stuartianmac Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Perhaps anyway... I get a car allowance from work, and do a few miles, but not like sales rep amount. Currently have a merc E-class diesel, which is great for the M-ways, but not so fun. Well, not really fun at all. I am getting pissed off with racking the miles up on it from new, and paying through the nose for a PCP (mileage limits and all that) and have decided to bin the idea of the single car for all purposes come change time in Dec. I plan to get a used Mondeo (or suchlike, its no so important) oilburner to smoke the work miles, and get a toy for weekends and every spare minute I have. I've always been into TVRs, and I used to work in Blackpool, watching them screaming around with the trade plates gaffer taped to the back. This was when the Cerbera had just come out and it just looked and sounded like nothing else, and still does TBH. In fact every TVR does, and thats why I love them. They are honest, drop-jawed gorgeous, howling, screaming banshees... and obviously blisteringly quick. Anyway, TVR was the first thing I thought about when I had this idea. Everyone I spoke to kept trying to persuade me into things like Lotus Elise or old school porkers like 968. These are all very well, but just don't set me alight like TVR. The thing about recent TVRs is that they are all fantastic, I don't really even have a model preference, but that might be enforced on me by other factors. I reckon a bank loan to the payment I am paying now will net me £5k for a smoker and £12k for a plaything. That looks to be good for a decent chimaera on a 98 or newer plate (I hear reliability improved a lot from this point on), or a slightly higher miles, slight lower in the market cerbera. It might even stretch to a tuscan, but probs a duff one for this money. I have heard about tuscan and cerbera costing "around twice as much" as griff and chim, but I am not really sure if this is because they are less reliable (more electrics to go wrong etc) or because they are quicker they have more performance parts, or higher service costs etc. Now I only have estimates for running costs, but does £500 for a yearly service plus £1k to 2k odds and sods maintenance and repairs sound accurate for a well looked after chim? Does this increase ridiculously with a cerb or tusc? I would be interested to know what anyone thinks really, cos I am sure there are lots of experts and owners in here, and I feel v green to it all... but excited! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stackmonkey Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Hi, lots more info on all TVRs on Pistonheads, but... Your purchase price workings are about right, £1.5k to £2K service etc per year is about right for a Chimaera/Griffith. Cerbera running costs are reckoned to be about double this as the higher performance parts are somewhat more specialised and expensive. Any cars with the straight six will be similar, and seems to take into account the possibility of an engine re-build, particularly for earlier ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helfinger Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 I have a 2006 T350 C and i love it to bits.... there is nothing i have ever driven that makes you feel so special.....and the sound.....its glorious if you fancy one i say do it.... , there are certain things you have to do in life and 1 is to own a TVR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 [ QUOTE ] nothing makes you feel so special..... [/ QUOTE ] Apart from women, drugs, beer, vodka... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbucket Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 So what accounts for the service costs on the Chimeras? as I thought the Rover V8 would be cheap to look after. 2k a year seems quite high (yes I am thinking about getting one!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stackmonkey Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 that's £2K inc insurance. My Chimaera is going in for service in a couple of weeks - will be around £550 for a 6k one, plus any bits that need doing - older cars need more bits, plus the engine is somewhat modified from being 'stock' rover V8. Mine has solid cam followers, tappets have to be adjusted at an extra 2-3 hours; I've grounded it, which has put small hole in exhaust to be mended.. The 'advisories' for other cars, which may last another year before seeing to? get them done now to maintain reliability. you won't spend £2k every year, but some bills can make it more, so it's as well to budget. It's worth it, every penny is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbucket Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 lovely thanks just need to actually go and have a look at one up close. have not even been in one yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helfinger Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 TVR's Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbucket Posted July 10, 2007 Report Share Posted July 10, 2007 Test drove a Chimaera 400 this afternoon. Very helpful salesman at a TVR specialist spent several hours answering my questions etc followed by a 30 minute drive. Very impressed overall, not as fast as I expected but then it is the lowest model so to speak. But I totally want one now. Trouble is I cannot really afford it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisCSL Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 I understand that earlier TVR's like the Chim's and Griff's BHP figs were a little overstated. Although they are still powerful lightweight cars and all are fast. The newer Speed Six engines are more realistic with BHP and performance figs (in-line with average of car manufacturers figs). All are much faster than the Chim 400 and 500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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