Giving it easy
Discussion
When I got my V8S (and a feisty one it was too!) I took it easy(ish) for a long while and eventually got used to it, I learnt not to give it big welly in the wet and caught the back end several times. As I learnt I felt more comfortable driving it. It still catches me out thought, whilst shaky at best I think I know roughtly where the limits are. Which means Im fine driving it. No silly, no sorry!
Im posting as Ive had a massive amount of replies/comments/posts/warnings and emails, telling me to take it properly-seriously-mega easy, and they've left me overly pondersome. For good reason I hasten to add, I respec the cerb whlist parked as much as I do a rover V8 in top gear.
Can someone pick up here, and expand upon the comments re: the power getting insane at 5k revs, taking it easy. Basically, just how easy should one take things to keep safe, and sensible, when starting out? Is lighting up the rears in first dangerous/different compared to RV8 power? If so how so etc? Rob
Im posting as Ive had a massive amount of replies/comments/posts/warnings and emails, telling me to take it properly-seriously-mega easy, and they've left me overly pondersome. For good reason I hasten to add, I respec the cerb whlist parked as much as I do a rover V8 in top gear.
Can someone pick up here, and expand upon the comments re: the power getting insane at 5k revs, taking it easy. Basically, just how easy should one take things to keep safe, and sensible, when starting out? Is lighting up the rears in first dangerous/different compared to RV8 power? If so how so etc? Rob
Let's put it this way, wheel spin in third or fourth is not uncommon.
Keep your driving lines clean and don't push the loud pedal too hard through corners
until you have felt and reacted to the bite back points.
Find some private land and try a few power moves where no one can come to any harm.
I doubt you will find it as twitchy in first as your old car, but it can bite much
further up the gears if you are not careful.
Have fun though, take care and ease into years of fun.
Keep your driving lines clean and don't push the loud pedal too hard through corners
until you have felt and reacted to the bite back points.
Find some private land and try a few power moves where no one can come to any harm.
I doubt you will find it as twitchy in first as your old car, but it can bite much
further up the gears if you are not careful.
Have fun though, take care and ease into years of fun.
I gave a lift to Wildfire in my Cerb from a pub meet back to Newcastle. As we set off a little late, it was erm... rather fast as I had to get to work.
He commented on some corners that the S would have lost it at the speed I was going round and he has got a V6, not a V8.
I have found the Cerb very easy to provoke, but you can feel what it's doing a long time before you've lost it altogether. I think it must be the long wheelbase.
I also find the pedal has a stop point half way down. You can drive quite fast, then you find that with an extra push, the pedal goes even further and it's hold on to your hat time. In the wet or just normal pootling, I only push the pedal to this first point, but it still makes good progress and I know I can be silly if I want to. Does this last paragraph make sense to any other Cerb owners?
He commented on some corners that the S would have lost it at the speed I was going round and he has got a V6, not a V8.
I have found the Cerb very easy to provoke, but you can feel what it's doing a long time before you've lost it altogether. I think it must be the long wheelbase.
I also find the pedal has a stop point half way down. You can drive quite fast, then you find that with an extra push, the pedal goes even further and it's hold on to your hat time. In the wet or just normal pootling, I only push the pedal to this first point, but it still makes good progress and I know I can be silly if I want to. Does this last paragraph make sense to any other Cerb owners?
Yes, I also get the feeling that for the first 20mm or so of accelerator travel the car will react with a linear like response in acceleration, until you get to the point when you push it that little bit further and everything seems to explode, this is most evident in third.
I’m not sure if this is a good thing but its damn good fun.
I’m not sure if this is a good thing but its damn good fun.
I say just drive it and find out. Your own experience will tell you about the road surface and whether you shoud be pushing it. if you've had a V8S you'll find hte cerbie a pussycat, they're the most benign std TVR ever made and with a few choice mods are beautiful handling cars if ultimately a bit big to get well sideways on tight country bends.
Don't worry too much You are used to the low down torquey (sp?) V8 so if you get in the cerb and use the same amount of throttle (cerb pedal has lots of travel) you will find it a real pussy cat. Mines easier to drive than the Chimaera when pootling around. The Cerb doesn't accelerate in the same way the rover based cars do. It picks up quickly all the way to over 5000 then unlike the others it gets a second wind and take off again. Lower down the rev range is very easy car to drive. Just treat with respect like any other rwd car with power.
First two weeks you'll be going round at 20 to 30 Mph with the window open so everyone can see you anyway and you can hear that lovely soundtrack from the back.
You are used to the low down torquey (sp?) V8 so if you get in the cerb and use the same amount of throttle (cerb pedal has lots of travel) you will find it a real pussy cat. Mines easier to drive than the Chimaera when pootling around. The Cerb doesn't accelerate in the same way the rover based cars do. It picks up quickly all the way to over 5000 then unlike the others it gets a second wind and take off again. Lower down the rev range is very easy car to drive. Just treat with respect like any other rwd car with power. First two weeks you'll be going round at 20 to 30 Mph with the window open so everyone can see you anyway and you can hear that lovely soundtrack from the back.
It is a good idea to have the car straight before any serious acceleration or braking. Even then it can snap if you do a rough downchange whilst braking.
At this time of year it is best to use first and second gears to just get you going and then sqeeze gently in third to put on some speed. Basically you need to be a gear higher than in the summer for any given speed, a bit like snow driving in a "normal" car.
Overtaking can catch you out as most people pull out and accelerate at the same time then pull in and brake at the same time. Either of these in a Cerb could see you walking home.
At this time of year it is best to use first and second gears to just get you going and then sqeeze gently in third to put on some speed. Basically you need to be a gear higher than in the summer for any given speed, a bit like snow driving in a "normal" car.
Overtaking can catch you out as most people pull out and accelerate at the same time then pull in and brake at the same time. Either of these in a Cerb could see you walking home.
I find the Cerbera an absolute joy to drive in this awful weather! I have complete confidence in the car .
Very easy to drive compared to say a 200sx (S14) with 205/60/16's on the back!
Word of warning though, my car was terrible to drive, almost undrivable in heavy rain in fact until I replaced my tyres for what imo are the best tyres I have experienced in a long time.
Went from S03's which were god awful on my car to Falken FK451's which are astonishingly good.
Good luck with the car Bob, I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Duncan
. Very easy to drive compared to say a 200sx (S14) with 205/60/16's on the back!
Word of warning though, my car was terrible to drive, almost undrivable in heavy rain in fact until I replaced my tyres for what imo are the best tyres I have experienced in a long time
. Went from S03's which were god awful on my car to Falken FK451's which are astonishingly good
. Good luck with the car Bob, I'm sure you will enjoy it
. Duncan
DuncanM said:Cheers for the posts guys. The power feels SO there, at all times. I dare not even begin to explore it and am over the moon just pootling gently-slowly in 2/3rd getting used to the handling
I find the Cerbera an absolute joy to drive in this awful weather! I have complete confidence in the car
Very easy to drive compared to say a 200sx (S14) with 205/60/16's on the back!
Word of warning though, my car was terrible to drive, almost undrivable in heavy rain in fact until I replaced my tyres for what imo are the best tyres I have experienced in a long time
Went from S03's which were god awful on my car to Falken FK451's which are astonishingly good
Good luck with the car Bob, I'm sure you will enjoy it
Duncan
DuncanM said:Mine just keeps on amazing me, given all the scare stores regarding TVRs in the winter I'd been a little nervous.
I find the Cerbera an absolute joy to drive in this awful weather! I have complete confidence in the car
Went up north over the weekends avoiding the M25 and M1 in favour of A roads, a stretch of which was a minor A road undulating through countryside, frosting as anything (ice sensor on for the whole journey) and seeing oncming cars covered in snow made be nervous, but kept pushing on making a good few overtakes (following the Ride Drive principles of one action at a time) and really enjoyed a fun challenging drive.
A few times the nose washed wide, but it was totally obvious and a minor reduction in thottle allowed it to settle back into line without drama.
God only knows how much better it could be with Nitrons on!
DuncanM said:Nitrons, a decat Tripps (you'll love the decat!!
Sounds like you have a good setup already there Tripps
These cars are not the deathtraps some make them out to be in this weather, indeed I should imagine a Chimaera or Griff would be a lot harder to drive than the Cerbera at the moment.
Duncan
) and a remap (and then a yellow respray ) and you're sorted! 
DuncanM said:Reckon the suspension was changed by TVR crica late 2001, as mine rides higher at the back than some 2000 and 2001 cars I know, this stops the back wheels rubbing against the arches (with spiders fitted), so perhaps TVR sat back and thought about the suspension properly at the time
Sounds like you have a good setup already there Tripps
UKBob said:Indeed, think I'll leave the yellow bit mind you, never been a fan of cross-dressing!
Nitrons, a decat Tripps (you'll love the decat!!
Decat pipes are still in the boot, must get them fitted, been there over a month now...
Gonna wait on the remap, currently booked in for Monday 7th Feb, but the "noise" needs to be dealt with first, as well as its first MOT. Might as well leave it until after the Cerbera RR day to make a call on remapping then...
Then Nitrons if nothing else comes a calling...
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