My Cerbera - enough is enough!

[Erich Stahler]

Don't worry, not going to sell her, still think its a fantastic car, I just think I would like to make a few improvements as there are a few things that after driving her for three years are really starting to irritate me.

1. Electrics, immobilize/alarm crap which results in windows moving to closed position as you slam the door and bend the glass in a most alarming way.

It would be great to rip all the sodding wiring out and start again with some decent quality components, has anybody ever done this?


2. Hand brake, tired of riding the clutch on repeated hill starts in heavy traffic!

It seems new shoes and cable adjustment will work for a while but as far as I can make out the problem is the shoes grip the inside of the rear disks that serve as a drum also (Imagine a hat shape) so as the disks get hot they expand and the shoed don't grip any more.
There must be a better solution, there are loads of other modern cars out there with rear disk brakes that have adequate hand brakes?


3. Sports pipes even with cats starting to get on my tits!
The roar at high RPM is fantastic but overall the noise is very tiring, the car is very comfortable on long drives if only could make it a bit quieter I'm sure it would get a lot more use than it currently gets.
Another consideration is the ridiculous noise limits at track days, at just over 104db its borderline at Brands and way over for a lot of palaces.

I am debating weather to just fit an original back box with cats or replace my existing sports pipes with these Act sports pipes with Additonal silencing in the tail pipes, has anyone any experience of these?

http://www.actproducts.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_p...

Do I recall correctly some talk of Track Car Solutions developing a valved system? that would be interesting...

Edited by Erich Stahler on Monday 22 September 23:05

[jammy_basturd]

Erich Stahler said:

1. Electrics, immobilize/alarm crap which results in windows moving to closed position as you slam the door and bend the glass in a most alarming way.

It would be great to rip all the sodding wiring out and start again with some decent quality components, has anybody ever done this?

Replace ALL the connections in the door cards and by the door sill (inside the car, just below the hinges) with decent connectors. I've recently replaced mine with AMP superseals (from Vehicle Wiring Products) and don't envisage any problems with them for years/decades. Either that or look into avionic connectors.

Still leaves you with the problem of the black box in the boot. Common to find dry solder joints or duff relays. I think have the problem is that fact that the boards are just hot glued into the boxes. A friend of mine suggested making an aluminium rack to mount all the boxes in, and use potting compound to mount the PCBs in the boxes.

[Erich Stahler]

jammy_basturd said:

Erich Stahler said:

1. Electrics, immobilize/alarm crap which results in windows moving to closed position as you slam the door and bend the glass in a most alarming way.

It would be great to rip all the sodding wiring out and start again with some decent quality components, has anybody ever done this?

Replace ALL the connections in the door cards and by the door sill (inside the car, just below the hinges) with decent connectors. I've recently replaced mine with AMP superseals (from Vehicle Wiring Products) and don't envisage any problems with them for years/decades. Either that or look into avionic connectors.

Still leaves you with the problem of the black box in the boot. Common to find dry solder joints or duff relays. I think have the problem is that fact that the boards are just hot glued into the boxes. A friend of mine suggested making an aluminium rack to mount all the boxes in, and use potting compound to mount the PCBs in the boxes.

Thank's Jammy, that's a really useful reply, sounds like an electrics upgrade is more feasible than I originally thought, that's item 1 on the to do list!

[matmoxon]

Hmm the exhaust thing is a consideration for me as well, should I get a Cerb I am going to need to fire her up at 06:30 in the morning to go to work, and I can't see a de-catted cerb with a sports exhaust pleasing them much . I am going to be watching this thread

Matt

Edited by matmoxon on Tuesday 23 September 07:20

[Erich Stahler]

matmoxon said:

Hmm the exhaust thing is a consideration for me as well, should I get a Cerb I am going to need to fire her up at 06:30 in the morning to go to work, and I can't see a de-catted cerb with a sports exhaust pleasing them much . I am going to be watching this thread

Matt

Edited by matmoxon on Tuesday 23 September 07:20

The neighbours are another factor, its a very quiet rural community where I live, I feel really guilty if I fire her up at the crack of dawn on a weekend morning anticipating a nice blat on quite country roads. Everyone is very friendly, but I think they would be pissed off if it was every morning first thing (with the current exhaust set-up).

Edited by Erich Stahler on Tuesday 23 September 08:27

[julian64]

If I might suggest, an original back box with linked decats. Of all the cerbs I've heard its the best of both worlds and track legal it seems.

[itsallyellow]

SP exhaust is by far the best for this. Great sound. Mine measures at 98.7db! But sounds great!!

Also i will have one for sale shortly.. Full system including linked de-cats!
Mike

[Mars]

I have also heard that the SP back box is quiet (relatively). Ed didn't like his because he felt it was too quiet although I suspect I would have preferred it to the 110+dB mine made.

[Steve_T]

Erich Stahler said:

Don't worry, not going to sell her, still think its a fantastic car, I just think I would like to make a few improvements as there are a few things that after driving her for three years are really starting to irritate me.

1. Electrics, immobilize/alarm crap which results in windows moving to closed position as you slam the door and bend the glass in a most alarming way.

It would be great to rip all the sodding wiring out and start again with some decent quality components, has anybody ever done this?


2. Hand brake, tired of riding the clutch on repeated hill starts in heavy traffic!

It seems new shoes and cable adjustment will work for a while but as far as I can make out the problem is the shoes grip the inside of the rear disks that serve as a drum also (Imagine a hat shape) so as the disks get hot they expand and the shoed don't grip any more.
There must be a better solution, there are loads of other modern cars out there with rear disk brakes that have adequate hand brakes?


3. Sports pipes even with cats starting to get on my tits!
The roar at high RPM is fantastic but overall the noise is very tiring, the car is very comfortable on long drives if only could make it a bit quieter I'm sure it would get a lot more use than it currently gets.
Another consideration is the ridiculous noise limits at track days, at just over 104db its borderline at Brands and way over for a lot of palaces.

I am debating weather to just fit an original back box with cats or replace my existing sports pipes with these Act sports pipes with Additonal silencing in the tail pipes, has anyone any experience of these?

http://www.actproducts.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_p...

Do I recall correctly some talk of Track Car Solutions developing a valved system? that would be interesting...

Edited by Erich Stahler on Monday 22 September 23:05

Pete,

The handbrake can be made to work, I had mine done by David Batty pretty much since I first got the car and it worked ever since then until I had to change the rear discs. I suggest you go see him. I agree about the windows, but mine aren't that bad, perhaps there are later door ECUs that would assist? I have the ACT system with extra inline silencers and it has reduced the cabin drone over the previous sports tails I had fitted. Why don't you drop in on us on Thursday at the Woolpack and I can demonstrate so you have some experience on which to base your decision?

Cheers,

Steve.

[julian64]

I thought there was a big stink about the SP that people weren't getting on tracks because it wasn't a quiet enough system.

I could be imagining that however .

[Buffoon]

Have commented on the H'Brake before.

In my view the issue is heat on the shoe compound. The shoes are not up to being applied to red hot drums for extended periods.

You could probably get the shoes re-lined with a better compound but not something I have looked at. Good clean discs are essential for cooling, mine being recently replaced with cross-drilled ones.

Cheapest option is to get everything working as new, then avoid using where not needed.

Another thing to look out for is the flimsy bracket that secures the main cable. It is a fork design and flexes. So much so that mine broke off last week. Needs to be much more rigid, giving you something to pull up hard against.

The idea that the disc / drum expands rendering handbrake useless is not realistic

[jammy_basturd]

Did I read something a while back that ACT were looking at making an exhaust system will valves inside it to give you quiet or performance?

[Brummmie]

On the exhaust note...i did my own rear silencers, i got them made so they are maximum length permissible, just under 14" long, using 4.25" casings, they do a pretty good job and £30 each, plus welding the old tailpipes on (did myself). I reckon if i used oval section boxes could be even more efficient.

[JensenA]

julian64 said:

I thought there was a big stink about the SP that people weren't getting on tracks because it wasn't a quiet enough system.

I could be imagining that however .

Byker28i had lots of problems with his SP exhaust, it was too noisy and didn't pass Track Day DB requirements. Don't fall for their "Track Day friendly Exhaust" spiel - it isn't!!.

I have a full SP Exhaust system and I reckon it is noiser than my old standard back box system, but I do like the sound, and it is a quality bit of kit. When I first had it fitted the fitter took it for a brief test run, when he came back he looked a bit surprised and commented "That's a very vocal one you've got there mate'. So it looks like the characteristics of each system varies. The only criticisms I have is that the cut outs don't fit perfectly, and it isn't quiet enough for Track days - overall though I like it a lot.

The Standard back box and de-cats gives, IMO, one of the best sounds, not too noisy, and has a really good 'Bark' to it when you hit the loud pedal.

The so called Sport boxes actually rob power, and just give a really horrible loud 'Chavvy' noise - and if you like that sound, well your just admitting your a bit Chavvy arent you

Edited by JensenA on Tuesday 23 September 13:44

[grahamn]

julian64 said:

I thought there was a big stink about the SP that people weren't getting on tracks because it wasn't a quiet enough system.

I could be imagining that however .

To be fair, it was only 1 car that had problems with the SP system. AFAIK all other owners are happy with this system.

Oh and I don't have the SP system on my car. It is completly standard and I can get on all track days no problem.

[FarmyardPants]

I'm happy with my SP in all aspects bar one: the pipes are too close together to fit the cutouts. Real shame as it spoils the look (aside from this the exh looks great). I wonder if SP would cut and re-weld them. It wasn't exactly cheap and is marketed as fitting nicely.

Sound wise it is quieter than the act tails with cats, great sound.

[Byker28i]

itsallyellow said:

SP exhaust is by far the best for this. Great sound. Mine measures at 98.7db! But sounds great!!

Really - do you have Cats fitted? SP themselves admitted to me that the 98db claim was on a system with cats fitted.

Having changed system, the only other concerns I've have with one of these large box systems is the clearence to road level and they are actually quite heavy compared to my current system.

FarmyardPants said:

I'm happy with my SP in all aspects bar one: the pipes are too close together to fit the cutouts. Real shame as it spoils the look (aside from this the exh looks great). I wonder if SP would cut and re-weld them. It wasn't exactly cheap and is marketed as fitting nicely.

Sound wise it is quieter than the act tails with cats, great sound.

Get it back to SP and ask them to fix it. Mine was 12mm out of alignment which apparently is within tolerence (yup go figure), but it was damaging the bodywork by banging against the rear valence whenever I drove the car.

What noise level was your car tested at then, or is that a subjective level?

[Byker28i]

Hey Graham - Off Topic - You got your car back now?

[itsallyellow]

Byker28i said:

itsallyellow said:

SP exhaust is by far the best for this. Great sound. Mine measures at 98.7db! But sounds great!!

Really - do you have Cats fitted? SP themselves admitted to me that the 98db claim was on a system with cats fitted.

Having changed system, the only other concerns I've have with one of these large box systems is the clearence to road level and they are actually quite heavy compared to my current system.

FarmyardPants said:

I'm happy with my SP in all aspects bar one: the pipes are too close together to fit the cutouts. Real shame as it spoils the look (aside from this the exh looks great). I wonder if SP would cut and re-weld them. It wasn't exactly cheap and is marketed as fitting nicely.

Sound wise it is quieter than the act tails with cats, great sound.

Get it back to SP and ask them to fix it. Mine was 12mm out of alignment which apparently is within tolerence (yup go figure), but it was damaging the bodywork by banging against the rear valence whenever I drove the car.

What noise level was your car tested at then, or is that a subjective level?

Nope with linked de-cats. Measured at every race and test day. Once i think it got measured at 100db but that was one of the first times i had it.

Mike

[grahamn]

Byker28i said:

Hey Graham - Off Topic - You got your car back now?

Hi Dave, yes it is back (only took about 4 1/2 months) and running like a dream. It is noticeably quicker than it was, need to get it on a RR session to find out what it is kicking out now.