I have now fallen in love with my car

This was a seminal weekend for me and the TVR. A nice long three days off with reasonable weather and much to do. Over the weekend I visited two car shows, received hundreds of compliments and spent good bonding time with my little one who now appears to have changed her mind about Daddy's noisy car.

The first show was Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. A small show but a good turn out of fifty cars including everything from a 1930s Roller to hot rods, Aston Racers and MGBs. The Chimaera was more modern than most of the kit there - it's closest rival being a 1980s Sierra Sapphire Cosworth in mint condition. However, it held it's own well and saw an awful lot of attention. This was split between the adults coming over to start with the line "I used to have one of these..." and the young lads who loved the detailed engine bay and interior. It was by no means the star of the show but plenty lusted after it and wanted to know more. Which made me happy.

What I did find interesting was that no matter how well groomed I though my Chim was, next to concours material, it looks almost the less loved brother. But then the blokes who run these flawless machines every weekend spend more time polishing their chrome than enjoying their motor so good luck to them. I did notice a small rubber bung had been ripped from the front left side of the interior engine bay bodywork, exposing a bit of the fire glass and leaving a nasty hole through which rain could percolate into the innards. A bit of sealant has delivered a quick fix but I need to work out what it did so i can find another one.

The second was the much larger and considerably more established 'Cars on the Green' at Croxley Green run by the local Watford and District Classic Vehicle Club. It's a well know event that happens on May and August Bank Holidays and usually attracts a couple of hundred cars. Very well organised and a good spread. There was a huge variety there, all parked in reasonably obvious categories so you can compare similar vehicles next to each other. There were two other Chims there - no Cerbies or Griff which was a surprise. The first was the clean but not entirely inspiring red 450 below. It was nice but a bit stock for me.

The other was a more interesting 400 in Ash Green (I really love that colour) with a turned alloy dash and an aftermarket grill that added to the car's presence. It looked like it had aftermarket suspension too but the owner was off looking at other stuff so I couldn't ask him.

What struck me most about the show was that the best cars in terms of attention and quality were the late 70s, eighties and even nineties cars. People are clearly really starting to show love and attention to pristine models from these eras and good ones are starting to look rather special. Check out the brand new look on this Golf GTi 16v, the perfect Calibra below, a really lovely Fiat Coupe, and my personal star of the show this immaculate BMW M5. Just beautiful and there are so few of these about that aren't just M535i's.

Again - the Chim got lots of attention and it was nice to have a car there that people seemed genuinely interested in. There were plenty of rarer cars but the subtle modifications to my little beast obviously drew the same attention from others at as it did from me six months ago. Nice to know it's considered worthy of attention. Not quite as much as this bonkers Merc SEC. God know what engine it's running but the twin sets of quad side exit exhausts hint at the monster within.

The car's attention had made the little one think twice about her hatred of the car. And being able to clamber all over it whilst others can only look (see below) but not touch made her feel special. So Daddy's car is back in the good books, for now.

But it was none of the above that made me decide to keep this car for a bit. It was something much simpler. It was Shell V power. My god what a difference that fuel makes to this car!! I was told by my trusty mechanic that an older engine like this won't see a lot of benefit from a higher RON fuel. Time to find a new mechanic. It's a totally different car. The pick up from low revs is much stronger, it's smoother all round, it moves through traffic with less grumble and it starts like it should. The drives from place to place this weekend were a dream - so much so that I starting to wonder what about this car had not clicked with me so far. Perhaps it was just trying to tell me it wanted steak not gruel.

Where previously I have been unsure, today I am a Tiv owner reformed. Never again will garbage fuel enter it's tank.

My wife still hates it though. Frankly, I don't care. It stays.

A two year old says 'no' and first car shows in public

My daughter is two years old and has now had her first trip in the Chim. It started reasonably well, and then got progressively worse and ended up with a clear message that she didn't want to go in it again.

The car seat was the first puzzle. Getting it in the car under the roofline was tough but actually once it was in, it secured in very nicely. We have the maxi cosy thingy with the red bits and the ...oh, OK - so I have no idea what we have but it fits, it is secure and with the roll bar as well, no harm will come.

If getting the seat in the car was hard, getting the child in the car was harder. Beacuse the car seat is quite high, the apeture through which to place said child in said Tiv becomes very small. I eventually managed to get her in by offering her up horizontally through the gap like a sacrificial lamb. Once in, straps were easy enough to engage and she settled in nicely for the drive ahead.

I turned the key, the engine caught, and she nearly wet herself with fear. Big noises and two year old baby girls don't always mix well. Evetually the tears stopped and we drove off. She was rather silent throughout apart from when I asked her if she was OK to which the reply was always "No Daddy car". OK - so she hasn't fallen in love with it.

But the trip got worse. I took her with me to pick up some cash from a garage that owed me money on a car they had sold. I got there and left her sitting patiently in the car. Five minutes later, I got back into the car to find she had kicked the entire top of the dashboard off the car (NOTE: email seller about why the hell he replaced everything on the car except the dashboard reatining nut!!). It didn't take long to get back into position and keep it there with a new nut but it wasn't a great moment.

When we finally arrived home - she couldn't wait to get out. Since then she has refused to go anywhere near the car and I think we won't see her in it again for some time.

If I'm honest - this was a real disapointment. I had hoped she would love this car and we would enjoy hours fo father and daughter fun in it for years to come. Sadly - it's going to have to wait until she's a bit older.

In other news - some bloke came up to me in the street and offered me £17k for the car. I obviously attempted to bite his hand off but after we'd exchanged numbers he never called. Even worse, it made me think about the potential value of the car so I put it on Pistonheads for £15k to see what happens. What happened was a barrage of abuse from the forum and no enquiries. Anyway - it's still up there. If someone out there wants to spend £15k on a Chim, it might as well be mine!

The long weekend brings with it the chance to take the car out to a couple of shows. The Croxley Green 'Cars on the Green' on Sunday and the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe Car show on Saturday. Anyone who wants to see the car in the flesh is welcome to have a poke around.

Photos and video of the weekend's antics to come next week.

New arrival

There has been a break in service. Largely due to the arrival of baby number two - Aiden - who came into being on Sunday April 1st. Now the Chimaera's test really begins. Will it be my saviour or will it be neglected and the struggle to manage two under three takes over. To be honest, it played no part in the birth at all. Didn't ferry to the hospital. Didn't bring bAby home. That was. Job performed admirably by the Touareg. I looked at it as I walked in with the baby in my arms and wondered if this was the beginning of the end of a short relationship. The answer to that question appears to be no. Far more than I ever imagined this car has been my escape. It's wonderful to have a new baby. And a baby boy to that matter - having already nurtured a girl for two years. And my daughter is real value for money at the moment. True fun. But 12 hrs of feeds, nappies, bathing, playing and shopping leave you somewhat drained. Rejuvenation is required to prepare for the long night and day ahead. I have found nothing better for this than a blast in the Chim. It's performing better than ever. Solid thumping oil pressure; steady temperature; starts first time; pulls like a train; electrical working nicely. When it's hard work and there is a break in proceedings this car has come to my rescue. It's strange though - when I leave the house I'm still immediately drawn to the Touareg. Must be the paternal instinct for safety. But I force myself to take the Chim and am never disappointed. This morning was a prime example. Clear Easter Sundays roads and empty car parks mixed with greasy surfaces led to a half hour of bliss as I let the back wheels spin for the first time since I bought the car (uprated suspension means grip in the dry is immense). I loved it. I found the car to be very controllable in the wet. Not scary, not challenging. Just fun. I dread to think what the 500 does on these conditions. Must be a hell of a hand ful. This mornings drifting fun confirmed a couple of important facts. First - that having this car before the birth is a good idea. It is my release and I can't think of anything more enjoyable to play that role. Second - that not only is is possible to have one of these cars with a young family, it is a very sensible decision. Those without a release would go bonker. What would young family life be like if you had to drive around in a Mondea or 3 series when you wanted a break? And finally that your average man needs nothing more than a 400. Leave the 450 and the 500 to those who want to try their luck and dance with the devil. You can't use them safely on a road and I won't have time for a track. Next post will be about the really thrilling subject of seat belts.....

What will the client think?

I work in an office and I have meetings around the country. I'm not a travelling salesman but once a month or so I will have the option to drive to a meeting. I'll usually do this if the only other option is to go into London, to go out again, because the drive will save me hours, not minutes.

I have a meeting on Thursday. It's in Newbury and the train journey from door to door will be 3 hours and the car journey one. Plus my wife has about a week to go until baby number two arrives so if the call comes I need a fast car to get home in. Basically, it's a no brainer.

I can't take the Touareg - my wife may need it and I want it to be handy if I get stuck somewhere and a parent or friend needs to drive her to the hospital. So I'm going to be taking the TVR.

I have some reservations about this. The meeting is with a new client - someone that has just taken on my firm to do some PR work for them. The meeting is also with the entire UK sales team (some 30 people) none of whom I have met before. It's a meeting to introduce myself and my company so I am representing the firm. And.......it's a meeting about our proposed campaign around the concept of 'Green Transport'.

There are several issues here:

1) My client may see it as a 'show off' if I turn up in a noisy TVR

2) His sales team my think I'm a bit of a tw*t if I turn up in a noisy TVR and not listen to anything I say from there on in

3) The car goes against everything in the presentation so I won't be taken seriously

This is a real problem. I'm not entertaining the idea of the train but of those who constantly tell you this is an everyday car, have any of them considered the 'client meeting' situation? (I don't expect them to have thought of the client meeting about green transport situation - that would be unrealistic). It's a real world activity and turning up with a roar is not always the image you want to create.

The issue is whether or not I should worry. Having effectively sold my firm to the client - are they likely to dump us because of the car I drive? Will people look at the car and think 'flash git' or will they think 'nice work'? Will it be a useful conversation piece or will it be be the cause of me being labelled 'that bloke with the stupid car' if I park it next to their Mondeos.

If I'm honest - right now I'm just looking forward to the drive but I know when I enter the car park all the above will go through my mind. I think the answer is to enjoy the drive and then hide the car - stick it at the back of car park. Not for reasons of embarrasment but for reasons of practicality. And to limit the chances of being perceived in a negative light but a new paying client.

So the verdict is to keep enjoying myself in the Chim, and to park out of sight so as not let on to my dark secret that I really couldn't care less about the environment and green transport ain't my thing.

Two cars on a sunny day - why not?

The weather was just about perfect over the weekend. My wife and I had a full diary of midwife visits, lunch with friends (who also have kids) and Tesco shopping. Not the most scintilating weekend in history.

But with the sun shining and the cleads parting, I decided it was just the right temp to go targa in the Chim. So off came the roof for the first time ever. I found the experience really easy. Leightweight roof, simple mechanical strut braces for the back section. Why do we need to weigh cars down with power roofs? What's the point. i can get mine off and in the boot and back on again in 30 seconds. Simple.

The problem was that me, wife, and child could not all fit in the Chim. And given the weather was so lovely I wasn't about to spend my day in the Chelsea tractor. But my wife had a problem with this. "Why do we need to take two cars?".

I think this is sort of comment you have to expect from people who don't love the smell of petrol quite so much but I know my wife loves a great car. She's owned sports cars since she started driving, including a drop top Alfa which she loved (and I wrote off) so she gets it. The problem is that motherhood has made her perceptions of driving and vehicles change. I, like any father of one, (soon to be two) recognise the mertis of a Touareg. Who wouldn't. It's safe, reliable, comfortable and massive. It's a perfect family car.

But it's a rubbish summer's day car. So the question she asked me really needs reversing. Why, when you have a car like the TVR, that has just been made perfect through large scale spending, would you leave it on the drive on a sunny day? Seriously, this is a no brainer for the TVR owner surely.

The problem is that when you have kids you are supposed to have a change in your actions, perceptions and responsibilities. I get that and I subscribe to it. Life isn't the same. But the first thing everyone discusses when entering into this conversation is what car you drive now compared to the ones you drove before. Why? As long as you have one sensible car why should you not own, and therefore drive a neckbreaker? Why should you not lavish attention and pride on a beautiful machine? Look at the picture below. How many of you could honestly say you would walk away from that and into a 4x4 on a beautiful day?

From my perspective having a car like this with a child is a brilliant combination. My father in law always had sports cars when his kids were young and what are their most vivid childhood memories? Driving with their Dad in the Porsche, or the Corvette, or the Merc convertible. They will never forget. Likewise, my Dad always owned classics - to this day we have a strong bond due in no small part to the love of cars I obtained when he let me sit beside him and exposed me to their sounds, smells and looks.

When my daughter looks back on her childhood I want her to remember Dad's noisy, brutal, beautiful TVR and remember how much fun we had in it. I know a lot of people see their cars as escapism but I see mine as a tool for inclusion - something to bind me with a particularly special time and a particulalry special person. Why exclude my little girl from the things which I enjoy? After all - when you smile on your own blasting down the road in a TVR, don't you ocaisionally think you'd like someone to share it with?

So regardless of the environmental impact, and the cost, and everything else, I will continue to take two cars everywhere when the weather is lovely. And probably when it's not as well because I know it won't be too long before we hear the little one pipe up "Mummy, can I go with Daddy in his car". And then the fun will really begin.

Long wait, large cheque

The car's finally back. It's taken ten phone calls and two large cheques but the short story is that the car was OK but not perfect and I had the opportunity to make it so, so I did.

The speedo problem turned out to be a differential problem. I don't know a lot about this so when told the seals and bearings were knackered I started to glaze over and say things like 'yes, sounds good' and 'expensive but probably worth it'. The car has now been returned to me with a rebuilt differential and a speedo that works.

I was also told that the oil pressure issue was something called an oil pressure relief valve. Again, no idea but it costs £200 to fix and now it works apparently.

What does this actually mean for me? Well it means I have spend the thick end of £1200 including pickup and delivery of the car and I have correct oil pressure and a speedo that works. On the face of it this sounds like a lot for a little but actually it's been a good value spend.

When I bought the car, as you get with any second hand purchase, 100 miles of driving threw up some issues a 10 minute test drive cannot. You start to notice things when you've been in the car for a while. Little things that start to annoy you and small items that quickly become big issues. So my first 120 miles was really a shakedown - a proper driving test. I had assumed that, given the TVR is basically a mass produced kit car, it would have one or two foibles. So I set aside £1k on top of the asking price for the first round of work. What I sent away was a 80% car. What I got back was a 100% car. Nothing needs doing on this motor for a while now and it drives like a brand new car.

My experience has been that I parted with about a grand, and got a car that doesn't stall when hot, tells me what speed its doing all time (reducing the need for unslightly sat nav on the windscreen) and starts when I need it to, everytime, without fail. It also makes a better noise than it used to thanks to some tuning by Chris Draycott Motorsport during its time with them.

As someone who is an everyday owner and a weekend driver, this is money massively well spent. I know that if I had left things as they were, that speedo issue would have annoyed me enough to want to sell the car. I know that the stalling due to low oil pressure would have made each journey a nervous expeirence not a joyous one, and the whine from the diff would have put me off getting in the damn thing at the start of each day.

As it stands, I come home from work and want to turn the key. I want to drive it 250 yards up the road for milk. And I want to enjoy it. After all, why do we buy these cars if we aren't prepared to get them to a level where we CAN use them daily. The financial cost of that is minimal in comparison.

The weekend approaches and I am considering taking my 2 year old out in the Chim for the first time. So expect a report soon written with one hand as I break my wrist trying to get the car seat in.....

Happy driving, people.

Word from the mechanic is both good and bad. The oil pressure issue is just a stuck relief valve. Quick fix, low cost, easy peasy. Phew. The car will soon be showing 30psi on start up and 45psi on heavy load.

The bad news is the speedo. Gunge in the sensor right? Wrong. The diff is moving around all over the place and shifting away from the sensor. And on closer inspection there is a bloody awful racket coming out of it as well. The mechanic is going to take it apart and have a root around but if it's crown and pinion problems, or worn seals, it's going to need a rebuild. Bugger.

I'm too depressed to write any more. I'll follow up when the final news comes through.

Under pressure

Bugger. Oil pressure has dropped through the floor and looks like there's a problem already. Knackers.

So I've got a good five hundred miles under my belt and thought I was safe but it appears there was a bit more work to do before this beast left it's last home.

The Bible advises in every way it can that low oil pressure means stop, don't drive it, get it to your garage, and get it looked at. So instead I nursed it home and it doesn't appear to have been catastrophic so I'm looking on this in a couple of realistic ways:

1. Low oil pressure does not mean end of engine. I've been reliably informed it could be one of many different issues, most of which are easy fixes and low cost. So I'm being pragmatic about it from this angle.

2. Given what I paid for the car I set aside £1k for 'post delivery mileage faults' so I'm looking on the first 500 as a shakedown which has thrown up a rather important issue. And better I find this now, than half way to Italy on a driving holiday. So if it takes a week or so and a few fifties to get it ship shape, so be it, I knew what I was in for when I bought the car.

More on this in a couple of days once I've had it checked.....and the speedo that's less than accurate.

In other news, the car has now been viewed extensively by my two year old daughter who says it's too noisy. Which is a shame because she loved the noisy old Sunbeam I used to run and now she seems to have taken an instant dislike to my pride and joy. I suspect that, in time, she'll come to love it but for now she has hands clamped over ears when in the vicinity of the beast firing up.

My wife, on the other hand, loves it. But she can't reach the pedals given she is a. short and b. heavily pregnant. So the good news it that the Chim is mine and mine alone for at least a few months until she realises that the pedal settings can be adjusted to move towards the driver's feet. Until that time, and once it's back from the repair shop, I reckon I can squeeze in several thousand miles of fun and a trip to Le Mans. Who's with me?

The Bible and The 10 Commandments

The chap who sold me the Chim threw in a few extras with the sale. Basic stuff. Things he no longer needed. A spare fuel pump. Spare ignition barrel. Fanbelt. As I turned to leave he threw a book at me – a large ring bound volume of some three to four hundred pages. “Read this” he said. “Or you won’t know what you’re doing”.

The volume turned out to be Steve Heath’s book on Griffith and Chimaera maintenance known to all and sundry as ‘The Bible’ – the definitive guide book if you want to look after your own car. I don’t want to look after my own car. I want to drive it and look at it, and hear it a lot. I want to experience the thrill of driving not the pain of repairing. So I assumed this wasn’t going to be of any interest.

Turns out it’s bloody marvellous and it’s my opinion that The Bible provides considerably more enjoyment to those who don’t want to rummage in the engine bay than those who do. You see the chaps out there than want to fettle, and fiddle and mechanically fornicate with their cars know 75% of what’s in this book and therefore use it as a workshop manual. But for those who don’t it’s a world of eye opening facts about the car you’ve just put on your driveway. For us – it’s to be read as a novel. Oh what joys there are to uncover – the variety of diffs on offer; the optimum technique for hood storage and replacement; the crucial nature of the stepper motor; and of course the location and purpose of the lesser-spotted 100 amp fuse. These things aren’t of interest because I want to find them and adjust them. They have just started to be interesting. To the extent that while my wife sits in bed reading Caroline Ahern, I take in a couple of pages of Heath before the lights go out. Last night I spent 20 minutes reviewing the electrical diagrams for the Chim. Why? I don’t know how to read one of these epically complex drawings. But it remains engaging. And was there EVER a better toilet-reader? Not a chance.

Have I become a TVR bore overnight? No, I don’t think so. What I think happens is that when you move to TVR ownership you very quickly start to think that this isn’t a complex machine and you lull yourself into a false sense of security that you might, MIGHT, just maybe be able to get the spanners out. What Steve Heath’s book does is remind you very quickly that you need to lie down until the thought goes away. It reveals the inner workings of your car in a way that helps you understand that whilst TVRs are not complex cars, cars are complex machines and having that laid out for you in words, pictures and diagrams with arrows removes the idea that this is just a car, and fills you with yet more wonder about how this whole concept of large V8, gearbox and four wheels works so beautifully. What the bible does then is give you a daily dose of schoolboy feeling. It allows you to wake up each morning with the feeling that something exciting is going to happen because you know just a little bit more about the brute on the driveway.

But I do think Heath’s book lacks something important. If it is indeed ‘The Bible’ where are the 10 commandments? Clearly an omission. So to help Mr Heath on his way to the next version I offer my inexperienced thoughts on how such a list might formulate and welcome others to offer their own views.

1.       Never take a TVR’s name in vain (if you can’t fix it, blame something other than the car which is always flawless)

2.       Thou shalt not over-throttle when cold

3.       Thou shalt not use excessive engine braking

4.       Thou shalt not continue driving when oil pressure drops

5.       Thou shalt never over use the phrase ‘It’s just the character of the TVR’ to explain problems

6.       Thou shalt always ‘lay-up’ appropriately for the winter

7.       Thou shalt not muck around with the stepper motor so much that it breaks

8.       Thou shalt not force the hood into the boot at the incorrect angle

9.       Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours car (just make yours more powerful and exciting than his)

10.   Thou shalt believe everything Peter Wheeler ever said

Buying unseen and undriven

Before I took the plunge I read a few posts on PH about how to buy a Chimaera. Apparently it's a dark art. I took on board this advice and I ignored it all. Heart tends to rule head when I buy cars and though I usually know what to look out for, I always end up thinking 'that's easily fixed' or 'I really trust this guy so the car must be straight'. Poor on my part.

However, in this case, I think I did OK. The car was advertised on Ebay and PH. Both ads had been up a while and I couldn't understand why. The car seemed immaculate (as it should do following a full rebuild from chassis upwards). Initial enquiries revealed more than 150 photos documenting said rebuild and loads of answers from the owner to some probing questions about who rebuilt the car and to what spec over what period of time.

The next steps should then have been:

1. Go see the car
2. Drive the car
3. Walk away
4. Go and see loads of other cars
5. Drive loads of other cars
6. Decide you actually want a Chimaera
7. Decide whether or not you want this  Chimaera
8. Get it independently tested
9. Decide you still want it
8. Neogtiate on the asking price
10. Obtain the car

In fact what I did was:

1. Send my mechanic to look over it
2. Wait for him to say it's good
3. Offer the asking price
4. Go and pick it up unseen and undriven

Not quite as planned.

There seems to be an unspoken rule about buying these cars that suggests no one should ever buy the first one they see and that they should never, ever be bought untested and unseen by their potential owner. It's about experiencing lots of cars and then buying into the concept of TVR ownership, then selecting a car.

I don't agree with this. Romantic as the notion is of swanning around the UK on the hunt for the perfect car is - this isn't reality for most of us. With a baby at home and another on the way, and work breathing down my neck for more....well....work, I was going to get to see three cars in three months at best. So picking a car from the ads and getting it inspected was actually the right thing to do for someone leading a normal life. And I may have been asking the wrong questions above but this was largely because I had done my research already and was able to whittle down the 100-odd ads into a list of 2-3 cars that fited the bill. Had they had chassis work done? Had they got history? Did they have that special something to set them apart from other chims? Was I after a 4.0 or a 4.5? What about a 4.0HC? Had the clutch been done? How long ago had the battery been replaced? Did it have the alloy pack?

Armed with the right information I had been able to pick the car I would undoubtedly have chosen after three months of searching, from my living room in 20 minutes. It turned out to be a belter. The mechanic's report showed no obvious flaws and when a man you trust says 'If I had nine grand I'd have bought it myself and sold it to you for fifteen' it's a green light.

So the process was unorthodox but it lead me to find myself in Nottingham on a cold Jan morning, with a rucksack who's contents included a couple of sandwiches, an ipod and nine grand in fifties. Once the exchange had taken place I saw the car in the flesh for the first time, started it up, and drove off. Now, here is the important bit - I challenge anyone to get in one of these cars, hear them, and drive them more than 250 yards without wanting to sell a kidney to own it. The whole notion of 'is it a car for you' is wasted on anyone that loves petrol. If you enjoying motoring you will want a TVR. And if you want one that doesn't need require buckets of maintenance, you will want a Chimaera. And if you have approx £10k to spend you are going to be hard pressed to find another option that comes close to the experience. So the idea that you need to spend months planning your purchase and checking it's all going to work for you is a nice to have. It's not a requirement.

Yes, speak to people. Yes, read the forums, but no, don't spend your life finding 'the one' and realise that if you know your budget is £10k and you want the most driving thrills you can have for that money you WILL be buying a TVR. So recognise you don't have the freedom to float about the UK on a car hunt, use the tools available to you and don't be scared to take a punt once someone you trust has given it the thumbs up. Buying a beautiful, powerful, noisy, exotic sports car unseen and untested is one of the most adrenaline pumping experiences you can have. And isn't that why people buy these cars in the first place?

Enter the Chim

If you look at the Chimaera page on the Pistonheads forum at least 50% of the posts are about people wanting to know what its like to own, run and live with a TVR Chimaera. Short of actually putting hand in pocket and buying one, this blog is probably the best way to deliver all that information in an easily accessible format.

So what qualifies me to write this blog? Well first, I live for my cars. Yes there are lots of things I want to do before I die but the majority of them seem to be have four wheels and a gearbox. Motoring and motorsport have taken up the vast majority of my passions since a very young age and I seem to absorb information on cars in huge quantities without even trying. I have driven a huge range of things - from an original MX-5 to a 1960s Sunbeam. Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, V8, V6, straight four, straight six, I have experienced a lot of metal. So I know my cars.

But (and this is the second point) I am not mechanically capable or minded. I love understanding how things work but rarely delve below the bonnet myself to fix, tinker or play. I know my limits - I am not a mechanic. And understanding how it functions and what it looks like ain't the same as getting a decent result when you put a spanner on it so, I don't bother. I have a man, he does work, I pay him, it all gets fixed. Simples.

Thirdly, I am not a batchelor. I have a wife and a young daughter and another on the way in the next few weeks. So I can write from the perspective of someone who has more to consider when running a car than just the thrill of driving.

And finally, I've just become a first time TVR owner. Here is my baby - a refurbished 1994 4.0 in starmist blue with beige hide.

So I won't be writing from the experience of someone who has owned one for years - this is from day one. And I also won't be writing from the perspective of someone who has hankered after a Chim for years and saved all their pennies to finally buy one. Four months ago I hadn't even considered a TVR. I came into some money and was bored of my Alfa GTV 3.0. I looked around, tried some options and then spotted my Chim. It stirred the loins so I bought it.

So I'm a normal bloke, with normal income, and a normal lifestyle. And a new car in the driveway I know nothing about.

Everything that follows is true experience.

Happy reading