What is the best starter TVR?
Discussion
greg_d said:
i would like to know the servicing costs, known weaknesses and any other useful info you lucky lucky owners could assist me with
Servicing costs: fierce! 12k service = about £700
Weaknesses:
1: Makes you smile like a moron whenever you either:
a - are driving it
b - think about driving it
2: Makes lots and lots of lovely noise (oh no, sorry, that's not a weakness)
Don't be put off by people braying on about unreliability - the Rover lump is A1; the rest (things dropping off) is incidental and mainly only happens in the first year anyway (the all do that, sir)
Put it all down to driving a car with character - I liken it to the good old days when raffish chaps in big moustaches drove cars with big leather belts around the bonnet - jolly good fun!
Whichever Chim engine you choose you will not be dissapointed. I started with a 400, then switched to a 500, and wished I had bought the 500 first - would have saved me money in terms of depreciation of the 400 etc 
So it does depend what you want from the car, do you want to have fun, and are not too bothered about going like a total rocket ship, or are you after lots and lots of power 
Regards to running costs the only real difference I have found is the higher fuel consumption of the 500. Are you wanting to use the car everyday or just for fun?
Best way is to drive a few and see what you think
Happy Hunting
So it does depend what you want from the car, do you want to have fun, and are not too bothered about going like a total rocket ship, or are you after lots and lots of power Regards to running costs the only real difference I have found is the higher fuel consumption of the 500. Are you wanting to use the car everyday or just for fun?
Best way is to drive a few and see what you think
Happy Hunting
My first TVR is my '99 450 Chim.......servicing from a good indipendent can be as "little" as £400 & vat for a 12000 miler. Apart from that, I've had a relay fail in the headlights since Jan, and that's it.
My opinion on this, as mentioned on many previous threads is to buy the best car you can afford. Don't pin yourself down to a particular model if you can afford not to.
Good luck, and be ready for the permagrin coathanger mouth !!
My opinion on this, as mentioned on many previous threads is to buy the best car you can afford. Don't pin yourself down to a particular model if you can afford not to.
Good luck, and be ready for the permagrin coathanger mouth !!
First, it depends on budget. Assumimng you're in the mid-teens (£K not age!), you're above S and Wedge territory but below Cerbera and current models. So it's either Griff or Chimp and as you fancy the latter, the best thing you can do is go and get a nice one. Do your research and you won't be disappointed.
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There now follows a subliminal advert:
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Greg - I drive a Griff 500 and would dearly love a Cerbera, but I would say that if it's going to be used quite a lot then a Chimaera is a good start point. Go for the 500 if you can, as Martyn says, it'l save you upgrading later, and you will want to... ooh yes
If the Rover V8 goes wrong, you
and it works again! Very reliable and masssive feel good factor.
However, if it's muscle car looks you want... then say "hello Mr Griffith and Mr Cerbera" 
If the Rover V8 goes wrong, you
and it works again! Very reliable and masssive feel good factor. However, if it's muscle car looks you want... then say "hello Mr Griffith and Mr Cerbera"
Greg me old china. Have a look at the classified section and you will see that there are 140 chimps for sale all the other models are under 50. Therefore if ya wanna be as common as muck me old son go for a chimp if you wanna be more adventurous how about a nice brute of a cerbera or a griff 500. They are all pussey's to drive dont be mislead. The G pedal is so long even i can keep it on the road (well just).
What ever u get it will be the best thing you'll do.
HONEST.
What ever u get it will be the best thing you'll do.
HONEST.
gotta be a Cerb - made a 4.5 my "starter TVR" back in March and haven't looked back since...
...in fact, I've already spent some money on decent suspension and brakes, and now want........MORE POWER!!! (as long as Santa pitches up with more than a clementine and piece of coal as a Xmas bonus, that is!!!)
cheers
sean
...in fact, I've already spent some money on decent suspension and brakes, and now want........MORE POWER!!! (as long as Santa pitches up with more than a clementine and piece of coal as a Xmas bonus, that is!!!)
cheers
sean
I've owned my first TVR - a Chimaera 400 HC - for one week now. It's a truley amazing car. Don't think however that the 4 litre model is slow. Relative to the 4.5 and 5.0 litre models it's slower, but it's still a mighty fast car in comparison to most other road cars!
I had been planning to get a Griff 500, but i saw the Chimaera in the colour i wanted and in good condition, so bought it! And i don't regret it one bit!
It puts a smile on my face every time i see it, let alone drive it. And the attention the colour, styling and sound gets when cruising is amazing.
I love it. I'm sure whatever you go for, you'll love it too!
I had been planning to get a Griff 500, but i saw the Chimaera in the colour i wanted and in good condition, so bought it! And i don't regret it one bit!
It puts a smile on my face every time i see it, let alone drive it. And the attention the colour, styling and sound gets when cruising is amazing.
I love it. I'm sure whatever you go for, you'll love it too!
I accidentally bought a Chim 500 in December last year: I'd been looking for a 400 to try and give me some chance of keeping it on the road and curtail my fuel costs. However, I drove a 500 and was impressed by the responsiveness and slightly shocked that it seemed controllable. Of course, I didn't realise I was running it below the "fun" rev band for almost all of the journey...
Drive a few. Drive one with PAS (power asst. steering) and one without. I didn't notice enough much difference to care, even at crawling speed, but you might.
One thing I will say as a caution, though. If you buy a 500 now, what will you upgrade to in a year or five when you want more power? You'll have to go the TuscanT350 route, which is a whole new ball game of expense. Get a 400 and you'll love the power, and when you get used to it you can get a 500 instead, and love the power all over again.
Drive a 400, a 450 and a 500. Don't be afraid to take them all to 5000rpm, but do make sure the road is dry and clean and the wheels are all pointing forwards first. Don't just plant it or you'll go sideways...
You'll pick a Chim or Griff based on which you like the look of, and you'll spend slightly more than you wanted because you've fallen in love with one. You'll also realise that some people shouldn't be allowed to pick the colour of their own car with quite the freedom TVR permit...
Everyone has their own views about engine size, colour and style, and we're all wrong as far as you're concerned. The forum answers specific questions quite well, though.
Drive a few. Drive one with PAS (power asst. steering) and one without. I didn't notice enough much difference to care, even at crawling speed, but you might.
One thing I will say as a caution, though. If you buy a 500 now, what will you upgrade to in a year or five when you want more power? You'll have to go the TuscanT350 route, which is a whole new ball game of expense. Get a 400 and you'll love the power, and when you get used to it you can get a 500 instead, and love the power all over again.
Drive a 400, a 450 and a 500. Don't be afraid to take them all to 5000rpm, but do make sure the road is dry and clean and the wheels are all pointing forwards first. Don't just plant it or you'll go sideways...
You'll pick a Chim or Griff based on which you like the look of, and you'll spend slightly more than you wanted because you've fallen in love with one. You'll also realise that some people shouldn't be allowed to pick the colour of their own car with quite the freedom TVR permit...
Everyone has their own views about engine size, colour and style, and we're all wrong as far as you're concerned. The forum answers specific questions quite well, though.
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