New 450 owner with some questions...

[AJS]

Hi there, I''ve just purchased a Chimaera 450 (W Reg 00) and it is simply awesome, can''t believe I waited so long! Being new to the car and TVR''s in general I have a few questions that I''m hoping can either be answered or I can be pointed in the right direction to find the information. I''ve done some snooping around on the PistonHeads and TVRCC lists, and have purchased ''The Bible'', but am still looking for some hints/tips (probably haven''t looked deep enough) 1) Petrol. I''ve read a fair amount on the issue of unleaded/super-unleaded/ignition timing etc and will be filling up with super wherever possible. The question I have is the difference between 98 RON and 97 RON - on the filler cap it explicitly states 98 RON, but when I go to my local BP/Shell/Esso garages they all have super but it is 97 RON - *is this as good/not as good/doesn''t matter/hold out for 98 RON (* delete as applicable). I have a Q8 garage nearby that claims they have 98 RON, although I haven''t seen it ''written'' anywhere, but judging by the price of 94.6p/litre I''m hoping it''s got flakes of gold in it, in addition to being the correct octane rating :-) 2) Servicing. I know this is probably a difficult question to answer because it''s based on everyones individual experiences, but does anyone have any recommendations as to which TVR dealer they prefer for servicing. It recently had it''s 12,000 mile service from the TVR dealer I bought it from, but it''s not the closest to me and also I wasn''t overly impressed when I picked the car up (when being shown under the bonnet for oil/washer/dipstick locations etc, I noticed a 3/4" spanner had been left resting between the expansion tank and inside wheel arch - much to their embarrassment!) Obviously I''ve got a while before the next one (or maybe not if I keep being gone for over an hour when just getting a pint of milk!), but would be interested to know which of: The TVR Centre Kerridges Brundles TMS Kings TVR people have a preference for. Do they offer courtesy cars while it''s in, or is that extra/not available etc? Any hints/tips etc would be much appreciated - I''m willing to pay a ''premium'' if the service is worth it. Or should I keep going to the dealer I bought it from for consistency? 3) ICE. I get the impression I''ll be opening a can of worms with this, but I have a simple question - I''m looking to get a CD changer fitted to the Pioneer KEH-P4800R head I have, am I better getting it done by a TVR dealer or could I take it to Halfords for example? Thanks for any help and apologies if these questions have been asked a million times before. Here''s hoping it stays dry for my first weekend of fun (in the car that is.....)

[Paul V]

3) ICE. I get the impression I''ll be opening a can of worms with this, but I have a simple question - I''m looking to get a CD changer fitted to the Pioneer KEH-P4800R head I have, am I better getting it done by a TVR dealer or could I take it to Halfords for example? Does the head unit have changer control? If so Halfords offer free fitting on a lot of their products, they should know what they’re doing, anyway wiring up a Pioneer changer is very easy, 1 multi plug 1 live (plugs into the female connector on the head unit supply) and 1 earth, they’d have to try really hard to get it wrong. You should expect to pay between £150-250 for a 6 disc.

[fordy]

For servicing i go to Fernhurst TVR - which is in Fernhurst - near Haslemere. they have a very good rep. and ive just had a 12,000 mile service done with them, and they did a great job as far as i can tell. I know its no on your list. However i have heard V.bad things about Brundle TVR, about them not caring about the customer and just trading on their name - i personally would never go there. hope it helps Chris

[Paul R]

Good News on your new car!!! I would without doubt go to Kerridges (As I did before I sold my 4.0HC) Fantastic service and free courtesy car (nice little MGF once!!) They are honest and friendly with no nasty surprises! With regard to the other East Anglian lot connected to ex F1 driver - No Comment!!