Discussion
Here I go again, just getting ready to but a Cerb, but then I start reading forums and all I hear is crap, how unreliable they are, the issues, the problems. I have have many (many) old cars, and accept that a Healy or a E Type is still going to let you down, just because its old (and Joe Lucas), but why buy a Cerb....come on, someone out there give me assurance (yes I know about all the good stuff) but is this overcome by the problems. FYI, I am jet about to do a deal on a Speed Six.
I have talked to the main dealer/specialist, they say by a Chim...you can get the spares...any thoughts? Odd that a enthusiast form is so full of dislike for the cars they love?????
I have talked to the main dealer/specialist, they say by a Chim...you can get the spares...any thoughts? Odd that a enthusiast form is so full of dislike for the cars they love?????
You can still get spares for the cerbera no worrys on that score a lot of the moaning on this site is down to people who like working on the cars them selfs and generally isn't moaning at all more like a sharing of knowledge .so rest assured if you have an issue with your new car there is a wealth off experience on this site to help you
I bought a 4.0l Chimaera to start but always, always loved the looks (inside and out) of the Cerbera.
I bought an S6 about 4/5 years ago and never looked back. It's a fantastic car.
I'm not a high mileage jockey and enjoy 'tinkering' to keep everything in order. Neither of my TVR's have let me down - The Chimps battery expired once, but a quick jump start and then replaced the battery - sorted.
My Cerbera is serviced annually (regardless) by a TVR S6 specialist who does spot the odd part that's wearing out which is then replaced, which is the whole point of the service afterall!!
I have a friend with a 4 year old VW Toureg that is much more unreliable, his latest bill is £3.5k, plus our old BMW X3 diesel (now sold) was 3 times the running costs of the Cerb.
The Cerbera/TVR forums are full of enthusiasts who enjoy and care for their cars - hence the high activity and interest.
Oh and my Cerb has just hit 60k.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
D
I bought an S6 about 4/5 years ago and never looked back. It's a fantastic car.
I'm not a high mileage jockey and enjoy 'tinkering' to keep everything in order. Neither of my TVR's have let me down - The Chimps battery expired once, but a quick jump start and then replaced the battery - sorted.
My Cerbera is serviced annually (regardless) by a TVR S6 specialist who does spot the odd part that's wearing out which is then replaced, which is the whole point of the service afterall!!
I have a friend with a 4 year old VW Toureg that is much more unreliable, his latest bill is £3.5k, plus our old BMW X3 diesel (now sold) was 3 times the running costs of the Cerb.
The Cerbera/TVR forums are full of enthusiasts who enjoy and care for their cars - hence the high activity and interest.
Oh and my Cerb has just hit 60k.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
D
ajmevans said:
Here I go again, just getting ready to but a Cerb, but then I start reading forums and all I hear is crap, how unreliable they are, the issues, the problems. I have have many (many) old cars, and accept that a Healy or a E Type is still going to let you down, just because its old (and Joe Lucas), but why buy a Cerb....come on, someone out there give me assurance (yes I know about all the good stuff) but is this overcome by the problems. FYI, I am jet about to do a deal on a Speed Six.
I have talked to the main dealer/specialist, they say by a Chim...you can get the spares...any thoughts? Odd that a enthusiast form is so full of dislike for the cars they love?????
In the meantime you could already be out enjoying the great Cerbera.I have talked to the main dealer/specialist, they say by a Chim...you can get the spares...any thoughts? Odd that a enthusiast form is so full of dislike for the cars they love?????
Go for it, they are awesome.
PS: Your dealer might not be up to the job.
Mot and small service this year £255.
Driving it home with windows open in the evening sunshine - priceless.
It's a vehicle with supercar performance for not much money to look after (in comparison to supercars) but isn't going to be one of your standard jap type boxes. In a way that's what makes them so special. They have their little idiosyncrasies, those unique features, but for shear driving pleasure I honestly think nothing gets close, especially for the money.
Reasons to not get one
Kids fit in the back until they are 8-10
You haven't the inclination to look after it and expect to thrash it. When I researched I was told £3k a year to run so I put £250 a month away into savings, which has paid for anything I've ever wanted to do for it and allowed plenty to rob for holidays and other bills
You have chest hair, a medallion, want a roof down experience and don't mind having a slower model
Reasons to get one
Kids fit in the back until they are 8-10, then it's all yours
The boot is cavernous, easily fits two dead bodies or enough clothes for my wifes weekend trips away plus shopping
Good club, great owners, probably the best I've ever met from all marques, easy spares availability and a good number of great independents and specialists to look after them.
The fun to drive, you just cannot put this into words, but let me just say add extra time to your journey if there are tunnels, always find a multistory car park to just drive around and exit.
And lastly, just the drop dead gorgeous looks
Driving it home with windows open in the evening sunshine - priceless.
It's a vehicle with supercar performance for not much money to look after (in comparison to supercars) but isn't going to be one of your standard jap type boxes. In a way that's what makes them so special. They have their little idiosyncrasies, those unique features, but for shear driving pleasure I honestly think nothing gets close, especially for the money.
Reasons to not get one
Kids fit in the back until they are 8-10
You haven't the inclination to look after it and expect to thrash it. When I researched I was told £3k a year to run so I put £250 a month away into savings, which has paid for anything I've ever wanted to do for it and allowed plenty to rob for holidays and other bills
You have chest hair, a medallion, want a roof down experience and don't mind having a slower model
Reasons to get one
Kids fit in the back until they are 8-10, then it's all yours
The boot is cavernous, easily fits two dead bodies or enough clothes for my wifes weekend trips away plus shopping
Good club, great owners, probably the best I've ever met from all marques, easy spares availability and a good number of great independents and specialists to look after them.
The fun to drive, you just cannot put this into words, but let me just say add extra time to your journey if there are tunnels, always find a multistory car park to just drive around and exit.
And lastly, just the drop dead gorgeous looks
ajmevans said:
Odd that a enthusiast form is so full of dislike for the cars they love?????
WTF?? Where do you get that idea?Any forum by its very nature is going to emphasise problem solving just because that's what people need to talk about - you want a forum full of "Had a great drive today"?.
Dislike for the cars?? Sorry but I don't know what forum you are reading because it certainly isn't this one.
My first TVR let alone a Cerbera bought as a winter project to keep the arthritis at bay. Plan was to sell it when its done which will be very soon.
Other car is an M3 which I love to bits (third one) and with such low mileage was to be a keeper.
But....
The fun factor compared with the Cerb is less. Yes the thing starts and drives brilliantly, is comfortable and mainly civilised. It gets 'respect' in Dewsbury.
But....
Driving the Cerb is another experience. That exhaust is very addictive and the looks you get from people who turn and stare.....(maybe not all are complimentary but hey-ho)
Put it this way, when leaving the Cars in the Park show a BMW 135 was in front. It had to stop when a sheep and its lamb stood in the road and would not budge. So I helped the BM driver out. A quick double press of the loud pedal and said family scarpered off instantly. So if you live in Wales all will be good.
Other car is an M3 which I love to bits (third one) and with such low mileage was to be a keeper.
But....
The fun factor compared with the Cerb is less. Yes the thing starts and drives brilliantly, is comfortable and mainly civilised. It gets 'respect' in Dewsbury.
But....
Driving the Cerb is another experience. That exhaust is very addictive and the looks you get from people who turn and stare.....(maybe not all are complimentary but hey-ho)
Put it this way, when leaving the Cars in the Park show a BMW 135 was in front. It had to stop when a sheep and its lamb stood in the road and would not budge. So I helped the BM driver out. A quick double press of the loud pedal and said family scarpered off instantly. So if you live in Wales all will be good.
ajmevans said:
Here I go again, just getting ready to but a Cerb, but then I start reading forums and all I hear is crap, how unreliable they are, the issues, the problems. I have have many (many) old cars, and accept that a Healy or a E Type is still going to let you down, just because its old (and Joe Lucas), but why buy a Cerb....come on, someone out there give me assurance (yes I know about all the good stuff) but is this overcome by the problems. FYI, I am jet about to do a deal on a Speed Six.
I have talked to the main dealer/specialist, they say by a Chim...you can get the spares...any thoughts? Odd that a enthusiast form is so full of dislike for the cars they love?????
I think many people use this forum for advice when something goes wrong, very few people post up a "Stop Press, nothing happened yesterday" thread.I have talked to the main dealer/specialist, they say by a Chim...you can get the spares...any thoughts? Odd that a enthusiast form is so full of dislike for the cars they love?????
I am 5 years into my ownership and I have at no time thought of the old girl as unreliable, quite the opposite actually.
I have had one major failure, that was a gearbox issue, I broke it on a trackday.
I had an engine rebuild as well but that was just because it had not been out of the car in 15 years and it was starting to leak some oil and coolant so all the seals and gastkets needed replacing due to age.
I have had some other occaisional niggles, like the power steering pump failing, again it was 15 years old so I would put that down to wear and tear really.
Put it this way if I won the Euro Millions lottery and could afford anything I felt like, I would get a McLaren F1 GTR, I just love those. The problem would be that it wouldn't get much use as I would be out in the Cerb most of the time, few cars are so engaging to drive and if you are into driving then it doesn't come much better than a Cerb.
Owning a cerbera is an experience you will(most of the timewill enjoy!
When you do decide to sell/move on you will always hanker after one!
In my case it was taken out of my hands due to operations resulting in medical/physical reasons or else I would still have mine today!
go on ...you'll love it !!;)
will enjoy!When you do decide to sell/move on you will always hanker after one!
In my case it was taken out of my hands due to operations resulting in medical/physical reasons or else I would still have mine today!
go on ...you'll love it !!;)
Thanks to everyone for this feedback. I am seriously into TVR and know all about their issues, what I needed was reassurance from real owners that it is the right car. I am an enthusiastic driver and owner with deep technical knowledge and skill, my only issue is time (and a few creaky joints!).
I certainly was not being negative about this or any other TVR Forum, just trying to get the feel and understand how serious the negatives are....and you are correct just buy the damn thing and drive it!.....and that is what I am going to do.....safe driving everyone
I certainly was not being negative about this or any other TVR Forum, just trying to get the feel and understand how serious the negatives are....and you are correct just buy the damn thing and drive it!.....and that is what I am going to do.....safe driving everyone
There's nothing quite like the nervous excitement I still get the night before I know I'm taking the Cerb out for a good long blast. Butterflies in the stomach like a 6 year old on Christmas Eve.
The amount of attention it gets is incredible.. In the company of cars costing 6 or 7 times the value of the Cerb at Le Mans this year people were literally crowding round the Cerb. The guy with his 3 week old 911 turbo S was gutted that nobody was looking at his or the fact you couldn't hear it over the Cerb
Love it. Get one and see it for yourself
The amount of attention it gets is incredible.. In the company of cars costing 6 or 7 times the value of the Cerb at Le Mans this year people were literally crowding round the Cerb. The guy with his 3 week old 911 turbo S was gutted that nobody was looking at his or the fact you couldn't hear it over the Cerb
Love it. Get one and see it for yourself
What you have to remember that these forums are often used to help solve issues. Before the interweb thingy you would go see your local grease monkey.
I had a chim for 6 years and only asked for a battery and starter.
You rarely get people posting positive comments, so as good as these forums are for helping us out when we are in need, they don't help us when it comes to people question TVR's reliability.
Obviously my opinion counts for squat...
I had a chim for 6 years and only asked for a battery and starter.
You rarely get people posting positive comments, so as good as these forums are for helping us out when we are in need, they don't help us when it comes to people question TVR's reliability.
Obviously my opinion counts for squat...
As above - the forum here is full of in-depth technical knowledge. If you do find an issue, someone here can help.
I'm 18 months in and have had one breakdown issue, and that turned out to be down to a mechanic's incompetence. I won't pretend it's up to Honda standards and there's usually something I need to get round to fettling but much of that is down to bringing a 15yr old car up to as-new cosmetic standards. Nothing really stops me from driving and enjoying the car.
I'm 18 months in and have had one breakdown issue, and that turned out to be down to a mechanic's incompetence. I won't pretend it's up to Honda standards and there's usually something I need to get round to fettling but much of that is down to bringing a 15yr old car up to as-new cosmetic standards. Nothing really stops me from driving and enjoying the car.
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