Help navigating current cars for sale

[GRC85]

Evening Gents,

Close to finally pulling the trigger on a Chimaera and I am curious what people's thoughts are on a spread of cars I have been looking at. I can just about stretch to buying something at the top end of the market if it's a no brainer in terms of its condition and what it's had spent on it. That said, I would be absolutely maxed out, so if something were to happen, I'd be struggling to gather funds to fix it. Here is the spread;

26k. Taraka 5.0 2021 John Eales rebuilt engine. No mention of any chassis work and comes on spiders. Love the colour, seems over priced?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14848162

26k. 4.6 powers rebuilt engine. Full respray, body off chassis refurb, APs, Clive ford manifold and running MBE. Ticks every box for me.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15272387

17k. Cam and outriggers done. Looks very clean. Seems expensive compared to the next car down.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15360246

15k. 100,000 miles, respray along time ago, chassis off 15k ago and looks very clean. This one is quite appealing, lots of cash remaining for an engine rebuild in the future and anything else that comes up? Is the mileage enough to run away?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15942709

I want to use the car, so I don't want something that's almost too nice to take out. I am not against doing odd jobs, but don't have the facilities at the moment for major mechanical work.

Thanks

[Stone Cold]

I have just spent several months going through the same process and my budget was a little less than yours. I ended up travelling almost 400 mile round trip to James Agger (Melton Mowbray) and bought from him and I wish I’d just gone and seen him, or spoken to him first, he’s got a few nice ones that may suit you, mine should be delivered this week.

I will add that I have no affiliation to him but I had a great experience buying from him so happy to share that here

[GRC85]

Stone Cold said:

I have just spent several months going through the same process and my budget was a little less than yours. I ended up travelling almost 400 mile round trip to James Agger (Melton Mowbray) and bought from him and I wish I’d just gone and seen him, or spoken to him first, he’s got a few nice ones that may suit you, mine should be delivered this week.

I will add that I have no affiliation to him but I had a great experience buying from him so happy to share that here

Thanks for the response. I have to stress that I would prefer to be not spending that amount of money. I'd feel much more comfortable around the 15-20k range. That said, I can just see that over 5 years + of ownership, I would end up doing significant work on the car that would end up pushing my total costs way north of that. Or maybe I find a good one and don't need to?

The last one I listed is from James Agger. It seems that you pay a significant premium though buying through him? Some cars seem 3-4k above private sales from what I have seen? Amore seems more reasonably priced?

Thanks

[Belle427]

May sound a bit harsh but something up at £25k plus has to be practically perfect and needing no work at all.
Higher mileage isnt a bad thing but you would struggle to sell it should you need to.

Edited by Belle427 on Monday 11th December 21:05

[GRC85]

Belle427 said:

May sound a bit harsh but something up at £25k plus has to be practically perfect and needing no work at all.
Higher mileage isnt a bad thing but you would struggle to sell it should you need to.

Edited by Belle427 on Monday 11th December 21:05

How would you compare the top two then? Second one has had everything and also an interior refurb? Worth that significant outlay or too much money for a Chim?

[Stone Cold]

On JA from my experience the cars may appear over priced but talk to him and look at what he does in prep before they go up for sale, mine was on the limit of my budget and near the top end of your lower budget but when I saw it it was superb, not perfect but close and I’m very OCD with these things.

I did have a look at the other place and the one in your original post is fab but too much for me, nothing else there that met my requirements but still worth a look

[Belle427]

GRC85 said:

Belle427 said:

May sound a bit harsh but something up at £25k plus has to be practically perfect and needing no work at all.
Higher mileage isnt a bad thing but you would struggle to sell it should you need to.

Edited by Belle427 on Monday 11th December 21:05

How would you compare the top two then? Second one has had everything and also an interior refurb? Worth that significant outlay or too much money for a Chim?

First one is way over priced, no mention of chassis work etc.
The Amore one looks interesting enough, lots done but for me is still way over priced.
Just my 2p.
I'd want perfection at £25k.

[swisstoni]

I think ‘overpriced’ is a bit of a subjective thing to say.

That Taraka car looks like a very nice late example of the top banana Chimaera with expensive upgrades from the once in-house engine builder.
If I was looking out for the best of the best I’d expect to pay for it and others would too.

For someone looking for a good useable example, then it probably is overpriced for that requirement.

[markeastman]

The red one should be like new underneath if its had a new chassis and suspension arms. Like you say, plenty of spare cash to upgrade in the future if you need a little more power! Probably worth a trip to Amore as they have quite a bit of stock, enjoy the car hunt!

[Belle427]

You have to weigh up what you want from it too, the pearl blue 400 is my pick as i think the colour is stunning.
If you crave outright performance its probably going to leave you feeling a bit cold but in reality its not what these cars are about, it has ample performance to enjoy on our roads and makes the same noise.
If you did buy it, were not happy and started modifying for extra power then you can quickly spend close to what the others are worth.
Aftermarket management is a big bonus for me on any car, but to have this done properly is circa £3k if you dont diy it.
Its all down to what your comfortable spending really.

[Classic Chim]

The one with Powers 4.6 with MBE and body off looks familiar to me. It also has bigger brakes.
If that drives as good as it looks and surely it does that’s a very sorted car. You’d not buy a snotter for 12k and get it looking like that for 25k very easily.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

There is nothing wrong with 100k+ on a well looked after Chimaera. I don't understand why that would make it harder to sell. On a 25yo car that's only 4k a year.

This 100k mental barrier does not and should not apply to classic cars. And always buy on condition. Drive a few and buy the one you like the best.

Personally I don't like Mk3 faired in headlights, so I'd discount any car with those. You might like them, it's all subjective.

And please, "pull the trigger"???

[Classic Chim]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

There is nothing wrong with 100k+ on a well looked after Chimaera. I don't understand why that would make it harder to sell. On a 25yo car that's only 4k a year.

This 100k mental barrier does not and should not apply to classic cars. And always buy on condition. Drive a few and buy the one you like the best.

Personally I don't like Mk3 faired in headlights, so I'd discount any car with those. You might like them, it's all subjective.

And please, "pull the trigger"???

I completely agree. Mine at 50,000 had an engine rebuild not that it really needed it and by the time it got to 75,000 had modern Ecu new Differential clutch slave and body off etc etc so in fact a newer car than when it was on 30,000 miles New Brembo brakes also added along the way and these improvements are very obvious when driving it from the car I bought at 38,000 miles.
Condition and servicing and updates and regular use are my preferred choices if buying over mileage concerns.
How it feels is the most important but that does require you to have driven both good and bad examples.

[981Boxess]

If I had to choose one from those four it would be the Amore car.

Chimaeras are all getting on a bit now and at some point they will all have to have a body off refurb. Ask anyone who has done one they will all tell you it ended up costing a lot more than they thought because there are always bits and pieces that are not worth putting back. Take note they have described it as 'previous' body off, 12000 miles ago could be years ago, so may not be as fresh as the advert might suggest - to be established.

Unless you are very hands on you are far better off financially buying one that someone else has poured money into, it isn't cheap to do anything on cars nowadays and it soon adds up.

When comparing prices to the last two keep in mind they are 400s which always sell for less and in some ways are probably better value, most of the TVR experience for less money.

Enjoy whatever you end up buying.

[Belle427]

This looks good value if the advert is legit.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15382639

[robsco]

If I was spending £25k I’d be wanting a very clean, totally unmolested 500. Mole Valley and Fernhurst have each got low mile, original looking 500s.

At the lower price point I’d recommend either the cars at Shmoo or at James Agger, both of whom really do turn their cars out exceptionally well. I’ve bought from them both, James on two occasions.

[Classic Chim]

For me I’d also be looking to see which TVR specialists have looked after it in the recent past.
In my experience if a good known dealer has serviced it over time they tend to pick up on poor or worn parts and alert or make you change them.
A good eye so to speak.
I’ve rebuilt my car after a body off and it’s stood in storage ever since but when I’m ready to enjoy it again it will go to the same TVR centre all important work has been done for over 12 years now for a checkover and geo set up.
This is the only way you can be sure any work that has been carried out was done properly and the sort of thing i’d want to see in its history.
Amore/ Agger tend to also provide good cars because they know what they are buying.

[TJC46]

Belle427 said:

This looks good value if the advert is legit.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15382639

Of all the cars this one by far. Why this one you may wonder, well it just looks "right".

It looks original apart from the work listed, and as a previous owner, who completed a full body off, plus almost every other job on a Chimaera that needs

doing over time, that is a very nice car. [going off the pictures.]

Its a 500, so rarity is a plus point, its had engine work and outriggers. At that price you can "drive" it and not have to worry about stone chips, or putting

miles on it, or it going down in value. As most on here will tell you.......these cars need to be driven.

The two cars at 25k, look good, but that's at the top end I.M.O and you may well end up trying to "PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT" than actually using

the car.

[GRC85]

981Boxess said:

If I had to choose one from those four it would be the Amore car.

Chimaeras are all getting on a bit now and at some point they will all have to have a body off refurb. Ask anyone who has done one they will all tell you it ended up costing a lot more than they thought because there are always bits and pieces that are not worth putting back. Take note they have described it as 'previous' body off, 12000 miles ago could be years ago, so may not be as fresh as the advert might suggest - to be established.

Unless you are very hands on you are far better off financially buying one that someone else has poured money into, it isn't cheap to do anything on cars nowadays and it soon adds up.

When comparing prices to the last two keep in mind they are 400s which always sell for less and in some ways are probably better value, most of the TVR experience for less money.

Enjoy whatever you end up buying.

That was my thinking, however following another members comment, I wonder if I would feel the need to 'protect my investment' and would be concerned about putting miles on it and the usual stone chips and road rash. I am tempted to go and view it, but would probably be better served by viewing cars of a lower bracket first, to see how much more wow factor this one had.

[GRC85]

TJC46 said:

Of all the cars this one by far. Why this one you may wonder, well it just looks "right".

It looks original apart from the work listed, and as a previous owner, who completed a full body off, plus almost every other job on a Chimaera that needs

doing over time, that is a very nice car. [going off the pictures.]

Its a 500, so rarity is a plus point, its had engine work and outriggers. At that price you can "drive" it and not have to worry about stone chips, or putting

miles on it, or it going down in value. As most on here will tell you.......these cars need to be driven.

The two cars at 25k, look good, but that's at the top end I.M.O and you may well end up trying to "PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT" than actually using

the car.

Yes this looks tidy, although I don't feel the need to have a 500. I have read quite a bit on here about 500s and the crank shaft snapping. Would you factor this into your purchasing decision and ensuring you had a contingency if it happened? Since the engine rebuilders use a more elaborate way of achieving the capacity, the bottom end costs alone are quite eye watering, compared to say a 4.6 bottom end build.