early cerbera upgrades

[jason77]

I am looking to buy a 96/97 cerbera and poeple keep saying make sure it has been upgraded.

What does upgraded mean and why is so important?

[madasahatter]

The earlier Cerbera's have a reputation for being unreliable due to being released before they were fully developed.

An engine mod came out around the 97/98 time which put a few things right (not sure what those things were though ). These changes can be seen by looking at the engine, and looking at where the dipstick is. This was changed in the engine mod, and results in the dipstick moving to the front of the engine (from the middle).

I am sure there are many "little" mods that have also been included in the early cars over the years, but I don't know what they are.

I run a '96 4.2, and it doesn't have the dipstick in the later position, but it seems fine. :runsoutsidetofindsomewoodtocuddle:

I have no regrets, and I am sure if you find a car with lots of regular history (indicating it has been looked after) then you will have no regrets either

[tommomic]

madasahatter said:These changes can be seen by looking at the engine, and looking at where the dipstick is. This was changed in the engine mod, and results in the dipstick moving to the front of the engine (from the middle).

Sorry to burst this bubble, but dont think things are as simple as this (are they ever with the devlopment of TVRs!) - mine is a very late '98 example (a supposed 'upgraded' model) BUT still has the dipstick close to the bulkhead.

Main 'upgrades' I can think of from 97 to 98 cars are:

- clutch (very expensive to upgrade - make sure its been done)
- door seals
- general build quality has imporved dramatically over the years - therefore, the later you can afford the better
- make sure the car was either not covered or has had the upright recall done by the dealer - should be a sticker on the VIN plate.

Would be good to have a Steve Heath type bible for the Cerbera, to show the development over the years.

Cheers,
Tommo


>> Edited by tommomic on Wednesday 5th March 10:56

[dannylt]

The dipstick at the front means it's a whole new engine! This is when the 4.2 got the same 4.5 block (and possibly even the same capacity). There were many many mods, especially to the clutch. I would ask whichever specialist you intend to use to inspect the car for you - they should know what to look for.