Alternative Engine for Cerbera - anyone done it

[gazzab]

There has been plenty of talk on this subject.
Anyone actually done it?
I fancy an M engine from a 5 series. Tune it up a bit and wow that will shift.
Not that I need a new engine and not that I dont like the AJP.

[plotloss]

I remember reading on the old TVR site that the engine in the Cerb made up part of the structural rigidit of the car.

Surely if this is the case swapping the engine for any other will compromise that integrity. No?

Matt.

[olly]

The AJP V8 in the Cerbera IMO makes it the car that it is, and if it didn't have the AJP, the car wouldn't be as appealing....

However, I remember hearing about someone doing an M3 engine conversion on a Cerbera (on the TRVCC yahoo email list).

If you've got teh money, anything is possible !

[Byff]

If you fancy taking a perfectly good AJP out of your Cerb, i'll take it off your hands.

I thought it would be interesting to have an AJP in a LandRover 90.

[gazzab]

I love the engine but if it ever went bang I might consider a different engine. An M5 engine with the right exhaust might sound great or maybe a 540i engine with twin superchargers. Loads of BHP and Torque.

[FourWheelDrift]

If it would fit/work I think a 5 litre V8 from a Chimp/Griff would sound lovely. Nearly the same power too.

[gazzab]

The character of the old rover lump is too much a low down torque thing for me and out of puff at revs. Done that when I had a chimp but have grown to like the more modern character of the AJP.
A cerb with a 5 L rover lump would be slower - now that wouldnt do for me!

[2 sheds]

plotloss said: I remember reading on the old TVR site that the engine in the Cerb made up part of the structural rigidit of the car.

Surely if this is the case swapping the engine for any other will compromise that integrity. No?

Matt.

Can't be the case whilst the engine is supported on rubber mounts, i think TVR considered supplying the engine for a single seater racer, in which case it could have been structural or stressed member.

Also most available units are too big for the TVR chassis,

Tim

[EdT]

www.chevroletls1.com/chevrolet_ls1_6_info.html

this chaps reckons these units are Griff / Chim fittable - does this mean Cerb too I wonder ?

Ed

[apache]

I always thought a more viable proposition might be a BMW straight 6 for our troubled Tuscan friends, dunno what bhp could be squeezed from one though

[yg649]

Lovely article in this months evo on the Ascari KZ-1. They seem to have worked in the M5 plant rather nicely ... However, Cerb + BMW engine is never really going to come near the 200k ticket for the KZ-1 !

[malman]

Seen recently on the TVRCC list on yahoo

Quote:
"Hi we will very shortly have a 4.2 engine for sale. it is from a 97 car and
is low mileage call me after lunch and I will tell you the exact mileage.
The unit is still in the car and can be seen running infact you can even
drive the car first. The car has not been damaged we are converting the
cerb to run a 3.2 BMW Evolution engine. If you need any more info just give
me a call
Richard Thorpe
RT Racing
0114 2817507"


I beleive the M3 Evo puts out about 320BHP but as some pointed out on the TVRCC list what about the torque curve and of course more importantly what will it sound like?

Do you really want a super smooth ultra reliable engine in your cerb? Won't that take away some of the "character". Might be better with the M5 V8. Now that has potential but will it fit? I wish I had the money to find out.

I'm currently looking for a cerbera and haven't driven one yet. The looks did it for me, I'm just hoping they drive half as good as they look otherwise I might go buy and an Alfa SZ (es30). I think I will be happier with a V8 rather than the SP6 but I'm going to try both just in case

[dannylt]

How can you compare an SZ and a Cerbera!? Very different I would have thought.

[malman]

True Danny. I remember seeing the SZ when it first came out and thinking that someday I will own one of those. Now being mostly skint it has taken me 15 or so years to be able to buy one. The trouble with the Alfa is they don't make them anymore and they only made about a 1000 or so (I think), which means they are all getting older and tattier. At some point in time they will become classic and therefore will get silly money spent on restoring them at which point I won't be able to afford one again probably.

The unfortunate thing in all this is that I said the same about a Cerbera. Although I really want a Cerbera and can just about afford one I have this nagging doubt that I can get a Cerbera later because they still make them. Logic being I should still be able to get a nice used Cerbera a year or two from now once I have got this Alfa thing out of my system. Does that make sense - probably not, but then if I was sensible I'd be driving a eurobox.

I count myself lucky to have the choice but that doesn't make it any easier.

[gazzab]

Hmmm. Saw a yellow SZ convertible at the weekend. I like the coupes but the convertible was horrible!

[malman]

Not the prettiest soft top ever and they only came in that yellow and silver I think.

[CraigAlsop]

malman said: Not the prettiest soft top ever and they only came in that yellow and silver I think.

Evo mag did a buying guide to these this month.
I was surprised at how little power they produced, but apparently they handle like a sweet thing, which makes up for it I guess

[tvrslag]

Interesting suggestion, I would plumb for the earlier M5 version of the straight six which was available in 3.6 and then 3.8 litre sizes. Considering the M5 was and still is a huge car it should have no problem lugging around a Cerb. The other thing is I would believe the BMW power output claim. As has been discussed on this thread many times, the AJP V8 output must be taken with a pinch of salt.
Some other alternatives.
Audi V8 from S8 or even 2.7Ltr V6 twin turbo from the old S4.
What about a Jag straight six or even one of the Supercharged v8's from an XKR. What about the twin turbo V8 from the last incarnation of the Lotus esprit.
I spoke to Richard in Malmans note and he said the straight six conversion was very straight forward with minimal changes required to the chassis, and a new loom fitted in. He also states that a Rover V8 will not fit with the current chassis and body. Major changes are required to the chassis tubes and the footwells of both sides to fit the Rover V8 in.

Edited, with more info and becuase my spellings crap.

>> Edited by tvrslag on Friday 16th May 15:49

[boosted ls1]

EdT said: www.chevroletls1.com/chevrolet_ls1_6_info.html

this chaps reckons these units are Griff / Chim fittable - does this mean Cerb too I wonder ?

Ed

There are some measurements for the ls1 engine on that site which may be useful. Also, it's about 25-26" wide.
In a lot of respects it's actually smaller then the Rover v8.

[BCA]

Why would anyone want a different engine anyway? The 4.2 produces near as dammit bang on factory figures and the 4.5 Red Rose is pretty close too. The AJP sounds too good and has such fabulous characteristics it would be a shame to lose it.