get a book, something like 'the magnificent seven' tells you loads and you can keep going back. Also look at the classifieds here, you'll soon start to see what years look like what. Thing is either one of those sevens can be made to look like the other one very easily. Late 90's on gets you a 'modern' seven.

Thanks.

Is there anything on-line that shows when the chassis changed over the years?

Same Chassis

Editted for biggest visual change

<sucks teeth>

Wellllll it isn't quite that simple

At the top of this chassis family tree is the split between de Dion and Live axle.

That is really the first question, and I would suggest you avoid Live Axle if you have spares worries in Canada, it is hard enough getting a Crown wheel for a Morris Ital Van in the UK ! And if you want big power they won't always cope.

In your year range that is probably just the Classics and bike engined oddities. But as with everything 7, you can't a,ways tell by just looking at the picture. People dabble !

Not even Bruce Almighty (of Arch motors, who have made the chassis since the Lotus days) will change an LA into a de Dion. Although it is no doubt possible you really don't want to go there. Although the irony is that if you turned a Classic into a Superlight-a-like it would be lighter than a Superlight

Clams v cycle wings - entirely possible, but needs a new side skin to get it looking perfect (otherwise your side has holes, or filled in holes, down the side).

There is the Slightly Vider chassis of the SV to consider. But you may want to discount that initially to make it easier.

So we are looking at a post 96, standard de Dion with cycle wings. Which will give you a range of engines and flavours to choose from.

As a rough rule, unmucked about with cars tend to command a higher price than major conversions. Almost every owner upgrades (or downgrades) their car, so we are really only talking about big changes. If you are looking at stripping something and rebuilding, then getting a previously upgraded car might be good value ?

Or put little collars on the steering rack to reduce the turning circle.

Post 96 will almost certainly be the 8% rack though, or maybe 22%. Either way it shouldn't foul. Although my 22% rack fouls the wing stay on the zoorst headers. But that is because I am special, so we just cut the wing stays down. Must have saved a few grammes there.

I could be wrong but I think there are some smal detail changes between a normal chassis (I'm talking post 96 de-dion here) and a superlight chassis.

I think the Superlight chassis doesn't have the spare wheel carrier, and does have brackets behind the seats for the crutch straps on the 6 point harness, plus maybe the mounting points for the watts linkage rear suspension.

Small points I know, don't know if there are any other differances in terms of chassis between Superlight and normal.

Anything de-dion is fundamentaly the same, it's just bolt on goodies apart from the flared arches, like flared trousers, who wants them!

Ben, I've seen 2002 'beaulieu' special edition cars with 8v Vauxhall engine and live axle, so they did go as late as then!

I know I'm a newbie when it comes to this stuff, you'll have to bear with me. What does the De Dion suspension do over a live axle, is each wheel independent?

If buying a car from the late 90's will most of them have been De Dion by then?

Don't worry, EFA was being "funny" I think !

De Dion vs Live Axle is the subject of a whole new thread, but they aren't Independant - you need the CSR chassis for fulI IRS. Arguably better on "real" roads, and definitely able to take more power (although there are options to upgrade the live axle) I would think you would be wanting to look for de Dion. Most will have them anyway in your search bracket. The "classic" (I had forgotten about the Beaulieu special) and bike engine cars had live axle. Anything Supersport or Roadsport or Superlight will have de Dion (although as with anything Caterham, they will probably being an exception somewhere !).