Cerbera Priced to sell
Discussion
A friend of mine who has a dealership which sells across the used car spectrum phoned me up on Wednesday last to tell me that he had just purchased a 1998 4.2 Cerbera with 38,000 miles and a full service record - the last two services had not been done by a TVR specialist. It had just had a new back section on the exhaust and new suspension as well as having good so2's all round. I went down to his place to look it over and I have to say that it looked very good indeed.
I did not want to buy because I prefer ( I drive a Chimaera) the rag top TVR's. Anyway I was in his place today (Mon 14th)and it's been sold.
For..................
£14,500.!!!!!
He thinks it will be back with him for Christmas as the guy who bought it part exed a Range Rover and said he only wanted it because it looked fantastic and to "nip down to the local at weekends".
Place your orders please.
I did not want to buy because I prefer ( I drive a Chimaera) the rag top TVR's. Anyway I was in his place today (Mon 14th)and it's been sold.
For..................
£14,500.!!!!!
He thinks it will be back with him for Christmas as the guy who bought it part exed a Range Rover and said he only wanted it because it looked fantastic and to "nip down to the local at weekends".
Place your orders please.
Yep Cerbera prices have been falling dramatically, at the beginning of the year thought I fancied a change my 4.2 36k on the clock FSH was up for sale priced at 19K dropped over the period to 17K and never sold it. Then decided what is the point of giving it away when I reviewed the situ, wanted an older Griff and newer family four door for work thought sod it and just buy and older four door and sod the bosses opinion !!!
Anyway moving on I am going to rework a few bits over the winter and just keep it, keeping costs down by doing much of the work myself as let's face it what is the point of paying a wad of cash for work you can do yourself and just leave the techincal tuning etc to the dealers.
Anyway it is frightening the amount of Cerbs for sale and not moving. What do I think mine is worth now, 46k on the clock probably 12 to 13k Tops !!!
Anyway moving on I am going to rework a few bits over the winter and just keep it, keeping costs down by doing much of the work myself as let's face it what is the point of paying a wad of cash for work you can do yourself and just leave the techincal tuning etc to the dealers.
Anyway it is frightening the amount of Cerbs for sale and not moving. What do I think mine is worth now, 46k on the clock probably 12 to 13k Tops !!!
Cant see anyone buying a good un at less than 15K (albeit that would be the exception). The fact that the 14.5K one had the last two services done at a garage that isnt recognised as a TVR place speaks volumes re its price. Also garages that sell all makes normally price TVRs low to get em out of their hair as they are scared of the bills if they dont shift them.
Agree non TVR garages prefer to move TVRs quicker but even though they are moving them at low prices they have to come with some form of assurance it may not be a warranty but consumer protection etc and this must be equated into the price. Not wishing to talk down the Cerbera market but there are many out there, very good ones with lots of bills attached running into 1,000s and the prices are low for a Supercar but they are not moving. Any sellers out there with feed back, oh and with regards to suspension mods, hmmm this winters project, shocks, springs, bushes, waxoyl chassis, refurb wheels and new tyres. Keeps me off the streets and the girlfriend will be helping, well she does drive it after all !!!
All this talk of sub £20k - indeed, sub £15k(!!!) Cerbs is certainly, potentially, pant wetting.
If we assume these will all be early 4.2 models, i.e. 96 and 97s with presuambly 30-50k miles racked up, what's the feeling on major mechanical longevity thereafter?
I'm sorry but the concept of £15k or less for a Cerb - any Cerb - is almost too much to resist. This is MONUMENTAL value!
If we assume these will all be early 4.2 models, i.e. 96 and 97s with presuambly 30-50k miles racked up, what's the feeling on major mechanical longevity thereafter?
I'm sorry but the concept of £15k or less for a Cerb - any Cerb - is almost too much to resist. This is MONUMENTAL value!
Derestrictor - Cerbera's at this moment are surperb value I cannot think of a + 185 mph car for that money, also as the car design is a few years old now more specialist services are available. I purchased mine with 32k on the clock and now 46k, problems were oil burning fortunately not engine wear but fuel mixture washing oil away so adjusted and fine since, new clutch master cyclinder, new slave cylinder and found a broken finger on the clutch so new clutch and flywheel, and lastly disc brakes required skimming.
So I think if you find one with this sort of history and well maintained I think you will be quids.
So I think if you find one with this sort of history and well maintained I think you will be quids.
£14,500!!! Still far too much for a car with this reliability record.
The purchase cost is f**K all compared to the rip off cost of servicing, not to mention the vast number of breakdowns, hire cars, lost days at work and lets not forget an engine re-build every few thousand miles!!
I still like them though!!!!
The purchase cost is f**K all compared to the rip off cost of servicing, not to mention the vast number of breakdowns, hire cars, lost days at work and lets not forget an engine re-build every few thousand miles!!
I still like them though!!!!
ToroTVR said: £14,500!!! Still far too much for a car with this reliability record.
Bulls***...
I understand that runnings costs are *high*
, but a sensible person can't expect to own one of the fastest cars in the world without a subsequent budget. As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't mind pay such a "small" amount of money for a 96/97 4.2 and spend £3k per year to run it. IMO that sounds a much better deal than blowing £45k on a new car, wether engines failures are covered by the warranty or not.
(Anyway, in my case I won't be able to bring the car to the dealership at all, so let's open this bloody engine and let's definitely have a look at what's wrong in it...
)
Thom said:[/iI wouldn't mind pay such a "small" amount of money for a 96/97 4.2 and spend £3k per year to run it.
Acually, Thom. I think that 3K per year might not cover running a Cerb of this nature. Our Chimaera costs more than this...and its the "cheap" one to run.
I love it to bits. Mrs wouldn't part with it - no matter what it cost, practically speaking.....but a TVR costs a lot to run. A Ferrari will cost a lot more - and a TVR goes as well as a Ferrari....but they still cost a lot.
One shouldn't forget this. A lot of people complain about how expensive their TVR is to maintain after they've got it...because they didn't go in eyes wide open.
But almost nothing else in the world goes like a Cerb.
Don said:Acually, Thom. I think that 3K per year might not cover running a Cerb of this nature.
C'mon, there must be some owners who don't spend that much!
Anybody here? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!
Don said: But almost nothing else in the world goes like a Cerb.
Yes, no need to say that to me
Without going too much over well covered ground, the problem I have with the cost of servicing TVRs (especially the VERY simple Rover based cars) is JUSTIFICATION!!!! I have a copy of the TVR service schedule for a Chimaera and a Griffith and bearing in mind that these are very straight forward cars ( Sierra back axle, Sierra steering rack and various Vauxhall bits fitted to a steel tubular chassis with a big Rover engine........Hardly Cutting Edge Technology!!!!!!! They even need the prop shaft greasing and that went out with Ford model Ts!! ) I find it very difficult to see where they get the cost from ( unless of course TVR mechanics are on par with NASA engineers and get payed accordingly!! THINK NOT ) it is not rocket science. To justify the servicing costs justs on the basis of " they have Ferrari performance..BLA BLA BLA...at a fraction of the cost..BLA BLA BLA.." Does NOT cut it with ME. My theory is that TVR dealers are rip off b******s and charge what they can get away with, not the true cost of the job. A mate of mine owns a Lexus, his car is more technologically advanced than any TVR ever will be, his "BIG" service cost is cheaper than a "cheap" TVR service cost and the dealers treat him like royalty as you would expect to be treated shelling out "only" £ 22k.
, it's just the way you said it that made me react the way I did. 
Quite frankly, I do wonder about the rates charged as mentioned above; when I think about the sheer number of service jobs (nowt in the engine bay, I must stress)on my (then new) '99 Cerb 4.5, if it hadn't been under warranty, I do wonder what sort of bills would have been notched up.
Frankly, I would expect electrical niggles, bits of wear and the odd starter motor type expenses but the only thing that really concerns me is the potential pitfall of major engine work. They just don't SEEM to go much beyond 40k without a biggie...
Then again - would a Ferrari? I mean, how many highly strung Italians do you come across with mega mileages? And on the ones that are around, do we know about mechanical longevity therein?
Still, AOVCERB's experiences sound quite reassuring - indeed, can I ask you (if you're on-line) about the general condition of your car, internally and externally?
Which brings me on to a different question altogether; the 4.5 always felt very lumpy at urban crawler speeds. It was always desperate to be unleashed at full whack; the Speed Six engines I've tried have always been almost BMW-esque smooth by comparison - what IS the AJP 4.2 like to drive? And do you think I'd notice a difference in power delivery from the 4.5 at any points in the gear/rev range?
This is getting into one of those 'hot sweat' moments where I hope sanity overcomes passion!
Frankly, I would expect electrical niggles, bits of wear and the odd starter motor type expenses but the only thing that really concerns me is the potential pitfall of major engine work. They just don't SEEM to go much beyond 40k without a biggie...
Then again - would a Ferrari? I mean, how many highly strung Italians do you come across with mega mileages? And on the ones that are around, do we know about mechanical longevity therein?
Still, AOVCERB's experiences sound quite reassuring - indeed, can I ask you (if you're on-line) about the general condition of your car, internally and externally?
Which brings me on to a different question altogether; the 4.5 always felt very lumpy at urban crawler speeds. It was always desperate to be unleashed at full whack; the Speed Six engines I've tried have always been almost BMW-esque smooth by comparison - what IS the AJP 4.2 like to drive? And do you think I'd notice a difference in power delivery from the 4.5 at any points in the gear/rev range?
This is getting into one of those 'hot sweat' moments where I hope sanity overcomes passion!
ToroTVR said: I have a copy of the TVR service schedule for a Chimaera and a Griffith and bearing in mind that these are very straight forward cars ( Sierra back axle, Sierra steering rack and various Vauxhall bits fitted to a steel tubular chassis with a big Rover engine........Hardly Cutting Edge Technology!!!!!!! They even need the prop shaft greasing and that went out with Ford model Ts!! ) I find it very difficult to see where they get the cost from ( unless of course TVR mechanics are on par with NASA engineers and get payed accordingly!! THINK NOT ) it is not rocket science.
I've also seen the service schedule for them and paid a large amount of cash over the last few years having them serviced. I agree that many of the jobs on a TVR service are simple (grease here, oil there, fill this, change that etc) and main dealers charging upwards of £45 per hour are piss taking gitoids.
You are therefore left with a few options, use an independant, do it yourself, pay main deal prices, **** off and buy a Lexus!
Are the steering rack and diff from a sierra? I thought the Diff was a GKN and the steering rack was a TVR special.
I've just bought an early Cerbera which needed some work, the list goes along the lines of.
New Battery, new radiator, 12k service, tappet inspection, air con recharge, tracking and alignment corrected, exhaust decat, the car also needed some wiring work and some other little bits attending to which I cannot for the life of me remember. inc all parts and labour the bill was just over a grand. including Vat. I'd say that was pretty good value. How much for a new radiator in your Lexus?
The point is that if I'd just taken a 355 in for that sort of work I'd have had to sell a leg to pay for it!
D.
Just do it Derestrictor, you know you need that fix.
Derestrictor said:Which brings me on to a different question altogether; the 4.5 always felt very lumpy at urban crawler speeds. It was always desperate to be unleashed at full whack; the Speed Six engines I've tried have always been almost BMW-esque smooth by comparison - what IS the AJP 4.2 like to drive? And do you think I'd notice a difference in power delivery from the 4.5 at any points in the gear/rev range?
This is getting into one of those 'hot sweat' moments where I hope sanity overcomes passion!
I find the 4.5 completely docile around town: perhaps the later models were improved or more likely since every TVR is different, you just need to find one that has the correct manners.
Having never driven a 4.2 I'm not in a position to comment on the difference in power delivery. However, I suspect you would always be wondering if you were missing out on something, so just go for the 4.5 OK?
I half agree with the cost issues for servicing etc i can understand the higher rates charged for the valve adjustment and other major engine/gbox/diff bits but surely it's a bit over the top when you are getting charged £43 PH + Vat for the pleasure of a basic oil change/brake pads etc which to be honest anyone can really do.
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