It's been an ambition of mine since before my balls dropped - to build my own Caterham. After many years of dreaming, i finally put a deposit down on one today. <br/> <br/>It's undoubtedly going to be a long project given i have about 2 hours spare time per week and i'm still not sure which end of a screwdriver you're supposed to hold, but that was always going to be part of the fun. <br/> <br/>I decided if I was going to do it though, I was going to do it properly, so i've gone for what I think is the perfect specification for my needs (95% road, 5% track):- <br/> <br/>Supersport R <br/>Duratec 180hp <br/>342bhp/ton <img src="/inc/images/smile.gif"> <br/>LSD <br/>Wide track <br/>Supersport suspension <br/>Composite Tillet race seats <br/>Black pack <br/>8&quot; wide rear wheels <br/>Heater <br/>Carbon dash <br/>Carbon nose <br/>Full weather equipment <br/>Lowered floors <br/>Q/R wheel <br/>12v socket <br/>FIA Rollbar <br/> <br/>Got a tentative delivery date of late June 2013, so i expect to have it on the road in late September. Late September 2019. <br/> <br/>To say i'm excited is a bit of an understatement. <br/> <br/>UPDATE:- Ended up completing the build in 5 weeks. The car is amazing - absolutely love it. <br/> <br/>Build diary is available at uremaw.tumblr.com <br/> <br/>UPDATE April 2014:- <br/> <br/>I've had the Caterham for about 9 months now and it really is a dream come true. The build was brilliant fun and was a huge learning experience. I've tried to use it as much as possible - any day it's forecast to be sunny, i've always taken the Caterham - even when it was -5 in the depths of winter. <br/> <br/>The reaction you get from people when you're out in it is brilliant. It does feel weird at first - people waving, taking photos, and crowding round the car when you park! <br/> <br/>Half the fun with a Caterham is being able to tinker with it. I've spent many an afternoon working through a list of minor snags and improvements. I guess the benefit of building it yourself is it gives you the confidence to tackle any work on the car yourself. <br/> <br/>As for how it drives, it's just fantastic. Like a race car for the road, but just as happy bumbling along on the commute as it is ripping up a B-road. Hugely fast up to about 100mph (when aerodynamics take over) but very controllable, as long as you're smooth with your inputs. Every drive is joy. Love it. <br/> <br/>UPDATE: <br/> <br/>The car is current;y snuggled up for winter, but I already know its a keeper. I always get bored of cars after 12-18 months because there are so many others out there to try, but the caterham (and the 205) is different. I can leave it unused for a month or two, but as soon as I take it out the garage, nothing comes close to rivalling it. <br/> <br/>Since the last update, I've removed the screen, doors and hood, and fitted an aero screen. I now drive with sunglasses on (for general driving or the odd sunny commute) or wear a helmet (for full on B-roads. It really takes it to a new level. It's less practical, but sod it. It's a toy car. It's not supposed to be practical. <br/> <br/>The plan for this year to get it professionally resprayed. When I first specced the car, I chose a metallic grey because I was self conscious about looking like a prat in a lairy coloured car. Now that I've had it a while, I couldn't give a stuff what people think I look like, so I want to get it painted an obnoxious green - probably RenaultSport Green (from the Clio RS 197). With the car being so small, the cost should be reasonable. <br/> <br/>Next year, I'll get the Caterham R400 engine upgrade with throttle bodies. I don't need the extra performance and its expensive at over &#163;3k (for 30hp!), but I really want that snorty throttle body sound. It'll finish off the 'racecar for the road' image perfectly. <br/> <br/>Update 2017: So after saying I'd never sell it, I ended up shipping the car down to Caterham on a sale-or-return basis. With a young family, a busy career and the unreliable scottish weather, the chances to use the car were few and far between. We were looking to move house so having so much money tied up in a dormant car seemed daft, so it made sense to let it go. With each week that it didnt sell though, i started having second thoughts. So much so that by the time the sale-or-return period ended, I was on the phone asking them to service the car and send it back! <br/> <br/>But then man-maths kicked in. The car was already down at the factory - surely it made sense to book it in for the 420R upgrade and roller barrels while it was there. If i was keeping the car, upgrading the performance and sound would help rekindle my love for it? <br/> <br/>So now, instead of doing the sensible thing and selling something I wasn't using to raise money for a house purchase, I'm spending lots more money I don't have on upgrading an already stupidly fast car I don't use. <br/> <br/>Should get it back in a month. Can't wait. <img src="/inc/images/smile.gif">