NitroC returns...a little story about a special Cerbera
Discussion
Well today was the big day, I collected my newly recommissioned Cerbera I have been keeping quiet about for the last 4 months or so. Some of the older members on here will know the car and for those who don't this Cerbera was one created by Craig Adams a well known PH'er before he buggered off to to Dubai. When I owned my first 4.5 Cerbera some 7-8 years ago this car was one that every week you would see posts about on PH detailing the latest modifications. I always admired the car and all these years later I have been fortunate enough to buy it and return it to it's former condition.
Here is the car in it's heyday:
The modifications are extensive and not all just for show. The engine is a 4.7 AJP, it has had extensive work (flowed heads, new aggressive cams etc.), the suspension is three way adjustable Ohlins with remote reservoirs and of course it has a top end 250 shot NOS system (it is only running 100 shot currently I believe).
The car is very fast, noticeably faster than my healthy 4.5 witch doesn't hang around (4.5 with Joolz short induction and short induction ECU chip). The way the power is delivered is very different too. it seems to have considerably more torque and the noise - it is the loudest Cerbera I have heard. Amazing.
There were many rumours about the car over the past few years about its whereabouts, if it had been crashed, exported but all of them were false. The car had been sitting in a workshop near Cork for the last four years and hadn't turned a wheel. I found out the owner might be selling and struck a deal. A few days later in mid Jan I was on my way to Cork with a trailer and a fistful of cash. Some people thought I was mad travelling to southern Ireland to meet a man I had only spoken to on the phone in a field with a load of cash. When I was following the seller further and further into the middle of nowhere, then into a bumpy field and down near an estuary I did have my doubts. I was very relieved when the seller eventually stopped near a workshop, opened the roller doors and I saw the car.
Here was the car as I found her looking a bit sorry for herself:
The waxoil had dried up and flaked off taking most the powder coat with it, the wheels where corroded, the brakes on all four corners were seized solid and wouldn't free off (luckily I had taken dollies). the engine hadn't been started for four years and I deliberately told the seller not to attempt to start it. I took a gamble here as I bought it as it stood having not even tested any electronics or even turned the engine over.
I loaded it up into my trailer and I was away:
The ferry crossing was thankfully quiet with only a few dozen vehicles on the whole boat. I say thankfully quiet as I realised once I was loaded I had made a mistake on my ferry booking. I booked for a car and trailer with a length of up to 8 metres. I had measured the trailer and it just squeaked under 8 meters at 7.95 meters long. I din't realise until I was loading with other people who all had tiny trailers that it was talking about the entire length with the car too. Opps. Still this fortunate mistake saved me nearly £300 and as the ferry was so empty nobody seemed to mind!
Do you think anyone will notice I am slightly longer than the other vehicles in my lane?
The car was going to need extensive work and I just so happened to catch up with an old friend of mine called Mike who used to own Horizon Motorsport. Horizon always looked after my first Cerbera and Mike was happy to take on the challenge of returning this car to a road worthy condition.
Unloading the car was fun with four locked up wheels but we got there in the end.
The first job was to drain the fuel tank, blow through the fuel lines, change the fuel filter, change the engine oil/filter/spark plugs and run the oil pump to gain some oil pressure before we connected up a new battery to attempt the first start.
This was the moment when I would find out if I had just made a very expensive mistake or a very shrewd investment. The engine turned over a few times and then fired into life. It sounded great and after letting it run just for a minute or two we shut it off and started planning the work schedule.
The list of work was exhaustive, the main points being:
There was loads of other little jobs along the way, freeing off the clutch, replacing wishbones that I wasn't happy with, new sensors, switches, etc. but in the end we managed to get through an MOT and today I picked her up.
Here she is now back to her former glory after a very enjoyable drive home.
So what's next?
I have a couple of little interior tidying jobs to do, the brakes need time to bed in and the speed sensor seems to have stopped working but other than that it will be to put some miles on her. Once I have the car all bedded in I am going to swallow a bravery pill and turn back on the NOS system and head back to Santa pod to see what she can achieve after all the work that has gone into the rebuild.
I hope so of the older members on here have enjoyed seeing this car return to the forums and if any of you have any information on the car you want to share I would be happy to hear from you.
Here is the car in it's heyday:
The modifications are extensive and not all just for show. The engine is a 4.7 AJP, it has had extensive work (flowed heads, new aggressive cams etc.), the suspension is three way adjustable Ohlins with remote reservoirs and of course it has a top end 250 shot NOS system (it is only running 100 shot currently I believe).
The car is very fast, noticeably faster than my healthy 4.5 witch doesn't hang around (4.5 with Joolz short induction and short induction ECU chip). The way the power is delivered is very different too. it seems to have considerably more torque and the noise - it is the loudest Cerbera I have heard. Amazing.
There were many rumours about the car over the past few years about its whereabouts, if it had been crashed, exported but all of them were false. The car had been sitting in a workshop near Cork for the last four years and hadn't turned a wheel. I found out the owner might be selling and struck a deal. A few days later in mid Jan I was on my way to Cork with a trailer and a fistful of cash. Some people thought I was mad travelling to southern Ireland to meet a man I had only spoken to on the phone in a field with a load of cash. When I was following the seller further and further into the middle of nowhere, then into a bumpy field and down near an estuary I did have my doubts. I was very relieved when the seller eventually stopped near a workshop, opened the roller doors and I saw the car.
Here was the car as I found her looking a bit sorry for herself:
The waxoil had dried up and flaked off taking most the powder coat with it, the wheels where corroded, the brakes on all four corners were seized solid and wouldn't free off (luckily I had taken dollies). the engine hadn't been started for four years and I deliberately told the seller not to attempt to start it. I took a gamble here as I bought it as it stood having not even tested any electronics or even turned the engine over.
I loaded it up into my trailer and I was away:
The ferry crossing was thankfully quiet with only a few dozen vehicles on the whole boat. I say thankfully quiet as I realised once I was loaded I had made a mistake on my ferry booking. I booked for a car and trailer with a length of up to 8 metres. I had measured the trailer and it just squeaked under 8 meters at 7.95 meters long. I din't realise until I was loading with other people who all had tiny trailers that it was talking about the entire length with the car too. Opps. Still this fortunate mistake saved me nearly £300 and as the ferry was so empty nobody seemed to mind!
Do you think anyone will notice I am slightly longer than the other vehicles in my lane?
The car was going to need extensive work and I just so happened to catch up with an old friend of mine called Mike who used to own Horizon Motorsport. Horizon always looked after my first Cerbera and Mike was happy to take on the challenge of returning this car to a road worthy condition.
Unloading the car was fun with four locked up wheels but we got there in the end.
The first job was to drain the fuel tank, blow through the fuel lines, change the fuel filter, change the engine oil/filter/spark plugs and run the oil pump to gain some oil pressure before we connected up a new battery to attempt the first start.
This was the moment when I would find out if I had just made a very expensive mistake or a very shrewd investment. The engine turned over a few times and then fired into life. It sounded great and after letting it run just for a minute or two we shut it off and started planning the work schedule.
The list of work was exhaustive, the main points being:
- Chassis strip, treat and paint - the Chassis is solid but had lost its powder coat.
- Every fluid in the vehicle drained, flushed and replaced.
- 12k service
- Replace brakes, disks, pads, hoses, rebuild calipers.
- Fabricate and alter seat to fit drivers side runners.
There was loads of other little jobs along the way, freeing off the clutch, replacing wishbones that I wasn't happy with, new sensors, switches, etc. but in the end we managed to get through an MOT and today I picked her up.
Here she is now back to her former glory after a very enjoyable drive home.
So what's next?
I have a couple of little interior tidying jobs to do, the brakes need time to bed in and the speed sensor seems to have stopped working but other than that it will be to put some miles on her. Once I have the car all bedded in I am going to swallow a bravery pill and turn back on the NOS system and head back to Santa pod to see what she can achieve after all the work that has gone into the rebuild.
I hope so of the older members on here have enjoyed seeing this car return to the forums and if any of you have any information on the car you want to share I would be happy to hear from you.
ukkid35 said:
Respect!
(as long as you get rid of those absurd wheels)
(as long as you get rid of those absurd wheels)
- the wheels were always a little marmite even back when Craig first put them on!I will have to see what alternatives I can find in the right size/offset. They are 19" wheels and wider than standard (the rears run 285/30 tyres). The bodywork and arches have been remodelled to prevent rubbing.
I will have to take them off and get them measured if I want to start looking at alternatives.
TimJM said:
The bodywork and arches have been remodelled to prevent rubbing.
That's not really the point. The issue (aesthetics not withstanding) is scrub radius for the fronts, and TBH they don't look too bad, but you can't really tell from pics, you need to know what the offset is.Get the offset wrong an you will completely change the dynamics of the car, especially under braking on uneven surfaces i.e. in an emergency.
TheRainMaker said:
Can't believe you are keep them seats 
They are a pain in the ass to get in and out of (literally!). I am keeping them for now because like the wheels they work (kind of) and I have spent all my money on the mechanical side of restoring this car.I plan on doing some track days and santa pod in the car and the seats are ideal for that. You don't move at all once strapped in and it feels really supportive.
You do look like a dick though at the petrol station clambering out sideways.
TimJM said:
Pete7 said:
Here it is in its former Glory.. :-)
Well done on getting the Car back on the road. I bet it was a lot more work than your thread suggests.
a1rak said:
Where the f##ck is this car wash. Do they offer a "quick hand job". Cost's a fiver at my local but its not the same if its Uri, Vichtorr or Sloberjann is doing it.
Well done on getting the Car back on the road. I bet it was a lot more work than your thread suggests.
You are right - it was much more work that the thread suggests, the thread was just a brief summary. It was months of work. Well done on getting the Car back on the road. I bet it was a lot more work than your thread suggests.
Oh and I'm not sure where the car wash is but I was told it is the best £5 handhob in town.
FUBAR said:
Excellent. Good to see the old girl back. 
I presume Craig knows she's up and running again?
Yes, I managed to track Craig down on facebook and he has been helping me out with a few questions on the NOS system. He is happy to see her back too but a little annoyed he didn't have the opportunity to buy her back himself. I think he still regrets selling a little bit. These cars do get under your skin.I presume Craig knows she's up and running again?
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