How much for a good one?
Discussion
Right before I start, and you all start, I'm just asking, it's not going to happen this year, cos there won't be enough in the piggy bank until '07.
Also I dont want folks with cars for sale at the cheaper end to start complaining etc, but last summer I bought the Chim and it was the cheapest one I could find, purely cos I knew I would be gutting it to put on the track, as it was the outriggers were shot, the suspension was dead and the 123,000 mile engine was down to copper in the main bearing shells etc etc
PH classified have cars from 12k up to 31.5k. Where do the good 'uns start? Or is it a case that well looked ofter high mileage "original" car will be sold for less than a newer shed purely cos of it's age? At the end of the day if I can't afford a good one I won't be wanting to afforf to run a bad one.
I hope this doesn't start WW3.
Regards
Iain
Also I dont want folks with cars for sale at the cheaper end to start complaining etc, but last summer I bought the Chim and it was the cheapest one I could find, purely cos I knew I would be gutting it to put on the track, as it was the outriggers were shot, the suspension was dead and the 123,000 mile engine was down to copper in the main bearing shells etc etc
PH classified have cars from 12k up to 31.5k. Where do the good 'uns start? Or is it a case that well looked ofter high mileage "original" car will be sold for less than a newer shed purely cos of it's age? At the end of the day if I can't afford a good one I won't be wanting to afforf to run a bad one.
I hope this doesn't start WW3.
Regards
Iain
Open your eyes
They're all fantastic
Drive down the road in a Cerb and see the people stare, watch them take photo's on their phones, hear them shout "rev it" or "put your foot down", blip the throttle at the lights and listen to the young girl on the pavement screem
and then drive it
Better than sex
Mine cost 14k last year and its a guddun
Pleased with myself today cos i blew a hole in my back box (how good is that)
They're all fantastic
Drive down the road in a Cerb and see the people stare, watch them take photo's on their phones, hear them shout "rev it" or "put your foot down", blip the throttle at the lights and listen to the young girl on the pavement screem
and then drive it
Better than sex
Mine cost 14k last year and its a guddun
Pleased with myself today cos i blew a hole in my back box (how good is that)
Whats your defn of a good one?
Price depends on age and whether private or dealer.
The other price impacts are engine size/type - 4.5s the most expensive, closely followed by 4.2s and then S6s are the cheapest of the range.
History, condition, mileage and 'features' (eg Nitrons, Spiders etc) are the next set of price impacters.
I guess the anwser is that you need to set your budget - you can then see what you get for your money. You can potentially sacrifice 'features' to get a lower mileage or newer car.
Cerbs can be had for under £15K but you will need to look very hard at this price level to find a good un. 16 - 20K is where you will tend to find the best 98 - 00 cars (privately). 20K plus is where you find post 00 cars.
Price depends on age and whether private or dealer.
The other price impacts are engine size/type - 4.5s the most expensive, closely followed by 4.2s and then S6s are the cheapest of the range.
History, condition, mileage and 'features' (eg Nitrons, Spiders etc) are the next set of price impacters.
I guess the anwser is that you need to set your budget - you can then see what you get for your money. You can potentially sacrifice 'features' to get a lower mileage or newer car.
Cerbs can be had for under £15K but you will need to look very hard at this price level to find a good un. 16 - 20K is where you will tend to find the best 98 - 00 cars (privately). 20K plus is where you find post 00 cars.
gazzab said:
Cerbs can be had for under £15K but you will need to look very hard at this price level to find a good un.
Not strictly true Gazzab, and statements like that are probably giving earlier Cerb owners like me palpitations!
I have a really good solid, sorted 1997 4.2 for sale - I cant sell it, because comments like this make people steer clear of early Cerb's. What price should I sell my car for? Maybe if I ask £16k people will think it is a good one, so it will sell. At the moment I've had to drop the price to under £13k because no one is even looking! But mow of course they'll be put off because at this cheap price it must be a pile of s**t !
I know someone who just paid £16k for a Cerb. FIrst day he took it into get upgraded shocks fitted, and guess what - Mechanics there foud it was a 'shed' underneath, and had a knackered engine - He now needs £12k to get it right.
If your buying a Cerb, just be careful, have it driven hard on a Test drive for at least 20 miles, check its history, get a feel for how you feel the car has been looked after, ring the Garage that last serviced it and ask questions.
You will never know if it's a good'un or a bad'un until you've bought it.
The car that someone has had a load of problems with and has cost them a fortune to run, might be the car that's just had the last faulty componant changed and the owner is that sick, they've put it up for sale.
On the other hand, a car might look fantastic and has been reliable from day one, only for you to buy it and you find everything is worn beyond repair.
You have to set yourself rules as to what you want - colour, interior, engine size and budget. Go and look at all the cars that meet those rules in your local area and if nothing "feels" right, broaden the search out until your going national.
Don't be put off by mileage, age or how cheap it is - the price only reflects how desperate the owner needs to sell it.
The car that someone has had a load of problems with and has cost them a fortune to run, might be the car that's just had the last faulty componant changed and the owner is that sick, they've put it up for sale.
On the other hand, a car might look fantastic and has been reliable from day one, only for you to buy it and you find everything is worn beyond repair.
You have to set yourself rules as to what you want - colour, interior, engine size and budget. Go and look at all the cars that meet those rules in your local area and if nothing "feels" right, broaden the search out until your going national.
Don't be put off by mileage, age or how cheap it is - the price only reflects how desperate the owner needs to sell it.
Hello Iain. If you make it down here next week, you can have a look at mine...ooh missus! Got it 4 months ago at a rock bottom price. No "major" problems so far, despite a fair amount of hooning. I can also vouch for Rob at www.findasportscar.co.uk Give him a ring....
byker28i said:
I'm now finally in the position to buy a Cerbera, having waited all year (it seems like ages).
Which one would be best to buy, the 4.2 or 4.5? Is airconditioning a must have? Which upgrades are seen as essential and which are just nice to have?
Thanks
Which one would be best to buy, the 4.2 or 4.5? Is airconditioning a must have? Which upgrades are seen as essential and which are just nice to have?
Thanks
With a name like that, may I presume you are from Byker in Newcastle? If so, then mine is the best to buy
I guess what you mean by a good one is one which does not blow up on your first blast.
There is always a risk when buying a Cerb, just like there is when buying any other car second. I guess with Cerbs the risk is just a bit higher in terms of the cost if things do go wrong. I have seen on these pages Cerbs bought quite cheaply and they have been fine, while others where top dollars are payed have proceeded to go very nastily worng very soon after purchase. Vice versa applies also. At the end of the day, such occurences are very very rare, so just find one you like, get to know the owner, and if you get that feeling about it, then go for it. For added piece of mind, try getting a warranty or something to see you through the first year
There is always a risk when buying a Cerb, just like there is when buying any other car second. I guess with Cerbs the risk is just a bit higher in terms of the cost if things do go wrong. I have seen on these pages Cerbs bought quite cheaply and they have been fine, while others where top dollars are payed have proceeded to go very nastily worng very soon after purchase. Vice versa applies also. At the end of the day, such occurences are very very rare, so just find one you like, get to know the owner, and if you get that feeling about it, then go for it. For added piece of mind, try getting a warranty or something to see you through the first year
15 months ago I took the plunge and bought mine private for a sweet 35K. She's one of the last ones made, a 4.5 LW, 2003, in Moonraker Black with 6K worth of extras, she originally cost just under 53K when purchased by Her original owner. Since the day I bought her and 7000 miles later she's been a joy to own and drive.I never thought I'd see the day when I drove a car faster than I've ridden a bike, I had Her above 180 in Germany last year. The only things that have failed are the front diff seal & 2 suspension units weeping fluid. I was going to have Nitrons fitted in any case, this just bought it forward a bit. To use Dom of TVR Powers words, "She is mint, proper mint!" I am one of the lucky ones however, I read so many posts on Pistonheads written by people having no such luck. Horror stories believe me. Cerbs do have their weaknesses and many hit the wallet hard. Be carefull if and when you buy one. Get it checked over by a competent person who knows the cars. Have a good look round, it took me 6 months to find mine. Believe me, if you find the right one you will never be as happy as you are when behind the wheel of a Cerbera. Only Cerbera owners know, but something magical happens when you press that little black button and she springs into life, you can actually feel your own grin widening.
Happy hunting
Simon
Happy hunting
Simon
Edited by simonkd on Monday 24th July 10:43
From experience, I don't think the price matters that much. On the Scotland Tour, there was an Orange R reg Cerbera 4.5, that was driven to the limit that just wasted a F360. So age it's the issue.
As a Cerbera owner, I would get the car checked out. I had my checked but it was a waste of time, the guy was a one man band and looking back at it he was figuring he'd be the one fixing it! Your going to have to employee a company like TVR Power to crawl over it, might cost a few hundred quid. Your going to need the cam covers off, all the underside plates, etc.
On a SP6, which I think is a better sounding car, you should budget at least £3K - £4K. If the engines a SP6 and it around 20K or above, you could need a rebuild at any point (£4K), SP6 rarely make it above 30K. At 25K on average you'll need a new clutch. I'd buy one in advance as they can be out of stock for months!
Having said that they're brillant supercars for what is really peanuts even though it doesn't seem it. Saw a 1 yr old Lambo on PH, which had cost £18K in service - clutch, exhaust etc.
As a Cerbera owner, I would get the car checked out. I had my checked but it was a waste of time, the guy was a one man band and looking back at it he was figuring he'd be the one fixing it! Your going to have to employee a company like TVR Power to crawl over it, might cost a few hundred quid. Your going to need the cam covers off, all the underside plates, etc.
On a SP6, which I think is a better sounding car, you should budget at least £3K - £4K. If the engines a SP6 and it around 20K or above, you could need a rebuild at any point (£4K), SP6 rarely make it above 30K. At 25K on average you'll need a new clutch. I'd buy one in advance as they can be out of stock for months!
Having said that they're brillant supercars for what is really peanuts even though it doesn't seem it. Saw a 1 yr old Lambo on PH, which had cost £18K in service - clutch, exhaust etc.
byker28i said:
I'm now finally in the position to buy a Cerbera, having waited all year (it seems like ages).
Which one would be best to buy, the 4.2 or 4.5? Is airconditioning a must have? Which upgrades are seen as essential and which are just nice to have?
Thanks
Which one would be best to buy, the 4.2 or 4.5? Is airconditioning a must have? Which upgrades are seen as essential and which are just nice to have?
Thanks
I've just gone from a 4.2 - Still for Sale by the way, quick plug
. The 4.2's feel quicker, and probably are, the engine is a lot more 'revy', quick blips on the pedal and the revs shoot up. The 4.5 feels a heavier car, hard to explain, but it does just, the engine is not as revvy, you have to really push the accelerator down, rather than just blip it.
Both stonkingly quick cars, they just have slightly different engine characteristics. and the 4.5 has more scope for tuning if you feel the need to get your wallet out.
jensena said:
The 4.2's feel quicker, and probably are, the engine is a lot more 'revy', quick blips on the pedal and the revs shoot up.
The 4.5 feels a heavier car, hard to explain, but it does just, the engine is not as revvy, you have to really push the accelerator down, rather than just blip it.
Both stonkingly quick cars, they just have slightly different engine characteristics. and the 4.5 has more scope for tuning if you feel the need to get your wallet out.
The 4.5 feels a heavier car, hard to explain, but it does just, the engine is not as revvy, you have to really push the accelerator down, rather than just blip it.
Both stonkingly quick cars, they just have slightly different engine characteristics. and the 4.5 has more scope for tuning if you feel the need to get your wallet out.
OK, lets try a few other specifics.
Which engine is the most reliable? What major faults/cons do each model have.
Is Aircon an essential feature?
What upgrades are considered essential and which are desireable. Suspension, wheels etc?
Cheers
Hi
If you are looking at cerbs then the upgrades to look for are shocks and nitrons are the best for the money transforms the handling totally. On early cerbs clutch and assembly the later ones are a lot easier in traffic.I upgraded the brakes on mine to jools grooved ones much better.Mind you I upgraded everything on mine its even got a 2002 spec engine, totally different car to drive from when I first had it and its for sale.
Billy
If you are looking at cerbs then the upgrades to look for are shocks and nitrons are the best for the money transforms the handling totally. On early cerbs clutch and assembly the later ones are a lot easier in traffic.I upgraded the brakes on mine to jools grooved ones much better.Mind you I upgraded everything on mine its even got a 2002 spec engine, totally different car to drive from when I first had it and its for sale.
Billy
if I didn't need a car for work, I would 
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