Curiousity getting the better...

[oktapod]

Hi folks.

I've always fancied a Cerbera - probably a purple one with the spider eyes, but never mind - anyway, whenever I start to thinking seriously about getting one for weekend fun, seeds of doubt about reliability and fragility start to surface in my mind.

Seeing as I imagine a good number of you actually own Cerberas, can anyone comment on how they are to live with on a daily basis - in terms of reliability, consistency, electrics, cost of ownership (maintenance/running costs) and so on?

Also, as I've never been in one, just how much use are the back seats - no, not for that (heaven forbid, heh heh), but we have a 2.5 year old son and a baby on the way, and I wonder if the Cerbera is at all viable for the occasional family outing...

If not, it might have to be one of the TVR convertibles, but as I don't have a garage or a drive, my cars have to live on the street and I'd worry about leaving a convertible there, especially something attention-grabbing like a TVR...

Ta,

John

[dirty boy]

oktapod said:

Hi folks.

I've always fancied a Cerbera - probably a purple one with the spider eyes, but never mind

Purple ones are the fastest, so that's a good start

oktapod said:

anyway, whenever I start to thinking seriously about getting one for weekend fun, seeds of doubt about reliability and fragility start to surface in my mind.

Seeing as I imagine a good number of you actually own Cerberas, can anyone comment on how they are to live with on a daily basis - in terms of reliability, consistency, electrics, cost of ownership (maintenance/running costs) and so on?

Firstly, if you look after it, it should look after you. The vast majority of guys on here have the upmost respect for their cars, and therefore they are warmed up very carefully, and the needs of the car attended to regularly.

(touch wood) the reliability is not that bad, it's more niggles than anything, whether it being a flicking rev counter or a door not opening properly. Major worries are the outriggers as these are apparently quite fragile. I've not had any problems as such, just an odd hot idle problem, so it's being sent to the garage to be fixed - no point letting it manifest into something serious.

Running costs. Well, you'll hear horror stories, as they're the only ones that get reported, some say put £3k a year away - i'll find out in a couple of weeks if that's true?

Obviously if the engine goes pop, it'll be expensive, but one member on here has covered WELL over 100,000 miles - very few of us are anywhere near that, so only time will tell, but the 4.2 and 4.5 engines seem to be pretty robust considering they're pretty much a race engine.

I don't use mine on a daily basis, but if you wanted to I don't see why not.

oktapod said:

Also, as I've never been in one, just how much use are the back seats - no, not for that (heaven forbid, heh heh), but we have a 2.5 year old son and a baby on the way, and I wonder if the Cerbera is at all viable for the occasional family outing...

My son is 3 years old, he sits in the back with a seatbelt adjuster and I think this is safer than a car seat, and i'd be willing to argue, i've also put covers over the nasty bolts that are head height.

My soon to be two year old sits in the front in a car seat, the wife sits behind me (i'm 5'9") she's 5'9" it's cramped so I wouldn't say it's ideal for long distances, however we did travel 45 mins on a meet all together on Sunday without an issue.

Cerbera is fine for occasional family outing - hence


Good luck, hope you get one!

[FUBAR]

dirty boy said:

[ the wife sits behind me (i'm 5'9") she's 5'9" it's cramped so I wouldn't say it's ideal for long distances,

Why on earth do your make Mrs Dirty () sit behind you? Shirley she could sit behind the youngun in the front? (actually, you could get the youngest in a Recarro Start and sling him/her in the back could you not?) and stick the wife up front?

More often than not we travel out as me and the Fubelings with the dog on the front seat and Mrs Fubes either goes off shopping or has to take her own car

[dirty boy]

FUBAR said:

dirty boy said:

[ the wife sits behind me (i'm 5'9") she's 5'9" it's cramped so I wouldn't say it's ideal for long distances,

Why on earth do your make Mrs Dirty () sit behind you? Shirley she could sit behind the youngun in the front? (actually, you could get the youngest in a Recarro Start and sling him/her in the back could you not?) and stick the wife up front?

More often than not we travel out as me and the Fubelings with the dog on the front seat and Mrs Fubes either goes off shopping or has to take her own car

Because I think ifinately more of my children than I do my wife?

It was a one off this weekend, I had the two recaro starts in the garage and simply swapped over a seat out of the Megane into the front (wouldn't fit in back) and it's a high seat so if I pushed it forward for the wife to go behind her, she'd be licking the windscreen.

I'm getting another seatbelt adjuster for her shortly, so they'll both sit unaided in the back.

Not strictly legal, but i'm more concerned about their safety - hence i'd be happy to argue (politely) with a police officer - the recaro start is nowhere near as safe as the seat alone with an adjuster. (For children of a certain height obviously.

[Gazzab]

You cant really put a baby in a cerb - certainly not in the back. A rear facing seat wont fit. You can put one in the front but then it is tight between seat and dash. To be honest I never felt my kids were that safe in my cerbs. There is no rear or side protection for them - just fiberglass.

[dirty boy]

Gazzab said:

You cant really put a baby in a cerb - certainly not in the back. A rear facing seat wont fit. You can put one in the front but then it is tight between seat and dash. To be honest I never felt my kids were that safe in my cerbs. There is no rear or side protection for them - just fiberglass.

Agreed on all points. A baby is a tight fit in the front, but an older (toddler) in the back with a seatbelt height adjuster and bolt cover looks completely safe - much safer than the recaro start (other than the side impact issue - but that's a reason to drive much more carefully)

[cerdad]

There was a factory baby seat to fit the cerb ,ive never seen one but in needs a frame to fit it.
Ive spent 3k on mine in the last 20 months, servicing ,starter motor atc, it keeps the cost down if you can do somethings yourself.despite the cost you need to be photogenic as everyone takes pictures of it. The car was called a 3+1 by tvr ,the idea being that the passenger seat pshed right forward to allow a teenager to sit behind .
Mine is purple with spiders im thinking of selling it as i want a tuscan.

[QuiteQuietCerb]

Gazzab said:

You cant really put a baby in a cerb - certainly not in the back. A rear facing seat wont fit. You can put one in the front but then it is tight between seat and dash. To be honest I never felt my kids were that safe in my cerbs. There is no rear or side protection for them - just fiberglass.

i agree with you on that. However, the cerb does have SIPS (have you ever removed the door cards?), and rear protection from the chassis.

Edited by QuiteQuietCerb on Wednesday 8th April 21:50