TVR Chimaera - New to me

With my previous 'toy' car gone, and also my wife's Z3 too (because we now have a daughter, we needed to trade her Z3 for a family car), there was room for another toy. This had to be driveable by my wife (she didn't like my previous kit-car - too raw), and it had to be a bit more gutsy than her old Z3 (which I didn't like - too girly).

So, I have always like the British roadster thing - TR4,5,6's, MG Roadsters, E-types, Marcos and of course TVR. These ticked the boxes, but I also did want something of a project, so bought a relatively inexpensive 1998 Chimaera 400 in Starmist Blue with blue over magnolia interior. The 400 is the entry level Chimaera, and the Chimeara is pretty well the entry level TVR, so that's where I'm at! Car has poor paintwork with lots of scratches and stonechips. Mechanically it's OK, interior is good (but with the usual TVR splits in the dashboard veneer).

These are very much the 'before' pics. The plan is a rolling resto-custom - essentially my aim is to create the car that I'd like the TVR Chimaera to be (the 'custom' bit), but without destroying the TVR inside, and sticking to various ideals and (I guess) TVR dogmas along the way (the resto bit). In the pics the car is pretty clean (the puddles are caused by me washing it), but day is very overcast:







Clearly, TVR's have a reputation for not being put together very well, and being lethal to their owners. Pulling up at my local garage, the owner exclaimed "oh God, he's bought a widow-maker!". Not sure I really agree. The other owners I don't know many of. Got a mate who drives a Griffith, clearly he's OK! I've been in the TVR car club for some time now (I guess getting on for 5 years), but I've not been to a meet yet - I was really waiting until I had a car, or a car was imminent at least. I think I need to go - mostly my impression is based on the Pistonheads Chimaera forum where I was slightly worried that there's a 20+ page thread on aftermarket wheels, but nobody seems to know what make or size tyres they run. Hopefully they're not just a bunch of posers and that there's some who actually appreciate the performance and visceral nature of the cars, and not just the V8 engine noise. Come to think of it, I haven't see many TVRs at track days I've been to over the last few years. So I guess I need to get along and meet a few owners. Hopefully I won't regret that! Overall, though, these are minor points - I think the car great already, and once the project is underway and I've stamped my own mark on it, it'll be all the greater.

I've started to collect URLs that will be useful along the way:

Tools for getting at the awkward manifold bolts (Pistonheads thread)

The aftermarket wheel thread on Pistonheads

FAST Fuel injection thread on Pistonheads

Key conversion (to get rid of horrid Vauxhall key & seperate clicker)

Boot lock option (so that you can open the boot without the ignition on)

British American Engines

Hoses and clips

http://www.racetuners.com/ - Balancing