Cheap 4.2 Fools errand or performance bargain?

[lippydave]

Gentlemen, your educated responses to the question received with interest...

This car http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3351726.htm

Bargain early 4.2 Cerb' or potential moneypit? Discuss...

Edited by lippydave on Thursday 3rd November 13:52

[Gazzab]

Could be a money pit if it needs lots spending - a Cerb without a decent amount of recentish history and with obvious items needing attention is going to require some investment.

[JensenA]

If your budget is £7750 maximum, and you have nothing in reserve, then it's a risky gamble. But if you are looking for a Cerbera anyway, with a budget of £10-11k, then you could be buying a bargain. Any Cerbera is a 'potential' money pit - in fact isn't any car? The seller seems up front, and is willing for prospective purchasers to check the car out, so at that price it's worth looking at.

[anonymous-user]

All Cerbs are potential money pits tho right? At this price (or lower) you could have a decent reserve fund to do work over time as and when it needs it....or take the view if it breaks you haven't wasted much until you can afford to repair.

I bought BCA's cerb in May which was up for £7.5k, was informed after last service that she needs an engine "refresh", but is fine to run in a limited fashion now....chassis is completely sound, just passed MOT with no work required. So they can be ok. Try and negotiate the 12k service before the sale as it may throw up any engine issues.

[vroom]

Depends how handy you are with a spanner and whether you don't mind getting your hands / knuckles grazed.

If I had the room (and the time), I would love a 2nd project Cerbera...

re. the noisy tappets, would this be an early clatter cam 4.2???

[scotty_d]

Worth a punt at that price is the engine seems ok ie, No knocking or smoke or anything very obvious. If i had a double garage i would love a good project car at that price.

[ukkid35]

Saw the car at the Ace Cafe a few weeks ago, it's 10 times better looking than mine. I didn't crawl underneath so can't comment on the chassis, but it is well presented.

[robsco]

I bought a cheap, early 4.2. It was the first one I'd seen, and to be honest it could have been the biggest shed going but I'd still have bought it. As risks go, it was a big one. Just remember that there's no such thing as a cheap Cerbera and you should be fine.

[lippydave]

robsco said:

I bought a cheap, early 4.2. It was the first one I'd seen, and to be honest it could have been the biggest shed going but I'd still have bought it. As risks go, it was a big one. Just remember that there's no such thing as a cheap Cerbera and you should be fine.

Last cheap project car I bought was an RX8.....It lasted about two months before it became an expensive project car..

Very tempting that Cerb', trying to resist but the force is strong in this one....;D

[robsco]

The most important things are the chassis and engine. If these two check out ok then all the other little niggles can be sorted quite easily. Watch out for the corners of the chassis near the wheels, take a screwdriver to them if the seller will allow. You will hear mutterings of snapped cranks on early 4.2 engines which end in a rebuild - cases of this do seem rare though; I took the advice on here that it wasn't worth not buying a car over. If mine ever snaps, I'll cross that bridge when it comes to it.

[C3BER]

Early cerberas do have an issue with chassis rust as it was not sorted until the later cars. So it's one thing to look out for and because they are low they need a ramp or a nice handy kerb to drive onto so you can check.

Now we are talking cheap money but that cheap money could double if you buy a dog and there are dogs out there to be put down.

8k is stupid money and if it's a good one you have a bargain. Every car has scuff marks and honestly I would worry that it had not. Now that prices have become so so so stupid I think it's time to fill the barn with cars like this.

[Gazzab]

Early cerbs have the best chassis - especially the 96 cars. A 97 MIGHT be a good 'old' style finish or might be one of the later ones that werent so good. They got better again in 2000 ish time.

[Byker28i]

2 hours and Amazon hasn't been on the thread thinking of buying it?

Why are all the photos in focus apart from the engine one?

Worth a look anyway. The colour is great

[900T-R]

I like the style of the advert - sounds honest, no nonsense and well written. That alone would be a huge incentive to go and look at it if I were in the market for one...

don't think I could get away with running it instead of my company car at 25,000 miles per annum for 500 squid a month, though - or could I?

[tejr]

Gazzab said:

Early cerbs have the best chassis - especially the 96 cars. A 97 MIGHT be a good 'old' style finish or might be one of the later ones that werent so good. They got better again in 2000 ish time.

White powder coated chassis rings a bell.. can't remember if those were the good or bad ones though? LOL! mine is a P/97 and has the white powder coated chassis and is in good nick so would hazard a guess they were the good ones?

[C3BER]

Had a good old chat with a man from the Cerbera production line the other day.... Check the coating on the chassis! And if you want to be really careful check which day it was made. Friday not a good day and Monday if something had been going on over the weekend. As for how much does it weigh.... Depends on how many layers went down to cover any errors... All in all TVR is a man made car not a production robot car. You have to want one really want one or you will sell at 6k. And my barn will be getting full

[900T-R]

Nah, I thought the silver ones were OK('ish) and the white powder coat not very good (although I suppose it might have got more to do with TVRs output in those years overstretching the production line accommodation with chassis/cars increasingly being 'stored' outside for a short or longer while...)

[robsco]

96 cars were silver chassis IIRC before moving onto white powdercoating in 97.

[Extra 300 Driver]

This has a later engine in it. My old 96 car had the dip stick at the rear, this is at the front.

[skidoo]

i have a 97 car the dip stick is at the back and the chassis is silver i seem to remember the silver ones were better as the white powder coated ones were left in the yard before they were coated but its all here say my chassis is fine btw