New Cerbera Owner
Discussion
Bought a '98 4.5 3 weeks ago and cant stop smiling 
Its the noisiest, fastest, most exciting thing I've ever driven, and the response I've had from other drivers/pedestrians has always been positive - unlike my previous porsches which usually resulted in a 1 or 2 finger wave.
I have a few questions about the car though:-
1) Sometimes when pressing the start button the starter turns but doesnt seem to engage, I've read the other posts on here about cerberas eating starter motors, but I would like to know if its something that is likely to be done under warranty. I got a scotsure warranty through Logik tvr in Dunfermline when I bought the car.
2) The baffle in the exhaust is rattling, should I replace it with a standard item or go for the sports exhaust? Is the sports exhaust unbearably loud inside the car?
3) How long does the urge to drive with the window down to listen to the "pops" and "bangs" the car makes last? I live in Aberdeen and am worried about catching hypothermia in the coming months
4) I have rattling brake pad syndrome!! A mechanic looked at the pads and said they had been ground down to fit. Is this common? He said there was quite a lot of play in them and thought they might have been ground down too far!! Being non-technical I just nodded and agreed with him. What can I do to fix this - do I need new pads.
Its the noisiest, fastest, most exciting thing I've ever driven, and the response I've had from other drivers/pedestrians has always been positive - unlike my previous porsches which usually resulted in a 1 or 2 finger wave. I have a few questions about the car though:-
1) Sometimes when pressing the start button the starter turns but doesnt seem to engage, I've read the other posts on here about cerberas eating starter motors, but I would like to know if its something that is likely to be done under warranty. I got a scotsure warranty through Logik tvr in Dunfermline when I bought the car.
2) The baffle in the exhaust is rattling, should I replace it with a standard item or go for the sports exhaust? Is the sports exhaust unbearably loud inside the car?
3) How long does the urge to drive with the window down to listen to the "pops" and "bangs" the car makes last? I live in Aberdeen and am worried about catching hypothermia in the coming months
4) I have rattling brake pad syndrome!! A mechanic looked at the pads and said they had been ground down to fit. Is this common? He said there was quite a lot of play in them and thought they might have been ground down too far!! Being non-technical I just nodded and agreed with him. What can I do to fix this - do I need new pads.
Och, good morning to ya, Ally!
I believe starter motors are to the Cerby what clutches are to the Diablo although the warranty should take c/o that...
Sports exhaust? YES!!! Utterly no question there. Indeed, decatalyse if possible but just make sure your friendly nearest dealer will reinstate come MOT time...
Your window will forever be open and on the overrun it is simply outrageous; the best (road based) automotive soundtrack I've ever experienced to date, certainly.
The Cerby is not a sophisticated cruiser in any guise so the worry about 'boom' and excess noise with the sportier exhaust options is not too much a quandry any ways.
How many miles has it done? From what I can gather, it appears the longevity of the engine may start to wane once 40k is cracked (just from what I've gathered on PH and in the advertised section's histories).
At the end of the day, Scotland, a 4.5 Cerbera and your right foot? Hmmm; that'll be favourite...
I believe starter motors are to the Cerby what clutches are to the Diablo although the warranty should take c/o that...
Sports exhaust? YES!!! Utterly no question there. Indeed, decatalyse if possible but just make sure your friendly nearest dealer will reinstate come MOT time...
Your window will forever be open and on the overrun it is simply outrageous; the best (road based) automotive soundtrack I've ever experienced to date, certainly.
The Cerby is not a sophisticated cruiser in any guise so the worry about 'boom' and excess noise with the sportier exhaust options is not too much a quandry any ways.
How many miles has it done? From what I can gather, it appears the longevity of the engine may start to wane once 40k is cracked (just from what I've gathered on PH and in the advertised section's histories).
At the end of the day, Scotland, a 4.5 Cerbera and your right foot? Hmmm; that'll be favourite...
Well done! I took the plunge and bought a Cerb two weeks ago 
and couldn't agree more with the window down/ pops & bangs bit. Was nearly deaf in my right ear after driving from Edinburgh back to Inverness with the window down after collecting her 
Maybe see you around as you're not too far...
and couldn't agree more with the window down/ pops & bangs bit. Was nearly deaf in my right ear after driving from Edinburgh back to Inverness with the window down after collecting her Maybe see you around as you're not too far...
Hi,
Congratulations on the purchase of your 4.5.
I've read the other posts on here about cerberas eating starter motors
Yes, the engine gets so hot that Cerbies do tend to dry the bearings out in starter motors, but they can be reconditioned at reasonable cost.
should I replace it with a standard item or go for the sports exhaust? Is the sports exhaust unbearably loud inside the car?
Sports Exhaust mate every time!!! Do you have any tunnels up in Scotland!!! They effect is amazing and will stretch that grin to breaking point. As for the hypothermia....buy a thick sweater!!!!!
3) How long does the urge to drive with the window down to listen to the "pops" and "bangs" the car makes last?
Well, ours has lasted three years and isn't fading one iota!
I have rattling brake pad syndrome!! A mechanic looked at the pads and said they had been ground down to fit. Is this common?
This is probably true. I suspect if the brakes get really hot, as in a track day, the sealant may burn off...beware.
If I can offer any sound advice, it would be to join the TVR car club and find your local regional meet and talk to other Cerbie owners. Then find yourself a GOOD dealer and , as an aside....be careful in the wet until you get the feel of the car!!!!!!!!!!
Have fun, ours has been a real joy and the most exciting car we have owned.
Congratulations on the purchase of your 4.5.
I've read the other posts on here about cerberas eating starter motors
Yes, the engine gets so hot that Cerbies do tend to dry the bearings out in starter motors, but they can be reconditioned at reasonable cost.
should I replace it with a standard item or go for the sports exhaust? Is the sports exhaust unbearably loud inside the car?
Sports Exhaust mate every time!!! Do you have any tunnels up in Scotland!!! They effect is amazing and will stretch that grin to breaking point. As for the hypothermia....buy a thick sweater!!!!!
3) How long does the urge to drive with the window down to listen to the "pops" and "bangs" the car makes last?
Well, ours has lasted three years and isn't fading one iota!
I have rattling brake pad syndrome!! A mechanic looked at the pads and said they had been ground down to fit. Is this common?
This is probably true. I suspect if the brakes get really hot, as in a track day, the sealant may burn off...beware.
If I can offer any sound advice, it would be to join the TVR car club and find your local regional meet and talk to other Cerbie owners. Then find yourself a GOOD dealer and , as an aside....be careful in the wet until you get the feel of the car!!!!!!!!!!
Have fun, ours has been a real joy and the most exciting car we have owned.
Thanks for all the replies, it looks like its the sports exhaust route for me 
I am planning to take the car to Dreadnought in Callandar in October to get them to look at all the rattles etc and will see about getting the exhaust fitted then. I think I will go for the JP exhaust from Joolz after reading all the posts here it has got good reviews.
The car has just turned 12,000 miles - i've done 800 of them in the last 3 weeks, i've got the petrol reciepts to prove it - are there any cars more thirsty than this one!!!!!
Cerbnut if your ever in the area gave me a shout, there dont appear to be to many cerberas around here, I've only ever seen a couple of others.
Thanks again for the replies
I am planning to take the car to Dreadnought in Callandar in October to get them to look at all the rattles etc and will see about getting the exhaust fitted then. I think I will go for the JP exhaust from Joolz after reading all the posts here it has got good reviews.
The car has just turned 12,000 miles - i've done 800 of them in the last 3 weeks, i've got the petrol reciepts to prove it - are there any cars more thirsty than this one!!!!!
Cerbnut if your ever in the area gave me a shout, there dont appear to be to many cerberas around here, I've only ever seen a couple of others.
Thanks again for the replies
1) Starter motor. It's knacked. Logik failed to get mine under warranty, so I wouldn't hold out too much hope.
2) Exhausts. Go for sports exhausts. Mine has sports system [with rattly baffles] and no cats, and it's still perfectly acceptable - if you like that sort of thing.
3) Urge does not wear off. But with louder exhaust you just need the windows open a fraction.
4) I'd live with it. The calipers have metal insert thingys that the pads fit inside. These tend to distort with age [Joolz tells me its corrosion underneath]. Anyway, the result is that rather than the pads fitting between to parallel guides, they guides are more conical i.e.smaller as you get further away from the disk. If have this quite badly on my car now. It means that in order for the pads to fit properly when new [furthest from the disk, in the smallest part of the guide] they have to be ground down quite significantly. As they wear and get closer to the disk, the start to rattle in the wider part of the guides. If you have these 'distorted' guides in the calipers, you will not be able to fit pads without grinding them down. Options are 1) live with it, 2) get calipers reconditioned then use new pads, 3) try to fit unground pads into caliper using brute force [like Logik's predicessors did on my car once] - not recommended as the pads jam, 4) try to acquire pads with very very thin friction material and replace very regularly - unfortunately no such pads exist to my knowledge. Realistically - option 1) or 2). If 1), then always check that newly fitted pads are free to move.
Good to see another Cerbie north of the border.
WB
2) Exhausts. Go for sports exhausts. Mine has sports system [with rattly baffles] and no cats, and it's still perfectly acceptable - if you like that sort of thing.
3) Urge does not wear off. But with louder exhaust you just need the windows open a fraction.
4) I'd live with it. The calipers have metal insert thingys that the pads fit inside. These tend to distort with age [Joolz tells me its corrosion underneath]. Anyway, the result is that rather than the pads fitting between to parallel guides, they guides are more conical i.e.smaller as you get further away from the disk. If have this quite badly on my car now. It means that in order for the pads to fit properly when new [furthest from the disk, in the smallest part of the guide] they have to be ground down quite significantly. As they wear and get closer to the disk, the start to rattle in the wider part of the guides. If you have these 'distorted' guides in the calipers, you will not be able to fit pads without grinding them down. Options are 1) live with it, 2) get calipers reconditioned then use new pads, 3) try to fit unground pads into caliper using brute force [like Logik's predicessors did on my car once] - not recommended as the pads jam, 4) try to acquire pads with very very thin friction material and replace very regularly - unfortunately no such pads exist to my knowledge. Realistically - option 1) or 2). If 1), then always check that newly fitted pads are free to move.
Good to see another Cerbie north of the border.
WB
So I guess its a good excuse for getting that sports exhaust. 
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