any issues resolved?

[Andy70]

Hi there, i was looking to buy another Chimaera, not owned one for some years now and want another. I was looking at a 2000 plate and when i asked the chap about usual issues, outriggers/chassis or hot start etc, now he said there is nothing in the service history regarding anything like this being sorted, now I heard through the grapevine that TVR started to build them better later on in production, he said the outriggers were in good order and no issues with hot start, so is it possible that TVR sorted some issues, or were some just lucky? As far as i was aware that if there was a TVR on the road then issues like that were probably done (unless issues sorted in the factory)

[Belle427]

The chassis coating changed from silver to white around 1997 and it was said the white ones that were then done in house were the worst as chassis prep was poor.
A full inspection is the only way to tell really.
As for the immobiliser I'm not sure but that's easily rectified and not too much of a worry.

[Andy70]

well its got 12 months MOT so id like to think something would have been picked up, but I'll have a good root around underneath

[Belle427]

They can rot where you cant see it so an Mot isnt really a great indication of chassis condition.
If it looks pretty good in the usual places you may be lucky.

[Andy70]

yeah then I suppose no one would ever know unless the came off. No idea where I heard that then, regarding tvr improving known issues towards the end of production, oh well I'll have a good look

[Belle427]

Some say the later cars were thrown together even worse, with any car like this really make sure you do a thorough inspection.
Never trust an owners word for it, at the end of the day they just want it gone.
Most owners are honest but you will get the odd few.

[citizen smith]

Andy70 said:

yeah then I suppose no one would ever know unless the came off. No idea where I heard that then, regarding tvr improving known issues towards the end of production, oh well I'll have a good look

.

The Chimaera was improved over the years to be a better car - that included engine alterations, switch gear, front & rear bumper design plus improved bonnet ventilation. I've owned a number of White Chassis Chimaera/Griffiths and never had any real problem bar the flacking of powder coat.

Engine management issues can be a nightmare even on a v.low mileage car due to sensor issues etc., but I have found that having something like PowersPerformance MBE installed solved those problems (Smooth, tractable drive bar a bit costly but worth every penny).

TVR's are old cars now, so you have to expect the odd glitch in owning - as you would any make of motor car no matter what there price maybe.

Best to find one that's been kept in the dry.

I'm only selling mine due to not being used much.

[kris450]

In terms of your original 2 points this is sort of going against the grain of what (and yet I fully agree with the overall impression) is the generally accepted consensus.

Mines a 2000 year car and when I did a body lift a few years ago the chassis was in overall great condition. There were 2 smallish rust holes but that was basically it (in my profile there is a link for the body off blog I did, section 8 for some pics of the chassis). Again I agree the later cars are probably worse for powder coating/rust issues, but I guess its luck of the draw annoyingly.

Also I did end up suffering the hot start issue where I had to get the push start of shame at both the UK and French side of the euro tunnel Took about 15 minutes to fit the hot start kit and its been perfect ever since.

For me a TVR is ideally owned by someone who enjoys a bit of tinkering. Its not mandatory, but most of us seem to enjoy working on our cars to some degree. If you're not like that then no issues at all, but costs could grow more than you expect if you're getting a garage to do very single thing for you.

Ultimately just buy the flipping thing. We only live once and they aren't complicated cars to fix and work on if needed

[Andy70]

kris450 said:

In terms of your original 2 points this is sort of going against the grain of what (and yet I fully agree with the overall impression) is the generally accepted consensus.

Mines a 2000 year car and when I did a body lift a few years ago the chassis was in overall great condition. There were 2 smallish rust holes but that was basically it (in my profile there is a link for the body off blog I did, section 8 for some pics of the chassis). Again I agree the later cars are probably worse for powder coating/rust issues, but I guess its luck of the draw annoyingly.

Also I did end up suffering the hot start issue where I had to get the push start of shame at both the UK and French side of the euro tunnel Took about 15 minutes to fit the hot start kit and its been perfect ever since.

For me a TVR is ideally owned by someone who enjoys a bit of tinkering. Its not mandatory, but most of us seem to enjoy working on our cars to some degree. If you're not like that then no issues at all, but costs could grow more than you expect if you're getting a garage to do very single thing for you.

Ultimately just buy the flipping thing. We only live once and they aren't complicated cars to fix and work on if needed

I agree I intend to do a bit of tinkering and I know sort of what I'm getting into with them, I did assume however that You tube would be full of TVR self help vids as I thought that many tvr owners liked to 'tinker', but nothing at all for the things I searched for, very surprised with that one as I'm far from a mechanic, that would be useful as i can follow instructions, but wouldn't like to tackle some jobs without a bit of knowledge in advance so to speak, so I'm not scratching my head

[Andy70]

Belle427 said:

Some say the later cars were thrown together even worse, with any car like this really make sure you do a thorough inspection.
Never trust an owners word for it, at the end of the day they just want it gone.
Most owners are honest but you will get the odd few.

I like to assume that you average TVR owner would be a decent chap, not out to rip anyone one off, I think he has a Tuscan too and this was bought for his wife who didn't get on with it, but yes, I agree, my eyes will be wide open

[pmc_3]

To give you an indication of outriggers. When I had mine replaced they looked mainly solid just a bit crusty with a small hole visible here, but that is all that I could see



This was the top side when it was removed

[BritishTvr450]

Chassis and engine management / electrics tend to be the problem areas but you could say that about any 20-30 year old car.
Lack of regular use can also be a problem.
Chassis is commonly the most expensive problem to address unless it also has poor paint.
We have some great and very knowledgeable enthusiasts who can help with things like engine management problems who can diagnose and narrow down faults relating to poor running issues.
The problem then becomes getting good quality parts to repair these basic faults as the ignition and engine management parts such as air flow meters etc are hard to come by.
Many replacement new parts are not upto the job and often good working second hand parts are actually better.

Chassis condition is really where you have to start and IMO anything less than a full body off/ chassis strip down and repair of outriggers and central spar tubing renovation is a sticking plaster repair to what is or will become a major headache down the line.Refer to the pictures above ^^^^ Rigger repair alone based on a partial body lift is not good enough unless it’s also accompanied with plenty of pictures of the rest of the chassis that can be seen only buy lifting the body. In that instance rigger replacement alone is then fully acceptable.

Unfortunately most MOT men can’t access the areas where chassis corrosion occurs which leads to cars gaining mot when they really shouldn’t so an mot is no indication of overall chassis condition.
My rule of thumb would be, if you can see rust on any part of the chassis tubing such as in the engine bay or underneath the car on the bits you can see expect to find a lot more on the parts you can’t see.
This all sounds daunting but if the car has been maintained and cared for over what will be many years now and used regularly usually throughout the summer months mostly then there are many good cars to choose from.

Replacement of the complete engine management system should lead to most if not all the known running issues being removed and is the single best upgrade/ mod that should transform the car into a very useable reliable classic car.
That said it’s also the case many owners have standard management systems that work very well.
It’s more replacement parts not being very reliable that now cause frustration.
If I was starting again and wanting piece of mind and no unexpected large repair bills down the line
I’d simply buy a car with both a body off repair and the management system replaced which might cost slightly more to purchase than a car without it but far better value overall.
Finally the alarm/ immobiliser is also the most commonly known fault that usually only shows itself when the cars been running on a hot day, often referred to as the hot start issue.
These can be repaired or replaced at not huge cost.
With all these problems resolved your car should then be very reliable and hold no fears for years to come.
A car with all these faults or risks might cost 10-12k and one with these risks removed and addressed might cost anything from 15-20k but far better value as sorting these problems out via specialists could cost anything upto 15k or more.
Add up the maths and you’ll soon understand why I promote the purchase of a car with these time consuming and expensive issues removed.
The problem you then have is finding an owner who is prepared to part with such a car.
Selling a car with such good stuff feels like pulling your own teeth out with pliers
Amore cars have a very good reputation for selling TVR cars and as such are very honest as I’ve just been.
If you are a serious buyer Amore would be where I’d start looking.

Edited by BritishTvr450 on Monday 22 July 09:28

[BritishTvr450]

pmc_3 said:

To give you an indication of outriggers. When I had mine replaced they looked mainly solid just a bit crusty with a small hole visible here, but that is all that I could see



This was the top side when it was removed

These pictures are very helpfull.
If you notice bubbling along the outrigger tubes or any other part of the chassis especially if they have been painted over or covered by chassis protection substances suggest somewhere usually in the areas that are completely obstructed by the body have corroded or holed by rust which leads to moisture travelling down inside the tubes and causing corrosion from the inside out.
This is a clear indication the parts you can’t see might look just like these above.
The pictures above show both corrosion from within the tubes and lack of maintenance in keeping the outside of the tubes protected.
These pictures are an extreme case but this is what it leads to if unaddressed for many years.

Edited by BritishTvr450 on Monday 22 July 09:52

[mjlloyd500]

Omg the state of those outriggers and the rest of the chassis you can see .did you not bother looking under your car .I see so many tvrs that look absolutely beautiful and then you poke your head underneath them and they look like this . Also my car has done around 80 thousand miles and I've repainted the outriggers many times and they still look great all that bks about if you see surface rust on any part of the chassis it must be falling apart is cobblers I'm getting pissed off with some people spouting rubbish on here

[Andy70]

i've lots to keep my eyes open for, my first one i bought in ignorance, knew nothing about them at all, luckily the chassis etc were is good order, but this was 20 years ago when probably nothing got a grip fully then I doubt, I've learned a fair bit off here and Dulford, who looked after it for me gave me some good tips.... That name is a blast from the past from people down here in the south west I bet, in fact I got rid of mine just as Colin is it? started up TVRSW he done my diff refurb for me then sadly I had to get rid, I've still got the itch for another and now I think I might dip my toe in again, it will be an every day driver although i do have an estate car for the dogs and kids, so I do have a plan B if I start a job and f**k it up lol

[BritishTvr450]

mjlloyd500 said:

Omg the state of those outriggers and the rest of the chassis you can see .did you not bother looking under your car .I see so many tvrs that look absolutely beautiful and then you poke your head underneath them and they look like this . Also my car has done around 80 thousand miles and I've repainted the outriggers many times and they still look great all that bks about if you see surface rust on any part of the chassis it must be falling apart is cobblers I'm getting pissed off with some people spouting rubbish on here

Have you had the body lifted to check?
It’s not bks in fact more original chassis have holes than not.
Show some pictures of your riggers.
Painting the underside of riggers does not usually get anywhere near the parts that rot. Why have you painted yours many times, probably because rust shows itself again very soon.
You of course might have one of the well kept cars that’s never seen rain.
If that’s the case you have nothing to worry about.
When I mentioned rust in places you can see like within a usually dry engine bay it’s an indication the powdercoat has left the scene there and if it’s gone from those places you can place a reasonably certain bet it will be worse usually just behind the front and rear wheels where the body hides it.

Later cars tend to be worse which is very true but 25 year old powdercoat mullered by stones and or trapped damp muck is hardly going to last forever.
My car is indeed a later car 2000 year W Reg
This is what it looked like at 74,000 miles.

Infact brand new powder coated front wishbones after 5 years had considerable corrosion!

Edited by BritishTvr450 on Monday 22 July 19:20

[BritishTvr450]

[BritishTvr450]

Andy70 said:

i've lots to keep my eyes open for, my first one i bought in ignorance, knew nothing about them at all, luckily the chassis etc were is good order, but this was 20 years ago when probably nothing got a grip fully then I doubt, I've learned a fair bit off here and Dulford, who looked after it for me gave me some good tips.... That name is a blast from the past from people down here in the south west I bet, in fact I got rid of mine just as Colin is it? started up TVRSW he done my diff refurb for me then sadly I had to get rid, I've still got the itch for another and now I think I might dip my toe in again, it will be an every day driver although i do have an estate car for the dogs and kids, so I do have a plan B if I start a job and f**k it up lol

Ah that’s good then.
Dulford was a great company from whats friends have told me.

I might be pointing out the bleeding obvious but so many people have been caught out buying these cars.
I’m close to being ready to sell my car with almost everything I mentioned previously being sorted.
As with most things a few small jobs might remain but mostly simple or stuff that can be done by an enthusiast.
Speedo needs a repair as it sometimes reads wrong ( common problem)
Drivers seat could do with re coating with something like Furniture clinic product which brings them up like new and new floor carpets would make it look pretty mint.


You’ll notice I’ve added heat proofing tape on top chassis rails where exhaust manifolds sit very close. This is another area where powdercoat can disintegrate and rot the rails

[BritishTvr450]

If you click on the photo you should see the chassis picture in more detail.
Sometimes you then need to click on the photo again to get it into a sharper perspective.

I opted for epoxy mastic paint instead of powder coat as I don’t feel powder coat is particularly good on chassis.
It’s also very easy to touch up if stone chips damage it.
I was very pleased with the outcome.

Edited by BritishTvr450 on Monday 22 July 19:23

[TJC46]

BritishTvr450 said:

mjlloyd500 said:

Omg the state of those outriggers and the rest of the chassis you can see .did you not bother looking under your car .I see so many tvrs that look absolutely beautiful and then you poke your head underneath them and they look like this . Also my car has done around 80 thousand miles and I've repainted the outriggers many times and they still look great all that bks about if you see surface rust on any part of the chassis it must be falling apart is cobblers I'm getting pissed off with some people spouting rubbish on here

Have you had the body lifted to check?
It’s not bks in fact more original chassis have holes than not.
Show some pictures of your riggers.
Painting the underside of riggers does not usually get anywhere near the parts that rot. Why have you painted yours many times, probably because rust shows itself again very soon.
You of course might have one of the well kept cars that’s never seen rain.
If that’s the case you have nothing to worry about.
When I mentioned rust in places you can see like within a usually dry engine bay it’s an indication the powdercoat has left the scene there and if it’s gone from those places you can place a reasonably certain bet it will be worse usually just behind the front and rear wheels where the body hides it.

Later cars tend to be worse which is very true but 25 year old powdercoat mullered by stones and or trapped damp muck is hardly going to last forever.

Edited by BritishTvr450 on Monday 22 July 18:45

Body lift in 2009 /2010 Car was 14 years old 46,000 miles and on the surface looked immaculate.
Not my first TVR purchase so i knew what i was buying. I had in my own mind factored in a body lift before i purchased it.
Now if you are one of the now very few owners with an original perfect chassis then, congrats. However look carefully at the pictures of what was my chassis.The outriggers are quite solid, they looked perfect from underneath. But for me the main problem is the breakdown of the powder coat [Early silver one so supposedly superior] everywhere else. At every weld the powder coat was breaking down. I replaced the outriggers anyway and blasted all the chassis. Everything was then covered in 6 coats of 2 pack epoxy. The chassis will eventually rust for sure if still on the original powder coat. There are a few exceptions but that is rare. These cars are quite a few years old now, so you must factor in when buying if the car has had a full body lift or a partial lift, or is still on the original outriggers. Full body lift and 2 pack paint would be my choice.

Edited by TJC46 on Monday 22 July 19:34