New owner, all advice welcomed
Discussion
Evening all, long time lurker, first time poster, though I may have made mention of a Lister MKIII I had way back when god was a boy. I digress.
OK, so I’m a few months into my first TVR ownership, and it’s fair to say I’m smitten. THE NOISE 😍
Trev is a Chim 400 and is currently tucked away in winter storage, cos I’m conscious of the fact that he’ll probably dissolve if I take him out on January roads.
Body, interior, chassis and outriggers are all good thankfully, but I’d like to give the mechanicals a refresh during the winter months, so looking for a bit of advice from the great and the good on PH.
Just a quick clarification, I’m an old fart, veteran of one minor heart attack, so I ain’t gonna be tracking this thing - the goal is rumbling around the UK and Europe with t’ missus.
The issues I’ve got are as follows:
Tyres. When these went on Labour were still in the hot seat, so they’re on the outs. I’m on 15/16s - I’m guessing I’m not going to go too far wrong with Rainsport 5s?
Brakes. Fair bit of judder from them ATM, so new disks and (why not) pads. Any particular recommendations?
Suspension - the ride’s a bit on the crashy side for long trips. Could be springs, could be tired dampers, could very well be my pampered arse not being used to being parked in something a bit more focussed, but I’m open to advice. I looked at Nitrons cos they get a fair bit of love here, but the price made my bum squeak a lil bit, even though they’re in budget. Worth the outlay? Bear in mind old fart, so not wanting anything racy. Similars with springs.
Aaaand finally, whilst Trev is going to be mostly garaged or under some sort of cover, that’s not always possible and we do live on a pretty soggy island - I have found that water really gets into the doors when it’s been raining, any advice on the best way round that?
Thanking you all in advance, and thoroughly delighted to have joined the TVR community 😊
OK, so I’m a few months into my first TVR ownership, and it’s fair to say I’m smitten. THE NOISE 😍
Trev is a Chim 400 and is currently tucked away in winter storage, cos I’m conscious of the fact that he’ll probably dissolve if I take him out on January roads.
Body, interior, chassis and outriggers are all good thankfully, but I’d like to give the mechanicals a refresh during the winter months, so looking for a bit of advice from the great and the good on PH.
Just a quick clarification, I’m an old fart, veteran of one minor heart attack, so I ain’t gonna be tracking this thing - the goal is rumbling around the UK and Europe with t’ missus.
The issues I’ve got are as follows:
Tyres. When these went on Labour were still in the hot seat, so they’re on the outs. I’m on 15/16s - I’m guessing I’m not going to go too far wrong with Rainsport 5s?
Brakes. Fair bit of judder from them ATM, so new disks and (why not) pads. Any particular recommendations?
Suspension - the ride’s a bit on the crashy side for long trips. Could be springs, could be tired dampers, could very well be my pampered arse not being used to being parked in something a bit more focussed, but I’m open to advice. I looked at Nitrons cos they get a fair bit of love here, but the price made my bum squeak a lil bit, even though they’re in budget. Worth the outlay? Bear in mind old fart, so not wanting anything racy. Similars with springs.
Aaaand finally, whilst Trev is going to be mostly garaged or under some sort of cover, that’s not always possible and we do live on a pretty soggy island - I have found that water really gets into the doors when it’s been raining, any advice on the best way round that?
Thanking you all in advance, and thoroughly delighted to have joined the TVR community 😊
Hello. I have the MK3 450 & also love it. I am doing a few youtube video's at the moment one the suspension & brake upgrades. Reading between the lines (Also being an old fart) most say the standard Bilstein shocks are the softest. Which is why I am fitting new springs to the old shocks, which are in good condition. The rear brakes leaving the 273mm disc size but going to M-Tec drilled & grooved with new Mintex standard pads. Hel brake lines as the old 23yrs ones must be well past the sell by date. The front will get the same treatment but with 300mm drilled & grooved discs & 4 pot Brembo calipers.
I have already done quite a few video's of it & fitting a 2 post car lift ion a small garage, purely so I am not laid down any more. Link to 1 vid below of part 1 if you are interested.Edit .Just to say i have the Toyo Proxy tyres fitted & on the 2001 on they went to 16" wheels all round. The rears are 245x45x16. Fronts are 225x50x16. Also I will be doing some interior work IE Genuine carbon fibre dash. Alcantera trim ?? possibly & stripping out the drivers seat & repadding etc as although in good condition it is very low & quite hard on the derio aire. I hope you enjoy it as well as I am.
Steve.
https://youtu.be/FK4IIgexmVw
I have already done quite a few video's of it & fitting a 2 post car lift ion a small garage, purely so I am not laid down any more. Link to 1 vid below of part 1 if you are interested.Edit .Just to say i have the Toyo Proxy tyres fitted & on the 2001 on they went to 16" wheels all round. The rears are 245x45x16. Fronts are 225x50x16. Also I will be doing some interior work IE Genuine carbon fibre dash. Alcantera trim ?? possibly & stripping out the drivers seat & repadding etc as although in good condition it is very low & quite hard on the derio aire. I hope you enjoy it as well as I am.
Steve.
https://youtu.be/FK4IIgexmVw
Edited by steviegtr on Tuesday 23 January 22:44
Suspension wise if your going to do it properly fit the latest Tuscan S spec Bilsteins from Ben Lang at Blackdown Automotive on ebay, hes an ex Tvr suspension guy.
Personally id do the springs and dampers together.
Contact him for details.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/blackdownautomotive?_tr...
Brakes wise Mintex are not the company they once were many moons ago but their parts are still ok for the average joe so thats where id go
Pagid are another that are not as good as when they first appeared but i use a lot of their brakes on other stuff and have had no complaints.
Apec are another that seem to be fairly good quality wise and reasonably priced.
Dont go for fancy pants racing or track pads, standard is fine.
As for water leaks id try my best to keep it under cover, you will get the odd drip here and there. Checking the window to hood seals is a good place to start but you can go nuts trying to find leaks on these cars. A good water repellent hood treatment will help too.
Welcome to the madhouse.
Personally id do the springs and dampers together.
Contact him for details.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/blackdownautomotive?_tr...
Brakes wise Mintex are not the company they once were many moons ago but their parts are still ok for the average joe so thats where id go
Pagid are another that are not as good as when they first appeared but i use a lot of their brakes on other stuff and have had no complaints.
Apec are another that seem to be fairly good quality wise and reasonably priced.
Dont go for fancy pants racing or track pads, standard is fine.
As for water leaks id try my best to keep it under cover, you will get the odd drip here and there. Checking the window to hood seals is a good place to start but you can go nuts trying to find leaks on these cars. A good water repellent hood treatment will help too.
Welcome to the madhouse.
Edited by Belle427 on Wednesday 24th January 07:55
Leaks can be a pain to solve, but the seals are inexpensive to replace.
I have managed to make my car leak-free in the cab (for now) with:
New seals all round (around roof hoop, door/windscreen/door cill)
Targa seals (that the door windows meet) - also find the height adjustment screw on the inside of the door windows, halfway along, just below the brush trim
Refitted the rubber trim (with Sikaflex) around the windscreen to meet the aluminium door window runners more tightly (also because it had been stuck poorly with clear silicone that looked awful)
Also pay attention to the driver side inner wing for sealant around clutch cover, brake reservoir and all the grommets (I've resealed around the brake res twice in a year because the Sikaflex failed!)
All of that has probably cost me around £85 in seal profiles and sealant.
I have managed to make my car leak-free in the cab (for now) with:
New seals all round (around roof hoop, door/windscreen/door cill)
Targa seals (that the door windows meet) - also find the height adjustment screw on the inside of the door windows, halfway along, just below the brush trim
Refitted the rubber trim (with Sikaflex) around the windscreen to meet the aluminium door window runners more tightly (also because it had been stuck poorly with clear silicone that looked awful)
Also pay attention to the driver side inner wing for sealant around clutch cover, brake reservoir and all the grommets (I've resealed around the brake res twice in a year because the Sikaflex failed!)
All of that has probably cost me around £85 in seal profiles and sealant.
In addition to the above, ref Rainsports, whilst I don't have them they've generally been well-reported on for the Chimaeras by people on here (accepting that many were for the older Rainsport 3). IIRC, they weren't available in ZR rating for the 15" front wheels, but were in VR. If that's still the case, it might be worth checking with your ins. co.(though many don't), mine were fine and put it in writing.
If you have to park outside, some use a half-cover, ie just covers roof/screen etc, due to concerns about a full cover scratching the paint.
If you have to park outside, some use a half-cover, ie just covers roof/screen etc, due to concerns about a full cover scratching the paint.
Moltoveloce said:
Evening all, long time lurker, first time poster, though I may have made mention of a Lister MKIII I had way back when god was a boy. I digress.
OK, so I’m a few months into my first TVR ownership, and it’s fair to say I’m smitten. THE NOISE ??
Trev is a Chim 400 and is currently tucked away in winter storage, cos I’m conscious of the fact that he’ll probably dissolve if I take him out on January roads.
Body, interior, chassis and outriggers are all good thankfully, but I’d like to give the mechanicals a refresh during the winter months, so looking for a bit of advice from the great and the good on PH.
Just a quick clarification, I’m an old fart, veteran of one minor heart attack, so I ain’t gonna be tracking this thing - the goal is rumbling around the UK and Europe with t’ missus.
The issues I’ve got are as follows:
Tyres. When these went on Labour were still in the hot seat, so they’re on the outs. I’m on 15/16s - I’m guessing I’m not going to go too far wrong with Rainsport 5s?
Brakes. Fair bit of judder from them ATM, so new disks and (why not) pads. Any particular recommendations?
Suspension - the ride’s a bit on the crashy side for long trips. Could be springs, could be tired dampers, could very well be my pampered arse not being used to being parked in something a bit more focussed, but I’m open to advice. I looked at Nitrons cos they get a fair bit of love here, but the price made my bum squeak a lil bit, even though they’re in budget. Worth the outlay? Bear in mind old fart, so not wanting anything racy. Similars with springs.
Aaaand finally, whilst Trev is going to be mostly garaged or under some sort of cover, that’s not always possible and we do live on a pretty soggy island - I have found that water really gets into the doors when it’s been raining, any advice on the best way round that?
Thanking you all in advance, and thoroughly delighted to have joined the TVR community ??
Moltoveloce - welcome to the club! I'm a month in to TVR ownership, so I'm also learning, but a couple of months of research and some brilliant help and advice from the guys on here has been invaluable. Ditto my local specialist, Str8six!OK, so I’m a few months into my first TVR ownership, and it’s fair to say I’m smitten. THE NOISE ??
Trev is a Chim 400 and is currently tucked away in winter storage, cos I’m conscious of the fact that he’ll probably dissolve if I take him out on January roads.
Body, interior, chassis and outriggers are all good thankfully, but I’d like to give the mechanicals a refresh during the winter months, so looking for a bit of advice from the great and the good on PH.
Just a quick clarification, I’m an old fart, veteran of one minor heart attack, so I ain’t gonna be tracking this thing - the goal is rumbling around the UK and Europe with t’ missus.
The issues I’ve got are as follows:
Tyres. When these went on Labour were still in the hot seat, so they’re on the outs. I’m on 15/16s - I’m guessing I’m not going to go too far wrong with Rainsport 5s?
Brakes. Fair bit of judder from them ATM, so new disks and (why not) pads. Any particular recommendations?
Suspension - the ride’s a bit on the crashy side for long trips. Could be springs, could be tired dampers, could very well be my pampered arse not being used to being parked in something a bit more focussed, but I’m open to advice. I looked at Nitrons cos they get a fair bit of love here, but the price made my bum squeak a lil bit, even though they’re in budget. Worth the outlay? Bear in mind old fart, so not wanting anything racy. Similars with springs.
Aaaand finally, whilst Trev is going to be mostly garaged or under some sort of cover, that’s not always possible and we do live on a pretty soggy island - I have found that water really gets into the doors when it’s been raining, any advice on the best way round that?
Thanking you all in advance, and thoroughly delighted to have joined the TVR community ??
I'm just about to stick my experience on a separate post, so I won't repeat it here, but good luck. My advice is get your car into a specialist and get it checked over. Then you know what you need to do and you're not assuming "its just an old car".
Thanks MadMark - I did a ton of reading and YouTubing before pulling the trigger on Trev, so I've a reasonable idea what I'm in for. I'm aware that, whilst most mechanicals are affordable, the car is a bit on the bespoke side and not manufactured to Toyota standards, but I've gone into it with eyes open and am a very happy bunny indeed.
I've got the manuals and the bibles, and also a proper TVR specialist not far down the road, but figured there's no harm in getting the boring stuff that I can sort out with a mate and his ramp out of the way before I start getting into the technicals.
Just as an aside, my daily driver is a Skoda Superb PHEV, so comparing the relative driving experiences does leave me somewhat short of superlatives and, for that matter, expletives.
The Skoda practically drives itself, Trev demands to be driven. Skoda pulls away from my drive in silence, Trev sounds like an artillery barrage whilst he's warming up. Skoda whooshes along at license losing speeds alarmingly easily. Trev is a galloping mass of sinew and muscle that makes 40mph feel like 100,
Nobody notices Skoda sliding by.
People pause and smile at Trev as he rumbles past.
Skoda's easier on the wallet, but it's an appliance.
Trev is an experience.
I've got the manuals and the bibles, and also a proper TVR specialist not far down the road, but figured there's no harm in getting the boring stuff that I can sort out with a mate and his ramp out of the way before I start getting into the technicals.
Just as an aside, my daily driver is a Skoda Superb PHEV, so comparing the relative driving experiences does leave me somewhat short of superlatives and, for that matter, expletives.
The Skoda practically drives itself, Trev demands to be driven. Skoda pulls away from my drive in silence, Trev sounds like an artillery barrage whilst he's warming up. Skoda whooshes along at license losing speeds alarmingly easily. Trev is a galloping mass of sinew and muscle that makes 40mph feel like 100,
Nobody notices Skoda sliding by.
People pause and smile at Trev as he rumbles past.
Skoda's easier on the wallet, but it's an appliance.
Trev is an experience.
I know the feeling and me and my "hairy chested" Griff 500 owning friend have poured over my car, before and after we bought it, but that's no substitute for years of professional knowledge. And the free advice of what works.
I have a current model Audi RS3 as my "daily" so I've got a different problem in that it's even faster than the Chim, with way more grip, total traction and even better brakes (380mm 6 Pots). So I run the risk of not adjusting down to the Chim and binning it, forgetting what I'm driving! First world problems eh?
I have a current model Audi RS3 as my "daily" so I've got a different problem in that it's even faster than the Chim, with way more grip, total traction and even better brakes (380mm 6 Pots). So I run the risk of not adjusting down to the Chim and binning it, forgetting what I'm driving! First world problems eh?
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