Are you feeling lucky ? - Buyers Guide
Discussion
Hi Guys and Gals,
Two reasons for this post.
1) There seem tom be an unendingly regular number of potential owners who want advice on whether to take the plunge or not and I thought this might offer them some impartial advice.
2) I happened to find this review on the Autopsport site which I thought was pretty accurate - and particularly liked the "Dirty Harry" hangline
I'd be interested to hear what you 'experienced' owners think about it.
Written by Steve Sutcliffe, at the time, Éditor-at-Large of AutoCar.
"The Cerbera marks the point in history at which things got rather serious at TVR. This, after all, was the company's first car to feature not just a home-grown chassis and interior, but also a home-grown engine. And quite some motor is was too. It had eight cylinders in a vee but with a flat plane crank, just like that of a Ferrari V8, and an appropriately spine-chilling soundtrack.
To begin with the V8 was a 4.2, but it was soon stretched to 4.5-litres. Not that this mattered much when it came to horsepower - in whatever guise, the Cerbera always had plenty.
I'll never forget the first road test example that came in the direction of Autocar. Within 12 hours of its arrival it had deposited its rear screen - whole - onto the M4 at 85mph. Yet even this was not enough to put some of us off. Rear screen or no rear screen, the car was so explosively rapid that no one on the magazine could quite believe it had 'only' 350bhp.
So we took it to a rolling road, just to make sure. At 445bhp and rising the car nearly jumped off the rollers, soon after which a call went in to TVR asking for a more representative example to be delivered. Blackpool flatly denied that the car had a special engine and asked us to re-test it on another rolling road. Which we did later that afternoon. The numbers said 350bhp and 320lb ft, bang on the money in other words. We never bothered to go back to the first place to tell them that their kit was out of whack.
And this was how the Cerbera's character was committed to Autocar lore. From then on, it was known as that very exciting, little bit crazy, occasionally unreliable, but also incredibly big performing Lancastrian. Unlike previous TVRs it handled too, albeit in a tattooed forearm kind of way.
The 4.5 proved to be more fail-safe and a little quicker, but it's the 4.2 I will always remember most fondly. I ran one for a year because, as a works driver for the TVR race team, it came with the job. When it ran properly, it was the most exciting car on earth. When it didn't (which was more than occasionally) I wanted to burn it. In the end, when I handed it back, I wiped away the tears and was glad to see the back of it, sort of.
Since then people have asked me whether they should buy a Cerbera and invariably I've advised them to look elsewhere. Now that Cerberas are down to the £10,000 and under mark, however, I'm beginning to wonder. With patience and luck you might even find one that's already had its midlife crisis and which will prove more reliable in later life. On the other hand, you might not. With the Cerbera you can never tell precisely what might happen next."
Two reasons for this post.
1) There seem tom be an unendingly regular number of potential owners who want advice on whether to take the plunge or not and I thought this might offer them some impartial advice.
2) I happened to find this review on the Autopsport site which I thought was pretty accurate - and particularly liked the "Dirty Harry" hangline
I'd be interested to hear what you 'experienced' owners think about it.
Written by Steve Sutcliffe, at the time, Éditor-at-Large of AutoCar.
"The Cerbera marks the point in history at which things got rather serious at TVR. This, after all, was the company's first car to feature not just a home-grown chassis and interior, but also a home-grown engine. And quite some motor is was too. It had eight cylinders in a vee but with a flat plane crank, just like that of a Ferrari V8, and an appropriately spine-chilling soundtrack.
To begin with the V8 was a 4.2, but it was soon stretched to 4.5-litres. Not that this mattered much when it came to horsepower - in whatever guise, the Cerbera always had plenty.
I'll never forget the first road test example that came in the direction of Autocar. Within 12 hours of its arrival it had deposited its rear screen - whole - onto the M4 at 85mph. Yet even this was not enough to put some of us off. Rear screen or no rear screen, the car was so explosively rapid that no one on the magazine could quite believe it had 'only' 350bhp.
So we took it to a rolling road, just to make sure. At 445bhp and rising the car nearly jumped off the rollers, soon after which a call went in to TVR asking for a more representative example to be delivered. Blackpool flatly denied that the car had a special engine and asked us to re-test it on another rolling road. Which we did later that afternoon. The numbers said 350bhp and 320lb ft, bang on the money in other words. We never bothered to go back to the first place to tell them that their kit was out of whack.
And this was how the Cerbera's character was committed to Autocar lore. From then on, it was known as that very exciting, little bit crazy, occasionally unreliable, but also incredibly big performing Lancastrian. Unlike previous TVRs it handled too, albeit in a tattooed forearm kind of way.
The 4.5 proved to be more fail-safe and a little quicker, but it's the 4.2 I will always remember most fondly. I ran one for a year because, as a works driver for the TVR race team, it came with the job. When it ran properly, it was the most exciting car on earth. When it didn't (which was more than occasionally) I wanted to burn it. In the end, when I handed it back, I wiped away the tears and was glad to see the back of it, sort of.
Since then people have asked me whether they should buy a Cerbera and invariably I've advised them to look elsewhere. Now that Cerberas are down to the £10,000 and under mark, however, I'm beginning to wonder. With patience and luck you might even find one that's already had its midlife crisis and which will prove more reliable in later life. On the other hand, you might not. With the Cerbera you can never tell precisely what might happen next."
When I bought mine, I'd never seen it, never driven it. I came on here and figured that there are many things that could potentially go wrong so you have to be prepared for that. Simple fact, so get over it.
Also and I say this with great affection to you all, I have no idea what most of you are on about just about all of the time, since I'm as mechanically-minded as a Netto bag. I will say this though, again with honest respect, reading posts on the Cerb and General TVR threads and listening to some yof you would and probably does terrify the life out of prospective owners. It nearly did to me, but then I'm also daft, so bought her anyway.
I haven't had anywhere near the issues that some of you who fiddle, twiddle and maintain your cars constantly seem to have. I had a new clutch recently and new shocks last year. A top-end rebuild when I bought it. That's it, but then that might be a lot, I don't have a clue.
Mine's a daily runner, heavy traffic and some motorway. She's cleaned twice a year if she's lucky. I imagine that last fact horrifies some of you. I don't care as quite frankly I'm from the school of if it ain't covered with a dollop of nose-grease and clarts, it won't work. And I like the women in my life filthy.
Gowka's guide to buying:
They are going to need work at some point. Get over it.
Buying from a dealer gets you a warranty. This may be more ideal for you.
No-one can tell truly if any single one of them is truly a good-un. Talk to the garage that have maintained/serviced the car and you will likely get honesty. Just because a car has had no work, doesn't make it good or bad. Likewise just because a car has had loads done doesn't make it good or bad. So talk to those that were responsible for it's maintenance.
Keep them running. Use it or lose it.
You will love it and she will break your heart and possibly teeth. So what, you aren't buying a VW.
Ta, G
Also and I say this with great affection to you all, I have no idea what most of you are on about just about all of the time, since I'm as mechanically-minded as a Netto bag. I will say this though, again with honest respect, reading posts on the Cerb and General TVR threads and listening to some yof you would and probably does terrify the life out of prospective owners. It nearly did to me, but then I'm also daft, so bought her anyway.
I haven't had anywhere near the issues that some of you who fiddle, twiddle and maintain your cars constantly seem to have. I had a new clutch recently and new shocks last year. A top-end rebuild when I bought it. That's it, but then that might be a lot, I don't have a clue.
Mine's a daily runner, heavy traffic and some motorway. She's cleaned twice a year if she's lucky. I imagine that last fact horrifies some of you. I don't care as quite frankly I'm from the school of if it ain't covered with a dollop of nose-grease and clarts, it won't work. And I like the women in my life filthy.
Gowka's guide to buying:
They are going to need work at some point. Get over it.
Buying from a dealer gets you a warranty. This may be more ideal for you.
No-one can tell truly if any single one of them is truly a good-un. Talk to the garage that have maintained/serviced the car and you will likely get honesty. Just because a car has had no work, doesn't make it good or bad. Likewise just because a car has had loads done doesn't make it good or bad. So talk to those that were responsible for it's maintenance.
Keep them running. Use it or lose it.
You will love it and she will break your heart and possibly teeth. So what, you aren't buying a VW.
Ta, G
Gowka said:
When I bought mine, I'd never seen it, never driven it..........................................And I like the women in my life filthy.............................You will love it and she will break your heart and possibly teeth. So what, you aren't buying a VW.
Ta, G
....Great Post Ta, G
Mr Cerbera said:
Gowka said:
Fubar am a Geordie, I've not experienced anything else!!
Belgium ? Well I guess you'ld call that East of the Tyne then ? 
Gassing Station | Cerbera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff