Cerbera questions.
Discussion
Hi All!
I'm new to these forums so be nice to me hehe!
I've been investigating buying a TVR, I really wanted a Nissan skyline R33 GTR, however i'm being put off with joke insurance quotes (23 y/o), I went for a ride in a Cerbera last week, and it felt like driving around in an earthquake machine! damn awesome machine....
I can only afford to spend around £16k max so it would probably be an older 1996-1997 Cerbera, would it be completley unreliable and literally fall apart on me after 5 minutes? I'm a very technical person and would enjoy doing most of the bits myself
Basically, would the car be nothing but nightmares?.. I wouldn;t be using it as a run around just at nights and weekends.....
If anyone could offer helpful advice, it would be much appreciated!
I'm new to these forums so be nice to me hehe!
I've been investigating buying a TVR, I really wanted a Nissan skyline R33 GTR, however i'm being put off with joke insurance quotes (23 y/o), I went for a ride in a Cerbera last week, and it felt like driving around in an earthquake machine! damn awesome machine....
I can only afford to spend around £16k max so it would probably be an older 1996-1997 Cerbera, would it be completley unreliable and literally fall apart on me after 5 minutes? I'm a very technical person and would enjoy doing most of the bits myself
Basically, would the car be nothing but nightmares?.. I wouldn;t be using it as a run around just at nights and weekends.....
If anyone could offer helpful advice, it would be much appreciated!
Grex said:
Hi All!
I'm new to these forums so be nice to me hehe!
I've been investigating buying a TVR, I really wanted a Nissan skyline R33 GTR, however i'm being put off with joke insurance quotes (23 y/o),
Have you checked out the insurance premiums for a Cerbie then???....you might want to consider the Skyline!
lol I have checked the insurance, skylines are a joke because they're all imports and most insurance companies have stopped insuring imports on drivers under 25 due to the amount of kids thrashing impreza's around and stuffing them. All my quotes for skylines have been near £2.5K however I can insure a cerbera for £1400 because its a lower group and not an import.
What you will have to consider very seriously, is a 'keep it on the road fund'....servicing and general maintenance on these cars is not too bad, but something more major such as clutch failure is not cheap!...some on here suggest a £3K 'slush fund' for yearly running costs....personally I would say thats about right if you are like me and like your upgardes! 
not too bad I suppose.. I wouldn;t be using it as a track car to begin with as I couldn't afford for costs of that, its just reading around you get the impression that if you own, one thing after another goes wrong.. Would this be the case? Also, what is a typical servicing cost for say 30k miles from a typical dealer?
Hopefully one of the older cars has been looked after and most 'factory gremlins' have been iliminated, but better to be prepared for the worse rather than not!...would be a shame to have a the Cerbie to be sitting in the garage cos you couldnt afford to repair it should the worse happen!
As far as main dealers servicing charges are concerned, expect a 12K service to set you back around £1Kish...but much less at a good indie such as www.joospeed.co.uk
As far as main dealers servicing charges are concerned, expect a 12K service to set you back around £1Kish...but much less at a good indie such as www.joospeed.co.uk
Grex said:................................................If like me, you know nothing about TVR's, buy from a main dealer or get it inspected by a TVR expert. I paid 26k for my 1998 4.2. The pay off has been only a starter motor going fut in two years of ownership. I know I paid a top price, but going by some of the horror stories on here sounds like I got A good car plus some come back if it went tits up.
Hi All!
I can only afford to spend around £16k max so it would probably be an older 1996-1997 Cerbera, would it be completley unreliable and literally fall apart on me after 5 minutes? I'm a very technical person and would enjoy doing most of the bits myself <oil changes etc>
Basically, would the car be nothing but nightmares?. I wouldn;t be using it as a run around just at nights and weekends.....
If anyone could offer helpful advice, it would be much appreciated!
I looked around for a little while before buying mine, but the main consideration was the backup from a main TVR dealer (coupled with the fact there was one only 20 mins. up the road!!)if there was any problems, full TVR service history and then the rest was history....set out with a budget of a max. of £23k saw one for £32k drove it and bought it...then thought about the finances and running costs afterwards!!!....oopps, I just told the wife I bought ages ago and it has been sitting in the garage waiting for the right moment....
If I had the choice of a free Skyline or buy a Cerbie, I'll take the Skyline...only to sell it to buy a Cerbie
If I had the choice of a free Skyline or buy a Cerbie, I'll take the Skyline...only to sell it to buy a Cerbie JUST DO IT!!!!
You wont regret it.... especially if your like me and enjoy fixing the minor fixables yourself. I've had my '98 4.5 for 4 months and I've had a power steering fluid leak, (still have)
Had to repair 3 coolant leaks in last 2 weeks. Fit new throttle link, balanced engine and adjusted throttle pots. Fit charger socket in front number plate. Fixed non working steering wheel buttons and passenger window not working. Washed and polished every Sunday,
oh!!, and i've removed my rear brake pads 4 times trying different things to cure the squealing, (unsuccessfully)
Working on my Cerb and fixing these 'niggles' is nearly as enjoyable for me as being out driving it.
Cerbera ownership is a drug,
and I aint giving up.
You wont regret it.... especially if your like me and enjoy fixing the minor fixables yourself. I've had my '98 4.5 for 4 months and I've had a power steering fluid leak, (still have)
Had to repair 3 coolant leaks in last 2 weeks. Fit new throttle link, balanced engine and adjusted throttle pots. Fit charger socket in front number plate. Fixed non working steering wheel buttons and passenger window not working. Washed and polished every Sunday, oh!!, and i've removed my rear brake pads 4 times trying different things to cure the squealing, (unsuccessfully)
Working on my Cerb and fixing these 'niggles' is nearly as enjoyable for me as being out driving it.
Cerbera ownership is a drug,
and I aint giving up. budaholic said:
JUST DO IT!!!!
You wont regret it.... especially if your like me and enjoy fixing the minor fixables yourself. I've had my '98 4.5 for 4 months and I've had a power steering fluid leak, (still have)
oh!!, and i've removed my rear brake pads 4 times trying different things to cure the squealing, (unsuccessfully)
Working on my Cerb and fixing these 'niggles' is nearly as enjoyable for me as being out driving it.
Cerbera ownership is a drug,
If you do give it up...I'll have it
2 Smokin Barrels said:
Especially if you are 23. The jelly in your head hasn't set yet!
Pah! I'd sold my Cerb for the Tuscan at 24!
Grex... £16k will buy you "a Cerb". I won't say a good one, and I won't say a bad one. Every single one is a bit of a gamble unless it's a known car - dealer or not. If I were you, I'd pay someone like Rob Ingleby or James Agger to source you a sorted one rather than going to a dealer.
As for the money, credit can be your friend... there are SO many 9 month interest free options available on cards at the moment, that can help out seriously with delaying/splitting up any big bill if not helping out on the initial purchase. Hence why I'd say that a £3k slush fund needn't be money in the bank - just the ability to get the money & pay it off.
I'd suggest getting it serviced at a well known specialist if you're buying that vintage, too... dealer stamps won't help the residuals half as much on a car at that end of the price range. Having said that, TVR Power (dealer) will do a £12k service for £670 all in. (Joospeed'll do it for <£600, tho)
You only live once... have some fun while you're young before you lose the opportunity.
To me you sound like a Skyline kinda guy, the cerbera really is 'an enthusiasts' car... and things WILL go belly up, now and again... if its your only car, then make sure you got plenty of dosh to keep her running... otherwise I would advise against you making the mistake. My younger brothers friend of 23 picked up a Cerbera 4.2 for 15k, loved it to bits, and it was also bought from a respected owner, but it literally fell apart on him, he came from a Supra background, and thought he could throw the Cerbera around the same way, even drove it through a freakin car-wash! but theres no traction control, theres no abs, in fragile hands its a ticking time bomb... it broke, apparently the camshaft snapped on him, and the car stood for 6 months outside his house, getting kicked, scratched, and eventually someone came along and ripped the bonnet off and decided to take the insides out overnight... and all because he couldnt afford the upkeep, he ran his credit cards to the max, and there were no funds left... of course this is just one of many worst case scenarios... quite a few have an enjoyable ownership, but they're the ones who are prepared and done their homework, and have everything set up, like some even check the measurements of the car to make sure she will fit in the garage and also the height off the ground to make sure you gets up the driveway... now thats called 'eyes wide open'...
if you want the looks and performance and you want reliability too, these cars are not it. Cross off the reliability then they're fine!
And if anyone turns around and says TVR's are no worse than other cars, then they were born yesterday. These cars are not cheap to run, many have learnt that the hard way.
If you like her to bits, and you can afford to splash some money on the occasional breakdown or problem, and make sure you get full recovery, because she could quite possibly spend more time on the back of a lorry than on the road... and if you go in with your eyes wide open - then, you will love her!
But remember, they cost 16k for a reason, not because of depreciation only, but watch the miles, anything more than 25k, then you're walking into dodgy territory, some make it, some dont, but its a 50/50 gamble, and a rebuild will cost you as much as a secondhand good skyline!
Great car, but really is a mistress who now and again suffers from headaches, meaing you aint getting sum unless you flash the cash!!!...
Some people on here are very very lucky, but THEY ARE the minority, and are usually in good solid jobs and generally have been through high-performance car ownership before and have a good understanding of how to deal with things... just a word of caution fella.
Good-luck.
if you want the looks and performance and you want reliability too, these cars are not it. Cross off the reliability then they're fine!
And if anyone turns around and says TVR's are no worse than other cars, then they were born yesterday. These cars are not cheap to run, many have learnt that the hard way.
If you like her to bits, and you can afford to splash some money on the occasional breakdown or problem, and make sure you get full recovery, because she could quite possibly spend more time on the back of a lorry than on the road... and if you go in with your eyes wide open - then, you will love her!
But remember, they cost 16k for a reason, not because of depreciation only, but watch the miles, anything more than 25k, then you're walking into dodgy territory, some make it, some dont, but its a 50/50 gamble, and a rebuild will cost you as much as a secondhand good skyline!
Great car, but really is a mistress who now and again suffers from headaches, meaing you aint getting sum unless you flash the cash!!!...
Some people on here are very very lucky, but THEY ARE the minority, and are usually in good solid jobs and generally have been through high-performance car ownership before and have a good understanding of how to deal with things... just a word of caution fella.
Good-luck.
SXS said:
anything more than 25k, then you're walking into dodgy territory, some make it, some dont, but its a 50/50 gamble
Ash!
50/50 on an engine with 25k?? This isn't an S6 we're talking about. LESS than 25k on a car of the vintage that 16k or so will buy and I'd be worried. SXS said:
Some people on here are very very lucky, but THEY ARE the minority
I'd say that one was more of the 50/50 case.
Agree that Grex does possibly sound like someone that might be more suited to a Skyline for a couple of years first, though (from a financial perspective)...
>> Edited by J_S_G on Thursday 20th January 11:49
grex said:
Again, more good replies!
hmmm.. from what im hearing I think 16K is a bit too little to spend on a Cerbera... If i had over 20K I probably would hence i'd get a newer car. I'll keep thinking over it!
You can spend £16k and get a nice Cerb, just as you can spend £20k and get a bad one. Unfortunately there isn't really any way to tell till you buy it and live with it for a few months...
Spending the extra £4k will get you a car that will probably have a higher resale when you come to sell and should be slightly better screwed together, reliabilty wise though, it's lottery i'm afraid.
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