Chimeara or Cerbera ? ? ? ?

[mike220]

Has the time come to make a dream a reality ?

Apologies if I'm opening a can of worms here. Please try to stay objective as possible, as I'm sure many of you love your cars and will defend them well.

I've been looking at older 911's and to be honest I'm struggling to find a right car that's worth the money they seem to command, so as in years past I've turned my attentions to a Tiv. Now in the position to buy one of the aforementioned models. Not got a huge budget, but I can afford around 12K ish and still leave myself enough for insurance and maintenance.

So, which is to be, in what engine configuration and why ?

I'll be getting the services done at a reputable indy to keep the record up, but will be doing all other maintenance work myself. I'm handy enough with the spanners and enjoy a bit of tinkering, plus it will keep the all important costs down. So bear in mind tha maintenance factor when deciding please (though I wouldn't think there'd be a whole lot of difference ?)

I've heard all the horror stories of various models and engines (most of them from people who no doubt don't have a clue) and done some of my own research on it - but now it's time to ask people with real world experience.

The car will be used on a regular basis with some commutes to work etc. covering around 5-6K a year hopefully. We do have local speedbumps too......how much of a problem will this be to me I wonder ?

I look forward to reading your responses guys, so thanks in advance.

Mike

[kevin63]

I would suggest getting down to your local TVRCC meet, there will be all types of owners there that could answer just about any question you have, I can't help you out which is your local one as your profile only says UK, as far as speed bumps are concerned, my area is full of them and the Chimaera or the Cerbera has no troubles, and a couple of mates have been round to my house with a Tuscan, Tamora and Sagaris and none have any trouble at all.
Kev

[The AJP Griff]

With your budget and bearing in mind it's your first TVR,i'd go for a really nice Chim.Theyre both great cars,but the Chim will be easier and less expensive to live with.You'll be lucky to get a good Cerb for that kind of money,whereas you'll have no problem finding a nice Chim.Good luck and enjoy!

[mike220]

Thanks guys. Good advice on the meet idea I think. I'm in St.Helens on Merseyside.

AJP Griff, why do you think the Chim is cheaper / easier to live with than the Cerb ? Just interested to know

Thanks,

Mike

Edited by mike220 on Sunday 6th January 16:43

[The AJP Griff]

mike220 said:

.............AJP Griff, why do you think the Chim is cheaper / easier to live with than the Cerb ? Just interested to know

Thanks,

Mike

The Chim is Rover V8 based,and parts are a lot more easily and cheaply available.The Cerb has a TVR engine and parts prices and availability,and required maintainance are very different.To be fair a good V8 Cerb should still be very reliable,but as i said,for £12k you'll be doing very well to get a good one with low wear and good reliability.

[mike220]

I was looking at the likes of this :

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/268770.htm

or this :

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/322512.htm

I tink I prefer the styling and security of the hard top Cerbera if I'm honest. Are speed 6's to be avoided if they're had a rebuild ? As there's one on there at the moment which I quite like the look of :

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/216009.htm

Just not sure which to aim for really, hence the advice request.

Thanks again,

Mike

[RWA28]

Having owned 2 Chimaeras in the past I would also reccomend them as an introduction to TVR. Easy to live with, cheaper parts etc as mentioned, and the rover V8's are pretty bullet proof.

Good luck

Rhys.

Edited by RWA28 on Sunday 6th January 17:23

[The AJP Griff]

mike220 said:

I was looking at the likes of this :

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/268770.htm

or this :

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/322512.htm

I tink I prefer the styling and security of the hard top Cerbera if I'm honest. Are speed 6's to be avoided if they're had a rebuild ? As there's one on there at the moment which I quite like the look of :

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/216009.htm

Just not sure which to aim for really, hence the advice request.

Thanks again,

Mike

I get the impression your already set on a Cerb?Personally,having owned a speed six car previously i'd be looking at either V8 car.I'd always prefer the 4.5 over a 4.2,purely for the performance/tunability,but these things aren't so relevant when it's your first Tiv!!!.In standard form theres nothing in it anyway.It's best to take someone who is familiar with the model when viewing if at all possible.Condition is everything with TVR's-check the chassis thoroughly as well as the mechanicals,and make sure it has been properly serviced etc.

[CLN1]

One point that I'd throw into the mix is that it's great to run around with the top off in the sunny weather which you can do with Chimaera. I hadn't owned a open top car until I bought my TVR and I'd fancied a Cerbera origianally (mainly because of it's legendary performance) but I think I'd miss the open top motoring now.

Colin.

[Forthright MC]

The AJP Griff said:

With your budget and bearing in mind it's your first TVR,i'd go for a really nice Chim.Theyre both great cars,but the Chim will be easier and less expensive to live with.You'll be lucky to get a good Cerb for that kind of money,whereas you'll have no problem finding a nice Chim.Good luck and enjoy!

the allure of a Cerbera is mighty tempting, but for your first Tiv you can't go far wrong with a good Chim
they're all storming performers, but the 450 is often said to be the best engine choice to go for in the range
would be a good move to go along to a TVRCC meet and meet a few owners then go and have a look/test drive a few, buy the nicest example you can find and enjoy it for a while, then get a Cerbie if your still tempted!
good luck

[jagdpanther]

Be a black sheep of the TVR family and buy a nice big Wedge

[amazon]

Hi Mike - you really need to go out and drive these cars. At that point you will have much more idea which one you really want and then you can work through some of the pros and cons.

I am fortunate/spoilt/lucky enough to have both the cars you are considering. Imho they are chalk and cheese, both in driving pleasure, manageability and running costs.

Oh and btw, Moonraker Black is a great Cerbera colour .

[caduceus]

Forthright MC said:

the allure of a Cerbera is mighty tempting, but for your first Tiv you can't go far wrong with a good Chim

All the advice you need in one sentence.
First TVR, get the Chim. The Cerbera is just too much of an animal to be an entry into TVR ownership. Don't rule out a Griffith either. Or a wedge, if you're not bothered about looks.

Cad

[raceboy]

mike220 said:

So bear in mind tha maintenance factor when deciding please (though I wouldn't think there'd be a whole lot of difference ?)

Very very wrong, the Chimaera can be run on a much much lower budget, just a quick comparison, I changed rear discs and pads on my Chimaera a few weeks ago, very easy to do on the drive, if you can do old Ford Granada brakes you can do Chimaeras and less than £40 all in, you'll need more than that for Cerbera pads alone and I'd guess the AP racing brake set up is a little harder to change, and this is the same for just about every part in the car.
Usual budgets in the bank for a years running is about £1000 for a RV8 car, triple it for a Cerbrea or any of the T cars.
Some years you get away with less, sometimes it's more, but if your at the top of your budget to buy the car I'd go for the best Chimaera over an OK Cerbera.
The Cerb would be a stunning car, I've been tempted to upgrade many a time, but if I'm honest the budget needed would eat into my other hobby funds.
Do a lot of homework, the Cerbrea may look a little like a stretched hardtop Chimarea but the cars are worlds apart, the Chimaera borrows just about everything from cheaper cars, and makes the most out of these parts wrapped up in a nice 2 seat cab body, the Cerb is a bespoke monster that will steal your wallet and go to a lapdancing bar with it.
If you can afford to run the Cerb go for it, but if just buying one is pushing your budget then it might end in tears, I'm hearing of quite a few Cerbs that have been bought by people on a budget and the cars are now changing hands for peanuts because the smart money knows they are ticking timebombs because the serviceing has been scrimped on, and each buyer has sold it on when faced with a big repair/maintenance cost.
Best advice, as has been said, is find you're local TVRCC group and pop by their monthly meet and talk numbers with honest owners.

Good luck finding the right car for you.

[Al 450]

I'd imagine that if you wanted to spend 12K on a car then you haven't got the biggest budget in the world to maintain the thing. The difference between the cars being running/servicing costs, parts costs and the potential for big bills. Running any TVR isn't cheap (I should know after this year) but I'd imagine a cerb to cost A lot more to run than a chim. One example, a RV8 engine rebuild being around £3-£4K, a speed six rebuild being £6-£10K (and a lot more likely.)

[johnbear]

I own a Cerb and whilst it broke down on a Euro Trip I ended up hiring a Chim for a week, so can give you a view of both.

It’s a bit hard to compare the cars as the Chim has the advantage of the open top. In terms of performance the Cerb beats the Chim hands down in a straight line, unless you visit Dom’s Speed shop at TVR Power for an upgraded the engine. But the difference isn’t as much as you’d expect. Ok it looks big on paper, but I organise regular TVR hoons around North Wales and it really comes down to driver ability and how big your balls are. On a trip up the Evo (15 miles or moorland and forest) there isn’t anything in it. Each keeps pace with each other.

A 5 litre Chim narrows the different a bit but the Cerb does feel faster and is a bit louder.

Handling is down to the tyre and suspension set up so nothing a first timer is going to notice.

The big difference is the car’s mind set. The Chim is built with conventional off the peg items and as a result is a more of a daily use car. This affects the running cost considerably.

The Cerb however is the Big Blackpool Bruiser ready to take on a Porsche or Ferrari at a moments notice. To achieve this requires different engineering –it’s works out at the gym every day and is likely to pull the odd muscle now and then. It’s you who’ll pay for the physiotherapy!

I always felt that the Chim was a very forgiving car, but the Cerb is a bear that will rip your head off at anytime.

So it’s down to the model that does it for you style wise and how gig your pockets are.

Personally, even though I own a Speed 6, I won’t touch a Speed 6 Cerb unless you can afford £5k for an engine rebuild. I would allow at least £3K for a V8 Cerb in the first year. Remember, you don’t get Cerb performance for peanuts.

The Chim could be a easier introduction to the marque.

Oh, which ever you buy, don’t waste your money on independent TVR specialists. Take it to TVR Power and get it professionally sorted.

[Dave 500]

I have a Chimeara 500 and a Cerbera 4.5 and i can't tell you which one's better. The chimeara has a lot more low down power and is easer to drive but the Cerbera revs to 7000 rpm and makes you feel like your in a race car. Performance wise A to B I bet my times would be about the same but the Cerbera would have the edge in a straight line race. As for costs who knows.

[softtop]

This is a plug.

I have a 500 Chimaera in Blue and will come to the Cheshire meeting (on the 8th January at the pub called 'Home' near the M56 roundabout for Altrincham) in it if you are considering a purchase. I will be putting it up for sale in April when the sun comes out but if you are interested, then it is for sale now. Let me know.

[Simpo Two]

The AJP Griff said:

With your budget and bearing in mind it's your first TVR,i'd go for a really nice Chim. Theyre both great cars,but the Chim will be easier and less expensive to live with.

Is that from personal unluckiness or an industry average, and if the latter, why?

[The AJP Griff]

Simpo Two said:

The AJP Griff said:

With your budget and bearing in mind it's your first TVR,i'd go for a really nice Chim. Theyre both great cars,but the Chim will be easier and less expensive to live with.

Is that from personal unluckiness or an industry average, and if the latter, why?

Prsonal experience,not unluckiness though.The RV8 cars i've had have been very easy and cheap to live with,and i've found out just how much Cerb bits can cost!I think it's pretty obvious you will get a better Chim than a Cerb for £12k,no?