Some advice please...
Discussion
Hi Guys,
I'm after a little advice, I currently have a Chimaera 500 and due to a new baby, I'm looking at moving to a Cerbera, with the extra seats!
My initial thoughts were for a 4.5 but being realistic, an early 4.2 is probabally the way to go, on budget and availability.
I'm looing at a 96-97 car, what I need help on, is what to look for? I believe the AJP engines are quite strong, compared to the S6, but on an early car what should I be looking for? If these cars need rebuilds, what sort of mileages do they go 'pop', I'm a believer in buying a car that's been driven as a lot of the problems will have been ironed out and sorted, does this stand true for the Cerbera?
There are plenty of reputable independants out there who service the RV8, what about the AJP, any in the SE/Kent area?
I know that 'search is my friend' but too be honest I just don't know where to start. Please point me in the right direction guys.
It will be a 3rd car, covering an anticipated 6K p/a.
All advice welcome.
Thanks
Tim
I'm after a little advice, I currently have a Chimaera 500 and due to a new baby, I'm looking at moving to a Cerbera, with the extra seats!
My initial thoughts were for a 4.5 but being realistic, an early 4.2 is probabally the way to go, on budget and availability.
I'm looing at a 96-97 car, what I need help on, is what to look for? I believe the AJP engines are quite strong, compared to the S6, but on an early car what should I be looking for? If these cars need rebuilds, what sort of mileages do they go 'pop', I'm a believer in buying a car that's been driven as a lot of the problems will have been ironed out and sorted, does this stand true for the Cerbera?
There are plenty of reputable independants out there who service the RV8, what about the AJP, any in the SE/Kent area?
I know that 'search is my friend' but too be honest I just don't know where to start. Please point me in the right direction guys.
It will be a 3rd car, covering an anticipated 6K p/a.
All advice welcome.
Thanks
Tim
Aaaahhh the immortal words.... "darling I'm pregnant.."
Enough to strike fear into the most steel-hearted of men. You're about to discover the true meaning of "brown-trouser time"!
Well you're not alone Tim, there are a gaggle of us here who have done exactly the same exercise. My wife even fell for it on week five of her pregancy - "but look sweetie, it's got four seats!"
Now the Cerb, any Cerb, is going to be fast, uncompromising, and yet suprisingly practical and easy to live with. IF, and I mean IF, you have deep pockets, or a malleable bank manager.
The general rule is £3k per year just to keep her running, on average irrespective of mileage - as with all TVRs, they don't like sitting still, so you'll probably spend just as much on something that does 1000 per year, as one that does 10000.
Yes the AJP8s are regarded as more reliable than the AJP6, but the upshot is your budget will get you a two or three year younger 6 - you pays your money, you takes the choice. There are now several independants around the country doing rebuilds for both the 8 and the 6, with rough bills of £3k and £6.5k respectively. As to when they go pop, how long is a piece of string? Some have been rebuilt only to go bang again 500 miles later, others have had one rebuild and are knocking on the door of 100,000 miles... go figure.
As for indies, I can't recommend anyone down your way, as i'm in Worcs, but Joospeed is the home of all things Cerb in the NE, and Horizon Motorsport have two Cerb specialists in the Midlands, and have been outstanding looking after both my old Chim and now my Cerb.
There are certain things to look out for, but to be honest your best option is to get a car inspected by someone like James Agger, as he'll know better than the rest of us. I had mine inspected by someone else, and ended up with £3.5k of bills in the first couple of months as clearly the "specialist" wasn't that special!
Performance wise, there's little to chose between the 4.2 and 4.5 - infact many seem to say the early 4.2s are some of the quickest out there.
The early cars tend to have fairly weedy stereos, so if you like your music, you may want to factor in the cost of upgrades - if you don't get carried away you can vastly improve the sound for £4-500, not quite the £1500 one chap quoted me!
It's also worth bearing in mind what modifications have or haven't been done - both in terms of whether you'd want them, and what it'll do for resale. This includes colour - there is a very definite Yellow Cerb camp, but if you flick through the PH classifieds there are several yellow ones that have dropped greatly in price as clearly the camp is currently full!
Other major mods are the front headlamp conversion from the big single lights to various configurations of smaller ones - again some like each design, but it's fairly accepted that the downright poor lighting is improved by the conversion.
18" spider alloys - they look awesome, but you will compromise the ride and turning circle somewhat. I haven't done it simply because I run mine everyday and would like to spend more on the car and less at my chiropractor.
Nitrons - The factory design that never was. So many people say that Nitrons will transform a hairy beast into something more controllable. What utter rubbish. Or so I thought until I had a damper pack up and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt - these WILL transform the car, plus their adjustment means you can set the car nice and soft for the road, and hard as nails for the track. Out of all of the above mods, this is arguably one of the best places to burn money. About £1k for the dampers, and a few hours fitting and set up.
I went from a Chimaera to a Cerb for reasons of imminent anklebiters, and now that the summer has come round, I deeply regret it - why oh why can't I take the roof off. And then I put my foot down, and rooflessness pales into insignificance....
To round off on a more sober note, my only thought would be why? If you already have two cars, then why not keep the Chim as a toy for yourself and the wife - dump the monster with the in-laws or neighbour and have it as your own little escape. Having said that, you can do the same in the Spitfire.... aarrrggghh.... I see the dilemma!
Finaly 2%, again, just my opinion, buy under budget - that way there's money in the kitty to tidy up or bring a nearly perfect car up to perfect spec!
Hope that helps and I've answered one or two of your queries! Happy hunting.
Enough to strike fear into the most steel-hearted of men. You're about to discover the true meaning of "brown-trouser time"!
Well you're not alone Tim, there are a gaggle of us here who have done exactly the same exercise. My wife even fell for it on week five of her pregancy - "but look sweetie, it's got four seats!"
Now the Cerb, any Cerb, is going to be fast, uncompromising, and yet suprisingly practical and easy to live with. IF, and I mean IF, you have deep pockets, or a malleable bank manager.
The general rule is £3k per year just to keep her running, on average irrespective of mileage - as with all TVRs, they don't like sitting still, so you'll probably spend just as much on something that does 1000 per year, as one that does 10000.
Yes the AJP8s are regarded as more reliable than the AJP6, but the upshot is your budget will get you a two or three year younger 6 - you pays your money, you takes the choice. There are now several independants around the country doing rebuilds for both the 8 and the 6, with rough bills of £3k and £6.5k respectively. As to when they go pop, how long is a piece of string? Some have been rebuilt only to go bang again 500 miles later, others have had one rebuild and are knocking on the door of 100,000 miles... go figure.
As for indies, I can't recommend anyone down your way, as i'm in Worcs, but Joospeed is the home of all things Cerb in the NE, and Horizon Motorsport have two Cerb specialists in the Midlands, and have been outstanding looking after both my old Chim and now my Cerb.
There are certain things to look out for, but to be honest your best option is to get a car inspected by someone like James Agger, as he'll know better than the rest of us. I had mine inspected by someone else, and ended up with £3.5k of bills in the first couple of months as clearly the "specialist" wasn't that special!
Performance wise, there's little to chose between the 4.2 and 4.5 - infact many seem to say the early 4.2s are some of the quickest out there.
The early cars tend to have fairly weedy stereos, so if you like your music, you may want to factor in the cost of upgrades - if you don't get carried away you can vastly improve the sound for £4-500, not quite the £1500 one chap quoted me!
It's also worth bearing in mind what modifications have or haven't been done - both in terms of whether you'd want them, and what it'll do for resale. This includes colour - there is a very definite Yellow Cerb camp, but if you flick through the PH classifieds there are several yellow ones that have dropped greatly in price as clearly the camp is currently full!
Other major mods are the front headlamp conversion from the big single lights to various configurations of smaller ones - again some like each design, but it's fairly accepted that the downright poor lighting is improved by the conversion.
18" spider alloys - they look awesome, but you will compromise the ride and turning circle somewhat. I haven't done it simply because I run mine everyday and would like to spend more on the car and less at my chiropractor.
Nitrons - The factory design that never was. So many people say that Nitrons will transform a hairy beast into something more controllable. What utter rubbish. Or so I thought until I had a damper pack up and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt - these WILL transform the car, plus their adjustment means you can set the car nice and soft for the road, and hard as nails for the track. Out of all of the above mods, this is arguably one of the best places to burn money. About £1k for the dampers, and a few hours fitting and set up.
I went from a Chimaera to a Cerb for reasons of imminent anklebiters, and now that the summer has come round, I deeply regret it - why oh why can't I take the roof off. And then I put my foot down, and rooflessness pales into insignificance....
To round off on a more sober note, my only thought would be why? If you already have two cars, then why not keep the Chim as a toy for yourself and the wife - dump the monster with the in-laws or neighbour and have it as your own little escape. Having said that, you can do the same in the Spitfire.... aarrrggghh.... I see the dilemma!
Finaly 2%, again, just my opinion, buy under budget - that way there's money in the kitty to tidy up or bring a nearly perfect car up to perfect spec!
Hope that helps and I've answered one or two of your queries! Happy hunting.
Thanks for the reply.
The reason why, is basically that the Chimaera just won't get used if I hang onto it, and that would just be a shame as it's such a glorious car, so 4 seats it is. Either that or I take a break from TVR ownership, but the latter doesn't really appeal. I have a Freelander as an everyday hack, and I just can't bear to part with my beloved 300zx, it's worth bugger all now and I'm not that broke - yet!
So, the crux of the matter is get a car inspected before purchase, not something I've ever done before, but if the 'specialist' offers some kind of guarantee then I guess it's worth the money.
So, i guess the hunt is on. In ernest.
Anyone in the SE fancy taking me out for a spin sometime, would be interesting to hear some real life experiences from an owner.
thanks again
Tim
The reason why, is basically that the Chimaera just won't get used if I hang onto it, and that would just be a shame as it's such a glorious car, so 4 seats it is. Either that or I take a break from TVR ownership, but the latter doesn't really appeal. I have a Freelander as an everyday hack, and I just can't bear to part with my beloved 300zx, it's worth bugger all now and I'm not that broke - yet!
So, the crux of the matter is get a car inspected before purchase, not something I've ever done before, but if the 'specialist' offers some kind of guarantee then I guess it's worth the money.
So, i guess the hunt is on. In ernest.
Anyone in the SE fancy taking me out for a spin sometime, would be interesting to hear some real life experiences from an owner.
thanks again
Tim
Come down to the TVRCC meet 1st Sunday of every month at the Rose and Crown.
We have a few Cerby owners, all of whom will be able to give you loads of tips and a spin if you're lucky.
Contact NCS our RO for more details www.pistonheads.com/members/showProfile.asp?memberId=3525
My addendums...
18" wheels made the ride no more uncomfortable in my opinion, but I opted for 40 profile rear tyres, just to be sure, rather than the slimmer 35s.
Check that the clutch has been replaced on an earlier car or you'll probably be in for a sizeable bill as the bellhousing design changed later on (98 or so?)
Don't rush into ownership - take your time to find a good one
Getting a car inspected by somebody in the know is a good idea, but if a car has all the signs of being a peach without an inspection, you could be throwing money away (you could get it inspected by ANYBODY and have an engine let go the next day)
Engine rebuild costs will depend on what actually goes wrong. You can have a top-end rebuild on an S6 including Red Rose conversion for £3.5k from TVR Power, for instance. Other rebuilds (depending on the work involved) can cost considerably more, to the point where it's probably cheaper to stick an alternative engine (LS1) in.
As Red says, budget for £3k per annum. And expect one breakdown P/A. Personally I'd invest the bit extra in a 98 or so on car, as things slowly improved (allegedly) over time. And I'd probably go for a 4.2, as the premium on a 4.5 is a lot to swallow on a sub £20k car. Also, try to buy one with as many of the mods done that you want up front, as almost EVERYTHING will cost you £1k+ per item (wheels, suspension, headlight conversion)... and people do tend to fall into upgrading their cars all too easily.
18" wheels made the ride no more uncomfortable in my opinion, but I opted for 40 profile rear tyres, just to be sure, rather than the slimmer 35s.
Check that the clutch has been replaced on an earlier car or you'll probably be in for a sizeable bill as the bellhousing design changed later on (98 or so?)
Don't rush into ownership - take your time to find a good one
Getting a car inspected by somebody in the know is a good idea, but if a car has all the signs of being a peach without an inspection, you could be throwing money away (you could get it inspected by ANYBODY and have an engine let go the next day)
Engine rebuild costs will depend on what actually goes wrong. You can have a top-end rebuild on an S6 including Red Rose conversion for £3.5k from TVR Power, for instance. Other rebuilds (depending on the work involved) can cost considerably more, to the point where it's probably cheaper to stick an alternative engine (LS1) in.
As Red says, budget for £3k per annum. And expect one breakdown P/A. Personally I'd invest the bit extra in a 98 or so on car, as things slowly improved (allegedly) over time. And I'd probably go for a 4.2, as the premium on a 4.5 is a lot to swallow on a sub £20k car. Also, try to buy one with as many of the mods done that you want up front, as almost EVERYTHING will cost you £1k+ per item (wheels, suspension, headlight conversion)... and people do tend to fall into upgrading their cars all too easily.
APM is the man in the south to look after a cerb.
A cerb is no good for a new baby - not really good for carrying one until they are a year old and can mve to front facing seat in the rear.
So keep the Chim until they are a yr old! Enjoy this summer with roof down. Could put your chim up for top dollar and wait for a sale. Then buy a cheap car and spend a yr looking for the right cerb.
If your budget is under 20K then you have an increased minefield situation. Go to £25K then you start to get into totally spot on and immaculate cars.
I would suggest that not many AJPs get to 50K without a rebuild. Not many S6 Cerbs get to 20K without a rebuild. IMHO.
A cerb is no good for a new baby - not really good for carrying one until they are a year old and can mve to front facing seat in the rear.
So keep the Chim until they are a yr old! Enjoy this summer with roof down. Could put your chim up for top dollar and wait for a sale. Then buy a cheap car and spend a yr looking for the right cerb.
If your budget is under 20K then you have an increased minefield situation. Go to £25K then you start to get into totally spot on and immaculate cars.
I would suggest that not many AJPs get to 50K without a rebuild. Not many S6 Cerbs get to 20K without a rebuild. IMHO.
WOW!
Thanks for all the replies.
Austec serviced my Chimaera last time round, and it's due for another one, so maybe i'll have a chat with them when I take mine down.
Not sure it was me, in General Gassing, I did ask a while ago about children in Cerbs so maybe that's what you remember.
I know that 'mini me' can't go in the Cerb until he's a year or so old, but I just can't see that I'm going to get much use out of the Chimaera this yr, hense selling it now. I have other cars that I can use even if I sell the 500.
I have once been to the North Kent TVRCC meet and been out on a run with the very friendly South London crew. But have let my TVRCC membership lapse as the Mag, although very pretty, at the time didn't seem to have a lot of content (no offence to anyone involved in producing it) did seem to be the only benefit of membership. maybe it's time to get the CC out again and rejoin.
My budget really is the lower end of the Cerbera market, i.e. sub £17K. It's either that or forget it for a while and live with the 300zx for 'fun'.
Tim
Thanks for all the replies.
Austec serviced my Chimaera last time round, and it's due for another one, so maybe i'll have a chat with them when I take mine down.
Not sure it was me, in General Gassing, I did ask a while ago about children in Cerbs so maybe that's what you remember.
I know that 'mini me' can't go in the Cerb until he's a year or so old, but I just can't see that I'm going to get much use out of the Chimaera this yr, hense selling it now. I have other cars that I can use even if I sell the 500.
I have once been to the North Kent TVRCC meet and been out on a run with the very friendly South London crew. But have let my TVRCC membership lapse as the Mag, although very pretty, at the time didn't seem to have a lot of content (no offence to anyone involved in producing it) did seem to be the only benefit of membership. maybe it's time to get the CC out again and rejoin.
My budget really is the lower end of the Cerbera market, i.e. sub £17K. It's either that or forget it for a while and live with the 300zx for 'fun'.
Tim
TT Tim said:
WOW!
My budget really is the lower end of the Cerbera market, i.e. sub £17K. It's either that or forget it for a while and live with the 300zx for 'fun'.
If you can manage £19-20k, I'd be more confident in saying "go for it", but sub £17k you've got to be quite careful (in my opinion). They're not cars that take well to skimping on things. And being able to afford £3k per annum is mandatory, too...
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