Cerbera as an everyday car?
Discussion
Well I test drove a speed six today that had had a recent engine rebuild. It drove beautifully and there was plenty of power (380bhp).
However, I'm concerned about the reliability and annual running costs, as this would be my only car. I was hoping some owners might be able to enlighten me slightly?
Thanks.
However, I'm concerned about the reliability and annual running costs, as this would be my only car. I was hoping some owners might be able to enlighten me slightly?
Thanks.
Edited by Speshal on Tuesday 3rd May 16:09
said:I've been considering a Cerb again, but not sure why they cost so much to run.
Anyone have a good PH profile with a breakdown that offers what/why they cost so much to run?
Given they say double an RV8, then it must all be engine related, but I thought the V8 engine was ok vs an S6 in the Cerb, yet an S6 in the Tammy isn't considered that bad and on a par with an RV8...
Hrmrmmrmrmmmmmmm
Anyone have a good PH profile with a breakdown that offers what/why they cost so much to run?
Given they say double an RV8, then it must all be engine related, but I thought the V8 engine was ok vs an S6 in the Cerb, yet an S6 in the Tammy isn't considered that bad and on a par with an RV8...
Hrmrmmrmrmmmmmmm
Running costs - how long is a piece of string? Assuming you dont do the work yourself and that you do circa 10,000 miles pa then I would suggest that the running costs (servicing and repairs only) will average £3K pa but will sometimes be less (but not under £1500) and sometimes higher (hopefully not more than £5K).
There are plenty of threads on this. Have a search.
YOu could speak to a specialist eg APM, Raceproved, Str8six, Austec etc and find out what they think.
ps are you sure the S6 you looked at has 380 bhp, I dont think it will be that powerful.
There are plenty of threads on this. Have a search.
YOu could speak to a specialist eg APM, Raceproved, Str8six, Austec etc and find out what they think.
ps are you sure the S6 you looked at has 380 bhp, I dont think it will be that powerful.
Gazzab said:
Running costs - how long is a piece of string? Assuming you dont do the work yourself and that you do circa 10,000 miles pa then I would suggest that the running costs (servicing and repairs only) will average £3K pa but will sometimes be less (but not under £1500) and sometimes higher (hopefully not more than £5K).
There are plenty of threads on this. Have a search.
YOu could speak to a specialist eg APM, Raceproved, Str8six, Austec etc and find out what they think.
ps are you sure the S6 you looked at has 380 bhp, I dont think it will be that powerful.
Austec was where I tested it. It was definitely 380bhp. I was told it had been given some upgrades during the rebuild. However, the guy that I was dealing with was also telling me that the 6k service was £550 and so long as I didn't drive it absolutely stupidly, I wouldn't be shelling out sh*t loads of cash. This particular car also comes with a 2 year warranty on the engine.There are plenty of threads on this. Have a search.
YOu could speak to a specialist eg APM, Raceproved, Str8six, Austec etc and find out what they think.
ps are you sure the S6 you looked at has 380 bhp, I dont think it will be that powerful.
The engine on mine has been fine (4.5)as long as you warm it up before unleashing it , the costs are the big services every 12000 miles which are 4 figure jobs as the cams have to come out .I have done 14000 miles in 4 years and the only time it never got me home was when the clutch release /slave cylinder went on the tunnel run .Any job that needs doing ,dont leave it as it will spawn something else ,as a daily car i tried it and people get p***ed off whentaking up 4 spaces in Tescos . all this aside you need another car.
What do you drive now?
It will cost about £1500 for a clutch, they can only last 6k miles, without abuse. More often about 15k miles. Servicing may require the cam shimming which adds about £xxx to a V8 service. Don't know about the S6.
You will need front tyres quite often because they wear on the inside edge, rears will just wear out
about every 6/7k miles.
You will want to do upgrades - suspension,etc
You will need to factor in chassis preventative maintenance/repair.
It will cost about £1500 for a clutch, they can only last 6k miles, without abuse. More often about 15k miles. Servicing may require the cam shimming which adds about £xxx to a V8 service. Don't know about the S6.
You will need front tyres quite often because they wear on the inside edge, rears will just wear out
about every 6/7k miles.You will want to do upgrades - suspension,etc
You will need to factor in chassis preventative maintenance/repair.
I brought my V8 cerb on the basis of using it ss an every day car, but even my previous car which was a MG ZT v8 rwd etc struggled in the snow, so i brought a second car, only spent 2k on a 100k miles jeep grand Cherokee, makes mince meat of snow and icy conditions.
I very pleased i did after the snow we had, plus the starter solenoid has just gone on mine so good to have a practical car that i can use. i'm not a family man nor am i married so just me in the cars well and gf, but after much thought and the way the roads are during the snow having a cheap car to run around in is worth it in my opinion.
I very pleased i did after the snow we had, plus the starter solenoid has just gone on mine so good to have a practical car that i can use. i'm not a family man nor am i married so just me in the cars well and gf, but after much thought and the way the roads are during the snow having a cheap car to run around in is worth it in my opinion.
Speshal said:
Austec was where I tested it. It was definitely 380bhp. I was told it had been given some upgrades during the rebuild. However, the guy that I was dealing with was also telling me that the 6k service was £550 and so long as I didn't drive it absolutely stupidly, I wouldn't be shelling out sh*t loads of cash. This particular car also comes with a 2 year warranty on the engine.
Not many places are considered able to rebuild a S6 and to add power. A 380bhp S6 must have some trickery. Who did the rebuild? Who tested the power? Personally I would only go for a S6 from Str8six or TVR Power. Lots of the warranties arent worth the paper they are written on - Power and str8six have a fab reputation for S6 engine work and warranties.
A S6 6K service is probably around £500 in most places, a 12K service needs valve clearances and is generally about twice the price of a 6K service.
Regardless of how you drive the car it will need other things doing to it eg clutch, slaves, brakes, sensors, water pipes, radiator, chassis, bushes, suspension, aircon etc choose two or three each year. As ever if you can do the work yourself then thats even better re running costs but it its an every day car then you might find the fact that it will be off the road for a few days each year (or more if you do it yourself) a pain.
If you run them every day are they really as bad as those that are stood for week/s on end and then driven, possibly fairly hard once warm.
Ie, clutch. If you drive it only ever fairly hard on a hoon then 12,000 miles may wear it out twice or three times faster than someone tootling along to work a few days a week with a bit of a razz on a weekend? 12k miles is shocking if that is normal fast road use. What do they make clutches from, cheese?
No idea, just wondering how they are so apparently terrible on parts, but most owners seem to be occasional users/tracking them etc.
Just from experience even normal cars go crap if they are left sitting for a month or so at a time, which accelerates wear of things like bushes, ball joints, brakes etc.
All cars cost lots to run, but TVR's are cheap to buy and don't depreciate much
Hmmm
Dave
Ie, clutch. If you drive it only ever fairly hard on a hoon then 12,000 miles may wear it out twice or three times faster than someone tootling along to work a few days a week with a bit of a razz on a weekend? 12k miles is shocking if that is normal fast road use. What do they make clutches from, cheese?
No idea, just wondering how they are so apparently terrible on parts, but most owners seem to be occasional users/tracking them etc.
Just from experience even normal cars go crap if they are left sitting for a month or so at a time, which accelerates wear of things like bushes, ball joints, brakes etc.
All cars cost lots to run, but TVR's are cheap to buy and don't depreciate much
Hmmm
Dave
Gazzab said:
Not many places are considered able to rebuild a S6 and to add power. A 380bhp S6 must have some trickery. Who did the rebuild? Who tested the power?
Personally I would only go for a S6 from Str8six or TVR Power. Lots of the warranties arent worth the paper they are written on - Power and str8six have a fab reputation for S6 engine work and warranties.
A S6 6K service is probably around £500 in most places, a 12K service needs valve clearances and is generally about twice the price of a 6K service.
Regardless of how you drive the car it will need other things doing to it eg clutch, slaves, brakes, sensors, water pipes, radiator, chassis, bushes, suspension, aircon etc choose two or three each year. As ever if you can do the work yourself then thats even better re running costs but it its an every day car then you might find the fact that it will be off the road for a few days each year (or more if you do it yourself) a pain.
Thanks for the replies.Personally I would only go for a S6 from Str8six or TVR Power. Lots of the warranties arent worth the paper they are written on - Power and str8six have a fab reputation for S6 engine work and warranties.
A S6 6K service is probably around £500 in most places, a 12K service needs valve clearances and is generally about twice the price of a 6K service.
Regardless of how you drive the car it will need other things doing to it eg clutch, slaves, brakes, sensors, water pipes, radiator, chassis, bushes, suspension, aircon etc choose two or three each year. As ever if you can do the work yourself then thats even better re running costs but it its an every day car then you might find the fact that it will be off the road for a few days each year (or more if you do it yourself) a pain.
It was Austec that carried out the rebuild. However, based the the general consensus of opinion, a Cerbera is going to be more hassle than it's worth as an everyday car.
I had a Cerb as my every day car for about 6 months - didn't cost me a penny apart from an oil pressure sender which i fitted myself. Absolutely loved it - I bought it having just had a TVR Power rebuild, new Ohlins all-round and new wheels/tyres etc...it was a good example, but only cost me about £14k I think. Wasn't a problem at all around town, lovely light clutch and steering (though the turning circle can be a pain) and made every drive a real event! Had to sell it in the end to fund the purchase of my flat, and still miss it - I check the classifieds daily to check if any bargains come up, mine ended up going to Belgium.
Dom
ETA: Also had a Tamora for about a year as my only car the previous year, which again cost me not a penny but was a really sorted example like the Cerb.
Also, I wasn't commuting so was probably only doing 4/5k a year!
Dom
ETA: Also had a Tamora for about a year as my only car the previous year, which again cost me not a penny but was a really sorted example like the Cerb.
Also, I wasn't commuting so was probably only doing 4/5k a year!
The first bit of advice I'd offer anyone looking at a Cerb would be don't have it as your only car. If I did, I'd sell up - simple as...
It'll stop feeling fast and special if you use it every day. Plus you won't enjoy it in the winter - and it won't do the chassis much good.
Get a £500 snotter for the lousy weather/speed bumps/traffic lights/stop- start journeys and save the Cerb for the good days.
Also bear in mind it'll be handy to have something in reserve for the odd occasion it lets you down.
We're all different though - I'm well aware not everyone sees it this way.
It'll stop feeling fast and special if you use it every day. Plus you won't enjoy it in the winter - and it won't do the chassis much good.
Get a £500 snotter for the lousy weather/speed bumps/traffic lights/stop- start journeys and save the Cerb for the good days.
Also bear in mind it'll be handy to have something in reserve for the odd occasion it lets you down.
We're all different though - I'm well aware not everyone sees it this way.
I run mine as an everyday car
All my costs are in my profile.
For me the clutch went at 45000 miles (Original)
Tyres last about 15000 miles
Brake Pads and disks lasted 44000 miles (Original)
It just has a service once a year or around 6000 miles and a few small things done by me.
Have to say I probably only checked the oil twice between the last service
Some of what's been said above is shocking 6k for a clutch is a joke its been fitted wrong or the part was faulty and the same goes for tyres if you're getting through them that quickly get the tracking checked its out
I had my engine mapped and the tappets adjusted just after bought it back in 2007 @ 17000 miles and the tappets have only just been done again @ 50000 miles.
The best thing you can do is get a car in good condition to start with so you're not fire fighting and keep on top of the maintenance by using a GOOD garage.
All my costs are in my profile.
For me the clutch went at 45000 miles (Original)
Tyres last about 15000 miles
Brake Pads and disks lasted 44000 miles (Original)
It just has a service once a year or around 6000 miles and a few small things done by me.
Have to say I probably only checked the oil twice between the last service
Some of what's been said above is shocking 6k for a clutch is a joke its been fitted wrong or the part was faulty and the same goes for tyres if you're getting through them that quickly get the tracking checked its out
I had my engine mapped and the tappets adjusted just after bought it back in 2007 @ 17000 miles and the tappets have only just been done again @ 50000 miles.
The best thing you can do is get a car in good condition to start with so you're not fire fighting and keep on top of the maintenance by using a GOOD garage.
Had one for 90k miles/ 11 years, most of those it was Dads only car. Its a tricky one... it can do it, easy, but in hindsight, we should have used another car over winter at the minimum. The car deserves better than to suffer the awful weather, its less fun on ice too. Also, with the price of petrol/ increase in utter idiots (noticeable in the past decade in Birmingham) - it makes less sense now than it did initially.
Now we have a T350 and a shed ('leccy Smart) - the T's going to be put into semi-hibernation over winter and the 'leccy Smart is used all but one day's commute now and all little trips - ones that previously necessitated the longer route in the Cerb to make sure it was used properly.
So yes, it'll do it, it'll be great, but it will cost a fortune (servicing/petrol/insurance etc etc) and you'll eventually have to have work on outriggers and such over longer periods of time. That said, it is far better to use it than have it standing for any periods of time longer than a couple of weeks.
Now we have a T350 and a shed ('leccy Smart) - the T's going to be put into semi-hibernation over winter and the 'leccy Smart is used all but one day's commute now and all little trips - ones that previously necessitated the longer route in the Cerb to make sure it was used properly.
So yes, it'll do it, it'll be great, but it will cost a fortune (servicing/petrol/insurance etc etc) and you'll eventually have to have work on outriggers and such over longer periods of time. That said, it is far better to use it than have it standing for any periods of time longer than a couple of weeks.
I have a 2003 Speed Six Cerb, I have owned it for 2 years It has been very reliable for me and the previous owner, I have spent money on upgrades such as suspension and bushes(look on my profile). It doesn't really matter if it's 380 BHP or not it will be mighty fast don't get bogged down in the figures it's willy waving....There fast, very fast.
Ive just had a full 12k service and MOT and a few small niggles sorted for £650, shop about there are some really good Independents out there, I used BHP Performance (Blackpool)and was very happy with them also the SP6 return returns pretty good fuel consumption for a car with that power, I get about 27mpg at a steady 80 on the motorway. A clutch for a SP6 is about £1k fitted mine has lasted 31K miles as far as I know, I guess it all depends how you drive them.
I don't use mine everyday, I have another car for work, TBH I wouldn't use it everyday, I like to keep it good and enjoy the sence of occasion when I take it out, I think that would be deminished If I was to use it all the time.
But I would certainly get one they are great!,
Ive just had a full 12k service and MOT and a few small niggles sorted for £650, shop about there are some really good Independents out there, I used BHP Performance (Blackpool)and was very happy with them also the SP6 return returns pretty good fuel consumption for a car with that power, I get about 27mpg at a steady 80 on the motorway. A clutch for a SP6 is about £1k fitted mine has lasted 31K miles as far as I know, I guess it all depends how you drive them.
I don't use mine everyday, I have another car for work, TBH I wouldn't use it everyday, I like to keep it good and enjoy the sence of occasion when I take it out, I think that would be deminished If I was to use it all the time.
But I would certainly get one they are great!,
Edited by G20RG B on Thursday 5th May 09:30
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