Cerbie Purchase
Discussion
Dear All
Apologies in advance as I'm sure you get mucho newbie posts like this but I'm going to view a 97 4.2 V8 cerbie on Saturday, she has 27k and is at a dealer so a bit pricey but has just the spec that I'm looking for. I'm a TVR virgin and have next to zero experience of what to look out for on a Cerb so would appreciate advice from those who know?
Secondly, I'm based near Jct 28 of the M1 on the Notts/Derbys border. Anyone know of a good reputable independant I could use as from my current experience with BMW I've vowed never to visit a main agent again as long as I live!
Thirdly, (the car is at a non specialist dealer near Manchester) can anyone recommend a good specialist inspection service? If she turns out looking like a 'good un' when I view her on Sat then I will want a pro to check her out.
Thanks
Apologies in advance as I'm sure you get mucho newbie posts like this but I'm going to view a 97 4.2 V8 cerbie on Saturday, she has 27k and is at a dealer so a bit pricey but has just the spec that I'm looking for. I'm a TVR virgin and have next to zero experience of what to look out for on a Cerb so would appreciate advice from those who know?
Secondly, I'm based near Jct 28 of the M1 on the Notts/Derbys border. Anyone know of a good reputable independant I could use as from my current experience with BMW I've vowed never to visit a main agent again as long as I live!
Thirdly, (the car is at a non specialist dealer near Manchester) can anyone recommend a good specialist inspection service? If she turns out looking like a 'good un' when I view her on Sat then I will want a pro to check her out.
Thanks
Someone will be along in due course with an independent in the area - not sure what a main dealer ewould charge to havea look - £100? That's only about an hour and a bit though 
Best to find out what warranty comes with the car and also exactly what work has been done to it - recall stuff, engine rebuild etc.
There's lots of people on here far more experienced in Cerb ownership than me (cos I ain't got one) and they'll post a bit more about what to look for I'm sure.
Non-specialised dealer though - do they know the car - starting procedure, etc.
Best to find out what warranty comes with the car and also exactly what work has been done to it - recall stuff, engine rebuild etc.
There's lots of people on here far more experienced in Cerb ownership than me (cos I ain't got one) and they'll post a bit more about what to look for I'm sure.
Non-specialised dealer though - do they know the car - starting procedure, etc.
97 4.2 from an indie non TVR garage = £15-16K tops!
Be very very careful.
If you post details here someone might know the car.
You mght convince Trackcar (Joolz/Joospeed) to inspect it!? He is in Chesterfield.
A TVR (particularly a cerb) will cost a lot more to run than a BMW. Allow £3K pa (plus ins and fuel).
Ins is cheap though.
Dont buy a car on the spec sheet - buy it on condition and provenance.
A 97 4.2 isnt a great every day car. (albeit there are plenty who do use everyday).
ps I think I found it - an 'unusual' colour combo interior.
Dealer refers to it as new shape (yeah right ! strange statement!).
Has later front lights and wheels - so check for accident damage.
I wouldnt call it pricey at all.
Mileage is a bit low - most people look for 5 - 6k pa to indicate a well used (as opposed to under used car).
Check out number of owners - check out chassis etc....
>> Edited by gazzab on Thursday 1st December 22:15
Be very very careful.
If you post details here someone might know the car.
You mght convince Trackcar (Joolz/Joospeed) to inspect it!? He is in Chesterfield.
A TVR (particularly a cerb) will cost a lot more to run than a BMW. Allow £3K pa (plus ins and fuel).
Ins is cheap though.
Dont buy a car on the spec sheet - buy it on condition and provenance.
A 97 4.2 isnt a great every day car. (albeit there are plenty who do use everyday).
ps I think I found it - an 'unusual' colour combo interior.
Dealer refers to it as new shape (yeah right ! strange statement!).
Has later front lights and wheels - so check for accident damage.
I wouldnt call it pricey at all.
Mileage is a bit low - most people look for 5 - 6k pa to indicate a well used (as opposed to under used car).
Check out number of owners - check out chassis etc....
>> Edited by gazzab on Thursday 1st December 22:15
Gazza, Yep you've found it!
Mate I realise it ain't gonna run like a BM!... and I don't intend to have it as my sole means of transport either, I will have a run about for those days when the weather is bad or the Cerb is broken.
I like the spider alloys, the headlamp conversion, the colour, the interior combo which is why I say it has the 'spec' I'm looking for. Thanks for the note about accident damage, obvious I guess but in my enthusiasm I hadn't considered this!
Glad you don't think it is pricey, I'm just comparing to a few private sales I've seen around the £12.5-£13.5k mark.
Apologies for my ingorance but is Trackar an indie specialist?.. if he's in Chesterfield then that's on my front door step so he might care to fix it when it breaks or falls to bits?
Thanks for the advice... how about it Trackcar?
Mate I realise it ain't gonna run like a BM!... and I don't intend to have it as my sole means of transport either, I will have a run about for those days when the weather is bad or the Cerb is broken.
I like the spider alloys, the headlamp conversion, the colour, the interior combo which is why I say it has the 'spec' I'm looking for. Thanks for the note about accident damage, obvious I guess but in my enthusiasm I hadn't considered this!
Glad you don't think it is pricey, I'm just comparing to a few private sales I've seen around the £12.5-£13.5k mark.
Apologies for my ingorance but is Trackar an indie specialist?.. if he's in Chesterfield then that's on my front door step so he might care to fix it when it breaks or falls to bits?
Thanks for the advice... how about it Trackcar?
He was called Joospeed but moved away from servicing to concentrate on tack car preparation. He did come under a lot of pressure to start servicing again though!
Search for trackcar and look at his website www.track-car-solutions.co.uk/
The point re servicing costs will apply even if you dont do that many miles. Allow £3K pa even if a weekend toy.
Search for trackcar and look at his website www.track-car-solutions.co.uk/
The point re servicing costs will apply even if you dont do that many miles. Allow £3K pa even if a weekend toy.
I imagine that track prep is more fun then!?
Actually I have a business friend with a garage who does service as well as track prep and race engine rebuilds, but he specialises in German cars so I'm a bit unsure about letting him loose on a Cerb as I know these things have a reputation for being quirky.
Nonetheless he is an excellent motor engineer and I guess a V8's a V8 at the end of the day, or would this be suicidal in your opinion?
Actually I have a business friend with a garage who does service as well as track prep and race engine rebuilds, but he specialises in German cars so I'm a bit unsure about letting him loose on a Cerb as I know these things have a reputation for being quirky.
Nonetheless he is an excellent motor engineer and I guess a V8's a V8 at the end of the day, or would this be suicidal in your opinion?
Don't... It's not and I really recomend a CERB specialist. The engine is a F3000 Kart derivative not exactly any old V8. A similar format V12 variant can be found in the 90's silk cut Jag LeMans prototypes.
Not exactly your local garage cup of tea. Especially as there is very little information about the engine outside the indy/TVR/TVR service trained guy's.
As for an inspection...I paid a "reputable" main dealer £200 to inspect the car prior to purchase and I have to say it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, on reflection they missed so many Basic cerb specific points I would only recomend an experienced indy. Trackcar would indeed be an ideal choice given location.... just means you'll need to persuade him... lol.
I hope you find the car is everything you wanted... I had to hunt for 3 years to find the spec I wanted as well.... It's well worth the wait.
BTW, did you have any "upgrades" on your spec list. You would make significant savings if you found a car that had the more choice options already fitted.... such as Nitron Suspension, Clutch upgrade (especially important given the lower mileage and age).
I bet your well excited... Post a link to the car for us to take a look at..
Not exactly your local garage cup of tea. Especially as there is very little information about the engine outside the indy/TVR/TVR service trained guy's.
As for an inspection...I paid a "reputable" main dealer £200 to inspect the car prior to purchase and I have to say it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, on reflection they missed so many Basic cerb specific points I would only recomend an experienced indy. Trackcar would indeed be an ideal choice given location.... just means you'll need to persuade him... lol.
I hope you find the car is everything you wanted... I had to hunt for 3 years to find the spec I wanted as well.... It's well worth the wait.
BTW, did you have any "upgrades" on your spec list. You would make significant savings if you found a car that had the more choice options already fitted.... such as Nitron Suspension, Clutch upgrade (especially important given the lower mileage and age).
I bet your well excited... Post a link to the car for us to take a look at..
As has been said, get Julz Track car to check it out.
He can save you a potential world of pain. If, however it is a good one then he can also look after, and fettle it for you.
Do not buy it unless it has been properly checked out as the mileage is a little low, the best Cerbs are the ones with consistent use, sitting around does them no favours.
He can save you a potential world of pain. If, however it is a good one then he can also look after, and fettle it for you.
Do not buy it unless it has been properly checked out as the mileage is a little low, the best Cerbs are the ones with consistent use, sitting around does them no favours.
Sure check out the following she's half way down the stock list.
www.motoworldltd.co.uk/search.cfm
I am quite excited but keeping my exuberance in check as even if the car is the 'bizzo' there is still one potential problem, which is that I may not fit!
Not that I'm hugely, grossly enormous but I am a fair sized geezer & more importantly it seems that the dimension from my seat to the top of my head is larger than the average. I tried and failed with the Honda NSX & Maserati 3200 GT because I couldn't obtain a driving position that didn't involve my head being pressed against the roof!
Funny really cos I can spend an hour on the track in a Kart without too much bother and I also fit well enough into an Elise... so just have to wait and see.
If the car looks good & I fit OK then I will try and persuade Trackcar to give her the once over. If you are reading Trackcar then would you be willing? I would obviously be happy to furnish you with the required no of beer tokens and afterwards perhaps even some beer!?
www.motoworldltd.co.uk/search.cfm
I am quite excited but keeping my exuberance in check as even if the car is the 'bizzo' there is still one potential problem, which is that I may not fit!
Not that I'm hugely, grossly enormous but I am a fair sized geezer & more importantly it seems that the dimension from my seat to the top of my head is larger than the average. I tried and failed with the Honda NSX & Maserati 3200 GT because I couldn't obtain a driving position that didn't involve my head being pressed against the roof!
Funny really cos I can spend an hour on the track in a Kart without too much bother and I also fit well enough into an Elise... so just have to wait and see.
If the car looks good & I fit OK then I will try and persuade Trackcar to give her the once over. If you are reading Trackcar then would you be willing? I would obviously be happy to furnish you with the required no of beer tokens and afterwards perhaps even some beer!?
Thanks all for your input please keep it coming.
Gazzab - I want to keep my budget very 'sensible'...eg < £20k... but 15k saves c5k to fix the thing when it breaks... or that's my philosophy anyway!
I have always fancied a Cerb ever since I saw one obliterate the other supercars on 'Clarkson Unleashed on cars' c9-10 years ago when I was but 20 yr old student. Nonethless there are several cars above it on my 'want one' list... tis just that I can't currently justify the overall costs of the 456 or F355 which are in 1 and 2 slots respectively, and I can't fit in the Mazzer or NSX which are at nos 3 & 4, so I'm down to number 5 which is the TVR Cerb.
HJB15 & Purple Head - Clarkson is long legs short body, comparatively I must be short legs long body as Clarkson manages to drive lots of things (particularly the 3.2 GT & NSX I mentioned) that I can't get sorted in. So I'll have to wait & see.
Gazzab - I want to keep my budget very 'sensible'...eg < £20k... but 15k saves c5k to fix the thing when it breaks... or that's my philosophy anyway!
I have always fancied a Cerb ever since I saw one obliterate the other supercars on 'Clarkson Unleashed on cars' c9-10 years ago when I was but 20 yr old student. Nonethless there are several cars above it on my 'want one' list... tis just that I can't currently justify the overall costs of the 456 or F355 which are in 1 and 2 slots respectively, and I can't fit in the Mazzer or NSX which are at nos 3 & 4, so I'm down to number 5 which is the TVR Cerb.
HJB15 & Purple Head - Clarkson is long legs short body, comparatively I must be short legs long body as Clarkson manages to drive lots of things (particularly the 3.2 GT & NSX I mentioned) that I can't get sorted in. So I'll have to wait & see.
Well obviously the fezzas are but its still the combination of the purchase costs and maintenance costs that would kill me on those two.
There are actually a suprising number of 3.2 GT's out there for around the 20-23k mark and yes the running costs (like Cerb) would also be bitching but I never had the pleasure of making that decision cos when I went down to Greypaul to drive one I found I couldn't...
With the NSX I would have happily gone upto a purchase price of c£30-35k on with the view that I wouldn't be expecting many expensive problems, really it seemed like the ideal car until I found that I make dints in the roof over every lump and bump in the road, not to mention my head!
There are actually a suprising number of 3.2 GT's out there for around the 20-23k mark and yes the running costs (like Cerb) would also be bitching but I never had the pleasure of making that decision cos when I went down to Greypaul to drive one I found I couldn't...
With the NSX I would have happily gone upto a purchase price of c£30-35k on with the view that I wouldn't be expecting many expensive problems, really it seemed like the ideal car until I found that I make dints in the roof over every lump and bump in the road, not to mention my head!
I have seen '99s go for under 20K You can never be sure but I think you are risking losing that 5K VERY quickly if you go for older. And the residual will be lost forever !
I had a similar mental plan when I was looking but further research and the market resulted in me far exceeding the original budget and everyday I am overjoyed that I did it.
After a service, an older car still feels a little 'used'. A newer car, after a service, actually feels like a new car !
Good Luck, whatever your decision - atleast you won't have to fork-out for Leven pedal extensions like us (ligtweight) shrimps
I had a similar mental plan when I was looking but further research and the market resulted in me far exceeding the original budget and everyday I am overjoyed that I did it.
After a service, an older car still feels a little 'used'. A newer car, after a service, actually feels like a new car !
Good Luck, whatever your decision - atleast you won't have to fork-out for Leven pedal extensions like us (ligtweight) shrimps
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