what upgrades in what years?

[turfclubroad]

Where can I find a list of all the (hopefully not too many) technical upgrades the Cerbera's got over the years as teething prob's were ironed out and as other model's specs were introduced (tuscan seats, spider alloys, different headlamps). If there is no such list can the forum tell me what the upgrades were, Oh and if it is (was) possible to update olders models as well (with the technical upgrades).

Reason for asking: I have been told to go for the latest Cerbera to get my hands on as the will have had most issues ironed out. However is it not possible to find an earlier one with the upgrades retrofitted at a more attractive price? I'd rather pay less for an earlier Cerbera which has been sorted and upgraded to the last specs and keep a fund for engine work rather than paying a premium for an end of series model: even the last Cerbera's S6's had engine issues.....

Last: I have a classic car back ground and I have found that originality in the end dictates values. With the Cerbera's we haven't reached that point yet but I did notice that some Cerbera owners are no fan of headlamp upgrades: they like the old style good enough. Whats the opinion of the forum interms of these upgrades: how important is originality of a car?

thx

Wiebe

[Dirty Boy]

turfclubroad said:

Where can I find a list of all the (hopefully not too many) technical upgrades the Cerbera's got over the years as teething prob's were ironed out and as other model's specs were introduced (tuscan seats, spider alloys, different headlamps). If there is no such list can the forum tell me what the upgrades were, Oh and if it is (was) possible to update olders models as well (with the technical upgrades).

I'm no expert, but it's quite common to hear the later ones are better, and there were periods where the chassis were considered to be poorly finished (I may be talking bks here).

Tuscan seats, spiders and headlamps came in around 2001 (Est) and then the lights were blended as standard in 2003.

I have no idea what technical upgrades were made to older models.

turfclubroad said:

Reason for asking: I have been told to go for the latest Cerbera to get my hands on as the will have had most issues ironed out. However is it not possible to find an earlier one with the upgrades retrofitted at a more attractive price? I'd rather pay less for an earlier Cerbera which has been sorted and upgraded to the last specs and keep a fund for engine work rather than paying a premium for an end of series model: even the last Cerbera's S6's had engine issues.....

Each car is different, you may find a 1996 car that's had more love and attention than a 2003 car, until you look underneath and through the service history - chat to the owner, you can't compare them on year alone. Basically, look at as many as you can, and, if possible, one that's known by members on here.

All SP6 engines have issues, but IMO I do believe if properly looked after and given a lot of mechanical sympathy, they're not that bad, but they do have their own forum for a reason.

turfclubroad said:

Last: I have a classic car back ground and I have found that originality in the end dictates values. With the Cerbera's we haven't reached that point yet but I did notice that some Cerbera owners are no fan of headlamp upgrades: they like the old style good enough. Whats the opinion of the forum interms of these upgrades: how important is originality of a car?

thx

Wiebe

With respect to the headlamp upgrades, I'm a fan of both, the pod upgrade (blended or not) look lovely with spiders, whereas I like the old style with RLs/Saturns. It's all about individual choice, and you'll have owners campaigning for both. If I had to choose, i'd go with the upgrade.



To summarise, scan through this forum, click a page at a time, read a thread that looks interesting, and you'll learn all sorts of crazy st, it's what I did, and I suspect many others too.


Good luck finding one.

[Nickccc]

let me pass on some basics:

Lightweight? Well not exactly - what the factory did was to use some of the new-fangled 'jaycloth' tissue they the new Tuscan range used, instead of 100% glassfibre on the bonnet, doors and boot lid. It is slightly lighter but the main thing is it is better in crash situations. However some early cars had rattles in the doors and some less than optimal panel fits.

Wheels: Most/many 4.5/4.2 Cerberas scrape their rear tyres over fast/power-on bumps. The rear suspenders on your car have been fine-tuned by the factory over the years and feature harder springs and dampers and thicker roll bar than prior models. It is set for 8.5J rims with 255 tyres and 'Cerbera' offset. Given the vagueries of GRP production this may cause graunching on some cars. If you have a real problem with this, it is better to replace the std dampers with ones with adjustable platforms (and generally stiffen the springing/damping at the same time - 325lbs-350lbs springs and Nitrons are the ral trick) and setting the ride height correctly rather than bothering with Tuscan wheels. This will stop bump-graunch except in extremis.

Front Tyres/Steering: The factory reworked the geometry and suspension for your car as well. However the steering can still be a bit sharp and if you want to soften it some more, fit 235 tyres instead of 225. The wider tread gives greater flex on the 8.5J rims - note: same rims as rears which have 255's. Its not really worth going to 40% ratio tyres as then it is possible to feel the extra flex in sharp corners and it doesn't really work in terms of 'comfort'.

In terms of engine what you have that is different to std 4.5 is: High compression head with gas-flowed ports, bigger injectors and more aggressive ECU mapping. Should produce somewhere around 400 bhp on the rolling road. Sorry - factory bhps are not 'in car' and so you won't get the advertised 440bhp, unless on a very rose-tinted rolling road! But - the engine power delivery is a hell of a lot better than a std 4.5 which is somewhat lethargic - don't belive the marketing blurb.

The 95/98 button: the RR's ECU is set-up for high-octane petrol (because of the higher compression) and is much more aggressive (ie favours power rather than economy/greenery). However if you are cruising gently across Europe and using almost zero throttle (as if!) then the you can use 95 petrol as long as you 'press the button'..... But.... When you press the button the ECU does not change fuelling, all it does is add a 2 degree retard to the ignition timing. - you are still running a 4.5 litre high-compression engine and if you use anywhere near full throttle under more than average load with 95 octane you are very likely to get detonation - eg. being a bit exuberant at traffic lights. This will quickly wreck your engine - BE WARNED.

Finally: Tyre pressures are important - check regularly or you will start complaining. Watch the oil level, check weekly/daily - the wet sump is sensitive to levels and the engine runs under much higher levels of strain than 'normal' cars. I shouldn't have to say this but... Look after the Leather - every week!

ENJOY!!!!!
Cerbhead