‘MK3’ Chimaera V777TVR
Discussion
Good Morning,
Does anyone on here know or have previous experience of the late model Chimaera 4.5 Str8six currently have for sale on plate V777TVR?
Looking to return to one of Blackpool’s finest in the next few months and this particular one caught my eye. Looking at a well sort Chimaera or possibly a Mk1 Tuscan however I am a sucker for a V8 again.
Any insight much appreciated. Cheers
Alex
Does anyone on here know or have previous experience of the late model Chimaera 4.5 Str8six currently have for sale on plate V777TVR?
Looking to return to one of Blackpool’s finest in the next few months and this particular one caught my eye. Looking at a well sort Chimaera or possibly a Mk1 Tuscan however I am a sucker for a V8 again.
Any insight much appreciated. Cheers
Alex
Hello,
I can't tell you about the specific car you mention, but did have Mk3 Chim that looked similar to this, your profile shows you had a earlier 4.5. Being the 'last of the line' model, it did benefit from development work, but mine still had little niggles, nothing that ever left me stranded.
I was glad mine had power steering & larger brakes. My clutch was quite light, others can be quite stiff. Extra bonnet cooling for engine from larger vents does help. My car still had original suspension, the Nitrons on this should be a good upgrade.
This looks a very clean example, but due to age, I would still consider;-
Chassis - Ad says dinitrol protected, but to what extent, has there ever been a body off or lift check & protection?
Alarm - Is it running the original system, or been updated? First thing I did was have mine updated, with fob boot release. Whilst doing this, the electrician found a couple of other small items he did at the same time, & replaced fuel relays..
Cam wear - has this been checked?, as these can need replacing at around 50-60k miles. Previous owner had done mine, was a £1200-1500 bill in around 2015 I think.
Wing mirror failure & droop - common issue, my drivers side went, the metal plate/frame inside had cracked, & wing mirror got loose & started to droop.
Cost of respray & work done (was it body off & chassis checked at same time? - any pics?)
Gauges - my oil pressure should have read 15-30lbs (i think), but dropped to zero at times, but TVR gauges can be temperamental!
Windscreen - any delamination?
Any photos of engine bay?
Check under bonnet insulation, is this held firm or coming away?
Water ingress through bulkhead - sealant in engine bay can deteriorate.
Roof seals
Happy Tivving, whatever you chose!
I can't tell you about the specific car you mention, but did have Mk3 Chim that looked similar to this, your profile shows you had a earlier 4.5. Being the 'last of the line' model, it did benefit from development work, but mine still had little niggles, nothing that ever left me stranded.
I was glad mine had power steering & larger brakes. My clutch was quite light, others can be quite stiff. Extra bonnet cooling for engine from larger vents does help. My car still had original suspension, the Nitrons on this should be a good upgrade.
This looks a very clean example, but due to age, I would still consider;-
Chassis - Ad says dinitrol protected, but to what extent, has there ever been a body off or lift check & protection?
Alarm - Is it running the original system, or been updated? First thing I did was have mine updated, with fob boot release. Whilst doing this, the electrician found a couple of other small items he did at the same time, & replaced fuel relays..
Cam wear - has this been checked?, as these can need replacing at around 50-60k miles. Previous owner had done mine, was a £1200-1500 bill in around 2015 I think.
Wing mirror failure & droop - common issue, my drivers side went, the metal plate/frame inside had cracked, & wing mirror got loose & started to droop.
Cost of respray & work done (was it body off & chassis checked at same time? - any pics?)
Gauges - my oil pressure should have read 15-30lbs (i think), but dropped to zero at times, but TVR gauges can be temperamental!
Windscreen - any delamination?
Any photos of engine bay?
Check under bonnet insulation, is this held firm or coming away?
Water ingress through bulkhead - sealant in engine bay can deteriorate.
Roof seals
Happy Tivving, whatever you chose!
Good looking car, nice interior. My experience is that later cars hold together better, particularly interior quality. My year 2000 Griff seats look immaculate after 40k miles, ditto, dash, carpets, etc.
I also suspect that cams in later cars last longer. Mine on same cam still. But they don’t typically get much over 50k.
Trustworthy garage.
Expensive for a Chimera, but you don’t see many of that year.
Ask to look at the chassis, worth a poke about. Or pay for an inspection. Any greasy stuff masks where the powder coat lifts. I totally de-waxoiled mine as soon as I bought it. In my view white chassis is essential, not greased up. Then keep it clean underneath.
Personally I prefer the less common Griff, even though there is a price premium. Although I don’t think there is any difference in the driving experience, just personal preference.
Best of luck
Nic
I also suspect that cams in later cars last longer. Mine on same cam still. But they don’t typically get much over 50k.
Trustworthy garage.
Expensive for a Chimera, but you don’t see many of that year.
Ask to look at the chassis, worth a poke about. Or pay for an inspection. Any greasy stuff masks where the powder coat lifts. I totally de-waxoiled mine as soon as I bought it. In my view white chassis is essential, not greased up. Then keep it clean underneath.
Personally I prefer the less common Griff, even though there is a price premium. Although I don’t think there is any difference in the driving experience, just personal preference.
Best of luck
Nic
Thank you all, really appreciate the insight and level of detail - incredibly helpful.
I have some short experience with older and somewhat less than tidy examples and have learnt my lesson having grown older and wiser and modifying my approach this time accordingly!
I'll certainly take the above on board.I had a brief chat with Chas earlier in the week and hope to have a poke around the car in the next week or two. I'd like to find out a bit more about the hiatus where this car didn't appear to have much use or attention in particular.
My office is not too far from Mole Valley so I may swing by there at somepoint and have a look at that one; the BBS wheels aren't my favourite on a Chim (although they work on a Griff in my view). I've seen Amore have a tidy looking late Mk2 just come up as well.
Big fan of Griffs and there has been some nice ones about but I plan on some long distance jaunts so the extra space of of a Chimaera or Tuscan would be handy.
Cheers
Alex
I have some short experience with older and somewhat less than tidy examples and have learnt my lesson having grown older and wiser and modifying my approach this time accordingly!
I'll certainly take the above on board.I had a brief chat with Chas earlier in the week and hope to have a poke around the car in the next week or two. I'd like to find out a bit more about the hiatus where this car didn't appear to have much use or attention in particular.
My office is not too far from Mole Valley so I may swing by there at somepoint and have a look at that one; the BBS wheels aren't my favourite on a Chim (although they work on a Griff in my view). I've seen Amore have a tidy looking late Mk2 just come up as well.
Big fan of Griffs and there has been some nice ones about but I plan on some long distance jaunts so the extra space of of a Chimaera or Tuscan would be handy.
Cheers
Alex
But isn’t it a trait of many TVR owners to
1 store / polish the car more than use it and bring it out for sunny days only. Very low mileage and summer cars only.
2 take it off the road to address usually it’s chassis issues then find you want or need to upgrade this and that until you are on a long resto project.
3 Cars in a good looking state are often driven even less and kept as ( low mileage examples)
All of which means service intervals are often extended by 12-18 months due to various reasons amounting to people not necessarily using these cars as much as they might like.
I don’t think service dates mean much if the car has barely moved in that time.
The only important thing is is it serviced and ready to be used now.
The problems arise when you take a nice looking car that’s not been used very much for many many years then put it to the sword.
Failures are often not far behind.
Find a car that’s used regularly and maintained to the highest standards often with many of the problem areas addressed or even removed.
Or a car that’s had a lot of time rebuilding / care and covers most of your bases straight off the bat.
If you fancy a car that’s going to go long distances look for ones that have been modernised via it’s electronic control.
Cams start to wear after 25/30,000 miles after install but it’s a very gradual loss of a few Hp so not the end of the world and they can be replaced easily enough.
The rest is relatively easy to fix as it’s just an old RV8 engine.
A late 450 engine with a modern ecu assuming your Dif and gearbox have been treated gently is a glorious thing I can tell you.
No question the bodies and to some extent build quality on later cars is slightly better but the chassis covering was lacking around 98-2001 but the bodies themselves are excellent.
It’s said that the Malaysian bodies ( of which some came back to the uk ) were actually stronger and the higher temps of Malaysian weather enabled them to set better or some such myth
The fact is the Tuscan bodies being built at the same time as later Chims in the uk were also very smooth and processes seemed to have improved here also.
One of the Tvr guru on here once mentioned the later Chims had better skilled technicians working on them as they were being built on what was now the Tuscan line which required more tricky electrical installs
ETA for a bit of fun,,,, That probably means they employed one bloke who knew what he was doing to show the other 20 less skilled kids what not to do
I have a 2000 W Reg car which might be classed as a Mk2.5 in as it has every detail as a Mk3 but without enclosed headlights or Estorils
Late almost standard 450 engine with just a cam change originally
Later Cerb clocks
Wiper motor under dash
Every other detail is Mk3.
So I might have a Malaysian body but it might just be a good British built body?
I think it now matters not,
What matters is how good the car is in the flesh rather than what year or mileage it is.
Another area which some say identifies a Malaysian body is the 3 extra slots or cut outs in the o’s lower front valance area but that was also done to British made bodies after a time so it’s no indication at all.
What you should expect to see on any late Chim is very smooth body lines and usually good door fit and shut lines.
They just look “right”
On any expensive example my focus would be on how it drives and how smooth the transmission / road train feels.
If it’s a low mileage example you would expect to find the Dif and gearbox very smooth and nice to use.
Good luck and take a look at as many cars as you can.
Ask on FB if there is a local Tvr get together/ pub meet and go kick tyres and talk to present day owners.
Many are happy to give you a passenger ride out and explain the cars to you if your new to these cars.
It’s valuable time spent and great fun.
1 store / polish the car more than use it and bring it out for sunny days only. Very low mileage and summer cars only.
2 take it off the road to address usually it’s chassis issues then find you want or need to upgrade this and that until you are on a long resto project.
3 Cars in a good looking state are often driven even less and kept as ( low mileage examples)
All of which means service intervals are often extended by 12-18 months due to various reasons amounting to people not necessarily using these cars as much as they might like.
I don’t think service dates mean much if the car has barely moved in that time.
The only important thing is is it serviced and ready to be used now.
The problems arise when you take a nice looking car that’s not been used very much for many many years then put it to the sword.
Failures are often not far behind.
Find a car that’s used regularly and maintained to the highest standards often with many of the problem areas addressed or even removed.
Or a car that’s had a lot of time rebuilding / care and covers most of your bases straight off the bat.
If you fancy a car that’s going to go long distances look for ones that have been modernised via it’s electronic control.
Cams start to wear after 25/30,000 miles after install but it’s a very gradual loss of a few Hp so not the end of the world and they can be replaced easily enough.
The rest is relatively easy to fix as it’s just an old RV8 engine.
A late 450 engine with a modern ecu assuming your Dif and gearbox have been treated gently is a glorious thing I can tell you.
No question the bodies and to some extent build quality on later cars is slightly better but the chassis covering was lacking around 98-2001 but the bodies themselves are excellent.
It’s said that the Malaysian bodies ( of which some came back to the uk ) were actually stronger and the higher temps of Malaysian weather enabled them to set better or some such myth
The fact is the Tuscan bodies being built at the same time as later Chims in the uk were also very smooth and processes seemed to have improved here also.
One of the Tvr guru on here once mentioned the later Chims had better skilled technicians working on them as they were being built on what was now the Tuscan line which required more tricky electrical installs
ETA for a bit of fun,,,, That probably means they employed one bloke who knew what he was doing to show the other 20 less skilled kids what not to do I have a 2000 W Reg car which might be classed as a Mk2.5 in as it has every detail as a Mk3 but without enclosed headlights or Estorils
Late almost standard 450 engine with just a cam change originally
Later Cerb clocks
Wiper motor under dash
Every other detail is Mk3.
So I might have a Malaysian body but it might just be a good British built body?
I think it now matters not,
What matters is how good the car is in the flesh rather than what year or mileage it is.
Another area which some say identifies a Malaysian body is the 3 extra slots or cut outs in the o’s lower front valance area but that was also done to British made bodies after a time so it’s no indication at all.
What you should expect to see on any late Chim is very smooth body lines and usually good door fit and shut lines.
They just look “right”
On any expensive example my focus would be on how it drives and how smooth the transmission / road train feels.
If it’s a low mileage example you would expect to find the Dif and gearbox very smooth and nice to use.
Good luck and take a look at as many cars as you can.
Ask on FB if there is a local Tvr get together/ pub meet and go kick tyres and talk to present day owners.
Many are happy to give you a passenger ride out and explain the cars to you if your new to these cars.
It’s valuable time spent and great fun.
Edited by Classic Chim on Sunday 11th September 09:06
All the above is excellent. I would just add to check that whatever car you buy has had its fuel hoses upgraded to withstand E10 fuel, unless you plan on paying the Super Unleaded premium to keep to E5 or E0, which is not necessary unless you plan on doing track days.
I bought some E10 yesterday for £1.559 a litre in rural Lincolnshire - the V Power at the same station was £2.089.
And if buying from a dealer I would insist on getting the car up in the air on a 4 post lift, or paying for a knowledgeable full inspection. A full body off chassis resto is around the £5k region, even in situ outriggers are around £2k these days.
I bought some E10 yesterday for £1.559 a litre in rural Lincolnshire - the V Power at the same station was £2.089.
And if buying from a dealer I would insist on getting the car up in the air on a 4 post lift, or paying for a knowledgeable full inspection. A full body off chassis resto is around the £5k region, even in situ outriggers are around £2k these days.
ray von said:
Not saying it isn't a trait, it was a comment on the wording of the advert, but I'm guessing you already knew that.
As an aside how do you find the Cerbera seats?
I don’t. Mine was not fitted with Cerbera seats but then you know that. As an aside how do you find the Cerbera seats?
Obviously around the time my car was being ordered you had a number of options becoming available which might or might not have included Cerbera seats on top of what the customer might have preferred. My car is on the cusp of most of these changes to the Mk3 so obviously a combination. My car might have been ordered as a Mk2 although no such thing actually existed and the customer took whatever Tvr gave them but everything bar a few cosmetic changes it is a Mk3 hence why I call it a 2.5
Mines now more like a 3.5 or even a 4 since I’ve changed quite a few things from the days of Tvr building it which I dare say could be said about many Tvr of today.
Classic Chim said:
ray von said:
Not saying it isn't a trait, it was a comment on the wording of the advert, but I'm guessing you already knew that.
As an aside how do you find the Cerbera seats?
I don’t. Mine was not fitted with Cerbera seats but then you know that. As an aside how do you find the Cerbera seats?
Obviously around the time my car was being ordered you had a number of options becoming available which might or might not have included Cerbera seats on top of what the customer might have preferred. My car is on the cusp of most of these changes to the Mk3 so obviously a combination. My car might have been ordered as a Mk2 although no such thing actually existed and the customer took whatever Tvr gave them but everything bar a few cosmetic changes it is a Mk3 hence why I call it a 2.5
Mines now more like a 3.5 or even a 4 since I’ve changed quite a few things from the days of Tvr building it which I dare say could be said about many Tvr of today.
ray von said:
Not saying it isn't a trait, it was a comment on the wording of the advert, but I'm guessing you already knew that.
As an aside how do you find the Cerbera seats?
I find the Cerbera seats in a 2001 MK3 a lot more comfortable than the Chim seats in my previous 1998 MK2 and my Tuscan Vert/ Sagaris seats .Both Cerb and Tuscan seats have inflatable lumbar support They're a tight fit and may loose some back/forward adjustment, I guess the rails are also Cerbera, unless both cars use the same rails? The hinge is much neater and not exposed like the Chim , although my MK2 had fibreglass mock croc finished covers (which I've never seen on another Mk2)As an aside how do you find the Cerbera seats?
QBee said:
Bit like mine - definitly a mark 2, as it's a year older than Classic's, but I have made the odd change, like Tuscan seats and adjustable dampers, brakes that actually work, a rust free chassis and a new engine every few years.
I thought that was just your humour as I nearly burst out in laughter but then thought about it….Really?
If it’s any consolation every high powered car over 400 hp at work eats clutches and engines just as fast it seems to me.
It’s the price for over 350 hp. It’s like a cut off point between what you can do and live with as opposed to what then costs vast amounts if things go wrong.
It’s regularly been one of the fastest performing Chims on the circuit though if you think about it so a very sorted piece of kit.
Classic Chim said:
Very smart.
Have you had an interior re fresh at all?
I’m noticing what looks like a vinyl covering on the transmission tunnel rather than carpet or is that my eyes playing up.
Looks pristine.
Thanks ...... But VINYL ?? Have you had an interior re fresh at all?
I’m noticing what looks like a vinyl covering on the transmission tunnel rather than carpet or is that my eyes playing up.
Looks pristine.
It took 10 full cow hides (I have a blue and cream full hide spare in case of accidents) , Full Leather including the dog shelf and the floor. Acoustic material soundproofing under all the leather. I gutted the car when the battery and fuse box were moved.
glow worm said:
Thanks ...... But VINYL ?? It took 10 full cow hides (I have a blue and cream full hide spare in case of accidents) , Full Leather including the dog shelf and the floor. Acoustic material soundproofing under all the leather.
I gutted the car when the battery and fuse box were moved.
It took 10 full cow hides (I have a blue and cream full hide spare in case of accidents) , Full Leather including the dog shelf and the floor. Acoustic material soundproofing under all the leather. I gutted the car when the battery and fuse box were moved.
I was not thinking what I was saying which is nothing new
Bloody funny though
Wow that’s a cracking job.
Those seats and the stitching look marvellous.
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