Cerbera project
Discussion
It might take some work to get reliable and roadworthy but you'd be mad to sell it as a "stored car needing recommissioning". People hate unknowns. I would get it inspected and have fuel pipes etc replaced/faults rectified, new tyres, service and MOT, run around in it for a while to get some joy out of it and sell it as "low mileage with recent work done". You don't even need to advertise that it's been sat, although the lack of service history will put people off 
. Must be 20K+ in good nick and running well.
. Must be 20K+ in good nick and running well.I've got my Cerb for sale at the moment and imo it's a reliable and good looking car but I've hardly had any interest. It's not up for much more than the 15.5k number you were thinking of so you might be in for a bit of a wait if you describe yours as a project. I really don't know what to do, drop the price more or just wait.
I guess the way I’m looking at it at the moment is my car is no less a project to a poorly maintained car which there are plenty of and none are for sale in the condition my car is for £15.5k.
Thinking logically I would have no interest in selling it for 12k, 13k, or even 14k, I wouldnt be able to replace the car for that money looking at the current cars for sale on a number of different sites. I’m a realist and at the moment due to it being stored for a period of time it may require some additional work which will cost an element of cash. But I’m pretty sure the way it’s been stored over the last 9 years has not turned it into a basket. I see no reason why this car can’t be a £25 plus car once some time and money is spent on it.
My hearts telling me to put the cover back on it and forget about it for a few years and see where the market goes.
I guess the big question is do I want to spend the time doing this as I have to much much on the go at the moment. Imo compared to other 90s cars of this specification they still currently look massively under valued at £25k.
I have wondered once tvr get up and running will this drive interest back into the brand which could drive used car prices up?
Thinking logically I would have no interest in selling it for 12k, 13k, or even 14k, I wouldnt be able to replace the car for that money looking at the current cars for sale on a number of different sites. I’m a realist and at the moment due to it being stored for a period of time it may require some additional work which will cost an element of cash. But I’m pretty sure the way it’s been stored over the last 9 years has not turned it into a basket. I see no reason why this car can’t be a £25 plus car once some time and money is spent on it.
My hearts telling me to put the cover back on it and forget about it for a few years and see where the market goes.
I guess the big question is do I want to spend the time doing this as I have to much much on the go at the moment. Imo compared to other 90s cars of this specification they still currently look massively under valued at £25k.
I have wondered once tvr get up and running will this drive interest back into the brand which could drive used car prices up?
Imran999 said:
As the recent new owner of a 2001 recommissioned by str8six after a lengthy period of no-use, this thread is a truly frightening read!
May I ask what sort of work you carried out and was your car in poor, average or excellent condition before putting it into storage, can you also confirm how your car was stored? As someone who purchased a Cerb which had been off the road for (I believe) around 7 years I thought I
might give my tuppence worth....
At the time mine had been sitting having only covered around 11k miles. It must have been stored in
the correct environment as the chassis is very very good, however it still got before I bought it, new fuel
and brake lines, partial engine strip rebuild, re-built oil pump, new tyres, some new heat shielding, new
dampers all round, wiper switch, ribbon cable, a VERY (!) big service and lots of other bits and bobs. I
paid one of the higher asking prices at the time, but it was from a reputable dealer, warrantied and it
felt right which in my world goes a long way.
Now I have benefitted from all of the above and have enjoyed over 4k plus miles in the last nearly 2 years
of owning, but I have still spent around £4k on servicing (1 small, 1 big) and mapping/exhaust, door seals,
new battery etc during that period. The warranty I got with the car covered a new starter supply/fit which was
getting on for another £400.
I fully agree with what has been said earlier, there is no such thing as a 'cheap Cerb' as it will at some point
catch up with you. There will always be the Sod's law breakage to factor in aswell but its not just Cerbs that
suffer from that!
I too wonder if once launched and TVR becomes more household again that prices may compare against
some of the other marques more favourably, but to be honest, I just like driving the thing.
Sticky
might give my tuppence worth....
At the time mine had been sitting having only covered around 11k miles. It must have been stored in
the correct environment as the chassis is very very good, however it still got before I bought it, new fuel
and brake lines, partial engine strip rebuild, re-built oil pump, new tyres, some new heat shielding, new
dampers all round, wiper switch, ribbon cable, a VERY (!) big service and lots of other bits and bobs. I
paid one of the higher asking prices at the time, but it was from a reputable dealer, warrantied and it
felt right which in my world goes a long way.
Now I have benefitted from all of the above and have enjoyed over 4k plus miles in the last nearly 2 years
of owning, but I have still spent around £4k on servicing (1 small, 1 big) and mapping/exhaust, door seals,
new battery etc during that period. The warranty I got with the car covered a new starter supply/fit which was
getting on for another £400.
I fully agree with what has been said earlier, there is no such thing as a 'cheap Cerb' as it will at some point
catch up with you. There will always be the Sod's law breakage to factor in aswell but its not just Cerbs that
suffer from that!
I too wonder if once launched and TVR becomes more household again that prices may compare against
some of the other marques more favourably, but to be honest, I just like driving the thing.
Sticky
stickylabels said:
As someone who purchased a Cerb which had been off the road for (I believe) around 7 years I thought I
might give my tuppence worth....
At the time mine had been sitting having only covered around 11k miles. It must have been stored in
the correct environment as the chassis is very very good, however it still got before I bought it, new fuel
and brake lines, partial engine strip rebuild, re-built oil pump, new tyres, some new heat shielding, new
dampers all round, wiper switch, ribbon cable, a VERY (!) big service and lots of other bits and bobs. I
paid one of the higher asking prices at the time, but it was from a reputable dealer, warrantied and it
felt right which in my world goes a long way.
Now I have benefitted from all of the above and have enjoyed over 4k plus miles in the last nearly 2 years
of owning, but I have still spent around £4k on servicing (1 small, 1 big) and mapping/exhaust, door seals,
new battery etc during that period. The warranty I got with the car covered a new starter supply/fit which was
getting on for another £400.
I fully agree with what has been said earlier, there is no such thing as a 'cheap Cerb' as it will at some point
catch up with you. There will always be the Sod's law breakage to factor in aswell but its not just Cerbs that
suffer from that!
I too wonder if once launched and TVR becomes more household again that prices may compare against
some of the other marques more favourably, but to be honest, I just like driving the thing.
Sticky
Thank you for taking the time to reply and comment on the work carried out this is very interesting. What engine work was required at such low mileage? Am I correct to assume your car wasn’t a 12k or 15k bargain even though it had been sitting in storage for 7 years? might give my tuppence worth....
At the time mine had been sitting having only covered around 11k miles. It must have been stored in
the correct environment as the chassis is very very good, however it still got before I bought it, new fuel
and brake lines, partial engine strip rebuild, re-built oil pump, new tyres, some new heat shielding, new
dampers all round, wiper switch, ribbon cable, a VERY (!) big service and lots of other bits and bobs. I
paid one of the higher asking prices at the time, but it was from a reputable dealer, warrantied and it
felt right which in my world goes a long way.
Now I have benefitted from all of the above and have enjoyed over 4k plus miles in the last nearly 2 years
of owning, but I have still spent around £4k on servicing (1 small, 1 big) and mapping/exhaust, door seals,
new battery etc during that period. The warranty I got with the car covered a new starter supply/fit which was
getting on for another £400.
I fully agree with what has been said earlier, there is no such thing as a 'cheap Cerb' as it will at some point
catch up with you. There will always be the Sod's law breakage to factor in aswell but its not just Cerbs that
suffer from that!
I too wonder if once launched and TVR becomes more household again that prices may compare against
some of the other marques more favourably, but to be honest, I just like driving the thing.
Sticky
You mention £15.5k as a figure, yet ignore that there are good running cerberas available from £20-25k upwards.
There's a lot of money that can easily be spent on a Cerbera, the bills can mount quite quickly.
Since you value it highly and without us seeing photos or more details, probably your best bet is to recommission it for the road as a running car will be worth significantly more. However that may be a gamble as you find out whats needed part way through
There's a lot of money that can easily be spent on a Cerbera, the bills can mount quite quickly.
Since you value it highly and without us seeing photos or more details, probably your best bet is to recommission it for the road as a running car will be worth significantly more. However that may be a gamble as you find out whats needed part way through
There is a cerbera for sale on facebook marketplace at the moment for £15k.
Its a cat d but was totally rebuilt and resprayed a few years ago.
It has a couple of small niggles but at that price its a running, driving car that has been used for a few years
Just an idea of what £15k can get you
Its a cat d but was totally rebuilt and resprayed a few years ago.
It has a couple of small niggles but at that price its a running, driving car that has been used for a few years
Just an idea of what £15k can get you
- not linked to the owner, just saw it for sale
GT4RS said:
Thank you for taking the time to reply and comment on the work carried out this is very interesting. What engine work was required at such low mileage? Am I correct to assume your car wasn’t a 12k or 15k bargain even though it had been sitting in storage for 7 years?
It was a mis-diagnosed oil-pump failure apparently. Previous owner must have run away quite cheaply as the billswhich I have for all the work done aren't cheap...Remember, the engine has to come out for oil pump etc, then it's
while were here might aswell do x,y and z. Then you have as has been said consumables such as rubber bits
(silicone ACT hoses on it), dampers, all the fluids, the work runs to a number of pages.
No bargain for me, but I wanted one of the best I could get at the time.
Sticky.
Thanks for all the replies, I find it very interesting that some owners value there cars 25k to 40k plus yet a car no one has seen is only worth between 10k to 12k just be it's been stored for a period of time.
I would love to get a look at these car which are valued and for sale at these crazy prices advertised / mentioned, one things foreshore is I won't be selling my car until I've had chance to look at what's for sale at the crazy prices advertised.
I would love to get a look at these car which are valued and for sale at these crazy prices advertised / mentioned, one things foreshore is I won't be selling my car until I've had chance to look at what's for sale at the crazy prices advertised.
We have asked you to put photos up. We've also told you of possible/probable issues following a long storage period. these will be known and will affect the price, unless you prove otherwise, so running, MOT etc
Mine is the same year as yours, a 1997. Last year is was valued at £35k for insurance purposes last year following it's full body off chassis restoration, all new everything whilst apart.(£7.5K) I had also refurbished the interior, and had a respray in the original colour with the original Rosso Pearl cellulose paint. (£5K) I have many upgrades whilst keeping the car standard looking. I've just had the engine fully rebuilt at a cost of £15k with a 3 year warranty.
That makes my car worth the £35k valuation, if I was to sell, which is roughly what I've put into it. It's the piece of mind for a new owner as as you can see from above, bills can be very big.
Bear in mind that yours will be an early engine, small bearing crank, brass valve guides and chrome valves. Some people stay away because some of these cranks snapped, even recently. I've found out those early valve guides wear quickly.
Thats why my engine build cost so much because no-one will warranty an engine with a small bearing crank. If you need an engine rebuild because you've seals that have deteriorated you could be looking a a big bill.
This is all why we're saying £10-12k as a project without seeing the car.
Send me an email, I'm happy to share details and valuations, or just look through my posts on here. Where are you in the country. I'm in Wiltshire, always happy to show off my car.
Mine is the same year as yours, a 1997. Last year is was valued at £35k for insurance purposes last year following it's full body off chassis restoration, all new everything whilst apart.(£7.5K) I had also refurbished the interior, and had a respray in the original colour with the original Rosso Pearl cellulose paint. (£5K) I have many upgrades whilst keeping the car standard looking. I've just had the engine fully rebuilt at a cost of £15k with a 3 year warranty.
That makes my car worth the £35k valuation, if I was to sell, which is roughly what I've put into it. It's the piece of mind for a new owner as as you can see from above, bills can be very big.
Bear in mind that yours will be an early engine, small bearing crank, brass valve guides and chrome valves. Some people stay away because some of these cranks snapped, even recently. I've found out those early valve guides wear quickly.
Thats why my engine build cost so much because no-one will warranty an engine with a small bearing crank. If you need an engine rebuild because you've seals that have deteriorated you could be looking a a big bill.
This is all why we're saying £10-12k as a project without seeing the car.
Send me an email, I'm happy to share details and valuations, or just look through my posts on here. Where are you in the country. I'm in Wiltshire, always happy to show off my car.
Just to put a price on normal 4.2 cars to give you an idea of the market you're in
£21K with an engine rebuild - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/tvr-cerbera-Griffith-91...
£21K - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-CERBERA-4-2-AJP-350...
£19K - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-CERBERA-AJP-4-2-V8-...
£17K - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-4-2-TVR-Cerbera/20...
£21K with an engine rebuild - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/tvr-cerbera-Griffith-91...
£21K - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-CERBERA-4-2-AJP-350...
£19K - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-CERBERA-AJP-4-2-V8-...
£17K - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-4-2-TVR-Cerbera/20...
GT4RS said:
Imran999 said:
As the recent new owner of a 2001 recommissioned by str8six after a lengthy period of no-use, this thread is a truly frightening read!
May I ask what sort of work you carried out and was your car in poor, average or excellent condition before putting it into storage, can you also confirm how your car was stored? It was stored in a garage which must have been fairly dry, judging from the condition of the chassis (near perfect).
Of course, str8six work to an exceptional standard, and they replaced/upgraded many many items to bring the car to as-new condition (and refurbished many others).
Here is a partial list:
Silicone hoses; Thermostat; Heater manifolds; Fuel hoses; PAS hoses; Air con and belts; Fuel pump; New wishbones; New uprights; New balljoints and track rod ends; New brake callipers, discs and pads; All suspensions bushes and dampers; Drive shaft strip, re-grease and new gaiters; Diff rebuild and bushes; Clutch slave; Window trim rubbers; Exhaust hangers; Tyres; Windscreen; Headlining; Alarm;
Here's an interesting ad - 3 cars for sale in Marlborough
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Cerbera-4-2-TVR-450...
One of which is:
1996 Yellow Cerbera 4.2
35000 miles.
18" Spider Alloys in Gun Metal, Michelin Tyres.
Wheels all recently refreshed and look great.
Later Tuscan front lights.
Recent New oil cooler.
Uprated Pipercross Filter
No History whatsoever except current log book, couple of MOT's
CAT D at some point in its life.
Slight de-lamination around windscreen.
Its sat in garage for around 18 months now, I have no tired to start or drive it in that time.
Price is firm - £12k
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Cerbera-4-2-TVR-450...
One of which is:
1996 Yellow Cerbera 4.2
35000 miles.
18" Spider Alloys in Gun Metal, Michelin Tyres.
Wheels all recently refreshed and look great.
Later Tuscan front lights.
Recent New oil cooler.
Uprated Pipercross Filter
No History whatsoever except current log book, couple of MOT's
CAT D at some point in its life.
Slight de-lamination around windscreen.
Its sat in garage for around 18 months now, I have no tired to start or drive it in that time.
Price is firm - £12k
ukkid35 said:
As a runner with issues, I reckon £12k
There's lots of incomplete stuff around though
There's even an RV8 engined Cerb that seems to appear for sale every so often
Keep an eye on the North East based breakers if you fancy a challenge
Not a Cerb but you get the idea
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222969395556
If that’s up for 14k I will have no problem getting a lot lot more than that for mine once it’s fully serviced / mot and detailed! There's lots of incomplete stuff around though
There's even an RV8 engined Cerb that seems to appear for sale every so often
Keep an eye on the North East based breakers if you fancy a challenge
Not a Cerb but you get the idea
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222969395556
Byker28i said:
Here's an interesting ad - 3 cars for sale in Marlborough
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Cerbera-4-2-TVR-450...
One of which is:
1996 Yellow Cerbera 4.2
35000 miles.
18" Spider Alloys in Gun Metal, Michelin Tyres.
Wheels all recently refreshed and look great.
Later Tuscan front lights.
Recent New oil cooler.
Uprated Pipercross Filter
No History whatsoever except current log book, couple of MOT's
CAT D at some point in its life.
Slight de-lamination around windscreen.
Its sat in garage for around 18 months now, I have no tired to start or drive it in that time.
Price is firm - £12k
This is also interesting, cat d with no history £12k. My car can’t / is not comparable to either of these! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Cerbera-4-2-TVR-450...
One of which is:
1996 Yellow Cerbera 4.2
35000 miles.
18" Spider Alloys in Gun Metal, Michelin Tyres.
Wheels all recently refreshed and look great.
Later Tuscan front lights.
Recent New oil cooler.
Uprated Pipercross Filter
No History whatsoever except current log book, couple of MOT's
CAT D at some point in its life.
Slight de-lamination around windscreen.
Its sat in garage for around 18 months now, I have no tired to start or drive it in that time.
Price is firm - £12k
coffinvalley said:
GT4RS said:
This is also interesting, cat d with no history £12k. My car can’t / is not comparable to either of these!
Probably isnt comparable but then again these cars are not actually sold either.......Gassing Station | Cerbera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff