TVR Cerbera help needed please!!

[adam84]

Hello people

|wonder if you could help me, my dad owns a TVR Cerbera which has not been started in around 4 years due to him moving abroad, now he has asked me to sort it out and get it running again. Please could you advise me of the sort of problems that the car might have due to it not been turned over for so long. What parts are likely going to be needed to be replaced etc.

I live just outside Aylesbury does anyone know any TVR garages that could help me get it sorted??

Thanks your help people.

[funbobby]

topcats are v near you and good too

[ro_butler]

agreed. Top Cats are excellent.

People on here have mentioned putting RedEx in the bores overnight and other such tricks but I personally might be tempted to trailer it to a TVR specialist to do it for you. A lot of rubber parts could potentially have perished in 4 years....

[adam84]

Thanks for your help, what other parts are likely needed to be changed would you think???

I think ill give Topcat's a ring tommorrow.

[SlvrCrb]

I'd certainly get it checked out thoroughly by a pro before hitting that button and possibly plump for a top end strip to see how the the internals have faired. Where's it been stored all this time? Even under cover in the dry it can't be in tip top shape so shelling out a few quid now could save a few g's of pain in the long run. Good luck :-)

[Old Geezer]

If it has been kept in a nice warm garage, than I don't see any reason why you can turn the engine over by hand (plugs out) and do the redex in the bore over night.
Turn over on the starter with plugs out to get some oil moving - I'd change oil first!!!!
Then run it up with fresh fuel with loads of Injector cleaner in.

Clutch might be stuck.
Brakes seized (pistons in calipers)
Fuel injectors could be gummed up, making it run weak (very bad!)
Wheel bearing need to be checked if it has sat on the wheels, jack up and spin them.

Tyres almost certainly need to be checked for cracking and distortion.

My friend left a Stag for 3 years on a drive and the guy who bought it towed it up the road and it started! Drove it home he did!

Steve

[Whitey]

Tell us the spec and year of the car and how it has been stored. Is he going to sell it?

[adam84]

Thanks for the information Steve, have been offered by a mate to sort it out as he says he knows what he is doing was not sure if i should take it to a tvr specialist though for them to have a look at.

The car has been stored in a warm garage for the whole time.

The spec of the car 4.5 cerbera, Reflex charcoal colour, only done 6,000 miles, Portland leather interior, air con, 18inch alloys, tracker system fitted. The car is going to be up for sale, when its fixed.

[BigAl83]

IMO I would take it to the Specialists, on cars like this the majority of people, not all, who are looking to buy one would prefer it if you said it was all done by TVR Reputable garage, not my mate who knows what he's doing.
I know it will cost a bit more, but you can always add that bit more to the value and get the all important stamps in the book which read TVR.

[Demondad]

BigAl83 said:

IMO I would take it to the Specialists, on cars like this the majority of people, not all, who are looking to buy one would prefer it if you said it was all done by TVR Reputable garage, not my mate who knows what he's doing.
I know it will cost a bit more, but you can always add that bit more to the value and get the all important stamps in the book which read TVR.

Totally agree, worth taking to the best TVR specialist if you want to sell on. Sounds a nice car BTW!

[Cyclone1]

adam84 said:

Thanks for the information Steve, have been offered by a mate to sort it out as he says he knows what he is doing was not sure if i should take it to a tvr specialist though for them to have a look at.

The car has been stored in a warm garage for the whole time.

The spec of the car 4.5 cerbera, Reflex charcoal colour, only done 6,000 miles, Portland leather interior, air con, 18inch alloys, tracker system fitted. The car is going to be up for sale, when its fixed.

Sounds a very interesting car, reflex charcoal suggests it's post 99? The low mileage suggests to me that many of the original parts will still be fitted, but if the storage has been well conditioned then perishable items may still be intact, although through ageing they will not be at their best so I would get them inspected with a view to being changed. Mechanically then Old Geezer has given a good write up of what to do, but in all honesty do what has already been advised and get it trailored to your nearest respected TVR Specialist / Indie. Sounds like a decent spec'd car with low mileage and will probably be in good cosmetic condition, given that prices aren't at their strongest with Cars at the moment let alone specialist cars like the Cerb, then it would be strongly adviseable to get the car seen to properly, get it in full working order and then prepare it for sale. Might be worth contacting somebody like James Agger to sell it on your behalf.

Jules.

Edited by Cyclone1 on Friday 8th August 08:43

[Gazzab]

good advice - James Agger specialises in finding low mileage immaculate examples. He needs to make a living so I guess you could make more getting it done yourself and flogging it privately.
Values are down and so you want to ensure you dont get dragged into spending a fortune on it.

[Gazzab]

If you want to mail the details I could pop down with some cash and a trailor!

[FUBAR]

Gazzab said:

If you want to mail the details I could pop down with some cash and a trailor!

Get in there my son

[Cyclone1]

Well I'll start at £8k then in it's current state.....

[Old Geezer]

adam84 said:

Thanks for the information Steve, have been offered by a mate to sort it out as he says he knows what he is doing was not sure if i should take it to a tvr specialist though for them to have a look at.

The car has been stored in a warm garage for the whole time.

The spec of the car 4.5 cerbera, Reflex charcoal colour, only done 6,000 miles, Portland leather interior, air con, 18inch alloys, tracker system fitted. The car is going to be up for sale, when its fixed.

There are risks either way!
But I think I'd do it myself, but I have had a few engines in bits in my time.
If you do do-it-yourself check the cam chain tensioner is OK as well.
Crank with plugs out until you get some oil pressure, 10 second bursts 10 seconds off and let it cool for 60 seconds after every 3 runs. (get a booster for the battery if you can and unplug the injector leads to stop it filling with to much fuel)

All of this is as a caution.
My Cerb had 37,000 miles on it and was ten years old when I got it in February.
At an average of 50 mph that is 740 hours or 30.8 days out of 3650 days or 0.8% of its life.
So in all mine has been standing idle for 9.9 years in all its life!

Good luck

Steve