Got a TVR at last
Discussion
Up until recently I've been running this pair:
The Corrado VR6 was an old warhorse that still went and handled brilliantly, but I'd had it 3 years, and it was time to move on. The S2000 I'd only had since January. Great car, great engine, but ultimately I decided it wasn't quite 'hardcore' enough, 9200 rpm redline excepted.
Anyway, a TVR has always been on the cards, and so went to pick this up at the weekend:
Because I'm a big girl's blouse it's only a Chimaera 400. Ideally I'd have liked a 450 or 500, but the budget only stretched to a decent 400. It still sounds fantastic, and is marginally quicker than the S2k was in VTEC, although with planetloads more torque and flexibility than the Honda.
Once I've gauged the neighbours' reaction to the noise then either sleeved silencers or cherry bombs may be on the cards. I want the public to actually take cover in the street thinking they are under terrorist attack when I go past on the overrun. At the moment it doesn't pop and bang nearly enough when I lift-off.
As a non-PAS car it is sufficiently meaty and manly to pilot around, fecking heavy at parking speeds but nicely weighted at speed. It does get bloody hot in the cockpit, even with the roof off. Aircon is for girls...
I'm going in with open eyes, and have a couple of grand stashed away in case it all goes horribly wrong. If running costs had been no object I would have bought a Cerb anyway
The Corrado VR6 was an old warhorse that still went and handled brilliantly, but I'd had it 3 years, and it was time to move on. The S2000 I'd only had since January. Great car, great engine, but ultimately I decided it wasn't quite 'hardcore' enough, 9200 rpm redline excepted.
Anyway, a TVR has always been on the cards, and so went to pick this up at the weekend:
Because I'm a big girl's blouse it's only a Chimaera 400. Ideally I'd have liked a 450 or 500, but the budget only stretched to a decent 400. It still sounds fantastic, and is marginally quicker than the S2k was in VTEC, although with planetloads more torque and flexibility than the Honda.
Once I've gauged the neighbours' reaction to the noise then either sleeved silencers or cherry bombs may be on the cards. I want the public to actually take cover in the street thinking they are under terrorist attack when I go past on the overrun. At the moment it doesn't pop and bang nearly enough when I lift-off.
As a non-PAS car it is sufficiently meaty and manly to pilot around, fecking heavy at parking speeds but nicely weighted at speed. It does get bloody hot in the cockpit, even with the roof off. Aircon is for girls...
I'm going in with open eyes, and have a couple of grand stashed away in case it all goes horribly wrong. If running costs had been no object I would have bought a Cerb anyway
hi, nice looking car! i had sleeved pipes & pre cats removed on mine for a while, sounded brilliant but a bit too noisey when coming home after 11pm up the hill to my house! i have the act cherry-bomb system on now & whilst not as noisey its a much less harsh noise! still loud but deeper noise. i still have the main cat in though, what it would be like without it i dont know. hope you enjoy your car.
Fantastic choice, you won't be dissapointed!
Can thoroughly recommend Fernhursts sleeved exhaust. I'm running mine still with both pre and main cats (pre-cats will be coming out a some stage though) and the sound is just glorious. Not too loud, but has a nice note to it. Give it some stick however and it's popping and banging away to it's hearts content!
I see you're in Berkshire...there's plenty of TVRs in the area to make sure you pop along to a meet and say hello!
MrChips
Well done for buying the girls option
I did exactly the same and just bought the best car condition wise i could for the budget hence i have my second Chim 400.
Nice looking car, and there still plenty fast enough to have some fun with, just wait till you put your foot down in the wet over the white lines on the road
I did exactly the same and just bought the best car condition wise i could for the budget hence i have my second Chim 400.
Nice looking car, and there still plenty fast enough to have some fun with, just wait till you put your foot down in the wet over the white lines on the road
Thanks lads. Reckon I'll leave the exhausts standard for now. Had it in a multi-storey car park last night and reckoned it's probably loud enough for now!
EVO, I've had a few RWD sports cars without driver aids of similar power to the TVR in the past, but the big difference is that none had the torque of the Chimaera at low revs and throttle openings. Drove it in the wet for the first time yesterday and, yes, white road markings were uppermost in my mind when going on the power! My old MR2 Turbo was similarly entertaining in such circumstances.
EVO, I've had a few RWD sports cars without driver aids of similar power to the TVR in the past, but the big difference is that none had the torque of the Chimaera at low revs and throttle openings. Drove it in the wet for the first time yesterday and, yes, white road markings were uppermost in my mind when going on the power! My old MR2 Turbo was similarly entertaining in such circumstances.
Lovely looking Chimp. Worth getting the Leven handbrake and stalks as it makes the interior feel so much better. I had an almost identical 400, and adored it. I always craved a bit more noise, so got Fernhurst to work their magic. It popped and banged a hell of a lot more and sounded incredible, but it really aggravated the neighbours and also made me spend the entire time flooring it in second and then coming off the power to hear it bang. Childlike, but so much fun.
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