There isn't a great deal to the bodywork of a Caterham Seven, though it does still need to be carefully inspected as replacement or repair will increase your cost of ownership. The glassfibre nosecone and wings are susceptible to damage from other cars bumping into them, so look for cracks or splits as well as stonechip marks. Some owners upgrade to carbon fibre nose and wings, but the weight saving is minimal unless you are chasing those last few grams for a trackday special.
The aluminium skin of the Seven forms part of the stressed frame of the car, so its condition is more important, especially as replacing is more time consuming and costly than the glassfibre body parts. Naked aluminium needs to be kept clean and polished to look good and last well, while painted bodywork needs the usual checks for paint quality and damage.
Look underneath any Seven you are considering as muck and water can build up where the aluminium panels wrap around the chassis. It's more a problem for chassis rust but it can cause the aluminium to fur up. While under the car, look at the aluminium floor panels for damage, dents and creases.
All K-Series models will have cycle wings as standard, which are what almost every buyer wants. The other big choice with the Seven's body is between a full windscreen or aero screens. For driving on the road, a full windscreen makes sense and for more comfort. A heated screen is common on many models and helps on colder mornings. Aero screens come in a variety of shapes and designs, but make sure they direct enough of the wind blast over your head for comfort whether or not you're wearing a crash helmet. Even with a helmet on, the screen should help air flow over head to prevent too much buffeting.
For cars without a windscreen a tonneau cover will be all the weather protection you'll get, so make sure it fits snugly and doesn't flap too much at higher speeds. As for the Caterham hood and sidescreens, they keep the worst of the rain out of the cabin but are far from completely weather-tight. Most owners prefer to drive with the roof stowed away and only use the hood to keep the cabin dry when the car is parked up. Many also report the Seven is uncomfortably noisy with the roof up.
One point to consider with the bodywork of the Seven is colour. A lot of owners say they have experienced near misses because other drivers simply haven't registered the low-slung Caterham, so the brighter the better is the mantra of many owners. Another tip from owners is to fit a louder horn to warn other drivers of your presence.
Also make sure all of the lights work, especially the rear brake lights that can fail due to poor wiring and muck accumulating around connectors or a broken switch in the pedal box.
PHer's view:
"I hate the anxiety on normal roads when anyone driving a Chelsea tractor can mistake a crash into a Caterham for a small bounce over a pot hole. Otherwise, I covert everything about these cars!"
Marcus Adams