DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Anyone got any words of wisdom to share about owning a TVR Cerbera ?

Any info such as service intervals, prices etc appreciated (good, bad or ugly)

andrewdelvard

You thinking about it Dunk?

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Its one of the less sensible ones on the shortlist, or should I say long-list

megabusa

Check the throttle cable before you buy one! I sold mine last year and the cable snapped on the poor lad on his way home!

carl

I've got one. Just got it back from the garage yesterday (it boiled over in traffic)....

Service interval 6k miles or yearly, whichever is sooner. From a dealer it's about 600 quid for a 6k service and about 1000 quid for a major. Independents cheaper, obviously.

Take a look at the Cerbera forum on Pistonheads for more info.

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the info

I'm a bit concerned about reliability, on the TVR's so may have to strike it from my list as it will be my main car. Shame

Mungo

A friend had a throttle cable snap on him, the car was under warranty but the dealer told him it was a regular wear-and-tear item. It was the last straw which made him sell the car. He'd had all sorts of other problems - the wipers not working in the rain, the boot leaking, the instruments on the bottom of the steering column failing. It was a lovely car, but just way too unreliable. You'd be better off with an older 911, as when in the real world can you actually use the extra performance of the TVR?

JayBee

Mungo...off pistonheads?

Anyway - DJ - I have a Honda CTR and A Chimaera...not quite a Cerbie, but I have had NO problems.

Bottom line, you will always get an opinion from those that have NOT owned one that they are unreliable, kitcars, made from feathers, had a mate who had one...zzzzzz

Another bottom line, look at any marque of sports car and you will see issues (ask on any porche or BMW forum about the Boxter and M3, great cars, but still had issues).

Get you *** over to www.pistonheads.com and www.tvrcc.com. Go to a local TVR club meeting, they are all frindly, blag some rides, pick some brains and then you can make an INFORMED decision.

However, be warned, that decision can be the most emotional thing after some rides and test drives!!

Lastly - go into TVR ownership with this. They are great cars, they have the same issues that other cars have and DONT skimp on the maintenance! When buying have it inspected by someone who knows about them. When on pistonheads ask about Rob Ingleby. He is a speciailisy who finds this type of car and inspects them for you.

Hope this give "a piont of view" at least.

JB

Tiggs

i had a chim and wasnt bothered about reliability, i had ample budget and worked for myself so thought. "if it wont start i'll go in late!"

but.....it was a bag of nails, plastic lump. broke down a few times and got to hot in traffic...which made it useless, everytime i went out i'd worry that i might hit a load of traffic and it would overheat...i even worried about stopping at traffic lights!

it has visual kudos that a scoob could only ever dream about but that was it. i have owned many cars but the only time i have EVER broken down was in that thing.

in summary the best time for the car was a drive home from a pub on a summers eve but thats a bit of small window of opertunity to get pleasure from your car!

i get in my 5 series now and get pleasure from it whatever the weather....and i know i could drive it to spain and back in one piece....doubt the TVR would make it to the ferry.

T

ps- you also cant sell them so dont think you can do it for 6 months then swap...i did and it costs a packet because ppl wonder why you are selling!

mwp

my mate had one of the first and it was a bag of nails.

i tets drove one before buying my sti+ppp .... bag of nails that belongs on a track.

i'm sure real life owners like carl can give a better impression.


- mark.

andrewdelvard

LOL!! Not often I laugh at 7.45am on a Wed morning but I did just then! He! He!

Tiggs

glad to spread some cheer!

i could tell you about the time it wouldnt start after i stopped for a paper 1 mile from work and ment i had to push it 1/4 mile of double yellows....walk to work....walk back to meet the rac 1hr later only to find i started first time....all in torrential rain!!

but i wont as your sides would split

Markys 2

I have a 4.2, have done about 4000 miles and no real problems, other than the drivers door would not open via button, easy fix, cost nothing. Insurance and petrol are both cheaper than my scoob STi. You should also budget around £3000 on servicing and repairs each year, most years will not be near than cost but one will.

PistonHeads is the best place to find out running costs etc. I have not regreted it yet, also has four seat a bonus for us as we have a young child.

andrewdelvard

Jeez..A mans got to at least try and own something as incredible as this for once in their lives...



21,500 miles. Beautiful Antique Turqoise Starmist paintwork, full magnolia hide and Biscuit carpets. 4.5 17" alloys with very good Bridgestone SO2's all round. Blended twin front headlights and later style factory rears. Also vented bonnet and and grill crossbar removed. PAS and AC. Sony stereo with 10 disc multi-changer.
Some Leven alloy bits. FSH. Suspension alignment and adjustment carried out recently, 6 months MOT and 3 months tax. Registered as CAT C insurance writeoff, but repaired by well-known TVR specialist, hence price.
Either this one or the Tuscan racer must go as cash needed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advert Age: 3 days
Price: £13,995
Location: Sussex, United Kingdom

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=19005&s=6

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Thanks again peeps. Top info

Off to Pistonheads we go . . . .

megabusa

Heres my old one, never regretted owning it once, just glad I sold it when I did!!

JayBee

Tiggs

Sounds like you had a plain old bad one! Just like any car

I had a scooby and had the the famous piston slap, bugered rear diff, cracked alloy, cat fire.

Let me down more times than the Tiv. Funny how life balances out.

Great car though..will never regret owning

Go on down to ya local Tiv dealer and try a T350. Phenominal....WOW.

JayBee

DJ

See you also have a CTR...Great combo if you can keep both!! CTR everyday, Tiv for the evening and weekends....Low down grunt and screaming VTEC!

JB

carl

Yes, but for example for the same sort of money I paid for my '98 Cerb I could get something like an 89-90 911. Do you really think that a 14 year old car is going to be more reliable, regardless of whether it's a Porsche or not?

Personally, when mine "brewed up" the other day I was pretty fed up. But since I got it back, I've remembered why I bought it. I reckon you have to do the TVR thing once.



Must get some more pictures done, as it's recently had a visit from the Wax Wizard.

PS: the blue "Cat C" one has been for sale several times before. Actually, I thought someone bought it a couple of weeks ago, but maybe not.

megabusa

"I reckon you have to do the TVR thing once."
Too right you do.

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

How do they corner

Looks like I need to see for myself if I can deal with the ups and downs of TVR ownership. Luckily I know someone who has one, albeit a pink one So I'll give it a go and make a more informed decision. Thanks for all the advice I'll keep on reading up and speaking to people, no immediate rush to get a replacement for the CTR as I'm still enjoying it a lot

S.B.

When you are testing it stop off at the kemsley arms for a quick drink.

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

I doubt she'd park it outside there !

Even the police won't park outside the Kemsley Arms

Cheeky Jim

Do they do big mileages? I do about 30,000 miles a year and I have a car allowance. Would love a Cerbie, but again too many scare stories and now having seen the cost of servicing (5 services in year?!!), i just don't think I could justify it!

Jim

andrewdelvard

From what I've seen on Pistonheads peeps with high milage Cerbs get mucho respect. You get comments like, "See it CAN be done" stuff like that. Quite funny.
TVR are a bit like high class prostitutes aren't they? Look gorgeous, very dirty, unpredictable, a great **** but will have your wallet before you can shout "Oi Trevor!"

carl

30k in a year will mean 5 services a year! I wouldn't even consider it, personally.

OTOH I have seen a couple of Cerbs with 90k on the clock.

Stevie

It depends on what type of recreational driving you fancy. Looked long and hard at a Tuscan S late last year, then realised I enjoyed bends, B roads etc, and did not want to be limited to "enjoying" the car in the dry only.

The local TVR garage (Bromsgrove) let me take it down some local lanes and to tell the truth, I reckon I was as fast in my Ibiza TDi Sport daily hack.

I cannot imagine a Cerbera is any different, or indeed better than an S. I guess it depends on where you intend to drive it.

Personally, 1 Spec C later........

Agree with reading Pistonheads, hilarious horror stories if nothing else.

And yes, Scoobs can be unreliable, but as a %age, owners with problems are somewhat fewer than Blackpool's offering.

carl

Of course, the difference is that any Impreza is just a Jap four-door saloon with some wings and scoops.

A TVR is a purpose-built handmade sportscar. You don't get a "Sport" version of the Cerbera that has a 2 litre NA engine, for example

mn_angrybeats

Well I owned one a few years ago, to many faults to list, do a search have posted them before....They are just a step up from a kit car IMO, I'm a design engineer by trade and couldnt believe the poor engineering and design on many components, and can see why they are unreliable.

Mine was a 97 P 4.2 V8, crude steering and handling, however very very fast however the dealers ans the factory were very poor, didnt even get a reply to a letter sent to Peter Wheeler...

Off the road more or less 6mth in 12mth, when the engine went bang for the 2nd time it took 17 weeks for them in Blackpool to fix it...

If you do get one make sure its from a dealer has a warranty and is the newest car you can afford, the early ones had lots of problems..

I know 3 other ex TVR owners that would never ever own a TVR again..

Do your homework

carl

I got a Christmas card from him
Never got one from Ed Swatman...

You can get similar peformance to a Cerb but with greater reliability by buying a Porsche 993 Turbo. But you have to be prepared to spend twice the money.

Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice. Caveat emptor.