SP6 & AJP8 Rebuild Costs?

[bobfrance]

Hi all,

I'm currently kicking around a few ideas for my next car and one I can't help coming back to is a Cerbera. I've loved tham ever since they came out, but engine reliability has always made me hesitant about ownership.

Given that any sane person would factor in the possibility of having to pay for an engine re-build at some point I've been trying to find out the relative rebuild costs of the two engines available. So far with no joy.

I wonder if you kind folks could give me an idea of the cost of a standard rebuild (with no extra bits) for the two engines.

Also I get the impression that the AJP8 is essentially a stronger engine, but when a SP6 is rebuilt these days is it improved with any better components that will increase its robustness?

The car will be my main form of transport, but I'm not new to TVRs. I've had three in the past (2x280i and a 400SE) and ran them for a good few years in all weathers, so I'm pretty familiar with TVR ownership in general.

That said I've been running Jags and a Boxster since, so I'm probably getting a little soft in my old age.

All help greatly appreciated.

Bob.

[RUSSELLM]

Think Dom at Power is charging 4.5k for the S6.
My 4.2 got thirsty at 40k & the rebuild cost me 3.5K
That said, the other car's done over 50k & hardly uses a drop .

Your money's more likely to be spent on shocks, niggles & petrol

[bobfrance]

Thanks for the info Russell.
I guess you must really like them to own two.

I assume a TVR engine re-build is no more complex than any other engine and that the bits could be bought from suppliers if I wanted my mechanic to do it?

A few questions about day-to-day running:
What's the fuel consumption like for normal driving?
Are the heaters/demisters any good?
Wipers and headlights effective? And if not can they be upgraded?

I only ask as these were bugbears with my other TVRs (apart from the fuel).

As for other niggles. I presume many are to do with bad earths and dodgy TVR wiring? I hear the door windows, and getting the doors open, can be a pain too.

[RUSSELLM]

bobfrance said:

Thanks for the info Russell.
I guess you must really like them to own two.

I assume a TVR engine re-build is no more complex than any other engine and that the bits could be bought from suppliers if I wanted my mechanic to do it?

A few questions about day-to-day running:
What's the fuel consumption like for normal driving?
Are the heaters/demisters any good?
Wipers and headlights effective? And if not can they be upgraded?

I only ask as these were bugbears with my other TVRs (apart from the fuel).

As for other niggles. I presume many are to do with bad earths and dodgy TVR wiring? I hear the door windows, and getting the doors open, can be a pain too.

Think I'd be more confident with a known engine builder tinkering about with an AJP Bob, but that's me.
Going to work & stuck in traffic every day uses 12mpg. Best on a European run is 27mpg.
My demistsrs have always been fine, but I've read on here that some people have slow motors.
Wipers good enough. Mini style headlights are poor, the later xenon ones are better, but 'farmyardpants' on here has got HID lights ? I believe & they're better still.
Niggles.... Where to start .... Leaks, both front & rear screens. Clutch, shocks , indicator stalks, starter motors, radiators, air con radiators, batteries, washer hoses that the engine keeps melting , indicator stalks, bonnet locking components, boot switches..... Sure I've missed a few, but nothing that can't be fixed. I normally compile a two page list between services

[bobfrance]

Ah, but you have two Cerbs. So twice the fun and games.

[clive f]

I`ve just rebuilt a 4.2 engine myself, and to be honest its a very simple engine, possibly more so than the RV8 INHO, no experience of the speed 6 though.

[hoppo4.2]

"I`ve just rebuilt a 4.2 engine myself, and to be honest its a very simple engine, possibly more so than the RV8 INHO, no experience of the speed 6 though."

quite right lots of people are scaired off because of the tvr badge.

i recently did a top end rebuild on my 4.2 its all very straight forward but time consuming.

[bobfrance]

Thanks guys!

Where are the best places for buying parts and light upgrade kits from? I used to use Harrogate Horseless Carriages, but I don't think they're there anymore.

[JensenA]

The AJP V8 is a pretty strong engine, so don't 'Expect' the Engine to blow up! It is however a 'race' engine, noisy and rattly when cold, if you haven't heard one before, don't expect a nice smooth V8 sounding engine noise. Good advice is to buy one from an established PH'er who has owned it for a few years, they will have looked after it. It is really, really, important that these engines are allowed to fully warm up before you hit the loud pedal, and I would have concerns that some of the cheaper cars have been bought by people who don;t appreciate this, and thrash them from cold.
The Cerb isn't an ideal car to use for everyday use, they always have something that needs doing to them, but 90% of the problems are just niggly little things that can be fixed at weekends. Put aside £500 of your budget and buy an old run around, plenty of half decent motors around for that price nowadays.
To own a Cerb you need to have a half decent knowledge of cars and, be a competent DIY'er, and be happy to spend time tinkering and fixing things.
Lights can be upgraded to HID's for about £100, and this makes a huge difference.

[clive f]

engine parts all available from the usual sources, I used tvrcar parts, http://www.tvrcarparts.com/pages/default.asp but horses for courses as they say.

Edited by clive f on Thursday 5th February 12:12

[bobfrance]

RUSSELLM said:

...Going to work & stuck in traffic every day uses 12mpg.

I must admit that's a bit heavier than I expected. My 6.0L V12 Jag got 14+ when crawling through the rush hour.
Is that for an AJP8? Would a SP6 be any better on juice?

[QuiteQuietCerb]

bobfrance said:

RUSSELLM said:

...Is that for an AJP8? Would a SP6 be any better on juice?

no

[HarryW]

bobfrance said:

RUSSELLM said:

...Going to work & stuck in traffic every day uses 12mpg.

I must admit that's a bit heavier than I expected. My 6.0L V12 Jag got 14+ when crawling through the rush hour.
Is that for an AJP8? Would a SP6 be any better on juice?

I reckon mine is high teens commuting, high 20's cruising and well down into single figures when hooning

[ajp70]

I'm sure petrol consumption is not high on the list.;). I would say look at the car's history file for work carried out. Most owners are keen to keep a record of work/money spent on a Cerbera and a full file would be a plus point although no guarantee. A car that has no recent bills for a year and is so called "fine" is probably due something big soon. Having said that, you can be lucky or unlucky with Cerberas. I think it's a car bought with the heart and the brain just has to tag along. Good luck.

[itiejim]

I think that the fuel economy question comes down to the type of use. I'm lucky enough to live in a rural area where the car is warmed up gently but at a decent road speed, therefore having minimal impact on fuel economy when compared to warming up a big V8 in stop-start city traffic. With the recent weather limiting hooning opportunities I have found that I'm getting mid to high twenties which I think is remarkable. My car has been remapped by Julian at Trackcar and I understand that as standard they ran very rich.

However, if you read the original Autocar test on the 4.2 they reported on how good they felt the economy was (given the performance) and obtained 24.6 mpg on their touring route. See http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/RoadTestsHisto...
for more info.

[Ron Fellows]

I can honestly say that when I had my cerb fuel economy was the last thing on my list. That was until I bought a Nissan Primera SVE for a runabout.

I soon realised that the Cerb was actually quite good on fuel. The Nissan Primera SVE was costing the same to fill up and only got about 75 more miles to a tank. So needless to say 1 year on it got dumped and I bought a Jag Diesel sport instead.

[Byker28i]

Ron Fellows said:

I can honestly say that when I had my cerb fuel economy was the last thing on my list. That was until I bought a Nissan Primera SVE for a runabout.

I soon realised that the Cerb was actually quite good on fuel. The Nissan Primera SVE was costing the same to fill up and only got about 75 more miles to a tank. So needless to say 1 year on it got dumped and I bought a Jag Diesel sport instead.

LOL - I have a Primera SVE. New engine after 6K miles, and I'm lucky if it does 25-26mpg around town, really hard to get it near to 30mpg on a run. Shocking to be honest from a 2 litre petrol. I wouldn't mind if it was pokey as well, but it feels like a boring eurobox.

The TVR on the other hand does 22mpg in average around town stuff and is fairly easy to get 27-28mpg at french motorway speeds

[bobfrance]

Another question guys.

I have a bit of trouble with my hearing, and as a consequence try to avoid too much noise over long periods. Just how noisy is it in the cab f a Cerb compared to other cars?

I have no real problems with my boxster, but recently found 5 hours driving a Mercedes Sprinter a bit too much.

[Ron Fellows]

Byker28i said:

Ron Fellows said:

I can honestly say that when I had my cerb fuel economy was the last thing on my list. That was until I bought a Nissan Primera SVE for a runabout.

I soon realised that the Cerb was actually quite good on fuel. The Nissan Primera SVE was costing the same to fill up and only got about 75 more miles to a tank. So needless to say 1 year on it got dumped and I bought a Jag Diesel sport instead.

LOL - I have a Primera SVE. New engine after 6K miles, and I'm lucky if it does 25-26mpg around town, really hard to get it near to 30mpg on a run. Shocking to be honest from a 2 litre petrol. I wouldn't mind if it was pokey as well, but it feels like a boring eurobox.

The TVR on the other hand does 22mpg in average around town stuff and is fairly easy to get 27-28mpg at french motorway speeds

Glad I wasnt alone with that one! Thought I just had a duffer.

[Phil_Edge]

Just finishing a top to bottom (complete) 4.5 rebuild, with all the RR upgrades, remap etc etc... Comes out around £8k. That, as far as I can tell, is a "worst case" for a rebuild. Generally speaking, engine problems should work out less; top end rebuilds or other fixes.