Considering a TVR - general advice please
Discussion
I'm looking to change cars and have never really considered a TVR before.
To be honest - I don't know much about them. I know this is a TVR biassed site - but I'm looking for some balanced opinions, which is why I'm asking here, not in the TVR page.
My budget's up to about £14k or so. I don't really know which models might meet my requirement most closely. I'm looking for something nicely balanced, with neutral handling and that's going to be a lot of fun. I know they all have plenty of power, but are any engines to be particularly sought or avoided?
I don't want a car that's too thugish in it's handling and delivery. With this in mind, is a TVR really something I should be considering?
To be honest - I don't know much about them. I know this is a TVR biassed site - but I'm looking for some balanced opinions, which is why I'm asking here, not in the TVR page.
My budget's up to about £14k or so. I don't really know which models might meet my requirement most closely. I'm looking for something nicely balanced, with neutral handling and that's going to be a lot of fun. I know they all have plenty of power, but are any engines to be particularly sought or avoided?
I don't want a car that's too thugish in it's handling and delivery. With this in mind, is a TVR really something I should be considering?
joe911 said:
Do you care about reliability?
Will you work on the car yourself?
Is it a second car?
Of course I "care" about reliability - but I'm willing to tollerate some inconvenience. How do I quantify this - I wouldn't tollerate somthing that couldn't reliably take me on a 1000 mile round trip with 95% reliability or something that was in the garage every other month, but if it's better than that, I'd have no issue.
I would only do basic work myself. Break pads, oil change, small jobs. Anything else it would go to a garage for.
It would be my main car, but I've got a mk2 Golf Gti and '78 mini clubman too, as well as my girlfriends car. It's the car I'd be using for my 30 mile daily commute to work and would be my main mode of transport.
I'd previously been thinking NSX (but they're more than I want to spend) or 968 Sport (or CS), but I can't find a decent one. I realise both these are very different animals to any TVR, but different cars obviously have different appeals.
For 14k I would say a chimaera is your best bet, dont forget they need servicing every 6k or 12months with out fail. Not really a do it your self job either I'm afraid.
You need to budget about 1-2k a year for bits and pieces and so long as your prepared for little things needing fixed you should be OK.
There are plenty of people who use TIVs as daily drives with no problems, the main thing to look for is service history and maintenance, miles are secondary to condition. The condition of cars varies widely so do a lot of searching around and don't buy the first one you drive (as difficult as that may be
)
You need to budget about 1-2k a year for bits and pieces and so long as your prepared for little things needing fixed you should be OK.
There are plenty of people who use TIVs as daily drives with no problems, the main thing to look for is service history and maintenance, miles are secondary to condition. The condition of cars varies widely so do a lot of searching around and don't buy the first one you drive (as difficult as that may be
)I had a Chimaera 400 as a daily driver for a couple of years. Put 40k miles on it & the thing only let me down a couple of times - once was an alternator that i could hear going but was too slack to fix until it let go 200 miles from home. The other time was a dodgy starter. However, 40k miles costs A LOT in servicing over 2 years - and these cars do need it. Of course, they also need to be driven to keep them working so there's a bit of balance to be had. But I thought it was a great entry to TVR-land: performance, noise, looks, fun, practical for a 2 seater etc etc and would recommend them to anyone as a proper sports car thats good for weekends or extravagant everyday caning 
I'm now in a Cerb 4.5 which I would say is another level of thuggish power delivery and handling (and noise, and flames and costs...) - but is proof that these cars are extremely addictive. I think that if you end up with a good first TVR you'll find it hard to get excited by much else on the road!
Go test driving and see what you think...
I'm now in a Cerb 4.5 which I would say is another level of thuggish power delivery and handling (and noise, and flames and costs...) - but is proof that these cars are extremely addictive. I think that if you end up with a good first TVR you'll find it hard to get excited by much else on the road!
Go test driving and see what you think...
willdew said:
I'm looking to change cars and have never really considered a TVR before.
To be honest - I don't know much about them. I know this is a TVR biassed site - but I'm looking for some balanced opinions, which is why I'm asking here, not in the TVR page.
My budget's up to about £14k or so. I don't really know which models might meet my requirement most closely. I'm looking for something nicely balanced, with neutral handling and that's going to be a lot of fun. I know they all have plenty of power, but are any engines to be particularly sought or avoided?
I don't want a car that's too thugish in it's handling and delivery. With this in mind, is a TVR really something I should be considering?
In my experienc of an early Griffith, which would be within your budget, reliability is down to the quality of maintenance. If you expect it to bechave perfectly between services and never lift the bonnet, it'll let you down. However if you give it a once over every now and again, and attend to little things yourself, a fundamentally good car shouldn't be any problem.
In you price range you're looking at either a Ford V6 engined car (S1, S2 or S3 - up to £10k ish) or a Rover V8 (V8S, Griffith, Chimaera). Arguably the best developed Rover V8 is the 4.0 fitted to the latest Chimaera (within your budget). None of them are particularly problematic though. It's wear and tear on electrics, seals, pipework, bushes etc that take the toll.
Seeing as it's a daily car BUT you have a back up, I'd say TVR is a great idea. Probably a well sorted late S3 given that you value balance and handling as opposed to outright power - but keep an open mind. Chimaeras are attractively cheap at the moment and a decent cared for 4.0 on say an M or N plate could equally be the ticket.
Parrot of Doom said:
FWIW I reckon most people will recommend a 4.0 Chimaera, Griffith.
big_treacle said:
I had a Chimaera 400 as a daily driver for a couple of years.
IMHO: the 4l C would be the natural choice, (G is the same but different body and more expensive to buy
essential that you book on a day of driver training in your new car. Best to go through the TVRCC.willdew said:
I'm looking to change cars and have never really considered a TVR before.
To be honest - I don't know much about them. I know this is a TVR biassed site - but I'm looking for some balanced opinions, which is why I'm asking here, not in the TVR page.
My budget's up to about £14k or so. I don't really know which models might meet my requirement most closely. I'm looking for something nicely balanced, with neutral handling and that's going to be a lot of fun. I know they all have plenty of power, but are any engines to be particularly sought or avoided?
I don't want a car that's too thugish in it's handling and delivery. With this in mind, is a TVR really something I should be considering?
OK willdew, heres my twopence worth. I would've thought that for 14k you would find a private 98/99ish Chim or a 96/97ish Griff. Personally i would go for the newest car ie chim but down to personal pref. 30-40k miles,ish. I dont believe that these rover engined cars require dealer servicing. A good garage should be more than able to service/ maintain a chim. There may be odd bits that need some specialist attention but on the whole a rover engine, ford axle/ hubs/brakes are all commonplace. A full service for my chim would cost me £175. All filters,plugs,oils, brake pads etc are available off the shelf at your local motor factor. Yes the resale value will be reduced but as long as the service book is stamped not by a big margin.
You may find a garage that has done work on these cars and has prior exp as i did.
I owned a 450chim for 5 yrs so that is what i can recomend (no doubt a 4.0 will be as good)
In this time (22k miles) i reckon i spent about £500/600 a year on service/maintenance.
Main items/aprox costs..
gearbox shaft seal and clutch plate(sensible while split) inc fitting £250
Starter motor (4.6 rangerover)fitted £150
radiator repaired after hole chaffed(self fit) £110
New front top susp arms(from tvr)£45.00 each inc bushes £ 90
tracking and alignment set up after self fit of above £ 80
Set tyres £500
New brakes,discs(drilled&grooved)and pads (ford cosworth)£360
Spax adj dampers ,front(made a big improvment) £250
New rear plastic screen,fitted(i took it off the car) £120
5 x service at average £175. £875
I fitted the brakes,dampers and susp arms. Didnt really need all 4 discs changing but i got a bit carried away, Tyres really normal wear and tear. I did do a lot of cleaning and hammerite painting/ undersealing under the car. The powder coat is rubbish and falls off allowing corrosion. You must view a car on a ramp to assess. Mine was a 97 450. I lost 9.5K depreciation in 5yrs which i thought acceptable tho i could have sold car for more if i'd been in less of a hurry (impulse tuscan purchase). These are the main items, there will have been other sundries but only small. As for driving, YES they need some respect and restraint but the v8 has a nice delivery thro the rev range without sudden surges as with a turbo. I thoroughly enjoyed my chim and was sorry to see it go, it gave me much pleasure and a little pain. Best thing is to try a few out, After 10mins driving one i wasnt sure i could live with one, after an hour i knew i couldnt live without one
Dave. R TOY said:
OK willdew, heres my twopence worth. I would've thought that for 14k you would find a private 98/99ish Chim or a 96/97ish Griff. Personally i would go for the newest car ie chim but down to personal pref. 30-40k miles,ish. I dont believe that these rover engined cars require dealer servicing. A good garage should be more than able to service/ maintain a chim. There may be odd bits that need some specialist attention but on the whole a rover engine, ford axle/ hubs/brakes are all commonplace. A full service for my chim would cost me £175. All filters,plugs,oils, brake pads etc are available off the shelf at your local motor factor. Yes the resale value will be reduced but as long as the service book is stamped not by a big margin.
You may find a garage that has done work on these cars and has prior exp as i did.
I owned a 450chim for 5 yrs so that is what i can recomend (no doubt a 4.0 will be as good)
In this time (22k miles) i reckon i spent about £500/600 a year on service/maintenance.
Main items/aprox costs..
gearbox shaft seal and clutch plate(sensible while split) inc fitting £250
Starter motor (4.6 rangerover)fitted £150
radiator repaired after hole chaffed(self fit) £110
New front top susp arms(from tvr)£45.00 each inc bushes £ 90
tracking and alignment set up after self fit of above £ 80
Set tyres £500
New brakes,discs(drilled&grooved)and pads (ford cosworth)£360
Spax adj dampers ,front(made a big improvment) £250
New rear plastic screen,fitted(i took it off the car) £120
5 x service at average £175. £875
I fitted the brakes,dampers and susp arms. Didnt really need all 4 discs changing but i got a bit carried away, Tyres really normal wear and tear. I did do a lot of cleaning and hammerite painting/ undersealing under the car. The powder coat is rubbish and falls off allowing corrosion. You must view a car on a ramp to assess. Mine was a 97 450. I lost 9.5K depreciation in 5yrs which i thought acceptable tho i could have sold car for more if i'd been in less of a hurry (impulse tuscan purchase). These are the main items, there will have been other sundries but only small. As for driving, YES they need some respect and restraint but the v8 has a nice delivery thro the rev range without sudden surges as with a turbo. I thoroughly enjoyed my chim and was sorry to see it go, it gave me much pleasure and a little pain. Best thing is to try a few out, After 10mins driving one i wasnt sure i could live with one, after an hour i knew i couldnt live without one
All sounds very sensible - thanks. I think independent (competent) servicing makes much more sence. I can't imagine it's a particularly specialist job. And those costs all look acceptable.
I used to sell Jap import sports cars, so I have a healthy respect for 300bhp rwd cars, but am not intimidated by them. Obviously a lot of the Jap stuff has traction control, but there's plenty that doesn't (or can be turned off
). How big an imporovement does uprating/updating the dampers make?
And I seem to be able to afford the 5.0 litre. My immediate thoughts is that this is the route I should go. Is there a reason I should be going for the smaller engine(s) (other than my safety)?
willdew said:
And I seem to be able to afford the 5.0 litre. My immediate thoughts is that this is the route I should go. Is there a reason I should be going for the smaller engine(s) (other than my safety)?
Everyone else's safety?
As for suspension this is a typical thread. www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=88140&f=9&h=0&hw=ohlins I've never heard of anyone fitting either N or O and regretting it.
I was looking for either a 4.0 or 4.5ltr Chimeara or definately a 500 Griff for occasional use. I was told that the 4.0 and 4.5 were the most reliable lumps in the Chimeara and i was hoping to pick up a 98/99 for circa £14k and maybe a 97 Griff for the same (with some searching).
I say occasional use, i will be using it alot when i'm in the UK but will get my brother to look after her when i'm not here and run her every week or so, i'm sure he won't mind. I was hoping to out the S60 i've got and have a TVR because they're so much more practical to something like an Elise, plus they're just f##king gorgeous!!!
Does anybody else do the same?
I say occasional use, i will be using it alot when i'm in the UK but will get my brother to look after her when i'm not here and run her every week or so, i'm sure he won't mind. I was hoping to out the S60 i've got and have a TVR because they're so much more practical to something like an Elise, plus they're just f##king gorgeous!!!
Does anybody else do the same?
chevtrev said:
If you can afford it,go for the 500.
I bought my first TVR which was a 500 at 27 and had only mild powered sports cars previously, and still alive now.
Just tread carefully for a while,as i'm sure youv'e heard before,it may bite you.
Yep, I think the 500 is the way to go. Otherwise, I can see myself wishing I had 2-3 months down the line. I'm a big enough boy now not to be silly at the wrong time and in the wrong places, so see no reason not to.
Ok, below is some of the work i've had done in the past year - The only thing i didnt budget for was a rebuild and pretty much everything else i was expecting to go at somepoint in my time with the car so no nasty shocks really...
Austec Service - April 05
£1100 - Inc new Master and slave cylinder seals for the Clutch and Brake, 2 New Engine mounts - Re selaed the sump and sleeved the exhaust
AA - New Alternator £350.00
RBS Motors - MOT - £80.00
Post Lemans July 05 -
RBS Motors (V8 Specialist) - Approx £3k
New Fuel Pump & Fuel Lines
New Braided brake hoses
New Grooved and Drilled Discs
New Pads (Mintex 1144's)
New Rad
New Steering Rack
New PAS hoses
New Diff Bushes
New Coil
New Plugs
New HT Leads
New Ignition Module (thingiemejig)
Service
Nov 05
2 New Rear tyres £180.00
Jan 06 -
Austec - £6.5K (gulp) _ and still counting
Full ground up enginge rebuild inc Liners and Pistons due to a cracked piston
Full Re-spray
New Gaz Shocks and Springs
New Clutch lines
New Rear Screen stictched in
2 new Front tyres
Total year to date £12kish - I feel that nothing on the car has gone or needed doing that i didnt really account for or know would need doing at somepoint - its up for sale but because of new Property etc than i think its unrelaible, believe me if i could keep it, the flat, the new business start up and the Mrs i would - I've had the work done as if i were going to keep it and not palmed it off onto some other sucker who doesnt understand these cars - This is my 4th TVR now and ANYONE buying one should go in eyes wide open - Buy on Condition condition condition...
Its a bargain, and in a fast Yellow Colour as well !!
>> Edited by hughesieII on Monday 13th March 13:47
Austec Service - April 05
£1100 - Inc new Master and slave cylinder seals for the Clutch and Brake, 2 New Engine mounts - Re selaed the sump and sleeved the exhaust
AA - New Alternator £350.00
RBS Motors - MOT - £80.00
Post Lemans July 05 -
RBS Motors (V8 Specialist) - Approx £3k
New Fuel Pump & Fuel Lines
New Braided brake hoses
New Grooved and Drilled Discs
New Pads (Mintex 1144's)
New Rad
New Steering Rack
New PAS hoses
New Diff Bushes
New Coil
New Plugs
New HT Leads
New Ignition Module (thingiemejig)
Service
Nov 05
2 New Rear tyres £180.00
Jan 06 -
Austec - £6.5K (gulp) _ and still counting
Full ground up enginge rebuild inc Liners and Pistons due to a cracked piston
Full Re-spray
New Gaz Shocks and Springs
New Clutch lines
New Rear Screen stictched in
2 new Front tyres
Total year to date £12kish - I feel that nothing on the car has gone or needed doing that i didnt really account for or know would need doing at somepoint - its up for sale but because of new Property etc than i think its unrelaible, believe me if i could keep it, the flat, the new business start up and the Mrs i would - I've had the work done as if i were going to keep it and not palmed it off onto some other sucker who doesnt understand these cars - This is my 4th TVR now and ANYONE buying one should go in eyes wide open - Buy on Condition condition condition...
Its a bargain, and in a fast Yellow Colour as well !!
>> Edited by hughesieII on Monday 13th March 13:47
As long as you are competent and take care I don't see why not?willdew said:
If you can afford it,go for the 500.
I bought my first TVR which was a 500 at 27 and had only mild powered sports cars previously, and still alive now.
Just tread carefully for a while,as i'm sure youv'e heard before,it may bite you.
Yep, I think the 500 is the way to go. Otherwise, I can see myself wishing I had 2-3 months down the line. I'm a big enough boy now not to be silly at the wrong time and in the wrong places, so see no reason not to.
That is exactly what I thought when buying the Griff, went for a well sorted 500 and not for one second have I ever wished I'd bought a 4.0/4.3. It's now for sale though if you want a really good one.
>> Edited by Painey on Monday 13th March 16:28
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