Can someone advise on this car in classifieds
Discussion
Need your help chaps,
I had a Chim before having to sell it before our first child, I'm now coming out the other side and am able to get a toy.
My budget for a Chimaera is approx 7k, but have seen this Cerb for 7k and have decided to go and have a look on saturday.
1996 Cerbera 4.2, Cerbera in Starmist Green. 66k miles. Has had a new clutch (Clever Trevor type), new cams, front end respray, Silverstone Performance exhaust, Spider Alloys and HID headlights plus recent recarpeting by All Wheel Trim. Starting a family so need a 'real family car'.
I am now petrified that i'm about to potentially make a huge 7k mistake buying a time bomb.
Does anyone know this car and is a Cerb with 65k on the engine a viable proposition.
Your thoughts would be ery helpful, or should i stick to a RV8 and get another Chimaera,
ps i dont have 1000's to fix it if it goes bang help!!!
I had a Chim before having to sell it before our first child, I'm now coming out the other side and am able to get a toy.
My budget for a Chimaera is approx 7k, but have seen this Cerb for 7k and have decided to go and have a look on saturday.
1996 Cerbera 4.2, Cerbera in Starmist Green. 66k miles. Has had a new clutch (Clever Trevor type), new cams, front end respray, Silverstone Performance exhaust, Spider Alloys and HID headlights plus recent recarpeting by All Wheel Trim. Starting a family so need a 'real family car'.
I am now petrified that i'm about to potentially make a huge 7k mistake buying a time bomb.
Does anyone know this car and is a Cerb with 65k on the engine a viable proposition.
Your thoughts would be ery helpful, or should i stick to a RV8 and get another Chimaera,
ps i dont have 1000's to fix it if it goes bang help!!!
Edited by Evo on Thursday 26th March 22:42
If it's not too far go and have a look.
There are 4.2's about that are still running strong after plenty more miles than that.
So long as you can do a bit yourself, the big bills are always going to be engine and chassis rebuilds - so make sure you check them carefully!
I've never had a Chimera, however, other than the AJP engine, I can't see there being that much difference in reliability / durability etc.
There are 4.2's about that are still running strong after plenty more miles than that.
So long as you can do a bit yourself, the big bills are always going to be engine and chassis rebuilds - so make sure you check them carefully!
I've never had a Chimera, however, other than the AJP engine, I can't see there being that much difference in reliability / durability etc.
thats probably why seller blanked my email asking condition of chassis etc 
Evo said:
Need your help chaps,
I had a Chim before having to sell it before our first child, I'm now coming out the other side and am able to get a toy.
My budget for a Chimaera is approx 7k, but have seen this Cerb for 7k and have decided to go and have a look on saturday.
1996 Cerbera 4.2, Cerbera in Starmist Green. 66k miles. Has had a new clutch (Clever Trevor type), new cams, front end respray, Silverstone Performance exhaust, Spider Alloys and HID headlights plus recent recarpeting by All Wheel Trim. Starting a family so need a 'real family car'.
I am now petrified that i'm about to potentially make a huge 7k mistake buying a time bomb.
Does anyone know this car and is a Cerb with 65k on the engine a viable proposition.
Your thoughts would be ery helpful, or should i stick to a RV8 and get another Chimaera,
ps i dont have 1000's to fix it if it goes bang help!!!
I had a Chim before having to sell it before our first child, I'm now coming out the other side and am able to get a toy.
My budget for a Chimaera is approx 7k, but have seen this Cerb for 7k and have decided to go and have a look on saturday.
1996 Cerbera 4.2, Cerbera in Starmist Green. 66k miles. Has had a new clutch (Clever Trevor type), new cams, front end respray, Silverstone Performance exhaust, Spider Alloys and HID headlights plus recent recarpeting by All Wheel Trim. Starting a family so need a 'real family car'.
I am now petrified that i'm about to potentially make a huge 7k mistake buying a time bomb.
Does anyone know this car and is a Cerb with 65k on the engine a viable proposition.
Your thoughts would be ery helpful, or should i stick to a RV8 and get another Chimaera,
ps i dont have 1000's to fix it if it goes bang help!!!
Edited by Evo on Thursday 26th March 22:42
If you cant afford to spend the money on a cerb then stay clear, but then a Chim whilst less risky does come with risks. It is just as likely to have chassis rot. The engines are cheaper to fix and the maintenance costs are about half that of a cerb.
But with a 7k budget and no slush fund you are taking a risk with any TVR.
MX5 ? ;-)
But with a 7k budget and no slush fund you are taking a risk with any TVR.
MX5 ? ;-)
All cerbs are time bombs - they just have different length fuses!
Have a look at some cerb owning members profiles who've filled in the running costs - then think long and hard about whether you could cover the cost of some of the failures/servicing/wear and tear costs listed if you had to.
Not trying to put you off by any means - no point in fooling yourself - you just need to be realistic in expectations, these cars are more fragile than your average Nisyota Coltlet. To do a bit of paraphrasing "When they are good, they are very, very good but when they are bad they are horrid!"
Have a look at some cerb owning members profiles who've filled in the running costs - then think long and hard about whether you could cover the cost of some of the failures/servicing/wear and tear costs listed if you had to.
Not trying to put you off by any means - no point in fooling yourself - you just need to be realistic in expectations, these cars are more fragile than your average Nisyota Coltlet. To do a bit of paraphrasing "When they are good, they are very, very good but when they are bad they are horrid!"
Edited by smash on Friday 27th March 12:36
Its a gamble. Any handbuilt car is going to have a lot more variation in build quality, and after 13 years, who knows.
I bought mine with 82k miles on the clock six years ago. Back then people viewed that sort of mileage on a Cerbera with the same fear as a flat-earther when presented with a globe.
It was all mildly terrifying. But not as terrifying as not having one.
I'd recommend looking at a few, you'd be surprised (well, you've had a TVR, so probably not ;-) as to how different they might feel. Then have a think about whether you're comfortable with the level of risk.
I bought mine with 82k miles on the clock six years ago. Back then people viewed that sort of mileage on a Cerbera with the same fear as a flat-earther when presented with a globe.
It was all mildly terrifying. But not as terrifying as not having one.
I'd recommend looking at a few, you'd be surprised (well, you've had a TVR, so probably not ;-) as to how different they might feel. Then have a think about whether you're comfortable with the level of risk.
Having run two Chims and a Cerb, they are night and day in terms of performance, but more critically in terms of cost and maintenance -
For example...
Chim clutch - £300
Cerb Clutch - £1000+
My Cerb cost roughly double per annum than either of my Chims - that's not to say it was extortionate, but it was closer to £3k (plus anothere £3k for misc upgrades / major failures) than the £1-1.5k of the Chims...
Oh, and I had the first Chim before our first child too - when wifey got pregnant, I bought the Cerb - "Hey look darling, four seats!"
For example...
Chim clutch - £300
Cerb Clutch - £1000+
My Cerb cost roughly double per annum than either of my Chims - that's not to say it was extortionate, but it was closer to £3k (plus anothere £3k for misc upgrades / major failures) than the £1-1.5k of the Chims...
Oh, and I had the first Chim before our first child too - when wifey got pregnant, I bought the Cerb - "Hey look darling, four seats!"
Edited by RedLeicester on Friday 27th March 11:28
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