Johns cerbera rebuild and upgrade
Discussion
Engineer1949 said:
got it in one long process but will have the moulds for a repeat or repairs.
john
Thanks for this, I now appreciate the benefits of you making your own moulds so that you can replace damaged panels. I find your methods extremely interesting and thank you for this latest update, the latest images show your attention to detail and the time consuming work you are involved injohn
Please keep the pictures coming and have a happy engineering Xmas...This is amazing
last update till the new year finished the air scoop for the rad, cleaned up the door sill mould and layed up the new sill 2 gelcoats and 12ozs of mat, then cut out the naca ducts for the engine intakes into the bonnet the moulds for the original place will be cut out and the bonnet faired in, next fixed the underside scoops in place, now got to make up the slash cut joints to mate up when the bonnet is in place.
john
DSCN3121 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
DSCN3123 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
DSCN3126 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
DSCN3128 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
DSCN3129 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
DSCN3130 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
DSCN3131 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
DSCN3132 by Brundall Motorsport, on Flickr
john
DSCN3121 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrDSCN3123 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrDSCN3126 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrDSCN3128 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrDSCN3129 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrDSCN3130 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrDSCN3131 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrDSCN3132 by Brundall Motorsport, on FlickrThe last post on this was in December 2018
This has now popped up on Facebook Marketplace ... an advert by a seller in Craigavon in Northern Ireland
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/89506263...
Hasn't progressed in 5 years. It fact it's gone backwards. It was more complete then. Where is the rest of it? The useful stuff has been sold on I guess, leaving a bastardised standard Cerbera shell and rusted chassis that has been ruined. Junk.
Edited by LucyP on Sunday 28th January 23:13
Oh bloody hell. I remember the original build thread and being fascinated by it and so so excited to see it complete, and I’d seen the shell being sold on facebook. I didn’t make the link between the two. That is desperately sad as it appears to have been picked clean, if it was still at the stages as last seen on the thread then it would be a worthy candidate for someone to continue building but being as it sits there I seriously doubt much of anything will come of it now
I think Nicks original concept involved re engineering much of it.
He’s a very successful businessman in his own right.
A lot of things have happened since then and all I hope is John is in good health.
Engineers like John are priceless
There’s a good possibility John’s business was busy and Nick simply moved onto other projects including current day race cars.
He’s a very successful businessman in his own right.
A lot of things have happened since then and all I hope is John is in good health.
Engineers like John are priceless
There’s a good possibility John’s business was busy and Nick simply moved onto other projects including current day race cars.
LucyP said:
Hasn't progressed in 5 years. It fact it's gone backwards. It was more complete then. Where is the rest of it? The useful stuff has been sold on I guess, leaving a bastardised standard Cerbera shell and rusted chassis that has been ruined. Junk.
There has to be a reason, probably ill health. Edited by LucyP on Sunday 28th January 23:13
As Peter says, he is/was a get it done kind of a guy, but he must be 75 now.
I watched him in the pits at Snetterton with Mat Smith, the two of them working in silence on the top of Mat's engine when Mat suspected a problem on a new build. Two experts working at speed, in harmony and total silence, the definition of competence and exoerience.
QBee said:
LucyP said:
Hasn't progressed in 5 years. It fact it's gone backwards. It was more complete then. Where is the rest of it? The useful stuff has been sold on I guess, leaving a bastardised standard Cerbera shell and rusted chassis that has been ruined. Junk.
There has to be a reason, probably ill health. Edited by LucyP on Sunday 28th January 23:13
As Peter says, he is/was a get it done kind of a guy, but he must be 75 now.
I watched him in the pits at Snetterton with Mat Smith, the two of them working in silence on the top of Mat's engine when Mat suspected a problem on a new build. Two experts working at speed, in harmony and total silence, the definition of competence and exoerience.
LucyP said:
Hasn't progressed in 5 years. It fact it's gone backwards. It was more complete then. Where is the rest of it? The useful stuff has been sold on I guess, leaving a bastardised standard Cerbera shell and rusted chassis that has been ruined. Junk.
It’s a shame. Would have been great to see this completed. But as you rightly point out, what’s left pretty much seems to be scrap. Edited by LucyP on Sunday 28th January 23:13
Classic Chim said:
There’s a good possibility John’s business was busy and Nick simply moved onto other projects including current day race cars.
I think he moved onto BTCC last year. He came joint last with minus 5 points, because of penalties. Had he not actually raced he would have scored more points, as he would have got 0!LucyP said:
Classic Chim said:
There’s a good possibility John’s business was busy and Nick simply moved onto other projects including current day race cars.
I think he moved onto BTCC last year. He came joint last with minus 5 points, because of penalties. Had he not actually raced he would have scored more points, as he would have got 0!And before you say "carried around by his pro driver", he was as quick as his team mate.
He started about 10 years ago with track days, when John built him a car from a worn out 1992 Chimaera.
we had a lot of fun back then - the most TVRs we managed at a random track day was 10 at Snetterton, and Jonathan Palmer, arriving by helicopter, came over to see what was going on.
They are both thoroughly decent people
Sure, but look at page 13. A chassis tube has been cut to get the steering in, and a piece is welded above the cut out. Someone comments that that is an absolute bodge, and asks whether it is going to be left like that. That question isn't answered, but when you look at the much later photos, it has been left like that.
If you look at pages 14 and 15, you will see that the body extensions are foam blocks covered with body filler. Someone asks if these will be taken off to be used as moulds to make fibreglass body extension panels. The answer appears to be yes, but if you look at the Facebook Marketplace photo, you can see the yellow foam in the wheelarch.
As I said previously, after all these years of being left, it has now become junk, unless you are Arthur Daley. To the DVLA it's a SORN'd TVR with 30K miles, a good MOT history up to the SORN point etc. Worth Arthur spending £2.5K for a VIN plate and number plates to apply to another Cerbera and hide it's nasty history?
If you look at pages 14 and 15, you will see that the body extensions are foam blocks covered with body filler. Someone asks if these will be taken off to be used as moulds to make fibreglass body extension panels. The answer appears to be yes, but if you look at the Facebook Marketplace photo, you can see the yellow foam in the wheelarch.
As I said previously, after all these years of being left, it has now become junk, unless you are Arthur Daley. To the DVLA it's a SORN'd TVR with 30K miles, a good MOT history up to the SORN point etc. Worth Arthur spending £2.5K for a VIN plate and number plates to apply to another Cerbera and hide it's nasty history?
QBee said:
Nick drove a McLaren 720S when he did a season of British GT. He even won the Spa round....so not a complete dummy.
And before you say "carried around by his pro driver", he was as quick as his team mate.
He started about 10 years ago with track days, when John built him a car from a worn out 1992 Chimaera.
we had a lot of fun back then - the most TVRs we managed at a random track day was 10 at Snetterton, and Jonathan Palmer, arriving by helicopter, came over to see what was going on.
They are both thoroughly decent people
Anyone going round within 2-3 seconds of the leaders in a 720 is an expert anyway. They are so quick. To win your class at Spa takes some serious fast driving. And before you say "carried around by his pro driver", he was as quick as his team mate.
He started about 10 years ago with track days, when John built him a car from a worn out 1992 Chimaera.
we had a lot of fun back then - the most TVRs we managed at a random track day was 10 at Snetterton, and Jonathan Palmer, arriving by helicopter, came over to see what was going on.
They are both thoroughly decent people
Nicks a fast boy.
I was there that day unless the owner turned up twice? That’s when I’d come just to help out others as I drove all the way there just to spanner and watch although I drove your car that day I believe as you wouldn’t have it any other way. Like John a greater gent you’ll never meet.
I remember about 6 Tvr fired up and came out the garages onto the track at the same time, a great sight and Mr Palmer grabbed hold of me and asked why so many Tvr were there.
He mentioned staying off his grass
Who cares about an old Tvr when it’s just good to know John’s ok.
Who was his Pro driver Anthony.
At that level there’s not a mug between them as they can all pedal to a high standard so we can ignore the rather disingenuous pointless comments about positioning.
I’d rather race, get a ban and have minus points than zero quite frankly 
Edited by Classic Chim on Monday 29th January 18:09
mk1fan said:
I believe John retired. He took on an apprentice to pass on his knowledge and cut down on his 'work'. He is nearer 100 than 50 and I found him a thoroughly nice bloke, willing to help and join in. Going as far as to spin out in syncronised fashion on a wet sighting lap at Snetterton 
That’s good to know. Do I read this correct, so you and John went out together and spun on the warm up lap…. at the same time.
That’s a photographers dream
Another time I was at Snett with my mate who was racing a Mk 3 MX5 and the Tvr boys were on the same bill, and John popped into our garage and he soon had eyes on the car and if my mate was just a bit faster I’d have picked John’s brains but I’d tried everything by then.
He liked the rear end set up on that car I remember. ( how easy and quick it was to set up )
Lovely bloke.
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