TVR Chimaera Thread

[duncs500]

Great stuff, apart from range anxiety sounds like a great trip, post would be enhanced by a few pics.

[drcarlos]

Great stuff, apart from range anxiety sounds like a great trip, post would be enhanced by a few pics.

I'll have to have a look through what the wife has as I'm not a big one for just taking pictures of the car, much to my embarrassment as I feel like a bit of a dick just stopping to take pictures of it.

[drcarlos]

Small update and first real issue with the Chimaera as mentioned in the running reports thread the front passenger side brake was sticking which resulted in mucho smelliness and an overheated disc on the first heat cycle if the car wasn't used for a week or two. If I stopped for a short break for it to cool off the brakes would work totally normally again.
I decided to rebuild the callipers as I had no receipt for them to show if they were new, refurbished or what and knowing they were fitted prior to 2007 as an upgrade, so 15 years old at the newest.
A kit from Big red for all seals, rubbers and pistons was £30, plus another £20 for new fluid and cleaner mean't £50 and a few hours wasn't the end of the world.
As both pistons (even the drivers side was starting to stick) were sticking I opted to push the pistons out with the pedal and fluid (as it was being replaced anyway) and then tap them out from about 9/10ths extension, which was easy enough and just a bit messy.
Inner seals were easily fitted and I found it was easier to grease the calliper body and not the piston when refitting as it made fitting the bellows seal easier.
Bleeding though was a twat and made difficult as the fluid reservoir must be almost 100% full and level (requiring the car to be put on a trolley jack only with disc nearly touching the floor) to not such in air, lots of swearing and a son with legs like popeye now (thanks to lots of up down pedalling) had them sorted.
Brakes no feel quite a bit sharper and easier to operate with less of a dead pedal feel that they had before.
It seems that the old pistons were OK with just a build up of scunge and sticky crud on them causing the problems, so I've cleaned them up and kept them as spares.

[mik]

Someone follow on twitter posted an ad to a Griff 500 earlier - which made me realise we need an update on the Chimp @drcarlos

(Although I see he's not been active for some time )

[Sundayjumper]

Over a year since that last update !

I was thinking of him the other day as I drove through Yateley.

[drcarlos]

Chimaera is still here although i haven't had time to use it this year as much as we've had a big build going on at home (no racing this year, no weekends away, not much of anything apart from diy). I did add some mk2 mx5 tombstone seats in the perforated grey leather (not a bad match but a winter project is to refurb them completely) as they fit me better with my short leg long body build.
Still 100% reliable bar the flat battery i had after our holiday (couldn't leave it on the conditioner due to electrical work for the build), paint has micro blistered on the bonnet where the repair is so ill probably change that as its not a great repair and bonnets are expensive.
Part of our build is to create a new office at home in the house for me so i can then reclaim half of the garage for the car, so hopefully by mid november it can be garaged to keep it dry for the winter.

[drcarlos]

Time to update the thread.

MOT passed last month with advise of corroded rear discs so a set of Delphi discs and pads were procured for £59 from GSF (got to love a light car with old ford parts on it). Fited and then it developed a squeak from the rear passenger side (like a buckle in the disc). Pulled it apart yesterday and cleaned the gunk out of the sliders and regreased then with silicone grease, all seems silent now.
As I had to test drive it I took it over to the bodywork I guy that did my Accord R many years ago and did a good job on my mates CRX 16v for discussions about a total repaint with a colour change.
Initially he wasn't interested as he said he only does restorations to older and more interesting stuff (911 SC and XJC are currently in his workshop) and then I mentioned what it was and he decided it was a candidate.
The idea is that it wil get a full colour change (currently torn between Imperial and Viper blue) with conversion to MK3 covered lights (adding in a more modern LED sealed beam headlight behind a smoke tinted cover) so I can see where I'm going at night. When he inspected it he was happy to do a colour change and said it was pretty easy due to the way they are painted (bloack lower half of . IHe immediately saw the issues (very slight uneven joints where the nose was joined and slightly uneven bonnet with micro blisters, he said with a flat colour it would never be seen but metallic just shows it up) but said as the repair was 3 years old it was a good strong repair as there are no cracks it just needs sanding back some light filling and smoothing with a long block. He thinks ballpark will be 3-4k plus lights. Then I have to recolour the seats and replace the carpets and doors cards. Currently pencilled in for over the winter which he said fits in well with him.

[drcarlos]

Time to update the thread.

MOT passed last month with advise of corroded rear discs so a set of Delphi discs and pads were procured for £59 from GSF (got to love a light car with old ford parts on it). Fited and then it developed a squeak from the rear passenger side (like a buckle in the disc). Pulled it apart yesterday and cleaned the gunk out of the sliders and regreased then with silicone grease, all seems silent now.
As I had to test drive it I took it over to the bodywork I guy that did my Accord R many years ago and did a good job on my mates CRX 16v for discussions about a total repaint with a colour change.
Initially he wasn't interested as he said he only does restorations to older and more interesting stuff (911 SC and XJC are currently in his workshop) and then I mentioned what it was and he decided it was a candidate.
The idea is that it wil get a full colour change (currently torn between Imperial and Viper blue) with conversion to MK3 covered lights (adding in a more modern LED sealed beam headlight behind a smoke tinted cover) so I can see where I'm going at night. When he inspected it he was happy to do a colour change and said it was pretty easy due to the way they are painted (bloack lower half of . IHe immediately saw the issues (very slight uneven joints where the nose was joined and slightly uneven bonnet with micro blisters, he said with a flat colour it would never be seen but metallic just shows it up) but said as the repair was 3 years old it was a good strong repair as there are no cracks it just needs sanding back some light filling and smoothing with a long block. He thinks ballpark will be 3-4k plus lights. Then I have to recolour the seats and replace the carpets and doors cards. Currently pencilled in for over the winter which he said fits in well with him.

Bad news, the squeak is back. Full caliper re-furb kit with new pistons ordered from Biggred. As I think the piston on the passenger side is not retracting enough when the pedal is released so it clears the disc (was stiff to wind back when I changed pads). It doesn't cause any driving issues but the squeak is annoying so I will rebuild them. Re-furb kit was £38.

[duncs500]

Imperial Blue FTW.

[mik]

Re-furb kit was £38.

Outrageous!

[drcarlos]

Re-furb kit was £38.

Outrageous!

I know right

Old Ford parts are cheap, although the suppliers for the front pads (Escort and Granada Cosworth upgraded calipers on mine) are dwindling now so they are getting more expensive.