Caterham 7 or TVR
Discussion
Rich7se said:
To be honest, with coments such as these on your FREE site, I would not entertain joining at all.
I realise these are only views of your members and not that of your club, but you have to see that the members represent your club whilst posting in a public forum
Your club member wrote
"I think the club should be renamed to the Sevenesque Owners Club to attract more Lotus 7 copies that just Caterhams.
Sure, owners of inferior cars like Westfields are allowed to join the Club as it is (which is very charitable IMO), but most are too ashamed to openly admit what cars they own. Being the Sevenesque OC would out these people so they can potentially be rehabilitated and become Caterham owners."
Are you referring to my post or something someone else said?I realise these are only views of your members and not that of your club, but you have to see that the members represent your club whilst posting in a public forum
Your club member wrote
"I think the club should be renamed to the Sevenesque Owners Club to attract more Lotus 7 copies that just Caterhams.
Sure, owners of inferior cars like Westfields are allowed to join the Club as it is (which is very charitable IMO), but most are too ashamed to openly admit what cars they own. Being the Sevenesque OC would out these people so they can potentially be rehabilitated and become Caterham owners."
On the whole, Caterham owners are happy to see ANY sports cars turn up at their meets. I've seen all sorts of cars, ranging from alternative "Seven" types to Sylvas, Furies, Ferraris, E-Types, D-Types - even a genuine Bugatti once.
Not sure who`s post it was, it was on page 11 of your friday arguement thread, I have been following this with some interest.
I did find that particular post not really in keeping with the whole 7 experience, as owners of any 7 based car surley have the same interests. Just because you have a car that is the closest connection the the Lotus 7 does not really give you the right to call mine, or anyone elses for that matter inferior and that owners are too embarrassed to admit to what type of 7 they have.
I do hope the poster retracts that statement for the sake of your club.
Yes found it, its here
http://www.blatchat.com/t.asp?id=169729&pn=11&...
second post down
I did find that particular post not really in keeping with the whole 7 experience, as owners of any 7 based car surley have the same interests. Just because you have a car that is the closest connection the the Lotus 7 does not really give you the right to call mine, or anyone elses for that matter inferior and that owners are too embarrassed to admit to what type of 7 they have.
I do hope the poster retracts that statement for the sake of your club.
Yes found it, its here
http://www.blatchat.com/t.asp?id=169729&pn=11&...
second post down
Edited by Rich7se on Wednesday 13th May 13:22
To be honest, I don't spend an awful lot of time on Blatchat these days. It's not as lively as it used to be.
I don't agree that all other Seven type cars are inferior either. I've seen some very well sorted Westfields, Birkins and Sylvas. I like them all.
However, if another club member does hold a view that the Caterham is the best, he is perfectly entitled to do so and express them on the club website. I'm all for free speech.
I don't agree that all other Seven type cars are inferior either. I've seen some very well sorted Westfields, Birkins and Sylvas. I like them all.
However, if another club member does hold a view that the Caterham is the best, he is perfectly entitled to do so and express them on the club website. I'm all for free speech.
Oh yes, i dont mind reading stuff like that, its just when the thread is entitled `how do we improve this club` or words to that effect , the post that I quoted wasn`t exactly in keeping with trying to get your club improved - it if anything makes it worse by saying that any 7 that isnt a caterham is somehow deficiant. Anyway not to worry is not my club.
If you are interested, I could probably find a thread on the Locost forum where one of their posters thinks it might be funny if a Caterham owner was decapitated.
In fact the whole thread was entitled "Miserable Caterham Owning b
ds". Lovely.
And there are countless old threads in the Boredroom where they are quite rude about Cateringvan owners.
Such is the nature of internet fora - they are all at it. Seems to me that taking these things a bit too seriously is the main issue
Probably the fumes from all that hideous plastic
In fact the whole thread was entitled "Miserable Caterham Owning b
ds". Lovely.And there are countless old threads in the Boredroom where they are quite rude about Cateringvan owners.
Such is the nature of internet fora - they are all at it. Seems to me that taking these things a bit too seriously is the main issue
Probably the fumes from all that hideous plastic
Eric Mc said:
The Seven Club - from its inception - has always been an enthusiasts' club, not an owners' club. Therefore, having some other make of car (or even no car at all) did not and does not preclude membership.
Precludes you from track days, however. So not QUITE as equal as God's chosen car owners.IIRC the Surrey AO from a few years ago had a Westfield. How many Westfield AOs have Caterhams
Rich7se said:
To be honest, with coments such as these on your FREE site, I would not entertain joining at all.
I realise these are only views of your members and not that of your club, but you have to see that the members represent your club whilst posting in a public forum
Your club member wrote
"I think the club should be renamed to the Sevenesque Owners Club to attract more Lotus 7 copies that just Caterhams.
Sure, owners of inferior cars like Westfields are allowed to join the Club as it is (which is very charitable IMO), but most are too ashamed to openly admit what cars they own. Being the Sevenesque OC would out these people so they can potentially be rehabilitated and become Caterham owners."
Dunno . . . I think he has a point I realise these are only views of your members and not that of your club, but you have to see that the members represent your club whilst posting in a public forum
Your club member wrote
"I think the club should be renamed to the Sevenesque Owners Club to attract more Lotus 7 copies that just Caterhams.
Sure, owners of inferior cars like Westfields are allowed to join the Club as it is (which is very charitable IMO), but most are too ashamed to openly admit what cars they own. Being the Sevenesque OC would out these people so they can potentially be rehabilitated and become Caterham owners."
Rich7se said:
other seven stuff...
Much of the banter around other 7 style cars is just that. It's not dissimilar to the way many Porsche owners are in or our of the air cooled gang, the Boxster gang, the pre-impact gang etc.And Ferrari owners deride the GT4.
And many Aston people are in or out of the modern gang.
It happens in every club. The key thing is to make sure you get the best of the breed so you can keep the moral high ground
Noger said:
Eric Mc said:
The Seven Club - from its inception - has always been an enthusiasts' club, not an owners' club. Therefore, having some other make of car (or even no car at all) did not and does not preclude membership.
Precludes you from track days, however. So not QUITE as equal as God's chosen car owners.IIRC the Surrey AO from a few years ago had a Westfield. How many Westfield AOs have Caterhams
Noger said:
I could probably find a thread on the Locost forum ...
Probably the fumes from all that hideous plastic
Point of order, but if it's a 'proper' (book) Locost, then it's as much alloy as a Caterham. Probably the fumes from all that hideous plastic
I'm no fan of Locosts, but I've got to say that if the monumental chip on the shoulder of some of their owners could be balanced by the similarly huge chip on the shoulder of some Caterham owners, they'd probably be perfectly balanced.
My experience of Blatchat was that it didn't take Locost/Westfield owners to start a riot. Lock some of the Caterham owners in a room on their own and they'd eventually pick an argument with themselves...
I actually found blatchat could get quite nasty sometimes although this was from a small cohort of losers -on the whole the advice and banter was good .Also i liked the Lotus 7 club mag low flying -although agree bit on thin side -but high quality pics .
Ive had a TVR 4,6 wedge and i had eye watering maintainence bills but the noise from that car was awesome -until the novelty wore off on longer trips .handling can be described as adequate in the dry .Ive also driven a Griff which also had interesting handling -you just have to adapt your driving style ,not a problem really .For me the Griff is prob the best looking classic around in terms of bang for buck ,and if you can find one where all the money has been spent and all the hard work has been done by the previous owner -then its a steal IMHO.
7s -well its like marmite really -polarised views on ownership and driving experience .Ive had four 7s and enjoyed them all -the Cosworth BDR HPC was my all time favourite -and id really like another sorted example of one of those some time in the future .Ive driven Westies and they are also fun -perhaps not as well sorted on steering and handling as Caterham but nice all the same -there is a lot of silly snobery wrt Caterham v Westie [bit like Elises vs VX220s ,or Skodas vs VW].If you arent bothered by the badge snobbery and if budget is key ,then i guess you will get bigger bang for buck out of the Westie .Both hold their value resale wise and are cheap as chips to insure .Also i like the idea of old school engines on Carbs ,which attracts me a 7 -more of a classic type car than a TVR .
The Elise is a great wee car but im not keen on the K series engine -and they are quite common on the road .
its a rela nice headache to have actually -you cant go wrong .
Ive had a TVR 4,6 wedge and i had eye watering maintainence bills but the noise from that car was awesome -until the novelty wore off on longer trips .handling can be described as adequate in the dry .Ive also driven a Griff which also had interesting handling -you just have to adapt your driving style ,not a problem really .For me the Griff is prob the best looking classic around in terms of bang for buck ,and if you can find one where all the money has been spent and all the hard work has been done by the previous owner -then its a steal IMHO.
7s -well its like marmite really -polarised views on ownership and driving experience .Ive had four 7s and enjoyed them all -the Cosworth BDR HPC was my all time favourite -and id really like another sorted example of one of those some time in the future .Ive driven Westies and they are also fun -perhaps not as well sorted on steering and handling as Caterham but nice all the same -there is a lot of silly snobery wrt Caterham v Westie [bit like Elises vs VX220s ,or Skodas vs VW].If you arent bothered by the badge snobbery and if budget is key ,then i guess you will get bigger bang for buck out of the Westie .Both hold their value resale wise and are cheap as chips to insure .Also i like the idea of old school engines on Carbs ,which attracts me a 7 -more of a classic type car than a TVR .
The Elise is a great wee car but im not keen on the K series engine -and they are quite common on the road .
its a rela nice headache to have actually -you cant go wrong .
Interesting question, TVR or Caterham 7. I'm not against copies of 7's but nothing compares to a Caterham, so don't bother with immitations as I think you maybe disapointed. Fit and finish on most copies is poor.
I've had quite a few 7's, including a JPE, an HPC, a VX race car and a Supersprint. I've also had 2 Griffiths and just bought a very rare 4.5 Big Valve, genuine circa 330bhp.
Bottom line is, either car is going to give you lots of fun and you won't regret the decision. The 7 is the more involved driving experience, you really are part of the car, whichever model. But it's a limited car, great on trackdays and blatting on Sunday but less brilliant at cruising on the motorway, trips abroad, driving in the rain and cold.
The TVR is more versatile and in some ways more of a dramatic experience. It looks beautiful, sounds great, goes well and will thrill more of the time. By that I mean you'll probably use it more than a 7. It's downside is that it's not as dynamic a drive as a 7, it costs a lot more to maintain and needs more looking after.
If you want a TVR, go for a Griffith, if you want a 7, go for genuine HPC or well specced k.
I've had quite a few 7's, including a JPE, an HPC, a VX race car and a Supersprint. I've also had 2 Griffiths and just bought a very rare 4.5 Big Valve, genuine circa 330bhp.
Bottom line is, either car is going to give you lots of fun and you won't regret the decision. The 7 is the more involved driving experience, you really are part of the car, whichever model. But it's a limited car, great on trackdays and blatting on Sunday but less brilliant at cruising on the motorway, trips abroad, driving in the rain and cold.
The TVR is more versatile and in some ways more of a dramatic experience. It looks beautiful, sounds great, goes well and will thrill more of the time. By that I mean you'll probably use it more than a 7. It's downside is that it's not as dynamic a drive as a 7, it costs a lot more to maintain and needs more looking after.
If you want a TVR, go for a Griffith, if you want a 7, go for genuine HPC or well specced k.
Have to agree there that you'll use a Griff more than a 7 -and also that it's the most drop dead gorgeous thing ive ever seen on 4 wheels IMHO
Is your big valve Griff a precat -i thought they only did 4.3 in the BV
I reckon the real nice precat Griffs will inevitably become a real classic likew the E type -iconic -finding an original one which hasnt got a rusted chassis and which has a rebuilt engine is the problem .
As for 7s while the Caterham is no doubt the one to go for in terms of overall package ,not everyone has that kind of cash to splash on a toy -and there is no doubt there are some real nice Westies out there which have been built by excellent engineers with a lot of care and attention who know a damn site more that a spotty teenager assembling a Caterham in the factory .For me i'd always prefer to know who built my 7 and exactly what bespoke bits were put into it .I guess the same could be said of caterham kits assembled by their owner -as long as they know what they are doing .The problem with a caterham is that for 8k you wont get a decent spec -but for same money youll get a westie which is bang on the money in terms of desirable spec -and no need to upgrade .
I also agree with you that HPC is the way to go for a caterham -ive had both the BDR and VX variants -for me id always choose the BDR just for the engine and the Cosworth engineering -its just that special -in fact its really the only car ive ever deeply regretted letting go of .
Is your big valve Griff a precat -i thought they only did 4.3 in the BV
I reckon the real nice precat Griffs will inevitably become a real classic likew the E type -iconic -finding an original one which hasnt got a rusted chassis and which has a rebuilt engine is the problem .
As for 7s while the Caterham is no doubt the one to go for in terms of overall package ,not everyone has that kind of cash to splash on a toy -and there is no doubt there are some real nice Westies out there which have been built by excellent engineers with a lot of care and attention who know a damn site more that a spotty teenager assembling a Caterham in the factory .For me i'd always prefer to know who built my 7 and exactly what bespoke bits were put into it .I guess the same could be said of caterham kits assembled by their owner -as long as they know what they are doing .The problem with a caterham is that for 8k you wont get a decent spec -but for same money youll get a westie which is bang on the money in terms of desirable spec -and no need to upgrade .
I also agree with you that HPC is the way to go for a caterham -ive had both the BDR and VX variants -for me id always choose the BDR just for the engine and the Cosworth engineering -its just that special -in fact its really the only car ive ever deeply regretted letting go of .
Yep, would certainly like a BDR 7 for sure!
TVR made about 600 pre cat cars, mainly 4.0 and 4.3. They made about 25 big valve 4.3 pre cats and only 10 4.5 big valve pre cats. Mine is the latter, so very rare and I'm really lucky to have found one for sale. And yes agree, they are still the bargain of the classic/sports car world.
I've no doubt that I'll get another 7 at some point. Now if only I could find a negleted and therefore very cheap BDR!......
TVR made about 600 pre cat cars, mainly 4.0 and 4.3. They made about 25 big valve 4.3 pre cats and only 10 4.5 big valve pre cats. Mine is the latter, so very rare and I'm really lucky to have found one for sale. And yes agree, they are still the bargain of the classic/sports car world.
I've no doubt that I'll get another 7 at some point. Now if only I could find a negleted and therefore very cheap BDR!......
Well, a bit late in replying but I have bought an Elise. Its an S2 111R and very nice it is too! I went and drove a couple of TVR's and to be honest they were a bit agricultural in feel if that makes sense.
I also drove a couple of Caterhams, great drive, I found the ideal spec car for me last month, almost did the deal, but its probably i bit too impractical. Also the club.... I have been reading Blatchat for a while and I am really am not sure I want to be a part of all of that... The Club bit is important to me, when i had my MG i made lots of friends and enjoyed the club scene. If Blatchat is anything to go by, there seems to be a load of squabbling going on, plus the forum seems to be over-moderated (loads of threads get closed, edited) and the management team seem to be disconnected from general members and run the club in isolation. no wonder they are losing members! Oh well...
Looking forward to using the Elise a bit more when the weather improves and getting involved with the club! roll on spring!
I also drove a couple of Caterhams, great drive, I found the ideal spec car for me last month, almost did the deal, but its probably i bit too impractical. Also the club.... I have been reading Blatchat for a while and I am really am not sure I want to be a part of all of that... The Club bit is important to me, when i had my MG i made lots of friends and enjoyed the club scene. If Blatchat is anything to go by, there seems to be a load of squabbling going on, plus the forum seems to be over-moderated (loads of threads get closed, edited) and the management team seem to be disconnected from general members and run the club in isolation. no wonder they are losing members! Oh well...
Looking forward to using the Elise a bit more when the weather improves and getting involved with the club! roll on spring!
billbill said:
Also the club.... I have been reading Blatchat for a while and I am really am not sure I want to be a part of all of that... The Club bit is important to me, when i had my MG i made lots of friends and enjoyed the club scene. If Blatchat is anything to go by, there seems to be a load of squabbling going on, plus the forum seems to be over-moderated (loads of threads get closed, edited) and the management team seem to be disconnected from general members and run the club in isolation. no wonder they are losing members! Oh well...
Shame about the comments about Blatchat and the L7C as most people believe the club is a very friendly and supportive place to be. Sure there are a few threads on Blatchat that go off on a tangent and degenerate into a free for all but on the whole, any member can ask a question and get a lot of help and assistance back. As others mention, there are very few places we think where strangers will immediately offer time, help and advice even if it means putting themselves out for others without question. Plus the moderation or rather lack of it, is a massive bonus about the website with very few threads ever closed or even commented upon unlike other forums.Anyway enough of BC and sevens. I expect the S2 will be an excellent car for you so happy blatting for 2010
T
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