Advice on a Potential Caterham Purchase

[assadahmed]

I have been monitoring a Caterham that been advertised on PH and now on ebay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CATERHAM-Superlight-1-6-...

Seems a reasonable price to me but as a newbie I was wondering what more experienced/knowledgeable people think?

[rubystone]

Bare Ali car with a wrap....need to check no corrosion where skins meet tubes. Is the front ARB painted red? Nasty sticky carbon on steering wheel...these make me wonder how it has been treated in the past. Eta that looks like a cutout switch by the steering wheel...not the standard location for it...

Edited by rubystone on Sunday 11th August 07:22

[huwp]

Initial pictures show that the cut-out switch is in the right place. Not keen on all the stuff which is stuck on...

[downsman]

There aren't any pictures under the bonnet, if there weren't any on the Pistonheads ad either, you have to wonder why?

Just wrapping the lower half of the car looks odd, and as rubystone says, that is the part of the alloy that tends to suffer corrosion bubbling out from inside.

[Toaster]

Not sure the rear wings are standard caterham, if you wish to go for this car you may be best contacting your local club and getting them to check it out with you.

[assadahmed]

Thanks for that guys. I may give the seller a call to find out a bit more. In no rush to buy and may stick to my original plan of a car for about 20k by next summer.

[assadahmed]

Thanks for that guys. I may give the seller a call to find out a bit more. In no rush to buy and may stick to my original plan of a car for about 20k by next summer.

[rubystone]

huwp said:

Initial pictures show that the cut-out switch is in the right place. Not keen on all the stuff which is stuck on...

What's the red 'lever' to the lower left of the steering wheel?

[Toaster]

rubystone said:

What's the red 'lever' to the lower left of the steering wheel?

Activates the air brake ........................ seriously though looks like a battery cutoff

[Dr Slotter]

Fire extinguisher? FIA switch attached to key ring?

[DCL]

I think you may find it's just a spare on the key ring! The price looks like this might be the main attraction. It probably needs to be seen and the history investigated, but could be a good way in to Caterham ownership

[rubystone]

DCL said:

I think you may find it's just a spare on the key ring! The price looks like this might be the main attraction. It probably needs to be seen and the history investigated, but could be a good way in to Caterham ownership

Odd though that one would have a spare one on the ring...but I guess he's the sort of guy who forgets to take the key with him...

Price is decent actually if the reston the car checks out...

[Grubbster]

At first sight it looks like a reasonably cheap way into Caterham ownership - as long as it is all sounds and mechanically fine. Not many photo's that tell you anything though, slightly odd advert. 'This is a highly desirable model/spec that can only appreciate in value' is a bit much to claim, but if it is all up together then it ought not lose much. Worth getting someone local to go and take a look.