Which Cerbera

[il-mostro]

I have just sold my BMW Z4 coupe as i have a TVR itch which i need to scratch. I am considering a TVR Cerbera but have no idea which one to go for? V8 or Speed 6? Which in general are the most reliable? My head is saying don't buy a TVR, but my heart really wants one.

Are cars with higher mileage something to steer clear of? Apart from depreciation of course.........

I have a budget of upto £14k, so what are peoples thoughts?

Thanks

Mark

[pjac67]

AJP generally more reliable than S6 and can take high miles if treated correctly, 4.5 good for bragging rights and tweaking although in the real world .....

£14k should get a decent 10 year old 4.5....

Now wheres that popcorn smilie?

Edited by pjac67 on Tuesday 11th August 16:33

[stuthemong]

my thoughts are 14K would buy a very nice 4.5

[RUSSELLM]

il-mostro said:

My head is saying don't buy a TVR, but my heart really wants one.

I don't think you're going to buy one.

Your much to hesitant

[southendpier]

depreciation isn't an issue IMHO.

Buy on condition not year.

Pleanty of older (and a few newer) cerbs have been treated very well, they will have new clutches refurbed chasis and a decent collection of after market goodies.

[il-mostro]

Thanks for the info so far. So V8 is the way to go then? What about electrics? I have two Ducati motorbikes which everyone promised me would be grief, but in 10 years of owning Ducati, i have only ever had one lemon. Are TVR's as bad as the press suggests???

[cerb4.5lee]

Worse!
But the pleasure out weighs the pain!!
Buy carefully with fsh & good chassis & be prepared to spent on niggles you will never look back.
Mine has cost about 11k this year but previous two yrs just servicing.
Its a rollercoster ride but nothing matches sense of occasion & smiles when the going is good.
Make sure you read lots of posts & drive as many as poss & you will be fine.
Good luck with your search.

[SXS]

Buying a Cerbera is a lottery mate. They all look all polished and start up first time when you doin the rounds checkin them out. Until you actually buy one, you wont know how much she's gonna rip into your pocket. If you cant budget 20k straight up, 15k for the car and 5k emergency fund, then she'll spend a lot of time on your driveway mate... BUT ONLY if you didnt win on the cerbera lottery.

Good luck! Personally I'd suggest looking into alternative means of transport but nothing at this end of the price bracket will get you closer to McF1 performance than the cerb does, but it CAN HIGHLY LIKELY come at an excruciatingly high cost, budget in the fact it is a hand-built unorthodox pile of glassfibre on a more than likely rotting chassis with some crazy ass engine and you'll be fine

[stuthemong]

On the flipside, sometimes you can see/find problems that aren't there because you read doom&gloom threads and expect them to be present.

Case in point. Driving back from getting serviced, trapped in scorching sun on the M25. Temp bouncing between 95 and 100 for 1 hour, and 5 miles. Impossible to continue my planned route as I was badly running out of petrol, and couldn't see me making 25 miles to south mimms given the road was a carpark.

Pulled into hard shoulder to forumulate plan / find somewhere to get off <10miles to go petrol station searching. While on phone I turned the engine off, save it from heating up further / burning more fuel.

Went to restart it. Chug chug chug. (waits 10 seconds, tries again) Chug. chug. chug.

Fook. Hotstart failure, petrol evaporated in pipes, this is going to take 10+ mins too cool down . Get out. Lift bonnet to aid cooling. Feel like a damn stereotype, TVR at side of road bonnet up. Ass. Reside myself to sitting for a further 10+ minutes and think to myself, "I'll try one more time."

Chug chug chug.

Ass.
[... Then realises after sat still for 5 mins on phone initially immobiliser had kicked in. Arms ignition via keyfob, MIL illumintates] Chug. Vrammmm chuggachuggga chuggaa..

Get out. Put bonnet back, hoon off.

All in my mind, you see. All in my mind

Edited by stuthemong on Tuesday 11th August 20:57

[il-mostro]

The thought of having to bydget upto £10k a year to service/repair the blighter scares the living crap outta me and makes me wanna keep me Z4 Coupe, but i know i'm gonna keep seeing the odd TVR and keep wanting one. The only other thing which is floating my boat would be a Renault Clio V6.

Decisions decisions.

[900T-R]

stuthemong said:

On the flipside, sometimes you can see/find problems that aren't there because you read doom&gloom threads and expect them to be present.

Case in point. Driving back from getting serviced, trapped in scorching sun on the M25. Temp bouncing between 95 and 100 for 1 hour, and 5 miles. Impossible to continue my planned route as I was badly running out of petrol, and couldn't see me making 25 miles to south mimms given the road was a carpark.

Pulled into hard shoulder to forumulate plan / find somewhere to get off <10miles to go petrol station searching. While on phone I turned the engine off, save it from heating up further / burning more fuel.

Went to restart it. Chug chug chug. (waits 10 seconds, tries again) Chug. chug. chug.

Fook. Hotstart failure, petrol evaporated in pipes, this is going to take 10+ mins too cool down . Get out. Lift bonnet to aid cooling. Feel like a damn stereotype, TVR at side of road bonnet up. Ass. Reside myself to sitting for a further 10+ minutes and think to myself, "I'll try one more time."

Chug chug chug.

Ass.
[... Then realises after sat still for 5 mins on phone initially immobiliser had kicked in. Arms ignition via keyfob, MIL illumintates] Chug. Vrammmm chuggachuggga chuggaa..

Get out. Put bonnet back, hoon off.

All in my mind, you see. All in my mind

I once was frantically tapping the dash on my Chim trying to get the life back into the instrument lighting when driving it into the underground parking. Later that evening I remembered the pushbutton switch under the dashboard. Got back into the car, ignition on, push button - hey, illuminated dials again!

Edited by 900T-R on Wednesday 12th August 07:49

[Hunter T]

I owned a Cerb.....had not one bit of trouble.Sold it and went on to buy Jap and German stuff...Now back with TVR...a Tamora and loving it!!!!

[il-mostro]

Hunter T said:

I owned a Cerb.....had not one bit of trouble.Sold it and went on to buy Jap and German stuff...Now back with TVR...a Tamora and loving it!!!!

Is the same 'Hunter' as the one from the 'Z4-forum'?

[SXS]

il-mostro said:

The thought of having to bydget upto £10k a year to service/repair the blighter scares the living crap outta me and makes me wanna keep me Z4 Coupe, but i know i'm gonna keep seeing the odd TVR and keep wanting one. The only other thing which is floating my boat would be a Renault Clio V6.

Decisions decisions.

Stats say that TVR's are slowly dissapearing off our roads and only the enthusiasts are keeping the remaining 'good' examples alive.... You have to remember, the average is cerb is easily 5+ years old, and even though someone else may not have had any seriously expensive things go wrong with them, its only a matter of time.... really depends on how much abuse they've been given, ie. run up to 170mph+ with not much oil, or revved to kingdom-come from cold... this kind of stuff... also too many owners just base the temp of the engine to be satisfactory for all out thrashing when the water temp gets to the half-way mark, not a good thing, would have been nice for TVR to install an oil temp on the dash but unfortunately didnt happen...

Absoultely sensational when they work, sleepless nights when they dont! TVR ownership really is like buying a new puppy, unfortunately the puppy never grows up sooo....

Whatever you buy, you have to go in eyes wide open and accept all the doubts as systematic points of ownership...

[dirty boy]

SXS said:

would have been nice for TVR to install an oil temp on the dash but unfortunately didnt happen...

However, as some of us have done, you can always fit one.

[exwinegtrr33]

I think It all depends on what your last cars were and where you want to be with them, if your last 4 cars were Pulsar GtiRs and a Skyline hunting for 10/11 sec quarters then I dont see a cerb as being expensive to run, But if its a safe and sound BMW or family saloon you,ve just sold then it mite cost you a bit more,
Ive just sold a 650bhp GTRR33 skyline would I swop it back for my Cerb
NO WAY it just so roar and dirty I love it.

stu

il-mostro said:

I have just sold my BMW Z4 coupe as i have a TVR itch which i need to scratch. I am considering a TVR Cerbera but have no idea which one to go for? V8 or Speed 6? Which in general are the most reliable? My head is saying don't buy a TVR, but my heart really wants one.

Are cars with higher mileage something to steer clear of? Apart from depreciation of course.........

I have a budget of upto £14k, so what are peoples thoughts?

Thanks

Mark

[SXS]

dirty boy said:

SXS said:

would have been nice for TVR to install an oil temp on the dash but unfortunately didnt happen...

However, as some of us have done, you can always fit one.

Err, thats a bit obvious isnt it sherlock?!!!

The point of the matter was, how many miles has she done thrashed on not optimum oil-temps etc since new.... forget about the fact you can install a £40 oil temp sender+gauge, it aint gonna cure the past LMFAO

[dirty boy]

SXS said:

dirty boy said:

SXS said:

would have been nice for TVR to install an oil temp on the dash but unfortunately didnt happen...

However, as some of us have done, you can always fit one.

Err, thats a bit obvious isnt it sherlock?!!!

The point of the matter was, how many miles has she done thrashed on not optimum oil-temps etc since new.... forget about the fact you can install a £40 oil temp sender+gauge, it aint gonna cure the past LMFAO

You find far too many things worthy of LYFAO. IMO.

It may not undo the past, but it will still help the longevity of the engine from that point onwards.

Sherlock...

Times i've been called that in my life.

[Donkfish1]

Had mine 7 days and the clutch master cylinder is casuing problems.....but the first few days of driving has been amazing. It really is the chance you take when buying.

Do i regret the purchase.......not one little bit! WHAT A PIECE OF KIT!!!

[FUBAR]

Donkfish1 said:

Do i regret the purchase.......not one little bit! WHAT A PIECE OF KIT!!!

Good man


BTW, your profile needs an update. Im sure the Cerb will make your Top 6