Cerbera running costs

[planman]

Hi, sold my TVR wedge a few months ago and looking for a new toy (weekend use only). I'd been thinking about an Elise, but I've found myself looking at v8 Cerberas on classifieds at the 13 to 15k mark. Would I be just buying a lot of trouble at this price? Also, does the 3k ish running figure I've seen mentioned a lot just relate to an annual service and unexpected problem costs...?

Any comments appreciated.

Regards.

p.s. will they fit in a std single garage? My wedge was a very tight fit widthways but fine for overall length (oo er!)

Edited by planman on Sunday 1st October 10:35

Edited by planman on Sunday 1st October 10:39

[touching cloth]

13k to 15k is probably an ok budget these days. Sub 15k a year ago and it might not have been, however the good car's prices have in reality been dragged down by the dogs out there and if you want to sell these days it would appear you have to compete somewhere near to them on price and then win the sale on condition (if that makes sense) - certainly I know a few cars on here in the region you are looking at which are "known" on here and appear to have been cherished. Don't be put off by mileage as it shows regular use which is what you want.

Running cost wise the mythical £3k figure does often seem to be regarded as correct but costs can vary year to year on this so it might be £4k one year and £2k the next or even £5k and £1k, as is usual with TVR a fair chunk of this will be labour costs and sorting silly little things so if you are handy with the tools and can couple that with the huge chunk of answers available on here then you may well bring that figure down substantially - when it comes down to it however they do bring with them potential of big bills due to the bespoke nature of many of the parts (particularly engine) compared to the older generation of Tivvers.

Garage wise the answer may well be not what you want to hear (although I don't use one so can't speak with authority on this) - the doors are hugely long so you tend to need more width than most cars, if you struggled with the wedge then you may really struggle with a Cerb. People do manage however with carpet on the walls and leaving the windows down it is usually possible to shimmy out somehow.

[grass widow]

touching cloth said:

Garage wise the answer may well be not what you want to hear (although I don't use one so can't speak with authority on this) - the doors are hugely long so you tend to need more width than most cars, if you struggled with the wedge then you may really struggle with a Cerb. People do manage however with carpet on the walls and leaving the windows down it is usually possible to shimmy out somehow.

We have our Cerb in a single garage, and it is fine, you just have to pull it over as far as you can to the passenger side so you can get out of the drivers side, you can stick something to the wall where the door opens if you worried about banging it.

As for the 3k, then I'd say its about right, we've spent about 1.5k this year, and its been mostly small niggles, but as MOH is abroad most of the time he doesn't have time to do them himself, or (more usually) Trev has a habit of breaking when he's away so I have to get it fixed for when he's back.

[Byff]

touching cloth said:

13k to 15k is probably an ok budget these days. Sub 15k a year ago and it might not have been, however the good car's prices have in reality been dragged down by the dogs out there and if you want to sell these days it would appear you have to compete somewhere near to them on price and then win the sale on condition (if that makes sense) - certainly I know a few cars on here in the region you are looking at which are "known" on here and appear to have been cherished. Don't be put off by mileage as it shows regular use which is what you want.

I'd agree with that statement. Mine was advertised at nearer the £15k end at the start of the year and I still think it's worth £15k. Only trouble is, while there are cars out there for sub £13k, no one will buy mine as it appears overpriced. Mine was bought as an indulgance for me, but one which the family could come out and share with me and as much as it puts a smile on my face, my family has grown up and no longer fit in as comfortably as they should, so I need a larger car. If I was selfish, I would keep it and run it until I die.

My first Cerb was a low mileage, perfect example and I was scared to put any miles on the clock and I had to sort out a lot of little niggles. My second Cerb had slightly higher miles, but was and still is, perfect. The extra time on the road has eradicated most of the niggles and I don't feel guilty using it nearly every day.

[cossiemetro]

if you buy the right car then it should be ok as always buy a known car from off here
be wary of e-bay bargins as for garage room the doors are enormous so it might be a struggle your know if its wrong un buy asking the owner some basic questions as for room
mine is a bit of a squeeze lol ........

[gazm]

I can't really comment on running costs other than in the 9 months I've had mine i've had
1. New Radiator
2. New throttle Pots
3. New Clutch
4. New control Box
5. Gearbox seal
plus extras like Exhaust needing re-welding
i paid for a wear and tear warranty (less than a grand I think) so in addition to that I've paid less than £200 for extras (not including a remap from Austec

I can say that I enjoy it more as a second car mainly to do with the fact that its still special everytime you get into it.

[Planman350i]

Thanks for the responses. More than any TVR its seems to be one of those heart over head purchases - you know its going to cost you and go wrong but the quid pro pro is the stunning looks and performance. I remember the first Clarkson test of the Cerbera (i've still got it on video) and he loved it.

The alternative is the Chim/Griff, but having had a 4L fairly modded wedge, I'm not sure they would feel diferent enough.

I'd better think about it carefully!

[BLUETHUNDER]

When you think of the Cerbera,just think one word.Supercar.Ive just had a large bill for work done on mine incl a sevice which came to £3195 to be precise.It gutted me to part with that kind of money,but i look at it this way,what car could i get for the money that offers stunning looks and supercar bashing credentials??Answer none.Eerrrr well apart from the Mosler M900 on the run games last night,but then again i couldnt afford one.Remember your only on this planet for a short time.And a Cerbera is one of those cars you have to have before you fly up to the pearly gates.

[simonkd]

Check my Profile, mine has cost me £390 a month over the last 17 months. Not bad considering the miles I cover, about 10,000 in 17 months.

Regards
Simon.

Edited by simonkd on Sunday 1st October 17:03

[RUSSELLM]

Anything from the blokes who work on the car themselves (you'll find some on here who profess to spending less than £3.17 per year), to the likes of the recent sale of a car on here, that had just had £18000's worth of work done on it.

I'd say £3k a year average

[g-boy]

touching cloth said:

Running cost wise the mythical £3k figure does often seem to be regarded as correct but costs can vary year to year on this so it might be £4k one year and £2k the next or even £5k and £1k, as is usual with TVR a fair chunk of this will be labour costs and sorting silly little things so if you are handy with the tools and can couple that with the huge chunk of answers available on here then you may well bring that figure down substantially - when it comes down to it however they do bring with them potential of big bills due to the bespoke nature of many of the parts (particularly engine) compared to the older generation of Tivvers.

when you say 'particularly engine' do you refer the AJPV8? would the speed six engine, being the 4.0 used in the saggy actually cost less to maintain (aside from major problems/rebuilds etc) ??

[touching cloth]

g-boy said:

touching cloth said:

Running cost wise the mythical £3k figure does often seem to be regarded as correct but costs can vary year to year on this so it might be £4k one year and £2k the next or even £5k and £1k, as is usual with TVR a fair chunk of this will be labour costs and sorting silly little things so if you are handy with the tools and can couple that with the huge chunk of answers available on here then you may well bring that figure down substantially - when it comes down to it however they do bring with them potential of big bills due to the bespoke nature of many of the parts (particularly engine) compared to the older generation of Tivvers.

when you say 'particularly engine' do you refer the AJPV8? would the speed six engine, being the 4.0 used in the saggy actually cost less to maintain (aside from major problems/rebuilds etc) ??

Hard to answer that one as I know very little about the SS and what they cost to run. I actually meant in comparison to the older Tivvers running Rover and Ford engines which meant a more plentiful supply of bits and bobs and generally easier to work on. However there is an argument gaining ground for SpeedSix Cerbs because of the continuation of that engine in the newer models and the demise of the AJP8. Loads of specialists setting up for rebulding, tuning and upgrading the SS engine and obviously no problems with supply of bits & bobs to go with. The AJP8 being a dead engine in that respect will possibly mean more and more problems the older they get.

If you have more specialists working on SS and less on the 8 then logic would dictate that yes competition alone would keep check on the prices of the former.

[robertjp]

I have run mine for a year and well, just about bang on 3K running with my service included.

I would have to agree with a few of the earlier statements, £13-£15k would not have got you a good Cerby a year ago, today is different. The good cars are having to be sold at lower prices, to compete with so many cheap ones.

A word of caution though, buy cheap without a proper understanding of what to look for and you will regret it. It would be quite easy to spend in excess of £5k putting a wrong car right, and then still have the £3k per annum running costs.

[g-boy]

robertjp said:

I have run mine for a year and well, just about bang on 3K running with my service included.

I would have to agree with a few of the earlier statements, £13-£15k would not have got you a good Cerby a year ago, today is different. The good cars are having to be sold at lower prices, to compete with so many cheap ones.

A word of caution though, buy cheap without a proper understanding of what to look for and you will regret it. It would be quite easy to spend in excess of £5k putting a wrong car right, and then still have the £3k per annum running costs.

what bits have you spent the £3k on?

[robertjp]

g-boy said:

robertjp said:

I have run mine for a year and well, just about bang on 3K running with my service included.

I would have to agree with a few of the earlier statements, £13-£15k would not have got you a good Cerby a year ago, today is different. The good cars are having to be sold at lower prices, to compete with so many cheap ones.

A word of caution though, buy cheap without a proper understanding of what to look for and you will regret it. It would be quite easy to spend in excess of £5k putting a wrong car right, and then still have the £3k per annum running costs.

what bits have you spent the £3k on?

Nothing out of the ordinary; Tyres, exhaust, coil packs, HT leads, general repair and consumables, amazing how it adds up. Dont be scared off though, i am sure i have spent this much and more before on other cars, but because this is a 'second' car i kept a log, probably not such a good idea when you see the total costs