A Very special day indeed ... picked up my first Cerbera
Discussion
Yesterday was a very special day indeed .. a day that I’ve been looking forward too for the past god knows how many years, yesterday I realised a dream and collected my first TVR .. a TVR Cerbera 4.2
My preferred colour combination was bright paintwork with a cream/tan interior however after looking at quite a few cars i settled on something completely different, the main reason being is that the car just felt right .. sure it wasn’t the right colour (though now i really like it
) however it was the right car and this is key to anyone looking to buy a Cerbera, don’t let colour and pretty wheels cloud your judgement. My car is a 1996 4.2 , its covered 35 thousand miles and has been meticulously cared for, yes it might a have the odd stone chip here and there but the interior was immaculate as was its service record and it was a genuinely honest car. For a car that is just a shade over 10 years old it feels tight and solid as a rock, no squeaks or rattles and a damn site better than the wifes 05 plate BMW .
Realising this dream of mine was a massive step, I have made the move from the Japanese performance car world .. a world where the word “reliability” doesn’t exist and having owned a Skyline, a couple of FD3S RX7’s and recently a PS13 Silvia it is a great scene. I am still, and will continue to be deeply involved in the Skyline world, I’m the treasurer of the Skyline Owners Club and I absolutely adore them so why have I made the move ? .. Well im not as young as I used to be and driving my Silvia with a rear wing the size of Scotland stuck on the back appealed less and less (my wife refused to actually get in the car )… so my decision was made, I was buying a TVR and a Cerbera at that. After boring my poor wife stupid all week talking about “the day” my pal turned up to mid afternoon to take me on the short drive to collect the car, After handing over the money, signing the paperwork, the Cerbera was mine …
I pressed that little black button just below the steering wheel and it confirmed the fact that I’d just made the best automotive decision in my life, words simply cannot describe that moment, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as this achingly beautiful monster woke up making its presence felt to a sleeply little town just outside of Chester. The clutch feels like a twin plate, something I had in one of my skylines, not sure if all Cerbs are like this but its heavy nonetheless, I have to say I kinda like it that way, it reminds me of the cars power and to proceed with caution so to speak. I will spend the next month or two getting to know the car and slowly opening up more and more of its power, yes I’ve driven more powerful cars but all have been forced induction and were relatively easy to read in terms of power delivery. The Cerbera on the other hand is just like a wall of power, a bloody great big breeze block of a wall that just relentlessly delivers more and more power and doesn’t ever want to let up. Im sure it will catch me out if I’m not careful,you’re only “defence” against this is the fact that the car has a great deal of travel on the accelerator pedal, I’ve not actually put my foot right to the floor just yet because im kinda scared .. I think that’s a good thing though, you need to respect it.
The drive back home was incredible, not fast or anything .. the roads were greasy so opening the car up wasn’t an option, incredible is the only word I can find to describe a Cerbera, it’s the noise, it’s the looks, it’s the driving position, it’s the interior, it’s the way the doors open, it’s the way the boot opens, it’s a total assault on your senses ..
just … incredible.
On the other hand the word incredible is not something I’d use to describe the cars heater .. more sort of … woeful ? … are they really that bad ?!?! .. “heat” was coming out of the blower just below the steering wheel and that was it !?
I’ve gone into this with my eyes wide open, I fully expect things to go wrong with the car but y’know that doesn’t really matter, because when you get in the car, when you push that little black button everything is ok.
Anyway enough of my ramblings .. a couple of pics of my baby, hope you likey
My preferred colour combination was bright paintwork with a cream/tan interior however after looking at quite a few cars i settled on something completely different, the main reason being is that the car just felt right .. sure it wasn’t the right colour (though now i really like it
) however it was the right car and this is key to anyone looking to buy a Cerbera, don’t let colour and pretty wheels cloud your judgement. My car is a 1996 4.2 , its covered 35 thousand miles and has been meticulously cared for, yes it might a have the odd stone chip here and there but the interior was immaculate as was its service record and it was a genuinely honest car. For a car that is just a shade over 10 years old it feels tight and solid as a rock, no squeaks or rattles and a damn site better than the wifes 05 plate BMW . Realising this dream of mine was a massive step, I have made the move from the Japanese performance car world .. a world where the word “reliability” doesn’t exist and having owned a Skyline, a couple of FD3S RX7’s and recently a PS13 Silvia it is a great scene. I am still, and will continue to be deeply involved in the Skyline world, I’m the treasurer of the Skyline Owners Club and I absolutely adore them so why have I made the move ? .. Well im not as young as I used to be and driving my Silvia with a rear wing the size of Scotland stuck on the back appealed less and less (my wife refused to actually get in the car
)… so my decision was made, I was buying a TVR and a Cerbera at that. After boring my poor wife stupid all week talking about “the day” my pal turned up to mid afternoon to take me on the short drive to collect the car, After handing over the money, signing the paperwork, the Cerbera was mine … I pressed that little black button just below the steering wheel and it confirmed the fact that I’d just made the best automotive decision in my life, words simply cannot describe that moment, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as this achingly beautiful monster woke up making its presence felt to a sleeply little town just outside of Chester. The clutch feels like a twin plate, something I had in one of my skylines, not sure if all Cerbs are like this but its heavy nonetheless, I have to say I kinda like it that way, it reminds me of the cars power and to proceed with caution so to speak. I will spend the next month or two getting to know the car and slowly opening up more and more of its power, yes I’ve driven more powerful cars but all have been forced induction and were relatively easy to read in terms of power delivery. The Cerbera on the other hand is just like a wall of power, a bloody great big breeze block of a wall that just relentlessly delivers more and more power and doesn’t ever want to let up. Im sure it will catch me out if I’m not careful,you’re only “defence” against this is the fact that the car has a great deal of travel on the accelerator pedal, I’ve not actually put my foot right to the floor just yet because im kinda scared
.. I think that’s a good thing though, you need to respect it. The drive back home was incredible, not fast or anything .. the roads were greasy so opening the car up wasn’t an option, incredible is the only word I can find to describe a Cerbera, it’s the noise, it’s the looks, it’s the driving position, it’s the interior, it’s the way the doors open, it’s the way the boot opens, it’s a total assault on your senses ..
just … incredible.
On the other hand the word incredible is not something I’d use to describe the cars heater .. more sort of … woeful ? … are they really that bad ?!?! .. “heat” was coming out of the blower just below the steering wheel and that was it !?
I’ve gone into this with my eyes wide open, I fully expect things to go wrong with the car but y’know that doesn’t really matter, because when you get in the car, when you push that little black button everything is ok.
Anyway enough of my ramblings .. a couple of pics of my baby, hope you likey
Congratulations on the new car, looks lovely. On the subject of the heater have you checked to see if the vent under the dash (by your left knee) is open. On mine I get hot air from these and the widscreen vents but cold air from the vent beneath the steering wheel and to the right of the drivers footwell.
Anyway enjoy it mate you've made the right choice.
Cheers
David
Anyway enjoy it mate you've made the right choice.
Cheers
David
Welcome Brooksie - They're stunning cars arent they. You made the right decision going for a car that 'felt' right in preference to one that was in a colour you liked. The heavy clutch probably means that you have one of the early clutches - has it had a clutch replacement yet? If not, and it is still on the original clutch, then thats a good sign that the car hasnt been hammered away from the lights at every oppurtunity! Yes the heaters arent brilliant, a Cerb is really a race car that has been adapted for road use, rather than a road car that has beem tweaked to go fast, think of it in that way and you'll learn to live with it's quirks - it's a REAL car, enjoy it and look after it,
thanks for the welcome guys
I'll have a look under the steering column thanks David.
Yes its still on its original clutch Jensena though both master and slave cylinders have been replaced, given the mileage i am expecting to have to replace the clutch soon ? i made sure when buying it that i have a spare little pot of money set aside for a rainy day.
I'll have a look under the steering column thanks David.
Yes its still on its original clutch Jensena though both master and slave cylinders have been replaced, given the mileage i am expecting to have to replace the clutch soon ? i made sure when buying it that i have a spare little pot of money set aside for a rainy day.
Edited by Brooksie on Sunday 11th February 13:22
Welcome mate, thats a stunning looking car!
Interesting to read your thoughts on how it differs from a Jap performance car - I found that I feel I need to 'respect' the Cerb more than my last fast car, which was a Honda Prelude. With that I just floored it and chucked it around, not so with the Cerbera!
Enjoy!
Andy.
Interesting to read your thoughts on how it differs from a Jap performance car - I found that I feel I need to 'respect' the Cerb more than my last fast car, which was a Honda Prelude. With that I just floored it and chucked it around, not so with the Cerbera!
Enjoy!
Andy.
Looks rather good in that purpley/maroon (what colour is it btw ?).
Recently , i've been thinking just how good an early Cerbera looks when fitted with the original 16" wheels and single headlamps - their relative subtlety directs the eye more to the body's lines which look so damn good.
Like the Countach , the later ones look stunning in their own way , but the '71 Original has purity of line.
Hope you enjoy your new car.
Recently , i've been thinking just how good an early Cerbera looks when fitted with the original 16" wheels and single headlamps - their relative subtlety directs the eye more to the body's lines which look so damn good.
Like the Countach , the later ones look stunning in their own way , but the '71 Original has purity of line.
Hope you enjoy your new car.
Brooksie said:
not every day but quite a few yes .... I work for the Beeb in Manchester but live about 7 miles out of town so i plan on using it at least 3 days a week i reckon.
Gosh there a lot of Tivvers in the same business
Gorgeous looking beastie Brooksie, Rolex Blue or Chianti Starmist? (I think it looks like the latter). Driving every day can be done, as can longer journeys, just plan carefully around traffic and the like - I used to take mine down to BH and sitting in traffic on the A40 round white city was the bst way to either overheat the car, or cripple my left leg on the clutch!Hi Brooksie
Great post, liked reading your thoughts and it's clear that have got the car of your dreams.
It'll be good to hear how you get on and how the experience of driving the cerb difffers from your other cars.
Not sure how many times you had people openly admire you in the street in the past but you will definately get unreserved admiration in the cerb. It kinda humbles you a little. I came back to my car in matlock once to find a middle aged couple piering into the car and when I came along the guy asked if it was mine, i said yes and he replied by saying i was a very lucky man. Made me choke a little to be honest.
Anyway, welcome.
cb
Great post, liked reading your thoughts and it's clear that have got the car of your dreams.
It'll be good to hear how you get on and how the experience of driving the cerb difffers from your other cars.
Not sure how many times you had people openly admire you in the street in the past but you will definately get unreserved admiration in the cerb. It kinda humbles you a little. I came back to my car in matlock once to find a middle aged couple piering into the car and when I came along the guy asked if it was mine, i said yes and he replied by saying i was a very lucky man. Made me choke a little to be honest.
Anyway, welcome.
cb
my goodness Redleicester .. the A40 in a supercar !! .. you must have been mad !!
According to the manual the colour is Porsche Amethyst Purple .. i wouldnt have a clue, im colour blind
When driving something like a Skyline attention tends to come from 14 year old lads in "hoodies", women tend to hate them and most 20 something males want to race you at every available opportunity .. to be honest i got thoroughly sick of the attention it got. The Cerbera i imagine will be completley different, Tesco's delivered just an hour or so ago, the guy just stood with his mouth open .... cool
Driving it daily it terms of the clutch n stuff doesn't worry me so much, what does worry me is overheating, Manchester can be a real nightmare to get into, the only route i know that is fairly clear is riddled with speed bumps .. Doh ! .. will have to work out a new route i think. Coming home yesterday the water temp was reading around 85/90 on the motorway and then when i got stuck in traffic it rose to 95/100 .. it rose fairly quickly too i have to say. The previous owner recently had it remapped at Christopher Neils in Northwich who told him the temp guage was reading around 10 degrees above what it should .. not sure what to make of that to be honest. Has anyone every tried any cooling mods ? ie bigger more powerful fans and the like ? RX7's overheat terribly and the trick they all do is if the car is sat in traffic they switch the aircon on which automatically kicks in the fans.
One last question .. what do you guys think of the later lights ? .. are they expensive ? and more importantly do they work well ?
Many thanks
Steve
According to the manual the colour is Porsche Amethyst Purple .. i wouldnt have a clue, im colour blind
When driving something like a Skyline attention tends to come from 14 year old lads in "hoodies", women tend to hate them and most 20 something males want to race you at every available opportunity .. to be honest i got thoroughly sick of the attention it got. The Cerbera i imagine will be completley different, Tesco's delivered just an hour or so ago, the guy just stood with his mouth open .... cool
Driving it daily it terms of the clutch n stuff doesn't worry me so much, what does worry me is overheating, Manchester can be a real nightmare to get into, the only route i know that is fairly clear is riddled with speed bumps .. Doh ! .. will have to work out a new route i think. Coming home yesterday the water temp was reading around 85/90 on the motorway and then when i got stuck in traffic it rose to 95/100 .. it rose fairly quickly too i have to say. The previous owner recently had it remapped at Christopher Neils in Northwich who told him the temp guage was reading around 10 degrees above what it should .. not sure what to make of that to be honest. Has anyone every tried any cooling mods ? ie bigger more powerful fans and the like ? RX7's overheat terribly and the trick they all do is if the car is sat in traffic they switch the aircon on which automatically kicks in the fans.
One last question .. what do you guys think of the later lights ? .. are they expensive ? and more importantly do they work well ?
Many thanks
Steve
Brooksie said:
When driving something like a Skyline attention tends to come from 14 year old lads in "hoodies", women tend to hate them and most 20 something males want to race you at every available opportunity .. to be honest i got thoroughly sick of the attention it got. The Cerbera i imagine will be completley different, Tesco's delivered just an hour or so ago, the guy just stood with his mouth open .... cool
We took ours to the local Halfords the other day and parked it next to an open top maseratti. Both of us had parked well away from the crowds and parked across two spaces each.
We ended up both walking back together and there were people crowded around the TVR. The Maseratti driver was heard to say "Well that's just typical..."
Welcome to cerbera ownership - don't change anything - just enjoy. And be careful.
Gassing Station | Cerbera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff