Are Cerberas as reliable as my Griff
Discussion
hmm, what do i know...i've only had 4 tvr's after all.
Lets see 2 Griffs (one new, one with 70k miles on clock) 16k miles, i needed 1 service and one replacement plug shroud during ownership.
2 Cerbs (first one nearly new with 3k mls, second one 17k miles) 10k miles
Car1 (96 Car, in the first 11k miles it needed..)
Engine Rebuild at 8,000 miles
Front Suspension Failure
Button failures on steering wheel
Exploded Cat
Alarm system packed in
Speedo stopped working (4 times)
Oil Pressure gauge stopped working
Locking control unit failed
Bonnet cracked
Major Water Ingress
Leaking shocks
warped disks x4
Cerb 2 (98 car), @20k miles
New Differential x2
Leaking shocks x4
Oil pressure gauge
New lock control unit
New front suspension uprights which corroded and split dangerously
Bad Water Ingress
Christophe, This is not bad mounthing just recounting my experiences. I am prepared to concede that possibly some earlier cars are now well sorted and that the latest ones are propoably a bit better put together.
Bennno
They are all a gamble but depends what your heart says. I bought a cerb and have a big engine bill looming. DO I regret buying it - no. You just have to be able to afford to run an expensive and potentially fragile car. With prices as low as £20Kish you get a lot of car for your money and if you budget 3 or 4 K pa to run it they normally you will be ok. As to reliability - mine has let me down once when a fuse went.
Ah. This is very interesting as I was thinking of doing exactly the same thing. My Griff 500 has never let me down and I was expecting the Cerbera to be the same if not better...
Note: The reason for the change was that I thought I would use a Cerbera more - I take it this is not the case!
Note: The reason for the change was that I thought I would use a Cerbera more - I take it this is not the case!
I have a 1998 Cerbera 4.5 which i purchased back in September and use it daily even over the winter months and have found it to be very reliable. I do about 35 miles a day round trip.
I have had general small problems front spring and dampers and the misfortune of two starter motors all done under warranty the 1st starter motor went very noisey on engagement and only a couple of months later the other also went noisy but thats about it.
I think it can be a gamble but isn't life ???
I have had general small problems front spring and dampers and the misfortune of two starter motors all done under warranty the 1st starter motor went very noisey on engagement and only a couple of months later the other also went noisy but thats about it.
I think it can be a gamble but isn't life ???
i've never owned a Griff but a friend's one was pretty reliable just the old overheat problem.
As for my cerbie 98 4.2 model- had it nearly a year in August and haven't had alot of luck- on buying it spent 2G's sorting out split drive shaft gatters, dodgy alarm system, tappest, service etch. Shortly after in december somebody ran into the back of me- no cost to me but managed a f.o.c upgrade on the rear lights to the cluster variant and a re-spray which looked amazing- got the car back in April (really recommend BG coachcraft, if a little slow!) Since then the clutch went last month and the manifolds were cracked and the next service was up. Cost me 2G. Had it back 2 weeks and then the IML light went which was traced as a lambda sensor (280quid) and then the other went... now i need a new master cylinder to allow me to use my nice new clutch properly. I think the car is fantastic but reckon it's cost me over 4G for the 4K miles have driven in less than a year excluding insurance petrol and depreciation.Thats £1 a mile plus. Put in perspective visiting a friend in Nottingham for the w/e would has cost me the best part of £300 (live in London). I reckon the cars been out of action 50% of the time- If you can handle these problems the performance and looks recoup all the hassle! I recommend - Buy as new and low mileage but not too low as possible (how do these guys do that low mileage 500 miles a year bo**ocks? apart from knowing a man!)- good luck
As for my cerbie 98 4.2 model- had it nearly a year in August and haven't had alot of luck- on buying it spent 2G's sorting out split drive shaft gatters, dodgy alarm system, tappest, service etch. Shortly after in december somebody ran into the back of me- no cost to me but managed a f.o.c upgrade on the rear lights to the cluster variant and a re-spray which looked amazing- got the car back in April (really recommend BG coachcraft, if a little slow!) Since then the clutch went last month and the manifolds were cracked and the next service was up. Cost me 2G. Had it back 2 weeks and then the IML light went which was traced as a lambda sensor (280quid) and then the other went... now i need a new master cylinder to allow me to use my nice new clutch properly. I think the car is fantastic but reckon it's cost me over 4G for the 4K miles have driven in less than a year excluding insurance petrol and depreciation.Thats £1 a mile plus. Put in perspective visiting a friend in Nottingham for the w/e would has cost me the best part of £300 (live in London). I reckon the cars been out of action 50% of the time- If you can handle these problems the performance and looks recoup all the hassle! I recommend - Buy as new and low mileage but not too low as possible (how do these guys do that low mileage 500 miles a year bo**ocks? apart from knowing a man!)- good luck
Lambda sensor £280!!! Where did you get that?? I just paid £114 at Racetech for mine!
I have a 4.2 late 96 car and appart from the initial niggles etc it has been fine. One of the reasons I believe is that I use it as my everyday car, two friends of mine have a Cerb and a Tuscan which they only take out on an occasion, they have problem after problem. Its an easier car to live with than I expected and I made sure I had a decent warranty in place, the only gripe I've got is a bumping noise from the back that no one can figure out yet and my fuel consumption which sits at around 10mpg, ouch .
LOL - because I'd give my left buttcheek to own any of the range in addition to the Griff I already have. I think they're all as exciting as the rest. I'd have them all because they each offer something a bit different. I mean I'm not stepping up from a 1.8LX to a 2 litre Ghia am I?
AF
LOL!
AF
LOL!
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