Are they really that bad?

[Fil7]

I just have one simple question.

I am such a big fan of the cerbera. It was literally on my wall in poster form in my room when I was a boy so now I think I NEED to have one,

So i've been doing my research and trawling through the forums and information etc etc and all I can make out is that they WILL break down and cost you a small part of your house to fix.

My point is do they ALL do that? Can you buy one that is simple a normal car that will offer you a reasonable amount of reliablity. Servicing and fuel etc are not a worry - but I read recently that someone recommended a £7k pot of cash to spend per year on it?

So is it possible for me to avoid one that will break down or not?

[Far Eastender]

Dear Fil7,

Do a search on the Cerbera pages and you will find plenty of links to useful information on buying and (if you want to do it yourself), maintaining a Cerb.

The general rule of thumb is GBP 3-4,000 a year for servicing etc. Many people on this site will advise you that it has cost them a lot less. You will also find that as suppliers have improved components over the years, a lot of 'regular' fault are now infrequent. Look for a car that has been serviced at the correct intervals by a TVR main dealer or well known TVR indie. If you find one you like, get it checked by an expert and you can always ask owners here is they know the car. You'll find other TVR PH posters are incredibly helpful.

Finally, I doubt that you will find any other car that comes close to a TVR and in particular a Cerb, for 'Bag for the Buck'!

[gbbird]

Simple answer to your question is 'yes' you can find lots of good reliable cerbs. It is a shame that only the horror stories ever stick in the minds of owners and potential buyers, partly because i suppose we never report when everything is OK.

I have owned a Cerb for over 4 years now, and yes, they do have their little niggles, but i have not had to spend anywhere near the £7k per year tag you have read about, Even the 3-4k estimate is a little high for many. I tend to budget around £1k to $1,5k per year for the annual service, MOT and odd bits and pieces that need doing, and on the whole that has been pretty accurate. Yes, there will always be an unforeseen emergency repair, but i guess that is the same with any car.

Don't be put off. Treat them with care and respect and they will serve you well. They are a loveley car

regards

Greg

[RUSSELLM]

Fil7 said:

My point is do they ALL do that?

No

[Mars]

Apart from one alternator, mine's been fantastic. I believe it was just as good for the prev owner too (hence my reasons for buying).

[Cyclone1]

Fil7 said:

I just have one simple question.

I am such a big fan of the cerbera. It was literally on my wall in poster form in my room when I was a boy so now I think I NEED to have one,

So i've been doing my research and trawling through the forums and information etc etc and all I can make out is that they WILL break down and cost you a small part of your house to fix.

My point is do they ALL do that? Can you buy one that is simple a normal car that will offer you a reasonable amount of reliablity. Servicing and fuel etc are not a worry - but I read recently that someone recommended a £7k pot of cash to spend per year on it?

So is it possible for me to avoid one that will break down or not?

Simple answer is that it all depends on how much you pay for your Cerb.

If you pay between £9k-£12k then there is a chance that you will need to spend money on it pretty soon. Many parts fail over a period of time and will need replacing and sometimes this means using upgraded parts.

Failure items are as follows:

Clutch
Alternator
Starter Motor
Manifold
Diff
Diff Bushes
Exhaust
Various electricals (average £100+ per item)
Throttle Pots
Plug leads
Coil Packs

Then you get consumables:

Disks
Pads
Oil
Tyres
Servicing from a Good Indie


Then you get desirables:

A Remap
Whirlwind Induction Hoses
Hi-Flow Filters
Bespoke exhausts or similar such as SP and ACT Big Bore
Alloy dash
Blended Headlights (some would say not desirable)
Etc Etc Etc

So if you go to buy a Cerb and it hasn't had any of the parts replaced from the first two lists above then you can add this to your cost, as in the very near future you will need to replace them. Buy a car with most done and you'll have relatively trouble free motoring.

Jules.

[rpicker]

Had mine nearly four years before selling it last week , needed starter motor and battery in that time Servicing comes in at around a grand a year (6000 miles).
modifications are up to you to spend what you like.
For a comparison I also had a brand new STI impressa that was towed away twice in the time I owned it.
For the money a cerb is probably the best fun you can have with your clothes on. ( and I love bikes)
Whatever performance car you buy (XKR, STI ,EVO etc)if they go wrong the bill is going to be a lump.
Get the right one and its has reliable has any other high performance car.

Ray

[Tyre Smoke]

And then you send it in to have it's MOT and despite a yearly waxoyl and regular cleaning of the chassis it costs thousands for a body off rebuild.

So, fine you might get away with £1 - £2k a year in maintenance, but sooner or later you are going to have spend plenty if you want to keep a Cerbera.

That or they will become even more rare as people realise the cost outweighs the benefits and they scrap/break the car rather than restore.

[andysgriff]

No, but you CAN end up with a lemon like I did. I guess you have to consider the fact that IMHO they are not classics yet. They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days that are more reliable with lower costs of ownership. Plus points are that they look pretty good and sound nutty..

[grahamn]

andysgriff said:

They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days..

You must have one of the slow ones

[andysgriff]

grahamn said:

andysgriff said:

They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days..

You must have one of the slow ones

rwea

Hmm, It's sold now but It was a very healthy 4.5 RR.. probably around the 400 bhp mark...a fair few cars running more than that these days.

[RUSSELLM]

grahamn said:

andysgriff said:

They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days..

You must have one of the slow ones

Just looking at Andy's Blog....

He played it safe & bought a relatively new car, four years old, for £25K.

In 9 months he spent £14k in repairs & upgrades, this is in the "pre rotten chassis days "

Now admittedly, some people's car's never go wrong or need servicing & they spend 20p a year replacing the odd fuse.

But it's easy to see where the £3k a year "average" comes from.

[Laird]

andysgriff said:

They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days that are more reliable with lower costs of ownership.

Such as....

[Tyre Smoke]

Laird said:

andysgriff said:

They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days that are more reliable with lower costs of ownership.

Such as....

For the same sort of money, Jap crap.

[Fil7]

Thanks a lot for all this

I must admit, I've been reading all the horror stories and everyone puts that little bit of doubt in your mind.

Have to say though that I will be looking for one and just using the tips and especially that list (thanks a lot for that) to find the right one?

Just while I'm at the old questions from a newbie - I have a friend who is an awesome mechanic and is relishing the opportunity to service and help me maintain the beast! Now is this frowned upon? He's perfectly capable but not a TVR specialist? Will that hinder any resale options?

[RUSSELLM]

My best advice for buying A Cerbera, is keep it for at least five years, and get A bit of VFM out of it

[custardkid]

grahamn said:

andysgriff said:

They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days..

You must have one of the slow ones

yes lots of cars with more power, but most weight alot more so are only 'as quick' in a straight line, but probably quicker on a bumpy road as you can keep your foot in and let the electrics drive the car for you.

but when you get out of the car at the end of the drive the guy driving the 'slower' TVR will have a bigger smile on his face, and probably browner trousers

Custard

[Mars]

Fil7 said:

Thanks a lot for all this

I must admit, I've been reading all the horror stories and everyone puts that little bit of doubt in your mind.

Have to say though that I will be looking for one and just using the tips and especially that list (thanks a lot for that) to find the right one?

Just while I'm at the old questions from a newbie - I have a friend who is an awesome mechanic and is relishing the opportunity to service and help me maintain the beast! Now is this frowned upon? He's perfectly capable but not a TVR specialist? Will that hinder any resale options?

Not at all. In concept they are kit cars than happen to have been built in a factory. Access to the lower engine components can be a bind. Although the engine bay is large, there's not a lot of room around the engine.

Thing to remember is this... they were built by humans, so they can be maintained by humans. Some modern sportscars have so much automated assembly that they are impossible to work on at home. The Cerb is easy, and now that more independents offer components for them, you will find a ready supply of most parts that are now superior to the original items.

[Byker28i]

Well, had mine for a while now and it's been very reliable and you won't find another car that's so emotive until you fork out over ten times as much money.

Everyone is unique in some little way, TVR owners are brilliant and have a great camaraderie . Driving in a convoy of 90 Tvr's around London yesterday was special
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I waited ten years for mine. My only regret is I didn't sell the wife & kids into slavery ten years ago

[BCA]

custardkid said:

grahamn said:

andysgriff said:

They are not that quick in the real world and there are a number of quicker cars on the roads these days..

You must have one of the slow ones

yes lots of cars with more power, but most weight alot more so are only 'as quick' in a straight line, but probably quicker on a bumpy road as you can keep your foot in and let the electrics drive the car for you.

but when you get out of the car at the end of the drive the guy driving the 'slower' TVR will have a bigger smile on his face, and probably browner trousers

Custard

From competition experience, you'd be suprised...

only comparably standard car that has been substantially quicker in all disciplines was a Noble M12 - which out paced us/some hugely tuned Jap 4wd stuff and pretty much everything else entered at Shelsey walsh hillclimb... ...in the wet?!!! Also better driven relatively standard T350onwards TVR's

Even in a straight line, when launched well, on a road surface - we've proven its still got what it takes to scare the best standard cars out there, just be wary of LP640's/Ferrari 599's(though we beat the 599 twice out of its three runs)