First real drive, first impressions
Discussion
After gearbox fixing, I took my first real drive since I bought the car: almost 2 hours of roads driven up to 1800mt high...
So.....let's see if I can collect my thoughts....
The set-up is very soft.
I don't think shock absorber are exhausted...I think the car was set up just like that. Which makes it excellent for touring. From a dynamic point of view it takes a bit of getting used to...but it's easier to understand how the car behaves on the road because it's more progressive. On the other hand, you feel the roll more and therefore the weight and center of gravity shifts. The steering wheel is very communicative, I like it. It engages the car very reactively and is precise. There is mechanical grip, a lot. In particular at the front. The brakes do their job: modulable and quite powerful. The soft set-up, however, breaks up the car a bit when braking: better to stay straight if you have to dig into the brakes. The rear end breaks down if stressed but not in an unexpected or exaggerated way. It can even be used to close some hairpin bends.
Engine: always ready, good torque but it likes to rev high. A bit grumpy at partial throttle openings on intermediate revs. After driving it for a long time you realize that you are always using the accelerator for 3/4: the pedal has a very long travel. This is intentional and allows you to manage the thrust in a softer way that, if you press it to the floor, the chassis can struggle to manage. In this sense the feeling is that it is a car that works better when it is not exploited too much. It cannot do too many things at the same time if taken to the limit. Exactly the opposite of my Catheram Seven that works well when you kill it....
The gears are long, the car is light and, even if the engine revs high, the torque is there. So strangely it happens that the car goes much further than it seems because it only needs a few revs to travelling miles. In the end it is absolutely usable. And in GT guise it is better than in sports guise.
An exasperated GT of course...
P. S.
among the many sensations and things I'm trying to understand, I noticed that the heating works very well but at high speed a lot of cold air enters in the cabin.
Even if the cold fan it's shut off.
Can you tell me why?
So.....let's see if I can collect my thoughts....
The set-up is very soft.
I don't think shock absorber are exhausted...I think the car was set up just like that. Which makes it excellent for touring. From a dynamic point of view it takes a bit of getting used to...but it's easier to understand how the car behaves on the road because it's more progressive. On the other hand, you feel the roll more and therefore the weight and center of gravity shifts. The steering wheel is very communicative, I like it. It engages the car very reactively and is precise. There is mechanical grip, a lot. In particular at the front. The brakes do their job: modulable and quite powerful. The soft set-up, however, breaks up the car a bit when braking: better to stay straight if you have to dig into the brakes. The rear end breaks down if stressed but not in an unexpected or exaggerated way. It can even be used to close some hairpin bends.
Engine: always ready, good torque but it likes to rev high. A bit grumpy at partial throttle openings on intermediate revs. After driving it for a long time you realize that you are always using the accelerator for 3/4: the pedal has a very long travel. This is intentional and allows you to manage the thrust in a softer way that, if you press it to the floor, the chassis can struggle to manage. In this sense the feeling is that it is a car that works better when it is not exploited too much. It cannot do too many things at the same time if taken to the limit. Exactly the opposite of my Catheram Seven that works well when you kill it....
The gears are long, the car is light and, even if the engine revs high, the torque is there. So strangely it happens that the car goes much further than it seems because it only needs a few revs to travelling miles. In the end it is absolutely usable. And in GT guise it is better than in sports guise.
An exasperated GT of course...
P. S.
among the many sensations and things I'm trying to understand, I noticed that the heating works very well but at high speed a lot of cold air enters in the cabin.
Even if the cold fan it's shut off.
Can you tell me why?
You do realise there are 2 fans? One blows cold, the other hot.
I had a Cerbera 4.5 for 12 months from 2018 to 2019 and I'm sure this was the case. I couldn't fathom why they did this but I think it may be because when thy plumbed in the (very necessary!) air conditioning after everything else was designed in and couldn't get it to interchange with the heater box.
The upside is the ability to blow warm air on your feet and cold air on your face at the same time.
I had a Cerbera 4.5 for 12 months from 2018 to 2019 and I'm sure this was the case. I couldn't fathom why they did this but I think it may be because when thy plumbed in the (very necessary!) air conditioning after everything else was designed in and couldn't get it to interchange with the heater box.
The upside is the ability to blow warm air on your feet and cold air on your face at the same time.
sixor8 said:
You do realise there are 2 fans? One blows cold, the other hot.
I had a Cerbera 4.5 for 12 months from 2018 to 2019 and I'm sure this was the case. I couldn't fathom why they did this but I think it may be because when thy plumbed in the (very necessary!) air conditioning after everything else was designed in and couldn't get it to interchange with the heater box.
The upside is the ability to blow warm air on your feet and cold air on your face at the same time.
I had a Cerbera 4.5 for 12 months from 2018 to 2019 and I'm sure this was the case. I couldn't fathom why they did this but I think it may be because when thy plumbed in the (very necessary!) air conditioning after everything else was designed in and couldn't get it to interchange with the heater box.
The upside is the ability to blow warm air on your feet and cold air on your face at the same time.
Of course I do.
That's why I'm asking why cold air enter in the cabin even if the cold air fan is off.
So the warm air working well and at low speed you can really enjoy it (even too much sometimes).
But, when your speed is sustained, a lot of cold air enter in the cabin and ruin what heater try to offers.
Seems to come from passengers footwell and somewhere behind the dash in particular.
Cold air vent are also closed but they aren't in truth cause a little bit of air pass through always
Hi,
I can't remember the details, but years ago I blocked off the inner wing on my car (passenger side in the UK) with expanding foam. There was something about cold air under pressure when the car was going fast overcoming the 'flaps' that direct the heating airflow. There were some threads on here that talked about it (I'm thinking 2004-6, yes, I've been here that long
)
I can't remember the details, but years ago I blocked off the inner wing on my car (passenger side in the UK) with expanding foam. There was something about cold air under pressure when the car was going fast overcoming the 'flaps' that direct the heating airflow. There were some threads on here that talked about it (I'm thinking 2004-6, yes, I've been here that long
)Flatplane8 said:
Hi,
I can't remember the details, but years ago I blocked off the inner wing on my car (passenger side in the UK) with expanding foam. There was something about cold air under pressure when the car was going fast overcoming the 'flaps' that direct the heating airflow. There were some threads on here that talked about it (I'm thinking 2004-6, yes, I've been here that long)
Thanks.I can't remember the details, but years ago I blocked off the inner wing on my car (passenger side in the UK) with expanding foam. There was something about cold air under pressure when the car was going fast overcoming the 'flaps' that direct the heating airflow. There were some threads on here that talked about it (I'm thinking 2004-6, yes, I've been here that long
)I'll try to do a little research asap and come back here for more info if I can't understand/find a solution.
Might be worth havng a check where the flexi pipe connects to the eyeball vent on the steering wheel (and maybe the passenger eyeball vent under the dash). Sometimes they don't fit that well and cold air bleeds rounds the edges, cooling parts other cars cannot reach (you'll understand if you have it!!).
Enjoy the driving - they are fabulous cars!
Rob
Enjoy the driving - they are fabulous cars!
Rob
The mixer box in the centre of the dash has 2 inlets - left and right for hot air and cold air respectively. The inlets are just shut off by hanging flaps which open with the air pressure from it's corresponding fan. The flaps just close under gravity. When the car is moving fast, the air pressure from outside is enough to open the flaps without the fans running.
The air comes in through the wings above the wheels. On my car both sides are open, but I believe on later cars the passenger side is blocked and provides better heating.
The air comes in through the wings above the wheels. On my car both sides are open, but I believe on later cars the passenger side is blocked and provides better heating.
Thanks to all.
I studied a little and this is what I understand: to implement the hot air, there is a mod that acts like a sort of re-circ and pick up the air inside the cabin instead of outside (blanked passenger wheelarch, vent under the passenger footwell).
This became a standard on later Cerbera.
Now, back on my case, quite sure I have this.
The car is a 2000 Speed six.
I have NO problem with the heater: I have A LOT of good hot air. So much that you have to undress yourself if you drive in town with the usual traffic.
And, of course, I have the fixed black vent under the passenger footwell.
BUT, as soon as you can put the foot on the accelerator, a lot of cold air comes everywhere.
Even if the cold air fan is off.
If I understand what you said, the culprit could be the valve inside the mixer box that opens cause recived too much air pressure from outside and acts as usually do when the cold air fan is switch on.
So I could reduce the pressure clogging the inside of the drivers wheelarch.
But, if I do this, where the fresh air coming from then?
I studied a little and this is what I understand: to implement the hot air, there is a mod that acts like a sort of re-circ and pick up the air inside the cabin instead of outside (blanked passenger wheelarch, vent under the passenger footwell).
This became a standard on later Cerbera.
Now, back on my case, quite sure I have this.
The car is a 2000 Speed six.
I have NO problem with the heater: I have A LOT of good hot air. So much that you have to undress yourself if you drive in town with the usual traffic.
And, of course, I have the fixed black vent under the passenger footwell.
BUT, as soon as you can put the foot on the accelerator, a lot of cold air comes everywhere.
Even if the cold air fan is off.
If I understand what you said, the culprit could be the valve inside the mixer box that opens cause recived too much air pressure from outside and acts as usually do when the cold air fan is switch on.
So I could reduce the pressure clogging the inside of the drivers wheelarch.
But, if I do this, where the fresh air coming from then?
Enjoyable read that, I think you've nailed the way a Cerbera feels to drive .
I didn't want my sports car to feel so soft, so I upped the spring rate to 600lbs front and rear, and Gaz mono shocks, and have the anti-roll bars fitted (many remove the rear) I want the car to feel pointy, turning more around the back of the driver's seat, I think it's an improvement, but wouldn't be for everyone.
The message being, that you can change the way it drives, if it feels too soft for you
.I didn't want my sports car to feel so soft, so I upped the spring rate to 600lbs front and rear, and Gaz mono shocks, and have the anti-roll bars fitted (many remove the rear) I want the car to feel pointy, turning more around the back of the driver's seat, I think it's an improvement, but wouldn't be for everyone.
The message being, that you can change the way it drives, if it feels too soft for you
DuncanM said:
Enjoyable read that, I think you've nailed the way a Cerbera feels to drive .
I didn't want my sports car to feel so soft, so I upped the spring rate to 600lbs front and rear, and Gaz mono shocks, and have the anti-roll bars fitted (many remove the rear) I want the car to feel pointy, turning more around the back of the driver's seat, I think it's an improvement, but wouldn't be for everyone.
The message being, that you can change the way it drives, if it feels too soft for you
Thanks!.I didn't want my sports car to feel so soft, so I upped the spring rate to 600lbs front and rear, and Gaz mono shocks, and have the anti-roll bars fitted (many remove the rear) I want the car to feel pointy, turning more around the back of the driver's seat, I think it's an improvement, but wouldn't be for everyone.
The message being, that you can change the way it drives, if it feels too soft for you
I'm trying to understand and tell MY car.
For sure it's possible to work on the setup and maybe I'll do a little....but, incidentally, I like what I found: I already have the Seven as a drive weapon.
But it's clearly a very less usable car.
I tought the Cerbera will be a more civilized car...but not so much as mine.
I'm positive impressed and amazed....
Having said that, she still is a raw and crazy car...
CerbWill said:
Hi Andrea, does the excess cold air come in through the vents or not? The access panel for the cold fan in the driver's footwell can be quite badly sealed and cause the driver's footwell to get very cold in winter.
Seems to came from the (closed) vents, from somewhere under both footwells (more on the passenger side) and somewhere under the radioEdited by Andrea7 on Monday 6th January 14:03
I had some spare time and took a ride to understand better.
When at speed, cold air comes through ALWAYS.
That's for sure.
Fan off, vents closed (air passed anyway), but nothing seems to stop the cold stream of air.
If you open the vents it's like switch on the fan...
Fuortunatly heater works well and tries to contrast this.
If there is a flap that should close the cold air from outside, it's surely stuck open
When at speed, cold air comes through ALWAYS.
That's for sure.
Fan off, vents closed (air passed anyway), but nothing seems to stop the cold stream of air.
If you open the vents it's like switch on the fan...
Fuortunatly heater works well and tries to contrast this.
If there is a flap that should close the cold air from outside, it's surely stuck open
Edited by Andrea7 on Monday 6th January 22:34
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