thinking of buying a cerb...
thinking of buying a cerb...
Author
Discussion

peteA

Original Poster:

2,762 posts

264 months

Tuesday 28th October 2008
quotequote all
As stated, thinking of buying a cerb...have owned a chim 400 for 4 years now and am ready for a change. Really fancy a cerb but have this niggling doubt in my mind that buying will be either the best thing I've ever done or the worst thing I've ever done....or maybe both...

Was taken out last night in 4.5 and whilst it was bloody quick and the car looked stunning, I found myself asking th following questions...

1 - It was raw! I has the impression that the cerb was a mini - aston DB7/XK8 but with a bit more attitude but the reality was that it was alot more raw. I liked it but is it fair to say the cerb is more sportscar than GT?

2 - The AJP8 engine sounded 'rough' when it was cold - I have read that this is normal? It sounded alot better when it was warm and on the move but some reassurance that thsi is normal would be nice!

3 - clutches - again, read mixed comments...how long do they last typically and how much to replcace? assume they are available now as I remember they were scarce not too long ago?

4 - Tappets - can these be checked and adjusted / replaced on a DIY basis?

5 - What sort of mileages do your cars have? Is 75K anything to worry about given FSH?

5 - Anything else I should consider when moving from a Chim?

Apologies if this is a common topic but would value you input / comments - thanks in advance!

BLUETHUNDER

7,881 posts

290 months

Tuesday 28th October 2008
quotequote all
As refined like a XK or DB7 it is not.Raw is definitley what it is.

A noisy tappety engine from cold is a good thing.If its quiet from start up,then you should worry.

Tappetts can be done on a D.I.Y basis.There are some on here that have done so.

O.E.M spec clutches have always been a weak point.Upgrade to a Clevor Trevor one,when the need arises.

A lot more potent than a chimaera even in 500 guise.And will be more expensive to run.

75,000mls is ok,depending on how its been used.Like most cars.If its been thrashed every time its been out.Then sooner or later expect a rebuild.But to get the best out of these cars,and to keep the bills down.Then they need to be used on a regular basis.

Edited by BLUETHUNDER on Tuesday 28th October 11:45

markh1

2,846 posts

239 months

Tuesday 28th October 2008
quotequote all
There are lots of threads on this already but to give you a quick summary...

The 4.2's with the 'clatter cams' are noiser than the others but this is nothing to wory about. They all sound a bit ropey from cold.

My car has done over 40k miles has had half a dozen owners and is still on the original clutch, but I have had the slave and master cylinder changed.

Whether its a GT or sports car is a matter of opinion. I think its a sports car. A jag XK is a GT and having driven my fathers they are worlds apart from the cerb.

Tappets have to be adjusted manually every 12k miles, I leave that to the experienced mechanic.

There are cars with big mileages but they will need looking after more than a chim.

peteA

Original Poster:

2,762 posts

264 months

Tuesday 28th October 2008
quotequote all
Cheers

Expecting a bit more 'TLC' rquired than my chim, just wondered about the general robustness as I know the general 'reliablility issues' for TVRs are generally undeserved.

Did I read somewhere that there a workshop manual that can be downloaded?

Quite handy with tools so dont mind doing most jobs myself, shame we dont have many (any..?) specialists up here in newcastle.

Thanks again - think i am ready to take the plunge!

Dirty Boy

14,865 posts

239 months

Tuesday 28th October 2008
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peteA said:
Thanks again - think i am ready to take the plunge!
Good lad.

I think the tappet adjustment is one of the major 'cost' components of the major service, it's a little bit time consuming I presume, so if you can do that yourself, then that's a major saving straight away.

Everything you need is here http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dave.hinns/

Kindly hosted by Dave (Byker28i) thumbup

peteA

Original Poster:

2,762 posts

264 months

Tuesday 28th October 2008
quotequote all
Everything you need is here http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dave.hinns/

Kindly hosted by Dave (Byker28i) thumbup
[/quote]

Cheers Dirty Boy - good site