads and motorway.
siwebster said:
Hi, I'm running my chim daily at the moment (as my second car expired a few weeks ago) to do my to-from work journey, although my journey is only 6 miles each way in more friendly Midlands traffic. I think it's fine, although, as mentioned above, the stop-start is a bit of a pain - heavier than normal clutch, gearchange, etc. Otherwise, it should be ok - just keep an eye on water and oil regularly, at least once a week if you're doing that kind of journey.
Ideally though you should look at a second car to do that job - and think with your head, your second car can't be even mildly cool if you want it to be cheap. My commute car was a thirteen year old 1.0 Micra that cost £15 a month to insure, £65 every six months to tax and I put 1 tank of petrol in it every month at about £30. Not glamorous in any way, but cheaper than running the chim every day on fuel alone. It sat quiet happily in traffic jams with everyone else and you can listen the radio! And you can sit in those traffic jams smugly knowing that at home, for when the conditions and the time is right, you've got an awesome motor to use that's brilliant for blatting round the smaller roads as well as eating miles of A roads and motorway.
This man's spot on; expense is not much of a reason to run a Chimaera every day! Ideally though you should look at a second car to do that job - and think with your head, your second car can't be even mildly cool if you want it to be cheap. My commute car was a thirteen year old 1.0 Micra that cost £15 a month to insure, £65 every six months to tax and I put 1 tank of petrol in it every month at about £30. Not glamorous in any way, but cheaper than running the chim every day on fuel alone. It sat quiet happily in traffic jams with everyone else and you can listen the radio! And you can sit in those traffic jams smugly knowing that at home, for when the conditions and the time is right, you've got an awesome motor to use that's brilliant for blatting round the smaller roads as well as eating miles of A roads and motorway.
I did for a while, but was sad leaving the car in the rain, watching it get hot, waiting for a someone to key it (I work at a school) etc., etc. so I did the sensible thing...got on my bike. Now I get wet rather than the car - I wouldn't have it any other way!
I know you can't really do this, so listen to SiWebster!
I use mine daily with no issues. The first thing i did was lighten the throttle by playing around with the springs, that made stop start driving much easier. If I could make the clutch lighter then teh car would be perfect!
I will tell you that my Chim is much nicer to drive , now that it goes out every day...
I will tell you that my Chim is much nicer to drive , now that it goes out every day...
My Chim has been my daily drive for about 4 years now.
On the subject of London traffic - there's London traffic and there's London traffic. I would not want to drive into central London every day as all the stop/start stuff would get to me. I'm happy driving round the outer edge of London (Twickenham) with lights to stop/start at but not too much crawling and constant stop/start.
On the subject of London traffic - there's London traffic and there's London traffic. I would not want to drive into central London every day as all the stop/start stuff would get to me. I'm happy driving round the outer edge of London (Twickenham) with lights to stop/start at but not too much crawling and constant stop/start.
Yes you can certainly run it every day. I did for a few months. I'm selling mine now as baby on the way! http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/569778.htm
I found it reletively easy to drive in traffic as the clutch is fairly light. I find the 400 ticks along nicely just trundling along. They can get a little warm, but I've got a manual fan override switch which comes in handy in keeping the temp about 75ish. HTH
I found it reletively easy to drive in traffic as the clutch is fairly light. I find the 400 ticks along nicely just trundling along. They can get a little warm, but I've got a manual fan override switch which comes in handy in keeping the temp about 75ish. HTH
Edited by Aubrey on Friday 18th July 14:45
I think it boils down to if you can afford to "run it daily" with prices etc at the pump-coming down though- as today? then you shouldn't have many problems, if you are thinking of the cost of fuel every week- don't even think of buying one as when a little "niggle" comes along-these will probably make you get sick of the car and then sell it to some other poor soul, which at at the end of the day I find disgusting-stung with other car's in the past as many people are..!
Parts i have found are cheap to replace, at the end of the day it's a rebored rover v8 that likes a drink of oil, bolted onto a box chassis with various other manufacturers parts bolted onto it, which are again cheap to replace, keep the chassis oiled and aslong as you have a half decent mechanic looking at the car when buying- go for it, you can get them for as little as £6k as i did-early model,rebuilt engine when bought ,had to replace water pump 52 quid, pads 24 quid all round.
I drive a van all day-and can't wait to get home and go for a spin,once you settle down and understand the car you are simply addicted to the character and low down bruttality of the performance.Do it buy one.
Parts i have found are cheap to replace, at the end of the day it's a rebored rover v8 that likes a drink of oil, bolted onto a box chassis with various other manufacturers parts bolted onto it, which are again cheap to replace, keep the chassis oiled and aslong as you have a half decent mechanic looking at the car when buying- go for it, you can get them for as little as £6k as i did-early model,rebuilt engine when bought ,had to replace water pump 52 quid, pads 24 quid all round.
I drive a van all day-and can't wait to get home and go for a spin,once you settle down and understand the car you are simply addicted to the character and low down bruttality of the performance.Do it buy one.
Yes, I did the manchester to birmingham daily commute about 200 miles a day in the chim, and I also use the Sagaris as my daily driver in London...that can get interesting when stuck in traffic.
If you have a second car, I would try the Chim for a few weeks then make a decision on whether you can cope with it...they are better used than sat in a garage waiting for sunny weather though.
Oh and both mine have lived outside with no ill effects.
Claire
If you have a second car, I would try the Chim for a few weeks then make a decision on whether you can cope with it...they are better used than sat in a garage waiting for sunny weather though.
Oh and both mine have lived outside with no ill effects.
Claire
Used mine as a daily for 12 months cross country though!What a blast every morning twenty miles of little B roads and only me (half six start) . However, in traffic I gotta say it would not be my choice.You'll need extra reinforcing in your clutch pedal footwear or youll end up with a 'RSI' strain !!
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