TVR blown engines?
Discussion
As the title suggests, do Cerberas with blown (destroyed) V8 engines come up for sale often? Or even at all??
Without this turning into a debate / finger pointing exercise, I'd love to get hold of one to have an LSx conversion fitted. They've always been a poster car for me,, since I was a kid - a dark purple Cerb. Anyway, I won't be moving on with this for a while, since I'll be in Afghanistan for a while from May onwards, so in reality, probably about a year.
I'm aware that some of these are aging, and require a little more maintenance than some of the alternatives I have looked at, but I'm a mechanic by trade, so it didn't scare me too much, so long as they don't eat clutches and gearboxes, ha!
I've posted on a few forums on here, so I'm open to other suggestions too, but the occasion and inherent Britishness (again, the die-hard AJP fans will no doubt correct me on my wrongful and thuggish disregard for the TVRs' lineage / increasing rarity) is something I'd like a piece of, albeit modified slightly on my tastes.
Thanks,
Chaz.
Without this turning into a debate / finger pointing exercise, I'd love to get hold of one to have an LSx conversion fitted. They've always been a poster car for me,, since I was a kid - a dark purple Cerb. Anyway, I won't be moving on with this for a while, since I'll be in Afghanistan for a while from May onwards, so in reality, probably about a year.
I'm aware that some of these are aging, and require a little more maintenance than some of the alternatives I have looked at, but I'm a mechanic by trade, so it didn't scare me too much, so long as they don't eat clutches and gearboxes, ha!
I've posted on a few forums on here, so I'm open to other suggestions too, but the occasion and inherent Britishness (again, the die-hard AJP fans will no doubt correct me on my wrongful and thuggish disregard for the TVRs' lineage / increasing rarity) is something I'd like a piece of, albeit modified slightly on my tastes.
Thanks,
Chaz.
Likewise I've yet to see anyone "give up" on a Cerbera like that and sell it with a major problem since I've taken an interest. Most people who have the bottle to buy one nowadays have the desire to stick with it until such times as they decide they want to sell out. I've never seen someone break a Cerbera and decide to sell it broken.
The problem you will have if you are trying to get a blown engine is they they tend not to blow up very often. I have just had mine rebuilt due to gaskets that are 15 years old starting to leak but other than that she was a good strong engine.
TVR Glen may be your best bet, he braeks accident damaged TVR's.
TVR Glen may be your best bet, he braeks accident damaged TVR's.
Thanks for the replies guys, all will be taken in to consideration.
I'm absolutely not against buying a working Cerebra, and not swapping the engine out, but I have a feeling I'll want the bigger, American lump (of for no other reason than they are infinitely tuneable, have been and will continue to be around forever, and are very, very cheap to modify, tune, repair or upgrade). I'm nor saying the AJP's are impossible, but a little more consideration, and a little less availability for parts bus a likely stumbling block.
What sort of price bracket will I be looking at for a solid, useable Cerb? Mileage is largely irrelevant if there is recent, documented, professionally done works like the outriggers repair, clutch and engine rebuild / replacement?
I'm absolutely not against buying a working Cerebra, and not swapping the engine out, but I have a feeling I'll want the bigger, American lump (of for no other reason than they are infinitely tuneable, have been and will continue to be around forever, and are very, very cheap to modify, tune, repair or upgrade). I'm nor saying the AJP's are impossible, but a little more consideration, and a little less availability for parts bus a likely stumbling block.
What sort of price bracket will I be looking at for a solid, useable Cerb? Mileage is largely irrelevant if there is recent, documented, professionally done works like the outriggers repair, clutch and engine rebuild / replacement?
Do you mind if I ask whether you've driven similar performance cars before?
It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
jamieduff1981 said:
Do you mind if I ask whether you've driven similar performance cars before?
It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Good points well argued, and not something I haven't thought of. How much time is there in setting the suspension and geometry up on these? Would I be looking at something in the region of £3k to have new shocks, springs and fully set up? NOT interested in stupid rock-hard ride, or dumb lowered-to-the-max half-sized springs, for the record. I figure that whatever it is I buy (it doesn't have to be a Cerbera, or even a TVR) will spend most of it's life on public roads, which are all bumpy, uneven and potholed to death. Is there any one stand-out company who springs to mind (no pun intended!) for suspension tuning?It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Assuming I buy one and figure it's plenty enough engine for the car and the roads, is there much merit to having the body off and doing chassis strengthening or bracing anyway? Do these cars respond well with wider tyres to the rear to help get the power to the ground more effectively? I'm aware that that in itself is a whole other thing to get into - more grip = upgraded driveshafts, CV joints, diff / ring gear and pinion, prop, gearbox and clutches. Are all these up-rated items easily available? Well, not easily as in the local Halfords will stock the parts, but actually attainable for sensible prices? I don't mind paying a bit of a rare car premium for stuff, but when you get into the realms of £1000 clutches, £500 lower wishbones, £700 wiper motors... Well, this would QUICKLY take the shine off an otherwise very good value car, considering the power and style they have.
Chaz9950 said:
jamieduff1981 said:
Do you mind if I ask whether you've driven similar performance cars before?
It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Good points well argued, and not something I haven't thought of. How much time is there in setting the suspension and geometry up on these? Would I be looking at something in the region of £3k to have new shocks, springs and fully set up? NOT interested in stupid rock-hard ride, or dumb lowered-to-the-max half-sized springs, for the record. I figure that whatever it is I buy (it doesn't have to be a Cerbera, or even a TVR) will spend most of it's life on public roads, which are all bumpy, uneven and potholed to death. Is there any one stand-out company who springs to mind (no pun intended!) for suspension tuning?It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Assuming I buy one and figure it's plenty enough engine for the car and the roads, is there much merit to having the body off and doing chassis strengthening or bracing anyway? Do these cars respond well with wider tyres to the rear to help get the power to the ground more effectively? I'm aware that that in itself is a whole other thing to get into - more grip = upgraded driveshafts, CV joints, diff / ring gear and pinion, prop, gearbox and clutches. Are all these up-rated items easily available? Well, not easily as in the local Halfords will stock the parts, but actually attainable for sensible prices? I don't mind paying a bit of a rare car premium for stuff, but when you get into the realms of £1000 clutches, £500 lower wishbones, £700 wiper motors... Well, this would QUICKLY take the shine off an otherwise very good value car, considering the power and style they have.
Expensive items a cluch is around 700 quid and uprated slave 300 quid one of the more expensive items, if you are fitting a Ls to cerb that is a drop in the ocean
Most components are nothing worse than most modern higher market cars BMW merc ect.... Few specific items as you would expect but on a whole not bad.
Suspension, I recommended nitron, use the search function and try and find a bad word about them. I used track v road to set mine up. Over all about 1500 quid fitting them my self ( easy task)
Chaz9950 said:
jamieduff1981 said:
Do you mind if I ask whether you've driven similar performance cars before?
It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Good points well argued, and not something I haven't thought of. How much time is there in setting the suspension and geometry up on these? Would I be looking at something in the region of £3k to have new shocks, springs and fully set up? NOT interested in stupid rock-hard ride, or dumb lowered-to-the-max half-sized springs, for the record. I figure that whatever it is I buy (it doesn't have to be a Cerbera, or even a TVR) will spend most of it's life on public roads, which are all bumpy, uneven and potholed to death. Is there any one stand-out company who springs to mind (no pun intended!) for suspension tuning?It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Assuming I buy one and figure it's plenty enough engine for the car and the roads, is there much merit to having the body off and doing chassis strengthening or bracing anyway? Do these cars respond well with wider tyres to the rear to help get the power to the ground more effectively? I'm aware that that in itself is a whole other thing to get into - more grip = upgraded driveshafts, CV joints, diff / ring gear and pinion, prop, gearbox and clutches. Are all these up-rated items easily available? Well, not easily as in the local Halfords will stock the parts, but actually attainable for sensible prices? I don't mind paying a bit of a rare car premium for stuff, but when you get into the realms of £1000 clutches, £500 lower wishbones, £700 wiper motors... Well, this would QUICKLY take the shine off an otherwise very good value car, considering the power and style they have.
Chaz9950 said:
jamieduff1981 said:
Do you mind if I ask whether you've driven similar performance cars before?
It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Good points well argued, and not something I haven't thought of. How much time is there in setting the suspension and geometry up on these? Would I be looking at something in the region of £3k to have new shocks, springs and fully set up? NOT interested in stupid rock-hard ride, or dumb lowered-to-the-max half-sized springs, for the record. I figure that whatever it is I buy (it doesn't have to be a Cerbera, or even a TVR) will spend most of it's life on public roads, which are all bumpy, uneven and potholed to death. Is there any one stand-out company who springs to mind (no pun intended!) for suspension tuning?It's true that a tuned LS will be faster than most AJPs, but 4.7 AJPs can produce the good side of 450bhp without much trouble.
The reason I ask is that lots of people consider tuning possibilities for Cerberas before they actually own one. I know I certainly did. A 4.7 conversion is still something I'd like to have done at some point. The purpose of this post though is that although I'd had experience of driving fast cars in good conditions before, I'd never owned anything as quick as the Cerbera. Like many people I think, I very quickly learned that the AJP or Speed Six in standard form are plenty capable of producing more power than the tyres can deploy to the road a lot of the time. In my un-remapped 4.5 I can only use WOT in 1st gear in a straight line on the warmest of days with warmed up tyres. In weather like we have now, wheelspin in 3rd is not unheard of even in the dry on cool roads. Second gear needs respect in all weathers unless as above it's a warm day in summer. Unless you intend to race the car and have loads of experience of extremely fast cars, you'll only really benefit from the extra power you think you'll need in 5th gear overtakes if you're staying remotely legal on the roads.
Ultimately, most people on here have accepted, once in the position of actually living with that power/weight ratio, that a well set up standard engine is more than adequate to enjoy the car.
Of course if you already have something in the mentally fast bracket the Cerbera may seem underwhelming. Most new owners though seem to start with more power on the to-do list and it quickly becomes a lower priority.
Assuming I buy one and figure it's plenty enough engine for the car and the roads, is there much merit to having the body off and doing chassis strengthening or bracing anyway? Do these cars respond well with wider tyres to the rear to help get the power to the ground more effectively? I'm aware that that in itself is a whole other thing to get into - more grip = upgraded driveshafts, CV joints, diff / ring gear and pinion, prop, gearbox and clutches. Are all these up-rated items easily available? Well, not easily as in the local Halfords will stock the parts, but actually attainable for sensible prices? I don't mind paying a bit of a rare car premium for stuff, but when you get into the realms of £1000 clutches, £500 lower wishbones, £700 wiper motors... Well, this would QUICKLY take the shine off an otherwise very good value car, considering the power and style they have.
I'm just running 255 Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetric 2s on the rear. They're good in the cold and wet. If putting the power down is a major driver, then if it were me I wouldn't want to alter the front-rear balance by significantly altering the tyre widths and the fronts won't go much wider without rubbing issues. The rears can rub too if riding too low I've heard too. If it's decent weather then maybe a set of Toyo R1Rs are what you need? They're basically R888 trackday semi-slicks but with more rain grooves cut in. They can't be used in frosty weather due to the compound which I understand will crack, but I hear good things about them otherwise. I have a spare set of alloys which will probably get R1Rs.
Most Cerberas now are running on adjustable coil-over units. Gaz Gold are probably about the cheapest. They're also not that great. Nitrons are very well regarded and Ohlins seem to be just peachy but at a fairly staggering price. Setting them up to ride too low seems just as capable of ruining the car as anything else.
I think suspension set-up should be where you'll get the best value for money on these. They're prone to bumpsteer and are generally quite easy to make them handle quite badly. Track V Road and Centre of Gravity are the two most popular names and I've never heard a bad word about either.
If not rotten then the chassis is pretty good and stiff as designed. The whole car is actually pretty good as designed (bump steer aside). TVRs execution wasn't always the best, but there are few things that need changed out because they're fundamentally naff by design.
People talk about these cars being twitchy and hard to drive. I don't think they are. They're fairly progressive and pretty well balanced IMO. What they are, and it doesn't take a genius to anticipate this, is a 300+bhp/tonne sports car with absolutely no driver aids to mask your incompetence. If you boot it in a low gear on a cold road, it will spin both it's rear wheels. The yaw rate isn't that viscious and there's minimal inertia in the drivetrain so just back off slightly and then wheelspin under acceleration isn't that terrifying and you don't just majestically yaw off the road into a wall like Mustangs and Corvettes on Youtube. I'm sure that's possible if you keep the toe in too long after that initial jump in RPM that tells you that you've broken traction though! Boot it mid-bend, or even floor it as you pull out to overtake, and you'll probably spin off the road though. The AJP8 and Speed Six are both engines with individual throttle bodies, cable throttles and very light bottom ends. The throttle response is razor sharp and there's nothing to take the edge off a harsh application of throttle like a modern car. If you apply the pedal progressively and let the weight transfer to the rear, you can get most of the power down even in the wet. Stamp the throttle though and both rears will spin up.
Edited by jamieduff1981 on Saturday 8th February 18:46
jamieduff1981 said:
The Cerbera seems to take the Borg Warner T5 gearbox to somewhere near its comfortable limits. Mine has had a partial rebuild in its recent past. Borked gearboxes, diffs and driveshafts are not unheard of, so you've rightly suspected that this could run away from you rather quickly.
I'm just running 255 Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetric 2s on the rear. They're good in the cold and wet. If putting the power down is a major driver, then if it were me I wouldn't want to alter the front-rear balance by significantly altering the tyre widths and the fronts won't go much wider without rubbing issues. The rears can rub too if riding too low I've heard too. If it's decent weather then maybe a set of Toyo R1Rs are what you need? They're basically R888 trackday semi-slicks but with more rain grooves cut in. They can't be used in frosty weather due to the compound which I understand will crack, but I hear good things about them otherwise. I have a spare set of alloys which will probably get R1Rs.
Most Cerberas now are running on adjustable coil-over units. Gaz Gold are probably about the cheapest. They're also not that great. Nitrons are very well regarded and Ohlins seem to be just peachy but at a fairly staggering price.
I think suspension set-up should be where you'll get the best value for money on these. They're prone to bumpsteer and are generally quite easy to make them handle quite badly. Track V Road and Centre of Gravity are the two most popular names and I've never heard a bad word about either.
If not rotten then the chassis is pretty good and stiff as designed. The whole car is actually pretty good as designed (bump steer aside). TVRs execution wasn't always the best, but there are few things that need changed out because they're fundamentally naff by design.
People talk about these cars being twitchy and hard to drive. I don't think they are. They're fairly progressive and pretty well balanced IMO. What they are, and it doesn't take a genius to anticipate this, is a 300+bhp/tonne sports car with absolutely no driver aids to mask your incompetence. If you boot it in a low gear on a cold road, it will spin both it's rear wheels. The yaw rate isn't that viscious and there's minimal inertia in the drivetrain so wheelspin under acceleration isn't that terrifying and you don't just majestically yaw off the road into a wall like Mustangs and Corvettes on Youtube. Boot it mid-bend, or even floor it as you pull out to overtake, and you'll probably spin off the road though. The AJP8 and Speed Six are both engines with individual throttle bodies, cable throttles and very light bottom ends. The throttle response is razor sharp and there's nothing to take the edge off a harsh application of throttle like a modern car. If you apply the pedal progressively and let the weight transfer to the rear, you can get most of the power down even in the wet. Stamp the throttle though and both rears will spin up.
I think that BECAUSE it's an old-school, no-driver-aids car I'm attracted to it. For a start, it's totally involving to drive something that you need to drive, and not just point at corners like the modern sports and super cars tend to be now. Plus, they're a LOT easier to repair when they inevitably expire a little bit!I'm just running 255 Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetric 2s on the rear. They're good in the cold and wet. If putting the power down is a major driver, then if it were me I wouldn't want to alter the front-rear balance by significantly altering the tyre widths and the fronts won't go much wider without rubbing issues. The rears can rub too if riding too low I've heard too. If it's decent weather then maybe a set of Toyo R1Rs are what you need? They're basically R888 trackday semi-slicks but with more rain grooves cut in. They can't be used in frosty weather due to the compound which I understand will crack, but I hear good things about them otherwise. I have a spare set of alloys which will probably get R1Rs.
Most Cerberas now are running on adjustable coil-over units. Gaz Gold are probably about the cheapest. They're also not that great. Nitrons are very well regarded and Ohlins seem to be just peachy but at a fairly staggering price.
I think suspension set-up should be where you'll get the best value for money on these. They're prone to bumpsteer and are generally quite easy to make them handle quite badly. Track V Road and Centre of Gravity are the two most popular names and I've never heard a bad word about either.
If not rotten then the chassis is pretty good and stiff as designed. The whole car is actually pretty good as designed (bump steer aside). TVRs execution wasn't always the best, but there are few things that need changed out because they're fundamentally naff by design.
People talk about these cars being twitchy and hard to drive. I don't think they are. They're fairly progressive and pretty well balanced IMO. What they are, and it doesn't take a genius to anticipate this, is a 300+bhp/tonne sports car with absolutely no driver aids to mask your incompetence. If you boot it in a low gear on a cold road, it will spin both it's rear wheels. The yaw rate isn't that viscious and there's minimal inertia in the drivetrain so wheelspin under acceleration isn't that terrifying and you don't just majestically yaw off the road into a wall like Mustangs and Corvettes on Youtube. Boot it mid-bend, or even floor it as you pull out to overtake, and you'll probably spin off the road though. The AJP8 and Speed Six are both engines with individual throttle bodies, cable throttles and very light bottom ends. The throttle response is razor sharp and there's nothing to take the edge off a harsh application of throttle like a modern car. If you apply the pedal progressively and let the weight transfer to the rear, you can get most of the power down even in the wet. Stamp the throttle though and both rears will spin up.
As I (think?) I already mentioned, I'm quite handy with a set of spanners, so stuff like diffs, props, driveshafts and suspension don't scare me too much. I'd be apprehensive about valves and clutches, but anything in the block I'd be sending to a specialist for sure, since I know it's real easy to shag a bearing or two by not quite knowing what you're doing. Who are the big names in TVR spares and general specialist (oxymoron, I know I know...) care and parts? How expensive does it start getting when you kill diffs and pinions and driveshafts? I'd have thought propshafts are pretty easy, since there's tons of places which can knock out one-offs and custom props.
I don't mind spending money to get a good, solid reliable car. It boils my blood when idiots drive stuff, spend no money on it, and then b
h about how it's unreliable or it drives like wk... How much of a price jump are the Öhlins from the Nitrons? After doing a bit of hunting online, prices seem to vary from about £500 to £1000 per corner? I'd like to think that, since I've had a Triumph Speed 3 for a few years, I'd know how to drive with a bit more fluidity than some.. By no means am I the Stig, but I'd be confident in my ability to avoid stomping on the loud pedal with cold tyres, on wet roads, overtaking round a sharp bend in 1st gear!
Have you had yours on an accurate set of scales? What do these things weigh in at in the real world? Are the quicker ones really approaching 300 bhp/tonne?!
Questions are good - best to go in with your eyes wide open!
Clutches on these are easy by the way...
Nitrons are about £900-a grand a set so a lot cheaper than Ohlins. Gaz are about £500/set but I would recommend saving a bit longer tbh.
I haven't broken any other drivetrain stuff myself so can't really comment on the pain of that.
Good places for spares are Racing Green and Clever Trevor. Racetech Direct are pretty cheap. ACT do good aftermarket stuff and there's a couple of parts bin compatibility lists maintained. For example if you buy coil packs for a Xsara, they'll be cheaper than from RG by some margin!
Most weigh in around 1200kg or thereabouts, so yes, 300bhp/tonne is very achieveable!
Clutches on these are easy by the way...
Nitrons are about £900-a grand a set so a lot cheaper than Ohlins. Gaz are about £500/set but I would recommend saving a bit longer tbh.
I haven't broken any other drivetrain stuff myself so can't really comment on the pain of that.
Good places for spares are Racing Green and Clever Trevor. Racetech Direct are pretty cheap. ACT do good aftermarket stuff and there's a couple of parts bin compatibility lists maintained. For example if you buy coil packs for a Xsara, they'll be cheaper than from RG by some margin!
Most weigh in around 1200kg or thereabouts, so yes, 300bhp/tonne is very achieveable!
So far I have broken two gearboxes, they are certainly the weak link in the power train, getting it rebuilt this time using Quaife semi straight cut gears so this doesn't happen again.
Please don't butcher an irreplacable Cerbera by putting an LS in it, they are too good for that.
Stick some Nitrons on one, some good tyres with some good break pads and have fun Porsche hunting on a track day, so much more satifying doing it in a 15 year old orginal car rather than a frankenstiens monster. A Cerbera really is a very capable car.
If you want to get a taster come along to Snetterton on the 1st March, I am doing a track day there along with a few friends.
Please don't butcher an irreplacable Cerbera by putting an LS in it, they are too good for that.
Stick some Nitrons on one, some good tyres with some good break pads and have fun Porsche hunting on a track day, so much more satifying doing it in a 15 year old orginal car rather than a frankenstiens monster. A Cerbera really is a very capable car.
If you want to get a taster come along to Snetterton on the 1st March, I am doing a track day there along with a few friends.
Edited by gruffalo on Saturday 8th February 20:47
jamieduff1981 said:
Questions are good - best to go in with your eyes wide open!
Clutches on these are easy by the way...
Nitrons are about £900-a grand a set so a lot cheaper than Ohlins. Gaz are about £500/set but I would recommend saving a bit longer tbh.
I haven't broken any other drivetrain stuff myself so can't really comment on the pain of that.
Good places for spares are Racing Green and Clever Trevor. Racetech Direct are pretty cheap. ACT do good aftermarket stuff and there's a couple of parts bin compatibility lists maintained. For example if you buy coil packs for a Xsara, they'll be cheaper than from RG by some margin!
Most weigh in around 1200kg or thereabouts, so yes, 300bhp/tonne is very achieveable!
Thanks, it's why I ask a bunch of (perhaps to some) pretty bone questions. Better to find I can't afford to run one now, before I plunge into ownership! Although, from what I've discovered so far, that's not likely to be the case.Clutches on these are easy by the way...
Nitrons are about £900-a grand a set so a lot cheaper than Ohlins. Gaz are about £500/set but I would recommend saving a bit longer tbh.
I haven't broken any other drivetrain stuff myself so can't really comment on the pain of that.
Good places for spares are Racing Green and Clever Trevor. Racetech Direct are pretty cheap. ACT do good aftermarket stuff and there's a couple of parts bin compatibility lists maintained. For example if you buy coil packs for a Xsara, they'll be cheaper than from RG by some margin!
Most weigh in around 1200kg or thereabouts, so yes, 300bhp/tonne is very achieveable!
I don't mind spending good money on high quality parts like Öhlins units, but they need to be worth the premium. I'm good with spanners, so can fit most stuff with ease, so long as copious amounts of fabrication aren't required to make the parts fit. Good to know that there are suppliers and specialists still out there keeping TVR spares and upgrades. It'd be very frustrating to find your car off the road for a great length of time trying to source crappy items like wishbone bushes or anti-roll bar drop links!
Is stuff for the AJP V8's like flywheels, valve train spares and gaskets all reasonable to get? I don't imagine it's Ford Focus easy, but if it's all second-hand sourcing, or very specialist one-offs commissioned individually, this sort of stuff could get very expensive! If it's the case, I'd go for a classic Ferrari for the ultimate in ruinous money-pit car acquisition!
gruffalo said:
So far I have broken two gearboxes, they are certainly the weak link in the power train, getting it rebuilt this time using Quaife semi straight cut gears so this doesn't happen again.
Please don't butcher an irreplacable Cerbera by putting an LS in it, they are too good for that.
Stick some Nitrons on one, some good tyres with some good break pads and have fun Porsche hunting on a track day, so much more satifying doing it in a 15 year old orginal car rather than a frankenstiens monster. A Cerbera really is a very capable car.
If you want to get a taster come along to Snetterton on the 1st March, I am doing a track day there along with a few friends.
I may very well do that, IF I can get the time off work. I'm between 220 and 120 miles away (work VS home) so hardly just a swing-by proposition! If Mallory Park ever re-opens and there's a track day there, that's a different matter! I could walk there from my house! Please don't butcher an irreplacable Cerbera by putting an LS in it, they are too good for that.
Stick some Nitrons on one, some good tyres with some good break pads and have fun Porsche hunting on a track day, so much more satifying doing it in a 15 year old orginal car rather than a frankenstiens monster. A Cerbera really is a very capable car.
If you want to get a taster come along to Snetterton on the 1st March, I am doing a track day there along with a few friends.
Edited by gruffalo on Saturday 8th February 20:47
If (and remember, it's a big if) I did convert one to an LS engine, I'd keep the original, so re-fitting it back to stock would be possible (albeit with upgraded radiator etc, but engine and gearbox would be OE - selling an LS would most likely be easier than an AJP!)
Anyway, as mentioned previously, upgrades and bush-refreshes for suspension, tyres, big-brake upgrades and a really invasive service would be budgeted anyway. I'm super-fastidious with my motors, so stuff like copper brake lines (if fitted with steel), new braided hoses, braided fuel and oil cooler lines and a new radiator, if not for an appreciable upgrade in performance, but for reliability. A 15 year old, Sunday-driven car (assuming most owners only use them as Sunday drives) will be a likely contender for one of the cars overheating in a queue of traffic on a standstill M25 on a hot summer day!! And for the cost of skimming a warped head and block through overheating (assuming you didn't crack the cylinder liners!!!) you could buy a larger alloy radiator and a pair of big fans a few times over! Cheap insurance really...
Edited by Chaz9950 on Saturday 8th February 21:06
Those would be sensible upgrades to make, although overheating is not typically an issue in a well maintained Cerbera, I have been stuck in many a traffic jam in very high temps with no issue at all, mine still has the original fans and rad.
If you buy a 4.5 then the brakes are already sufficient if you put some CL pads or Top end Pagids they are more than good enough and will really stand the car on its nose when needed. If you buy a 4.2 then they can benefit from a brake upgrade.
If you want to make one of these cars eat 911's for breakfast all you need is tyres, breaks, shocks and to really learn the fabulous handling traits of these cars with the gentle break away that is so easy to catch, the abilty to get the back end to step out at will if you want it to and yet so easy to balance on the throttle.
If you buy a 4.5 then the brakes are already sufficient if you put some CL pads or Top end Pagids they are more than good enough and will really stand the car on its nose when needed. If you buy a 4.2 then they can benefit from a brake upgrade.
If you want to make one of these cars eat 911's for breakfast all you need is tyres, breaks, shocks and to really learn the fabulous handling traits of these cars with the gentle break away that is so easy to catch, the abilty to get the back end to step out at will if you want it to and yet so easy to balance on the throttle.
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