It must be my birthday!
Discussion
Hi Guys n Gals, 
Well, my girlies car has recently been written off (she's ok by the way), and it really is my birthday, as she can now have my 2001(X) BMW 325Ci as the runabout shopping trolley, and I can hunt for the car of my dreams - a TVR Cerbera.
I've been looking for a bit now, and there's not many 2002/2003 models for sale, which is ideally what I would like, so any pointers where else to look bar here, autotrader/topmarques and tvrcc would be welcome.
But really what I would like to know from all you really experienced (and hopefully blissfully happy Cerb owners) is:
- who is the best guy within 50miles of Bolton, Lancs to look after it for me
- what do I need to check for apart from FTVRSH so I don't get my nuts bitten
- and if it's already done 25-30k miles wots round the corner? clutch? rebuild?
I know 6000/12000 mile services plus oil, petrol, tyres, insurance is gonna be probably double what i pay for BMW dealer maintenance, but it's the faults and failures I'm a little worried about
Finally, are there any Warranty companies out there who actually do really cover your car and pay out?
Your help will be very much appreciated.
Well, my girlies car has recently been written off (she's ok by the way), and it really is my birthday, as she can now have my 2001(X) BMW 325Ci as the runabout shopping trolley, and I can hunt for the car of my dreams - a TVR Cerbera.
I've been looking for a bit now, and there's not many 2002/2003 models for sale, which is ideally what I would like, so any pointers where else to look bar here, autotrader/topmarques and tvrcc would be welcome.
But really what I would like to know from all you really experienced (and hopefully blissfully happy Cerb owners) is:
- who is the best guy within 50miles of Bolton, Lancs to look after it for me
- what do I need to check for apart from FTVRSH so I don't get my nuts bitten
- and if it's already done 25-30k miles wots round the corner? clutch? rebuild?
I know 6000/12000 mile services plus oil, petrol, tyres, insurance is gonna be probably double what i pay for BMW dealer maintenance, but it's the faults and failures I'm a little worried about
Finally, are there any Warranty companies out there who actually do really cover your car and pay out?
Your help will be very much appreciated.
My blokes place charge just over £300 for a 12 month service
Its a shame you are after such a young one because theres a gorgeous one here
www.pistonheads.com/sales/119352.htm
and as anyone will tell you yellow ones are the fastest!
Its a shame you are after such a young one because theres a gorgeous one here
www.pistonheads.com/sales/119352.htm
and as anyone will tell you yellow ones are the fastest!
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 17th January 19:31
Why don´t u post it on the Cerbera Forum- will be of great help...
Warrantywise TVR approved warranty only interesting for younger cars as ow now wear and tear option (always an argument not to pay out imo) or a good indies one like fernhursts
Clutch supposed to go between 20 and 30 k miles
At this time of the year be careful - they do not like the wet
1 electrics
2 look at my old threads
Good luck - buy one its great!!!
Warrantywise TVR approved warranty only interesting for younger cars as ow now wear and tear option (always an argument not to pay out imo) or a good indies one like fernhursts
Clutch supposed to go between 20 and 30 k miles
At this time of the year be careful - they do not like the wet
1 electrics
2 look at my old threads
Good luck - buy one its great!!!
Not one to advertise car salesmen, as a rule I hate them to the core, But popped down to see some Chimaera's this weekend and saw this www.pistonheads.com/sales/125101.htm, out of my price bracket but the paint job was absolutely stunning, wish I could find a Chim in this colour (methinks a re-spray might be on the cards next year). Well worth a look the pictures don't do it justice.
www.torquervt.co.uk/ are not a million miles away from you either for servicing ...............
You're gonna have to go with gut feeling on this purchase.
You can buy a full TVRSH car that looks the nuts and goes like stink, but if the car has been driven hard then your gonna have problems with clutch, brakes, engine, suspension, gearbox, diff etc.
Some V8 cerbera have done over 100k on original engines where others have needed a rebuild at 30-40k. Also if you buy a top serviced car but the owner runs it low on oil or thrashes the car before warmed up then it's issues waiting to happen.
It sounds common sense but I've seen posts of a Cerbera owner asking why the yellow oil lights flashes on and off when sitting at the traffic lights. You can imagine the response he got from the other cerbera owners on the Cerbera forum!!
Like I said, it's a gut feeling you get when you meet the owner, something you won't get from the garage. The longer the owner has had the car then the better the idea you'll have about how it's been kept or maintained or driven etc.
My thought anyway, Good Luck.
Si
You can buy a full TVRSH car that looks the nuts and goes like stink, but if the car has been driven hard then your gonna have problems with clutch, brakes, engine, suspension, gearbox, diff etc.
Some V8 cerbera have done over 100k on original engines where others have needed a rebuild at 30-40k. Also if you buy a top serviced car but the owner runs it low on oil or thrashes the car before warmed up then it's issues waiting to happen.
It sounds common sense but I've seen posts of a Cerbera owner asking why the yellow oil lights flashes on and off when sitting at the traffic lights. You can imagine the response he got from the other cerbera owners on the Cerbera forum!!
Like I said, it's a gut feeling you get when you meet the owner, something you won't get from the garage. The longer the owner has had the car then the better the idea you'll have about how it's been kept or maintained or driven etc.
My thought anyway, Good Luck.
Si
SI-PEN said:
It sounds common sense but I've seen posts of a Cerbera owner asking why the yellow oil lights flashes on and off when sitting at the traffic lights. You can imagine the response he got from the other cerbera owners on the Cerbera forum!!
Change the oil pressure relief valve spring?
blaineuk said:
james agger will do inspections for you.
Bought my Cerb from James Agger in August last year and also had it checked out by Rob Ingleby before parting with the deposit.
I'm not too keen on car salesmen either but to be fair to James Agger, I've found him to be very helpful (even after the cheque for the car cleared in his account!) He does seem to be able to locate some real peach TVRs of whatever model you might be looking for too.
StefT said:
blaineuk said:
james agger will do inspections for you.
Bought my Cerb from James Agger in August last year and also had it checked out by Rob Ingleby before parting with the deposit.
I'm not too keen on car salesmen either but to be fair to James Agger, I've found him to be very helpful (even after the cheque for the car cleared in his account!) He does seem to be able to locate some real peach TVRs of whatever model you might be looking for too.
Out of interest, wot sort of price does Rob charge for checking it out, and wot kind of things, if any, does he find that might help you reduce/negotiate the price?
Thanks.
mappleya said:
StefT said:
blaineuk said:
james agger will do inspections for you.
Bought my Cerb from James Agger in August last year and also had it checked out by Rob Ingleby before parting with the deposit.
I'm not too keen on car salesmen either but to be fair to James Agger, I've found him to be very helpful (even after the cheque for the car cleared in his account!) He does seem to be able to locate some real peach TVRs of whatever model you might be looking for too.
Out of interest, wot sort of price does Rob charge for checking it out, and wot kind of things, if any, does he find that might help you reduce/negotiate the price?
Thanks.
You might want to PM me before using Rob Ingleby!
StefT said:
blaineuk said:
james agger will do inspections for you.
Bought my Cerb from James Agger in August last year and also had it checked out by Rob Ingleby before parting with the deposit.
You bought a car bought from JAMES AGGER and had it checked by ROB INGLEBY?
sorry, but that's very funny!
burriana said:
StefT said:
blaineuk said:
james agger will do inspections for you.
Bought my Cerb from James Agger in August last year and also had it checked out by Rob Ingleby before parting with the deposit.
You bought a car bought from JAMES AGGER and had it checked by ROB INGLEBY?
sorry, but that's very funny!
Why?
JA is a used car salesman that I'd never met before viewing the car I bought. If you're prepared to take the word of someone you have never met before (especially a used car dealer) and then give them a not unsubstantial amount of money, then that's funny.
Having a look at a car that I knew next to nothing about with regards to common faults and the like and then pretending that I knew what I was looking for, again that would have been funny.
In the event, I had no problems with either of them and would happily buy another car from JA. Having had the experience of meeting him and doing business, I'd be confident not to have to use the services of an inspection company or individual.
Who are you suggesting is the butt of the joke here, me, JA or RI or all three of us?
Would like a Cerb myself, but the piggybank is looking a bit malnourished at the moment!
The comment above about being careful in the wet cannot be emphasised enough. At our recent rally to London, 3 or 4 were totalled in accident. ONE inappropriate bit or cornering in the wet, and they seem to let go and its not pretty...
They can be a touch brittle.
Even my 390SE is a handful in the wet, and its not got anything like the grunt of a Cerb.
You should defo buy one tho: forget all those BMW driver aids, just get yerself a throttle pedal with 300-odd Horses under it!
Ed.
The comment above about being careful in the wet cannot be emphasised enough. At our recent rally to London, 3 or 4 were totalled in accident. ONE inappropriate bit or cornering in the wet, and they seem to let go and its not pretty...
They can be a touch brittle.
Even my 390SE is a handful in the wet, and its not got anything like the grunt of a Cerb.
You should defo buy one tho: forget all those BMW driver aids, just get yerself a throttle pedal with 300-odd Horses under it!
Ed.
Cerbs should handle better than Griffs, Chims and all the Rover V8 TVRs in the wet as they dont have the same level of low down torque you get with the Rover V8 cars.
BUT if you give them revs to early out of a corner or even to many revs in a straight(ish) line or 'engine' brake then they can spit you off the road.
BUT if you give them revs to early out of a corner or even to many revs in a straight(ish) line or 'engine' brake then they can spit you off the road.
StefT said:
Who are you suggesting is the butt of the joke here, me, JA or RI or all three of us?
Sorry, maybe went a bit over the top with the rolling on the floor smileys.
No one is the butt of anything ... but imagine buying a painting off Van Gogh and then taking it to the local Art Club for a critique as to whether you should buy it or not.
James Agger has years upon years of TVR experience. He is not only massively respected and liked among the TVR and P.Heads massif but also puts his own time and efforts back into the TVR community.
Oh, and he helped save me from a fate nearly worse than death one BTAP many years ago. But you'll have to ask Mungo about that!
And yes, I have bought a car through Rob Ingleby. Nice guy, but he has nowhere near the experience that James Agger has.
YHM
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