Discussion
So you've decided you want a Cerbera, you look through the classifieds and badger the expert specialists 
Then you see a car thats worth a call........
What are the things to ask, whether it's a private sale or a dealer I guess the questions are the same
So what are the important things to ask after the obvious mileage, service history, spec, type questions?
I'm thinging of specific has this been upgraded, has the other been rebuilt, has something else been replaced
And to narrow it down a bit I'm thinking cars in the under £20k bracket so 97/98 4.2's are the most readily available
Then you see a car thats worth a call........
What are the things to ask, whether it's a private sale or a dealer I guess the questions are the same
So what are the important things to ask after the obvious mileage, service history, spec, type questions?
I'm thinging of specific has this been upgraded, has the other been rebuilt, has something else been replaced
And to narrow it down a bit I'm thinking cars in the under £20k bracket so 97/98 4.2's are the most readily available
The original 4.2 has the clatter cams, so ask whether they have been replaced or whether any engine work has been done at all.
Starter motors go quite often.
There was an upgrade to the door seals, so see if that has been done.
The car should have been recalled to get the suspension uprights replaced, and will have a sticker on the VIN plate to prove that.
The clutch on the early cars is difficult to get hold of now, most people replace with the later clutch which costs a bit to do a full replacement.
Handbrake probably won't work too well.
Check the headlight full/dip is working ok.
Check the wiper motor.
Make sure the windows work smoothly.
The car will sound like a bag of nails when cold on the clatter cams, but that's nothing to worry about.
It'll probably produce smoke from the exhaust when you boot it, black is fine, blue isn't...
See if the chassis has been waxoyled.
Oil pressure should be between 40-60psi when warmed up, dropping slightly on idle.
Finally, and most importantly, get the owner to take you for a spin from cold. If he rags it immediately, walk away...
Starter motors go quite often.
There was an upgrade to the door seals, so see if that has been done.
The car should have been recalled to get the suspension uprights replaced, and will have a sticker on the VIN plate to prove that.
The clutch on the early cars is difficult to get hold of now, most people replace with the later clutch which costs a bit to do a full replacement.
Handbrake probably won't work too well.
Check the headlight full/dip is working ok.
Check the wiper motor.
Make sure the windows work smoothly.
The car will sound like a bag of nails when cold on the clatter cams, but that's nothing to worry about.
It'll probably produce smoke from the exhaust when you boot it, black is fine, blue isn't...
See if the chassis has been waxoyled.
Oil pressure should be between 40-60psi when warmed up, dropping slightly on idle.
Finally, and most importantly, get the owner to take you for a spin from cold. If he rags it immediately, walk away...
raceboy said:
So you've decided you want a Cerbera, you look through the classifieds and badger the expert specialists
Then you see a car thats worth a call........
What are the things to ask, whether it's a private sale or a dealer I guess the questions are the same
So what are the important things to ask after the obvious mileage, service history, spec, type questions?
I'm thinging of specific has this been upgraded, has the other been rebuilt, has something else been replaced
And to narrow it down a bit I'm thinking cars in the under £20k bracket so 97/98 4.2's are the most readily available
Sure there are plenty more things, but off the top of my head...
Things to check:
Ensure it's had the upright recall (sticker on VIN plate/phone TVR to check)
If it says real leather, check it's not only 1/2 leather + fake
Ensure the air-con works
Check all electrics - automatic closure on windows, mirrors are working, steering wheel on full lock doesn't cause gremlins cos of cabling, etc.
Test the alarm
Check that tyre wear is even (and that there's a decent amount of tread remaining)
See if the handbrake works at all
Expensive things that can cause serious trouble & cost lots:
Engine rebuilds
Clutch (slave cylinder) work - see if clutch has been upgraded (hard to get hold of old one)
Gearbox
Check whether the engine's running on the old/new cams & that you're happy with this, too
When driving check:
Electrics again
Fans come on at correct temperatures
Milo' goes round
All dials read accurately (well, as accurate as you'll get on a Cerbera!)
Check oil pressure
Check for suspension noises (not necessarily a problem - but best to track down what's causing them)
All gears thoroughly (ensure it's not popping out of gears, especially 5th), clutch
If it's a private sale, let them take you out for a drive first - see how the owner treats it when the engine's cold. Find out why they're selling, too... you can't necessarily tell anything from this, but if they're upgrading to another TVR it's probably more likely they haven't had a miserable time with it.
Ensure that after driving it for 10/15 mins the engine is running smoothly (unlike when it first starts
) Check all paperwork to ensure regular servicing, and that any problems noted on the services have been taken care of.
Personally, I think it's always worth having an HPI check done for the peace of mind too, especially if it's a private sale.
That's on top of the usual bodywork, mechanical & interior checks, ensuring you see it in the dry, rather than covered in rain, etc, etc. etc.
Drive it from cold. Ensure that it doesnt smoke and that the noise it makes sounds right when cold.
It should be noisy but not quite totally diesel like.
It should start to quieten down over the first 10 mins and then be pretty damn quiet (although this is for 4.5s).
Ensure that the owner is very very very particular re the revs from cold.
Ensure the oil pressure moves up and down with warm up process and with revs under load etc....
It should be noisy but not quite totally diesel like.
It should start to quieten down over the first 10 mins and then be pretty damn quiet (although this is for 4.5s).
Ensure that the owner is very very very particular re the revs from cold.
Ensure the oil pressure moves up and down with warm up process and with revs under load etc....
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