TVR Chimaera Thread

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drcarlos
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TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by drcarlos »

Easier to break this out into it's own thread from the guess the car one.

Ever since the mid 90's I've wanted a Griffith and back to around 1999 when a friend wrote off his RX7 and replaced it with a TVR Chimaera is the only time I've been in a TVR but it cemented that want, we had some main dealers locally and a few times i'd looked over them and thought someday. In 2000 before I bought my first house I was close to going for a Griff 430 but the house won out.
Over the years with other things to think about financially it definitely took a backseat with only fleeting looks into the state of the market while I had cars that I enjoyed but always gave way the 4 seats concern.
With the kids growing up and not wanting to go everywhere with us and the fact we are now a 3 car (well 4 with my eldest) household due to my wifes work van it became apparent I no longer require a second 4 seater (as crazy as my WRX was once modded a wagon just wasn't needed) so I started looking again fairly half heartedly early this year. Not for a Griffith though as they were out of budget and ultimately tight for luggage space (as european touring is the ultimate goal once this covid crap is done with) but for a Chimaera. Even though budget was fairly low there were possibilities with a few in budget, but they were all basic 400's which I thought would probably leave me wanting a little after the Subaru. This was I saw an advert on eBAY far a car at a salvage yard.
It was described as a 400HC (Highlift cam engine with a big HP bump over a std 400) and was CAT N with a light front end damage with no chassis or suspension damage (HPI check confirmed this), the sellers pictures and fairly detailed videos showed a good chassis with fairly new outriggers (a pain point on all TVR's) tell tales of a recently rebuilt engine (new water pump, new gaskets and timing gear) and some fairly extensive breathing and ECU mods (Standalone ECU, wasted spark ignition setup, big modern injectors, new throttle body). It fitted into budget after factoring repairs and paint. The only issue is that being lockdown and it over 350 miles away I couldn't view it and would have to purchase based on video and pictures and have it delivered. However it was the cheapest car in the country at the time, so was it worth a punt?
Well my wife said if you can sell the Subaru we can go for it. 24 hours later it was gone, I really wasn't expecting it to sell at all as they can be hard to shift but my car was the best in the country for sale and not stupidly over priced, so I guess it was attractive. I even made a few hundred all told.
I then called the seller and agreed a deal that would buy the car, them repairing it up till primer, put on a new MOT and ship it to me. A few of the minor niggles were that it had no accessories (targa cover, spare wheel, jack etc) and no history, but I'll post up about all of this later. Well as I wanted a keeper and not a flipper I just went for it and paid them a grand deposit.
They were happy to send pictures and videos as the repair progressed and decided that they would cut the front off a donor car and replace the entire front end.

This is what it looked like to start with back in February, it did run and drive (they had some videos of it driving) and had an MOT.

[img]

So to pile on the cliches I bought the cheapest running and driving midlfe crisis TVR in the country.

There's more to come and I'll write up some more later and add the pictures.
drcarlos
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by drcarlos »

Some of the repairs

Last edited by drcarlos on Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
speedingfine
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by speedingfine »

Brave pill overdose, congratulations! :mrgreen:
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Mito Man
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Mito Man »

This needs its own Youtube series :lol:
How about not having a sig at all?
drcarlos
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by drcarlos »

Mito Man wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:37 pm This needs its own Youtube series :lol:
Well the thought had crossed my mind on that. Maybe I’ll film it’s arrival and see where we go from there.
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mik
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by mik »

speedingfine wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:30 pm Brave pill overdose, congratulations! :mrgreen:
Very much that 8-)

I am pretty sure that my mates 400 must have been an HC as it was definitely something more than “just” a 400.

I wish you much bassy gurgling offbeatedness. 8-)
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Ascender
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Ascender »

Nice one :)

Same colour scheme as my 4.5 was, you'll enjoy it a load!
Cheers,

Mike.
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Delphi
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Delphi »

drcarlos wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:26 pm

So to pile on the cliches I bought the cheapest running and driving midlfe crisis TVR in the country.
You are Tyler Hoover AICMFP.
If you get all wobbly-lipped about the opinion of Internet strangers, maybe it's time to take a bath with the toaster as you'll never amount to sh1t anyway.
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Jobbo
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Jobbo »

Looks good - what caused the damage? Odd for it all to be up there and no damage to the chassis, but good for you.
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Sundayjumper
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Sundayjumper »

Blimey. Good work !
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Broccers
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Broccers »

Super 8-)
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Beany
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Beany »

Jobbo wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:39 pm Looks good - what caused the damage? Odd for it all to be up there and no damage to the chassis, but good for you.
Might have been a previous repair that gave way in a minor bump - my former 'local' mechanic did a lot of/specialised in fibreglass repairs and reckoned that badly patched old repairs by people not familiar with the material were fucking everywhere in TVR/Lotus land.
drcarlos
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by drcarlos »

Delphi wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:58 pm
drcarlos wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:26 pm

So to pile on the cliches I bought the cheapest running and driving midlfe crisis TVR in the country.
You are Tyler Hoover AICMFP.
I watch his channel a fair bit and it did feel a bit like his 348 purchase, something that isn’t bonkers in price but something that I’ve wanted for quite sometime and while it may not be the pinnacle of the brand it for me is what made them a bit special to me.

I haven’t suffered any buyers remorse yet on this even though it did take a dose of the brave pills to commit as there were some nice looking 400s for sale that weren’t damaged.

As for the damage, I’ll hopefully get the full story on that at some point. I’ll pop some additional pictures up of it sans front end while it was being repaired and showing the full process as the seller sent me videos at every stage of the repair. My own deduction was that it rear ended something with a high backend like my l200 at a fairly low impact speed.
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Coaster1
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Coaster1 »

speedingfine wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:30 pm Brave pill overdose, congratulations! :mrgreen:
+1

I love the no messing about, YOLO just do it attitude. 8-)
speedingfine
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by speedingfine »

speedingfine wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:30 pm Brave pill overdose, congratulations! :mrgreen:
PS click my signature to see Tiff driving a 200,000 mile Chimaera 8-)
drcarlos
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by drcarlos »

So to fill in a bit more (I'll add the pics of repair further up). I started doing a bit of internet sleuthing as I felt there couldn't be many Chimaeras that were crashed in late 2020 but repairable. I found what I thought was the previous owner on the facebook group so I dropped him a PM. It turns out I was correct it was him and it's a known car in the community.

Firstly the bad news, it's not a 400HC only a mere 400, so no pocketed pistons needed for a really lairy cam.

I did get more details and it turns out it had a full engine rebuild in the past 2 years, with a new bottom end but what they also added was so sweet.
V8 developments Stage 3 Big Valve heads
V8 developments MC1 camshaft
V8 developments Stage 3 Intake system (large throttle body, tuned trumpets, ported intake manifold)
Megasquirt Standlone ECU with closed loop intake and distributerless wasted spark ignition system
Red Vectra injectors
Manifold Precats removed

It hasn't been mapped fully but one with a similar spec has just been finished on facebook and made 280 real HP (not TVR HP) so it's basically capable of around a 450's level in power and way beyond a 400HC. It needs a couple of jobs, I have to fit a bung for the O2 sensor in the standard Y-pipe (easy for me) and then find a tuna to get it properly mapped as it's currently only running around 250bhp (still up on a 400 considerably), I have to keep remembering that they only weight about a ton to power/weight ratio is good.

You know what I don't care it's not an HC at all after that.

He also told me it had a body off outrigger replacement in 2010.

The wheels and brakes have all been refurbished plus it has new carpets.

Also the previous owner has all of the history and paperwork which he's going to send me, plus he has a few of the accessories too which he was saving in case the new owner tracked him down.

All in all pretty mega.

It's just been through an MOT today which it's passed with no advisories, the tester apparently commented it was very clean for a 25 year old car. The seller also said it was fast and knew it wasn't a standard 400, he's broken and repaired TVR's for 25 years so should know them well.

Should be with me early next week I hope.
drcarlos
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by drcarlos »

speedingfine wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 3:38 pm
speedingfine wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:30 pm Brave pill overdose, congratulations! :mrgreen:
PS click my signature to see Tiff driving a 200,000 mile Chimaera 8-)
That's a great video. My brother has a 05 S2000 with only 50k on it too. He loves it. It is worth considerably more than 4k now though.
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duncs500
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by duncs500 »

Wow, what a story. Fantastic that you were able to make contact with the previous owner and get more info and docs.

Did he expand on what happened in terms of the damage.

As a big TVR fan I'm very much looking forward to updates on this beauty so please don't scrimp on details.
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Coaster1
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by Coaster1 »

duncs500 wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 5:24 pm Fantastic that you were able to make contact with the previous owner and get more info and docs.
It’s good fun tracking down / talking to former owners if they are enthusiasts 8-)
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Re: TVR Chimaera Thread

Post by V8Granite »

Congratulations on purchasing the best sounding V8 in the world 8-)

Dave!
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