Why so many for sale?!!!
Discussion
I am finally only a couple of months away from satisfying my 'since a boy in short trousers' desire for a TVR as a second car. I think I have settled on a Chimaera, you seem to get more for you more for your money than you do with the Griffith (for fear of sparking a Griff v Chim thread!!!), the roof appears to be a bit more fiddly mind you. My main point though is that for such a low volume car, I am amazed at the numbers of them that are for sale. Even in the PH classified section the are over 130 Chims, why? Are there loads of people who buy these cars, regret it, then put them back up for sale? Are they people who have no intention of selling, but if someone is prepared to pay silly money they will?
Ignore all the mega priced ones! Yes some people will try it on.
Don't forget this time of year, they do come on the market prior to winter. Some people just don't have a garage, or the luxury of first car for the winter and general driving.
what this does mean for you is a wealth of great private cars for sale provided you have it checked out.
what are you thinking of paying???
The advice will be thick and fast one you decide how much you can splash out.
There will also be people on here (private) who would be only to pleased to let you have the car checked out as well.
Godd luck.
Don't forget this time of year, they do come on the market prior to winter. Some people just don't have a garage, or the luxury of first car for the winter and general driving.
what this does mean for you is a wealth of great private cars for sale provided you have it checked out.
what are you thinking of paying???
The advice will be thick and fast one you decide how much you can splash out.
There will also be people on here (private) who would be only to pleased to let you have the car checked out as well.
Godd luck.
SMB said:
chimaera was hardly low volume, over 6000 built possibly over 8000, and every year, some buy for summer use and sell on afterwards. BTW roof is easier in a chimaera vs griffith
No where near 8000 Chims, figure given in "Griffith" - The TVR Griffith story, quotes figures from the 2nd edition 'Bible' at 5,676 for the Chimaera.I'm sure you can write off at least 1000 of those so you come to a figure of 4,500 ish.
With the Griff figures being somewhere around 2,300 built with at least 500 or so gone you're looking at 1,800 max.
Won't disagree about the roof though.
I think the boyhood dream thing is the reason so many are for sale, people buy them as SMB says for summer and then sell them on because they didn't do their sums and find they're getting supercar performance at eurobox prices but with a thirst and maintenance cost to match.
You need to go into ownership with your eyes open, if you do you'll be in love for ever if not it's probably going to be a nightmare.
Edited by V8 GRF on Thursday 13th September 11:45
They made more Chims that all other TVR's..
The Chim out sold the Griff 3 to 1 at the time - so was the most popular.
Guess the roof gets suck on by the previous owners not talking it off much .. often called
A Chim Mullet when roof off but back of hood up.
If you have a hairy chest and medallion - then you should consider the Griff
The Chim out sold the Griff 3 to 1 at the time - so was the most popular.
Guess the roof gets suck on by the previous owners not talking it off much .. often called
A Chim Mullet when roof off but back of hood up.
If you have a hairy chest and medallion - then you should consider the Griff
130 Chimaera's for sale on PH is more or less the norm. There will be approximately 1/3rd that figure for Griffs. This is inline with the sales figures.
One thing to remember is that Chims out-sold the Griff 3:1 when they were more or less the same price. This tends to show that there's a lot going for the car. The reason Griffs now command a premium is that there are less of them around and they have taken on a sort of icon status of the salad days of TVR. They are great cars but then so are Chims. (I can say that as a Chim owner even though I have just spent 72 minutes changing a headlamp bulb.)
JUST MY OPINION
The cars will eventually reach a base line where age is of little consequence and condition is everything else. This will probably be around £6-7000 for Chims. However, with so many around, those in poor condition will be really cheap. Griffs will probably base a bit higher but those in poor condition will never reach the same depth as Chims in similar condition due to rarity. Look at the price of a fair condition SV8 to that of an S3 in the same condition.
It would seem that if you intend to keep you car for a few years then the Chim will be the cheaper option. If you intend to sell after a couple of years then the Griff will be much easier to move. However, you will probably have lost the same amount of money.
What is unknown - at least by me - is the effect the T cars will have on the s/h market if/when TVR production restarts. If they do find a cult following then Griff prices might well be hit. I reckon that the Sagaris will achieve some form of cult status. 150 or so still in existance - very rare. Also we won't see cheap but sophisticated ultra-high-perfomance cars again, at least until the next ice-age puts paid to the suggestion that global warming is a big threat and there's a demand for oddles of CO2.
However, just think how you'll feel in 15 years time when you go to a classic car meet and see a Chim and say to someone: "I nearly bought one of those." Go for it.
One thing to remember is that Chims out-sold the Griff 3:1 when they were more or less the same price. This tends to show that there's a lot going for the car. The reason Griffs now command a premium is that there are less of them around and they have taken on a sort of icon status of the salad days of TVR. They are great cars but then so are Chims. (I can say that as a Chim owner even though I have just spent 72 minutes changing a headlamp bulb.)
JUST MY OPINION
The cars will eventually reach a base line where age is of little consequence and condition is everything else. This will probably be around £6-7000 for Chims. However, with so many around, those in poor condition will be really cheap. Griffs will probably base a bit higher but those in poor condition will never reach the same depth as Chims in similar condition due to rarity. Look at the price of a fair condition SV8 to that of an S3 in the same condition.
It would seem that if you intend to keep you car for a few years then the Chim will be the cheaper option. If you intend to sell after a couple of years then the Griff will be much easier to move. However, you will probably have lost the same amount of money.
What is unknown - at least by me - is the effect the T cars will have on the s/h market if/when TVR production restarts. If they do find a cult following then Griff prices might well be hit. I reckon that the Sagaris will achieve some form of cult status. 150 or so still in existance - very rare. Also we won't see cheap but sophisticated ultra-high-perfomance cars again, at least until the next ice-age puts paid to the suggestion that global warming is a big threat and there's a demand for oddles of CO2.
However, just think how you'll feel in 15 years time when you go to a classic car meet and see a Chim and say to someone: "I nearly bought one of those." Go for it.
I was thinking about 8k should bag me a post facelift 4.5. I'm not afraid of one that's done slightly more miles than average provided it's a nice car. Thanks for the info on the roof, that's really settled it. I'm not some fool going into this with my eyes shut by the way, I'm no stranger to big bills or thirst! I thought about spending more on something with a TVR lump ie Cerbera or Tuscan but I am then talking an amount of money that's a fair bit harder to justify for a toy (I want a pleasure not a burden!) and from everything I have read I stand a far greater chance of the whole thing ending in tears! I can't knock those of you with wallets full enough to go down that route though!
Chim's tend to be the entry into the TVR owing world and as such owners tend to keep them a short time and then either exit having scratched the TVR itch or move on to another model.
This alone means there is always a plentiful supply. The contrast at the moment is Sagaris's where the owners are sitting on them cause A) Their rare B) Their damm good and C) no new models coming out. - and also mint low mileage Griff's where the owners know they can drive them virtually depreciation free and probably bought them as a keeper anyway cause of their cult status
This alone means there is always a plentiful supply. The contrast at the moment is Sagaris's where the owners are sitting on them cause A) Their rare B) Their damm good and C) no new models coming out. - and also mint low mileage Griff's where the owners know they can drive them virtually depreciation free and probably bought them as a keeper anyway cause of their cult status
Edited by puffsorted2 on Thursday 13th September 12:19
YI8TVR said:
The reason there are so many for sale is that the owners now realise that they are old and have them polluting 1950's V8's in them and they pine for a modern looking speed 6.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
Thanks....must dig out my Harris tweed jacket, no wheres my pipe..! Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
kailear said:
£8k sounds quite low to me for a post-facelift 450?
Totally agree. I have just bought a post face lift (1997 R) which is running well but with some minor condition issues, for 10k. A good price according to Rob Ingleby. Get one, it's a blast! You are more likely to get an higher mileage pre face lift for £8k but might be a good idea to wait until mid-winter, near to Christmas, if you know what I mean!YI8TVR said:
The reason there are so many for sale is that the owners now realise that they are old and have them polluting 1950's V8's in them and they pine for a modern looking speed 6.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
fight! fight! fight! Johnniem said:
YI8TVR said:
The reason there are so many for sale is that the owners now realise that they are old and have them polluting 1950's V8's in them and they pine for a modern looking speed 6.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
fight! fight! fight! 
Johnniem said:
kailear said:
£8k sounds quite low to me for a post-facelift 450?
Totally agree. I have just bought a post face lift (1997 R) which is running well but with some minor condition issues, for 10k. A good price according to Rob Ingleby. Get one, it's a blast! You are more likely to get an higher mileage pre face lift for £8k but might be a good idea to wait until mid-winter, near to Christmas, if you know what I mean!
From the pictures he's posted it looks like he's got himself a bargain!!
TVRCC thread here
Corky said:
Johnniem said:
YI8TVR said:
The reason there are so many for sale is that the owners now realise that they are old and have them polluting 1950's V8's in them and they pine for a modern looking speed 6.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
fight! fight! fight! They're out there, a chap on TVRCC has just bought this off ebay £6,050.00
From the pictures he's posted it looks like he's got himself a bargain!!
TVRCC thread here
[/quote]
That's a great deal of car for the money. Although personally I'd be quite worried about what it has been through over the last 90k miles and the huge expense that might be to come. Still on an sp6 that applies from 9k miles so still looks like a bargain
YI8TVR said:
The reason there are so many for sale is that the owners now realise that they are old and have them polluting 1950's V8's in them and they pine for a modern looking speed 6.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
.Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
Drive is the key point hear !, not waiting for it to come back from a engine rebuild
Edited by Rum Runner on Thursday 13th September 22:24
YI8TVR said:
Corky said:
Johnniem said:
YI8TVR said:
The reason there are so many for sale is that the owners now realise that they are old and have them polluting 1950's V8's in them and they pine for a modern looking speed 6.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
Who can blame them for wanting to shed those tweed jackets and beards and drive a proper sports car.
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