TVR Chimaera and Mazda MX-5: PH Fleet

No faults, just miles covered for the Garlick fleet.

Can you imagine the chap on the news saying ‘nothing happened today’? Well, in the life of the Garlick fleet that’s exactly what happened, nothing but turn-key motoring leaving lots of space to talk about the cars, not the problems.

Mazda has become a faithful and fun daily hack

Let’s start with the Mazda. KMO has been a loyal companion of late, not often washed but used daily with no more than a splash of VPower every once in a while and that means we’ve had a lot of time to get to know one another. People ask why I have two, two-seater roadsters and the answer is simple, they are completely different! The Mazda has no space to speak of so shopping and touring is a lightweight affair yet I’ve been away for a week’s camping in the Chimaera (and we don’t travel light). The TVR roars while the Mazda interior rattles meaning you can’t hear the almost silent exhaust. Rev the TVR in low gears and you’re breaking the speed limit, do the same in the Mazda and you’re not quite at 50mph. Park the TVR on the street and you worry about it, in the Mazda you don’t. You get the idea by now, while the end results may look similar the ingredients are very different.

Strut brace has calmed tremors in the body

As our sensible car, the MX-5 is used a lot and that means my driving pleasure has increased tenfold. I loved the Lexus, but now I’m working the gearbox, using roundabouts as an excuse to hug kerbs and maintain speed (sounds corny but it’s true) and I really enjoy ‘normal’ driving again. Let me clarify that, I’ve always enjoyed driving but when the low-geared engine starts to sound stressed at an indicated 70mph you start to enjoy yourself at lower, legal speeds and that’s fun. It will cruise at 80+ if you want it to, it just seems happier at 70, so if you ever pass me on the motorway I’m quite happy just cruising along.

I recently added the front strut brace and promised I’d report back. The front of the car seems more surefooted and as a bonus the scuttle shake seems to have vanished too. It’s a worthwhile addition, and one that enhances the car without affecting the looks (which I like). Otherwise all I have done is add an adhesive numberplate, which I like but others don’t. So what next for KMO? Nothing but driving it and trying to source where an annoying rattle is coming from.

A reliable TVR? Such a thing exists...

Trouble-free TVR
The Chimaera has been a star of late, and on the few occasions we’ve been out it has been nothing less than perfect. Salty conditions means I’ve not covered that many miles since I last wrote about it, but I’m hoping for warmer weather soon so I can start to use the TVR as regular transport.

The battery I fitted last year has impressed as it has held charge, without any external chargers, all winter. Last weekend I returned after almost four weeks of sub-zero temperatures with jump leads on standby, only for it to start straight away. Can’t argue with that can you?

Owning the TVR is a pleasure, to sit inside it still excites and the positive reactions mean conversations with strangers are a regular occurrence and we enjoy just burbling along enjoying the drive. Only last weekend did we experience the power TVR still holds to the public as we arrived, roof down, at a National Trust stately home for an afternoon stroll. Cars were being waved along by parking marshals when all of a sudden the lady asked me to stop before pointing to a space near the entrance. When I got out she said ‘it’s too nice to be parked with the others in the field, I thought you’d prefer to park there instead’. You don’t get that in an MX-5…

Garlick's certain: this one's a keeper

I started a thread on the forums a few weeks ago about driving hard on the public roads, and if I’m honest it is very rare that the TVR gets driven as Peter Wheeler intended. I’ll make the most of the power but more often than not I am happy to rumble along at a normal pace enjoying the smells and sounds of TVR ownership. It’s not like the latest buzzy hatch or supercar where you need to be ‘on it’ to enjoy yourself. In the Chim you can relax and watch the world go by, but if you want to get to your destination a little faster that's easily achieved too. Is it the modern day AC Cobra? Quite possibly.

I’ve toyed with the idea of selling my 4.0 from time to time but I know that I’ll never experience a car that is so satisfying to own ever again. We’ve had our ups and downs but no worse that in my previous RS2, 944, Range Rover, Mercs or even the LS, it’s just that folk remember when you suffer issues in a TVR more than they do in a Porsche (or so it seems). As we clicked over the 59,000 mile mark a few weeks ago I asked the Mrs if she thought we should ever sell it. She answered no and I agreed. I have visions of opening a garage door in my 80s to show someone my sports car, we’ll look at it shining away and I’ll say "I’ve had this car since 2009 you know." I probably won’t be driving it at that time, and there might not be much chassis left but it will always be MY TVR.

Fact Sheet:
Car: 1999 TVR Chimaera 4.0
Run by: Garlick
Bought: December 2009
Purchase price: £12,995
Last month at a glance: Waiting for spring, enjoyable Sunday drives, strong battery

Fact Sheet:
Car: 1997 Mazda MX-5 1.8is
Run by: Garlick
Bought: November 2012
Purchase price: £600
Last month at a glance: Daily grind, stiffened up, legal fun

Previous reports:
Back to Fernhurst for the TVR as Mazda strides along
Inactivity (intended) for one and inactivity (unexpected) for the other
Two cabrios in the fleet, one had big bills the other needed nothing...

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wongthecorrupter

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