Dispute Regarding Cerbera Windscreen

[Tony69]

Hello All,

Can anyone who has an “early or late” Cerbera please assist me with an “Issue” I have with a “TVR Specialist” who has fitted a new windscreen to my early 1997 Cerbera.

Basically and to cut a long story short, The “TVR Specialist” replaced the windscreen on my early 1997 Cerbera with what I am certain is the “wrong” windscreen.

I can tell the new windscreen is wrong because...
1) The “Black Banding” around the new windscreen is incorrect (too thin)
2) The rear view mirror is incorrect (type/style)
3) It is not possible to angle/adjust the rear view mirror to see out of the rear windscreen (because it is mounted too high, all you can see is the roll bar)

The “TVR Specialist” seems to think that I don’t know what I’m talking about... what I do know is, there are (at least) three types of Cerbera windscreen (including heated) but the two that are relevant to my car are as follows...

a) Part No - TVR U0877 Cerbera to mid 97 (black band 50mm)
b) Part No - TVR U2375 Cerbera from mid 97 (black band 30mm)

I have an early 1997 Cerbera and it should have windscreen (a) with a 50mm black band, the garage have fitted (incorrectly) windscreen (b) with a 30mm black band.

Can anyone with either an early or late Cerbera, please let me know the year/month of their car and the width of the black banding around there windscreens please.

I just need your help to clearly (and without doubt) prove to the so called “TVR Specialist” that they have fitted the wrong Windscreen to my car.

I have a July 1997 TVR Cerbera that had windscreen (b) with the 50mm black band.

Any help of advice will be “greatly” appreciated.

Best regards

Tony.

[DonnyMac]

Hi Tony,

Just went out in the cold for you.

'98 Cerb 30mm band.

HTH, Best,
Donny

[itiejim]

Cold and wet for me on the way to the garage

Anyway, it's 55mm top, 35mm bottom and 60mm at the side - does that confuse matters sufficiently?

[amazon]

I will go and measure the band tomorrow, if you haven't resolved it by then (car is not outside my house). Mine is August 1997.

[cupra20v.t]

im having mine replaced by auto glass, claimed about 1 month ago and they still havent found me a windscreen. shower of poop.

anyway the phoned a week in to my claim and asked me if i had a 50 mm or 30mm black band so i measured it to.

mine is an early 1997 4.2 and it has 55 mm top and 35mm bottom band roughly. hope that helps

[jammy_basturd]

Feb '97 Cerb here. The black strip at the bottom is 30mm at the middle, 40mm at the corners. The black strip at the top is about 50-55mm.

Edited by jammy_basturd on Monday 1st September 13:31

[itiejim]

Sorry - forgot to add that mine is a May '96.

[ajp70]

Just had a look at mine and it's 50mm top and 30mm bottom (it was first registered March '97).

It too was replaced (June '08) and I was asked the banding size question and got the same as a replacement. However, I was very disappointed by the fitting of the rubber beading around it. I will not name them because I don't think you're allowed to slag anyone off but there seems to be a distinct lack of skill and ability by many windscreen fitters by the stories I have been told by other people.

I didn't make them re-do it because I didn't have confidence in them. Wished I had though! Good luck with yours.

[VPower]

Just went out and pulled the cover off for you!

Mine was registered 1 Jan 1998, so a late 97 build

30mm black band top and bottom on the glass visible, viewed from outside.

Side bands 55 to 90mm taper top to bottom on the glass visible from outside.

Steve

[Tony69]

Hello All,

Thanks for your replies...

This is what I have discovered (or been able to prove) so far...

there are two types of Cerbera windscreen (not including heated)

a) Part No - TVR U0877 Cerbera to mid 97 (black band 50mm)
b) Part No - TVR U2375 Cerbera from mid 97 (black band 30mm)

I have a July 97 Cerbera and I’m sure that I should have windscreen (a) fitted with the 50mm black band at the bottom of the windscreen. Measuring this band is the easiest way to determine exactly which windscreen you have fitted to your Cerbera.

I think the “TVR Specialist” I took my car to has fitted the wrong windscreen to my early Cerbera because...
1) I instantly noticed that the band at the bottom of my new screen was different (too thin)
2) The interior mirror mounting is far too high and the mirror cannot be angled/adjusted to see out of the rear window. All you can see (mostly) is the roll bar over the front windscreen.

The reason this is important is because...
1) It is nice to be able to see out of the rear window sometimes.
2) I’m trying to maintain this car in its exact factory configuration and I want the correct windscreen fitted.
3) The mirror on the windscreen that has just been fitted is bonded to the screen and cannot be removed. Even if it could be removed, it could not be repositioned low enough as it needs to be sited within the small black mounting area on the windscreen.

Thanks to Dave, I now have photos of the mid 1997 (and later) type (b) Cerbera windscreens and black band measurements.

Does anyone own an “original” mid 1997 (or earlier) Cerbera that could help me by either checking the size of the bottom band on their windscreen or even better, sending me a photo of their screen with a tape measure against the bottom black bar.

Best regards

PS.. it looks like, if you have a Cerbera earlier than mid 1997 and the black band at the bottom of your screen is not 50mm, then someone has replaced the windscreen on your car at some point with the incorrect screen.

As well as the differences mentioned above, I have also heard (might not be true) that you must have the appropriate screen fitted because the “aperture” for the screens in the early and late Cerbera’s are different... that is why there are two types of screen.

Thank you again to everyone who has helped me get this far...

By the way... both types of screen are still available if you need them. Let me know and I'll pass on the details.

[Tony69]

Update...

Good point... The rubber seal is another “tell tale” sign that you have the wrong windscreen type fitted to your Cerbera... the original rubber seal “will not” refit correctly if you have the wrong replacement screen and it is highly likely that whoever tried to refit it, simple discarded it and used a more modern/flexible substitute. The original Cerbera windscreen rubber is quite tough and has a distinct shape.

I also have exactly this issue with the (incorrect) screen type that has just been fitted to my Cerbera... and still the “TVR Specialist” garage seem to think that this is all in my imagination and I don’t know what I’m talking about.

Regards

[ridds]

Would that mean there are 3 different screens altogether then, with heated versions or some?

Pre '97 (carbon look Strips)
Post '97 (carbon look Strips)
Large screen (with the body coloured side strips) or was it just the roll bar that was moved and teh screen remained the same?
Heated variants of the above.

Pre '97


Post '97


Large Windscreen (body coloured side strips)

[nemasis]

Tony, they have fitted the wrong screen end of, Mk1 U0877(50mm Obs Band) and lower fixing for the rear view mirror because of the front cant rail,Mk2 U1127(30mm Obs Band) higher fixing for Mirror Cant Rail Removed Along With Sun Visors change in roof line, Mk2 Heated U2375. This is what i have got in my paper work from the cerbera line days and as for the windscreen seal top and bottom are the same for MK1 MK2 Heated Or Not doesnt make the slightest difference.

[ridds]

So the difference is if you have the body coloured side strips then?

98 with visors


2003 without visors


That change was a lot later than '97. More around 2000/2001 wasn't it?

[nemasis]

yes the change happened in late 98/99 i think cant remember off hand will have to look further though the paperwork and my build lists am sure its written down in there for the change over car. it changed over at the same time as the silly mk2 back lights, changed roof line,and we changed the front lights depending on which engine(4.2 old style 4.5 stuck in pod with twins and side light)

[Tony69]

Brilliant.. thank you..!!

Yes, I have an early Cerbera (July 1997) with...
1) The mini, fold down “sun visors” (removed from later cars)
2) The carbon fibre look-a-like side strips
3) Non heated

So to be absolutely clear, the windscreen I should have fitted to the car is the U0877 as I have told them right from the start. Is this correct?

These are the only part numbers for replacements that I could find... and from your reply it looks like I should have windscreen (a) the U0877.

a) Part No - TVR U0877 Cerbera to mid 97 (black band 50mm)
b) Part No - TVR U2375 Cerbera from mid 97 (black band 30mm)

let me know if I've got the wrong end of the stick...

Best regards
Tony

[nemasis]

tony YHM

[ridds]

Tony69 said:

a) Part No - TVR U0877 Cerbera to mid 97 (black band 50mm)
b) Part No - TVR U2375 Cerbera from mid 97 (black band 30mm)

I'd say that's right but change the dates to 98/99

[grovest]

98 model, original glass judging by how marked it is, is 30 at the bottom, 50 at the top if it helps.

[Glassman]

Is the specialist a TVR centre, or an indie windscreen replacement co?