Harry's Garage - YouTube

[The Surveyor]

Harry, you missed the obvious link between your Cerbera and McLaren Mercedes videos especially when you were at the Motor museum and were looking at TVR No.2.



Mercedes used 2 TVR Cerbera's as test mules for the development of SLR engines, otherwise great videos

[Chlorothalonil]

M4SER said:

Venisonpie said:

Enjoyed that. There may be a geographical error in the latter part however. I think that's the Yorkshire Dales rather than the moors which are more to the East.

We had that exact same conversation in the SLR on the way back home. There's no way to edit video to correct stuff like this (unlike a copy for a magazine) so while I know I said Moors, I actually meant Dales. Next time..

Think you said Dales, then Moors later on... which means you need to come to the Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds - some great driving roads (as you probably know). The Wolds is often overlooked but some terrific ribbons of tarmac to explore.

[ralphrj]

Doofus said:

thegreenhell said:

...the ugly slab of silver in the middle of the dash...

At the time it looked cheap and nasty, and it hasn't aged well. I'm surprised MSO didn't wrap it in fake CF. Supercar owners love CF.

Apparently it was anything but, the production dash was a last minute replacement design by Mercedes after the McLaren design was rejected.

[Dracoro]

What used to look "crap" to me was the gear lever position. It's almost touching the centre console, obscuring the heater controls.
It just looks "shoddy" design.

I remember renting some Megane (late 90s I think) in Spain many year ago, when in 1/3/5 the gear lever was so close to the heater controls that it was easier to put in 4th gear and then adjusting heater settings then put back into 5th

[V1nce Fox]

I find those butchered cerbera pics quite unsettling.

[Muddle238]

The sound of that SLR was just gorgeous. Interesting bit about Hardknott Pass, the last time I drove over it was in a small Peugeot in sleeting conditions many moons back. We were coming up from the Eskdale side, having made it to the top of the pass in progressively worsening conditions as we climbed higher, we decided to bottle it; the thought of descending down the Wrynose side and then not being able to climb up and out over the Wrynose side didn’t appeal to my OH, nor me to be honest.

A a gentle descent back the way we came, all the way back along to Eskdale and then up over Ulpha instead, added a bit of time to the journey but rather that than slide off a bend descending the eastern descent off Hardknott, which in my opinion is the most sketchy. Although it would have made for edge-of-seat viewing, I was glad when Harry decided to bail with the SLR.

Nowadays I think the only vehicle I’d try Wrynose and Hardknott in would be an old Defender; enough torque to climb up, sufficient engine braking for the descent but also meaty undercarriage to deal with the potholes that you just cannot see due to your bonnet obscuring them as you crest sections of the pass.

[Caddyshack]

Dracoro said:

What used to look "crap" to me was the gear lever position. It's almost touching the centre console, obscuring the heater controls.
It just looks "shoddy" design.

I remember renting some Megane (late 90s I think) in Spain many year ago, when in 1/3/5 the gear lever was so close to the heater controls that it was easier to put in 4th gear and then adjusting heater settings then put back into 5th

My Cerbera gear selector used to get so hot that you could not touch it...which was nice!

[Dashnine]

V1nce Fox said:

I find those butchered cerbera pics quite unsettling.

It looks like the Cerbera mules were testing the side exhaust system, making sure the catalysts stayed hot / cold enough judging by the NACA ducts on the top.

I doubt they needed to test the engine itself in that chassis, the front end isn't exactly representative of the SLR front end for cooling, even with the circular hole to mimic the Mercedes star inlet.

Great photo though.

[AnotherClarkey]

I would have enjoyed that Lake District drive in just about anything - probably more in something which could tackle Hardknott Pass without fear.

[Caddyshack]

Dashnine said:

V1nce Fox said:

I find those butchered cerbera pics quite unsettling.

It looks like the Cerbera mules were testing the side exhaust system, making sure the catalysts stayed hot / cold enough judging by the NACA ducts on the top.

I doubt they needed to test the engine itself in that chassis, the front end isn't exactly representative of the SLR front end for cooling, even with the circular hole to mimic the Mercedes star inlet.

Great photo though.

I would imagine they would test as much as the possibly could within the constraints of the mule. It looks like the airbox is complete under there...maybe not cooling but I expect they would see what else the engine does and put as many miles on as they could?

I love seeing mules, the MGF in the Metro was interesting at JLR museum

[Pistom]

Enjoyed the video but wasn't sure what the point was of taking that car to the Lakes. What was he thinking attempting Hardknott in it? Surely there couldn't be any pleasure in that.

I was left unimpressed with the car and really couldn't live with it on motorways.

[Caddyshack]

Pistom said:

Enjoyed the video but wasn't sure what the point was of taking that car to the Lakes. What was he thinking attempting Hardknott in it? Surely there couldn't be any pleasure in that.

I was left unimpressed with the car and really couldn't live with it on motorways.

I guess we would not have known that though unless he tried it and showed us?

It is a GT car of sorts so the vid shows how suited it may be to that sort of road trip?

[Venisonpie]

Caddyshack said:

My Cerbera gear selector used to get so hot that you could not touch it...which was nice!

I'd forgotten about that particular TVR quirk, my Tuscan used to do the same. Still, leave it in 2nd and treat it like a one speed box.

[Caddyshack]

Venisonpie said:

Caddyshack said:

My Cerbera gear selector used to get so hot that you could not touch it...which was nice!

I'd forgotten about that particular TVR quirk, my Tuscan used to do the same. Still, leave it in 2nd and treat it like a one speed box.

Good solution!

I test drove the 1st Tuscan to come in to Fernhurst as thought maybe I would buy new again...the bonnet flew open when I stopped, the window wound down after about 1 minute and would not go back up and I could not get out of the drivers door. We bought a Z3M Roadster instead.

[danllama]

Pistom said:

Enjoyed the video but wasn't sure what the point was of taking that car to the Lakes. What was he thinking attempting Hardknott in it? Surely there couldn't be any pleasure in that.

I was left unimpressed with the car and really couldn't live with it on motorways.

As he said, to enjoy the scenery? It's a car, a special car, wouldn't you if you had it and wanted to?

I've just finished watching the video and found it brilliant and entertaining, as well as educational. Wish I didn't live so far away from the lakes.

Out of interest Harry, what do/did you make of the MR2 roadster? I've really enjoyed the two i've owned, and was pleasantly pleased at the little nod in the SLR video!

[BigBen]

Doofus said:

If you want a 'modern' GT car, then I'd agree. But I'd also want radar cruise, speed limiter, parking camera/sensors and the like.

If you want a 'classic' GT car, then you drive it differently, and expect different things from it. A phone will give you Satnav and stuff.

It seems to me that the SLR falls neither into the modern nor the classic camp, and for the money (even before MSO costs), there are better and more desirable GT cars for both types of owners.

I had the contemporary SL55 which certainly had parking sensors and radar cruise as well as Sat Nav, can't believe the SLR was lacking at least the former two (albeit the radar cruise was rather 'gen 1' )

[Gerradi]

Truckosaurus said:

It is a shame that there is no longer the likes of TVR making car any more.

Also, I put the 43k purchase price in 1996 into the BoE inflation calculator and it suggest a current equivalent of 85k, which gives some context to the 'cheapness' of the glory days of TVR.

Mine was a 1997 Gt Model & was £54K+, the guy who bought it from TVR p/x a lotus Carlton which i think he was allowed £28K or there abouts ...not sure how £54k equates to now though ...

[Doofus]

BigBen said:

Doofus said:

If you want a 'modern' GT car, then I'd agree. But I'd also want radar cruise, speed limiter, parking camera/sensors and the like.

If you want a 'classic' GT car, then you drive it differently, and expect different things from it. A phone will give you Satnav and stuff.

It seems to me that the SLR falls neither into the modern nor the classic camp, and for the money (even before MSO costs), there are better and more desirable GT cars for both types of owners.

I had the contemporary SL55 which certainly had parking sensors and radar cruise as well as Sat Nav, can't believe the SLR was lacking at least the former two (albeit the radar cruise was rather 'gen 1' )

Me too, and I agree.

[Gerradi]

Venisonpie said:

I'd forgotten about that particular TVR quirk, my Tuscan used to do the same. Still, leave it in 2nd and treat it like a one speed box.

The most irritating quirk( for me) was short drive to the fuel station but long enough to get the car to temp, everyone looks whether interested or not as the noise when you drive under the canopy resounds . Pop boot, fuel into cap, sometime the inter com would ask you to close boot please , pay,start... car CLICK. Argh that blasted solenoid again!! The starter motor on these was from a 2.0 racing circuit car so not great on a 4.5 HC car but the problem was the starter was situated in the V8's valley which used to get so hot that the starter solenoid would expand & stick...You wanted to crawl into the boot after the "Great Entrance" lol. People used to fit heat resistant covers onto them but that made it worse as it kept the heat in. I replaced all the earth leads & the postive leads with 35MM Tig welding cables & fitted a 35amp relay at the starter motor sorted it but took a few times. Oh & long journey straight through headache made worse by the heat coming up eyeball vent on the steering column ,,,but we loved it!!

[soxboy]

Last time I went over Hardknot Pass was in a Ford Kuga which loved it, once you've got past the first bit it's not too narrow.

Problem I faced was some Swiss bikers who had either lost brakes or confidence as one of them was sat on their bike 'walking' it down the descent towards Eskdale. If anyone is used to steep hills you would think it was the Swiss?!