Any info on my first TVR? Red Cerbera P821 VWX
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm new to the forum and I'm due to collect my Cerbera next week. It's a 4.2 AJP in red, 30k miles and looks to be in reasonable shape. HPI clear on all accounts etc.
I was hoping to track down one of its previous owners as it was serviced by specialists up until 23k but the previous owner used a local garage for the most recent 7k. Any information would be greatly appreciated, it's registration number is P821 VWX.
I've spent weeks on the forums looking at potential issues with the old Cerbs, running costs and different engine combos etc. My friend from the South East took me out in his immaculate 4.5 Cerb and that noise got me hooked instantly. I will be taking it on as a sort of project depending on condition. I appreciate buying blind is in general a stupid thing to do, especially with such a specialist vehicle but it was sufficiently cheap that I can re-sell without losing money.
Thanks for viewing my post
I'm new to the forum and I'm due to collect my Cerbera next week. It's a 4.2 AJP in red, 30k miles and looks to be in reasonable shape. HPI clear on all accounts etc.
I was hoping to track down one of its previous owners as it was serviced by specialists up until 23k but the previous owner used a local garage for the most recent 7k. Any information would be greatly appreciated, it's registration number is P821 VWX.
I've spent weeks on the forums looking at potential issues with the old Cerbs, running costs and different engine combos etc. My friend from the South East took me out in his immaculate 4.5 Cerb and that noise got me hooked instantly. I will be taking it on as a sort of project depending on condition. I appreciate buying blind is in general a stupid thing to do, especially with such a specialist vehicle but it was sufficiently cheap that I can re-sell without losing money.
Thanks for viewing my post
chrisroe89 said:
Hi all,
I'm new to the forum and I'm due to collect my Cerbera next week. It's a 4.2 AJP in red, 30k miles and looks to be in reasonable shape. HPI clear on all accounts etc.
I was hoping to track down one of its previous owners as it was serviced by specialists up until 23k but the previous owner used a local garage for the most recent 7k. Any information would be greatly appreciated, it's registration number is P821 VWX.
I've spent weeks on the forums looking at potential issues with the old Cerbs, running costs and different engine combos etc. My friend from the South East took me out in his immaculate 4.5 Cerb and that noise got me hooked instantly. I will be taking it on as a sort of project depending on condition. I appreciate buying blind is in general a stupid thing to do, especially with such a specialist vehicle but it was sufficiently cheap that I can re-sell without losing money.
Thanks for viewing my post
Did it come from East Ayrshire by any chance?I'm new to the forum and I'm due to collect my Cerbera next week. It's a 4.2 AJP in red, 30k miles and looks to be in reasonable shape. HPI clear on all accounts etc.
I was hoping to track down one of its previous owners as it was serviced by specialists up until 23k but the previous owner used a local garage for the most recent 7k. Any information would be greatly appreciated, it's registration number is P821 VWX.
I've spent weeks on the forums looking at potential issues with the old Cerbs, running costs and different engine combos etc. My friend from the South East took me out in his immaculate 4.5 Cerb and that noise got me hooked instantly. I will be taking it on as a sort of project depending on condition. I appreciate buying blind is in general a stupid thing to do, especially with such a specialist vehicle but it was sufficiently cheap that I can re-sell without losing money.
Thanks for viewing my post
chrisroe89 said:
It did indeed
Well you won't lose money on that. I emailed the seller but they didn't get back to me. Have you any pics? Would love to see the car. My first concern was is must be a scam but if not then my only other concern would be the chassis condition. If the chassis is sound though I think you have the bargain of a lifetime.Well done.
I had to be very patient and wait for the images to turn up. Luckily the seller and I got on very well over the telephone and he seems like an extremely nice, genuine guy. I can only assume that his lack of response was down to ten other buyers all offering bank transfer before images were even available. He's made no comment on the shape of the chassis as he was more into driving it than knowing the ins and outs, but I figured it was worth a punt. It was sold to him around 6 years ago by a dealer and since its covered 7k; dry stored throughout his ownershi, so fingers crossed it'll be solid. I do have three rather poor images of her which I will try to post shortly. HPI clear, the window wasn't broken (just left down with a dead battery), new tyres all around, FTVRSH until 23k. He really undersold it but didn't seem too concerned as he needs the money to refurb his post office. When it arrives in a week or so I will keep this thread in the loop, I'm intrigued and excited!
Looks good for the cash - once you get to have a good look around/under the car I would be interested in the findings. But either way, I don't think you will go far wrong. Sure it needs a good clean/mop and if the window was down it may need some interior work for damp but I think it is still a good buy.
Worst case the chassis/wishbones are rotten and unless you are handy with the spanners you could be facing a 5-7k bill but that would be worst case. Plus, even if this was the case then for not too much money in total you will have a sorted Cerbera.
Best case the chassis will be solid and the car just needs a good clean/service. If this is the case I suggest you also go and buy a lottery ticket while you luck is still in.
Keep us posted.
Worst case the chassis/wishbones are rotten and unless you are handy with the spanners you could be facing a 5-7k bill but that would be worst case. Plus, even if this was the case then for not too much money in total you will have a sorted Cerbera.
Best case the chassis will be solid and the car just needs a good clean/service. If this is the case I suggest you also go and buy a lottery ticket while you luck is still in.
Keep us posted.
If you see, there is some tape on the roof where the window was covered with plastic. It looks very original to me but I'm not an expert. It'll be interesting to see if its got aftermarket shocks and what condition the chassis is in. Can you make any observations from the images? I'll take loads when the car arrives. I know its a lot to ask but I would also quite like a hand assessing what may or may not need doing. If anyone is available in the Warwickshire area that knows more than me (believe me, its not hard), there will be a pint or two, a bottle of wine and a 16oz steak in it for you!!
Haha thanks for your words of advice. I will head down to the local shop at lunch and buy a few lines. I guess the main things to check are the outriggers and chassis close to the exhaust as I've been told that the heat deteriorates the chassis finish. If it needs a bit spending on it I will be selling pretty pronto, I bought it as more of a clean up/service job, I know its unlikely but again, worth the risk to me personally. I'm not great mechanically but I do fit my own discs and pads 
If it needs further attention and I can find some local storage I would consider keeping it, stripping it down and taking my time with some assistance.
If it needs further attention and I can find some local storage I would consider keeping it, stripping it down and taking my time with some assistance.Edited by chrisroe89 on Thursday 9th May 12:31
chrisroe89 said:
If you see, there is some tape on the roof where the window was covered with plastic. It looks very original to me but I'm not an expert. It'll be interesting to see if its got aftermarket shocks and what condition the chassis is in. Can you make any observations from the images? I'll take loads when the car arrives. I know its a lot to ask but I would also quite like a hand assessing what may or may not need doing. If anyone is available in the Warwickshire area that knows more than me (believe me, its not hard), there will be a pint or two, a bottle of wine and a 16oz steak in it for you!!
I know my way around Cerbera's and where the gremlins hide - had a 4.5 for a while and will be neck deep into a new project soon. I also know the door/window ecu quite well if you are having problems with the window. I am near Telford so not a million miles away, more than happy to pop over and see it sometime.The problem with the chassis isn't limited to outriggers which isn't too bad (expensive) a job. Although if you do see companies offering cheap outrigger repairs beware. I think a good quality outrigger replacement (at the main chassis rails) will require a body lift and the companies that say they replace outriggers with the body in place are cutting corners (excuse the pun).
Another problem area is near the gearbox where the structural strength is low due to the open area/span. This causes some flex/movement in the chassis which leads to the powder coating flaking off and corrosion setting in. See here:
The main rails can also rot/hole in this flex point too and the problem with these is that it is very hard to spot from below. Even if this was the case though it is all repairable or you can buy a new chassis for around 3k. The real costs are in the other things that will need doing if re-chassis job is required and the labour if you pay somebody to do the work.
Assuming the chassis is in good order the first job I would do is to replace the brake and fuel hoses. If the car has been stored for a while I wouldn't even bother checking the condition of these - just replace them with new. The last thing you want on one of your first drives out is brake failure or to burst into flames or both!
As I said - happy to take a look,
Good luck.
Tim.
Oh and one more thing - check the emergency door releases. It should be at least a monthly job for any Cerbera owner so I would check these. The last thing you want if the worst did happen is to find the doors won't open and the emergency release handle is either missing or comes off in your hand.
TimJM said:
I know my way around Cerbera's and where the gremlins hide - had a 4.5 for a while and will be neck deep into a new project soon. I also know the door/window ecu quite well if you are having problems with the window. I am near Telford so not a million miles away, more than happy to pop over and see it sometime.
The problem with the chassis isn't limited to outriggers which isn't too bad (expensive) a job. Although if you do see companies offering cheap outrigger repairs beware. I think a good quality outrigger replacement (at the main chassis rails) will require a body lift and the companies that say they replace outriggers with the body in place are cutting corners (excuse the pun).
Another problem area is near the gearbox where the structural strength is low due to the open area/span. This causes some flex/movement in the chassis which leads to the powder coating flaking off and corrosion setting in. See here:
The main rails can also rot/hole in this flex point too and the problem with these is that it is very hard to spot from below. Even if this was the case though it is all repairable or you can buy a new chassis for around 3k. The real costs are in the other things that will need doing if re-chassis job is required and the labour if you pay somebody to do the work.
Assuming the chassis is in good order the first job I would do is to replace the brake and fuel hoses. If the car has been stored for a while I wouldn't even bother checking the condition of these - just replace them with new. The last thing you want on one of your first drives out is brake failure or to burst into flames or both!
As I said - happy to take a look,
Good luck.
Tim.
Thanks for all that information, much appreciated. The wear to the chassis in the image looks very severe, with mine being registered in mid 1997 am I right in thinking that at the point of production, say 1996/1997 TVR did not do the powder coat in house? I was under the impression that it got bad in 1998 (cutting it a bit fine). I will get my butt under the car the minute it arrives. I will also take some photographs for you more knowledgeable guys to take a look at. Are there any problem areas that are generally inaccessible or not visible? The problem with the chassis isn't limited to outriggers which isn't too bad (expensive) a job. Although if you do see companies offering cheap outrigger repairs beware. I think a good quality outrigger replacement (at the main chassis rails) will require a body lift and the companies that say they replace outriggers with the body in place are cutting corners (excuse the pun).
Another problem area is near the gearbox where the structural strength is low due to the open area/span. This causes some flex/movement in the chassis which leads to the powder coating flaking off and corrosion setting in. See here:
The main rails can also rot/hole in this flex point too and the problem with these is that it is very hard to spot from below. Even if this was the case though it is all repairable or you can buy a new chassis for around 3k. The real costs are in the other things that will need doing if re-chassis job is required and the labour if you pay somebody to do the work.
Assuming the chassis is in good order the first job I would do is to replace the brake and fuel hoses. If the car has been stored for a while I wouldn't even bother checking the condition of these - just replace them with new. The last thing you want on one of your first drives out is brake failure or to burst into flames or both!
As I said - happy to take a look,
Good luck.
Tim.
I really appreciate your offer Tim, I will check it over myself as best I can but it may well prove necessary to buy you the steak I mentioned
This site is a fantastic resource with so many nice people willing to share information, take time out and help wherever they can. Thanks for all the comments so far.
chrisroe89 said:
Thanks for all that information, much appreciated. The wear to the chassis in the image looks very severe, with mine being registered in mid 1997 am I right in thinking that at the point of production, say 1996/1997 TVR did not do the powder coat in house? I was under the impression that it got bad in 1998 (cutting it a bit fine). I will get my butt under the car the minute it arrives. I will also take some photographs for you more knowledgeable guys to take a look at. Are there any problem areas that are generally inaccessible or not visible?
I really appreciate your offer Tim, I will check it over myself as best I can but it may well prove necessary to buy you the steak I mentioned
This site is a fantastic resource with so many nice people willing to share information, take time out and help wherever they can. Thanks for all the comments so far.
No problem, I think it is fair to say that the TVR powder coating was pretty crap most years. I have even hard stories about bare chassis already rusting sitting outside the factory whilst waiting to be coated. Don't know how accurate those stories are though. If the chassis has been wax-oiled you may want to have a sharp little screwdriver handy to have a good poke. It isn't always possible to see the corrosion that exists, here is a prime example of an outrigger that looked solid from underneath:I really appreciate your offer Tim, I will check it over myself as best I can but it may well prove necessary to buy you the steak I mentioned
This site is a fantastic resource with so many nice people willing to share information, take time out and help wherever they can. Thanks for all the comments so far.
There are plenty of people on here willing to help out (I know when I started off with TVR's I knew nothing and asked many questions). This site is also very useful if you want to get your hands dirty:
http://www.tvr-cerbera.co.uk/workshopmanuals.html
Have fun!
TimJM said:
No problem, I think it is fair to say that the TVR powder coating was pretty crap most years. I have even hard stories about bare chassis already rusting sitting outside the factory whilst waiting to be coated. Don't know how accurate those stories are though. If the chassis has been wax-oiled you may want to have a sharp little screwdriver handy to have a good poke. It isn't always possible to see the corrosion that exists, here is a prime example of an outrigger that looked solid from underneath:
There are plenty of people on here willing to help out (I know when I started off with TVR's I knew nothing and asked many questions). This site is also very useful if you want to get your hands dirty:
http://www.tvr-cerbera.co.uk/workshopmanuals.html
Have fun!
I'll give it a good poke There are plenty of people on here willing to help out (I know when I started off with TVR's I knew nothing and asked many questions). This site is also very useful if you want to get your hands dirty:
http://www.tvr-cerbera.co.uk/workshopmanuals.html
Have fun!
I will also make sure I have handy both a torch and a hand mirror. Cheers for your help Tim, I will keep you posted on this feed.All the best
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