Fancy a Caterham...
Discussion
Hi all, new to Caterham but not performance cars. Have had several TVrs and fancy a Caterham now. There are so many different types and looking for advice. Want a good spec for road use (no track days) and the odd long journey like annual pilgrimage to Le Mans. Would welcome suggestions as to which model(s) to look for. Thanks
There isn't one answer and it all depends on how much power you want and how much you're willing to spend!
Since you're talking about all road use, it makes sense for you to look for a Roadsport model, as you'll be wanting a windscreen and weather gear - but that's not to say you won't find other models with screens and hoods too. Most Superlight models will have a screen specced too.
There's also the issue of which model you fit in
. If you're a "powerfully built" type you may need to go for the SV (widebody) version to fit comfortably, otherwise you'd probably fine the standard S3 fine. Most newer models also have lowered floors which helps with the height issue.
For road use too, I'd probably suggest the 5 speed box instead of the 6 speed. But that said, I've driven my 6 speed up to Scotland and back and it was fine, if a little loud at motorway speed.
Engine wise, I suggest you have a look on the classfields to see what sort of money you want to spend. Newer cars ('08+ ish) have Ford Sigma (1.6) or Duratec (2.0) engines, while the previous generation of cars had Rover K-Series engines (1.4, 1.6, 1.8). Go older again and you'll find other engines like Ford Crossflows and Vauxhalls.
For road use, I'd say 140 is a pretty good amount of power. That's what I have in my car and I've never felt I've needed more. On a track you'll always want a little extra, but that's the case with most cars!
I'd suggest you go and hire a car from Caterham for a day and see how you get along with it!
Since you're talking about all road use, it makes sense for you to look for a Roadsport model, as you'll be wanting a windscreen and weather gear - but that's not to say you won't find other models with screens and hoods too. Most Superlight models will have a screen specced too.
There's also the issue of which model you fit in
. If you're a "powerfully built" type you may need to go for the SV (widebody) version to fit comfortably, otherwise you'd probably fine the standard S3 fine. Most newer models also have lowered floors which helps with the height issue.For road use too, I'd probably suggest the 5 speed box instead of the 6 speed. But that said, I've driven my 6 speed up to Scotland and back and it was fine, if a little loud at motorway speed.
Engine wise, I suggest you have a look on the classfields to see what sort of money you want to spend. Newer cars ('08+ ish) have Ford Sigma (1.6) or Duratec (2.0) engines, while the previous generation of cars had Rover K-Series engines (1.4, 1.6, 1.8). Go older again and you'll find other engines like Ford Crossflows and Vauxhalls.
For road use, I'd say 140 is a pretty good amount of power. That's what I have in my car and I've never felt I've needed more. On a track you'll always want a little extra, but that's the case with most cars!
I'd suggest you go and hire a car from Caterham for a day and see how you get along with it!
Chopper01 said:
Thanks for that. I there much different in power between he 1.6 and 2.0 engines? Also, I'm average build and about 5 foot 10 inches so not expecting head to be proud of the windscreen.
So looks to me like a Roadsport at either 1.6 or 2.0 then?
You'll be fine in the normal S3 chassis. I'd suggest lowered floors though (or composite seats) to lower your seating position. I'm 5'8" and have lowered floors with the leather seats and it's very comfortable.So looks to me like a Roadsport at either 1.6 or 2.0 then?
The 1.6 Sigma is available in 125bhp and 140bhp (Supersport) tune (Caterham did sell a 150 but it was replaced by the 140). The Supersport is a real peach of an engine. Smooth power delivery all the way through and great on the road.
The 2.0 Duratecs are 175/180 (R300 or Supersport R), 210 for the R400 and over 250bhp for the R500. The Duratec will give you more headroom if you eventually want more power. It is a heavier engine though. It's a gruntier engine than the Sigma and give you more low down torque and a less revvy nature. You basically pay more for power - but any 7 should feel fast, and if you have't driven one before you'll be surprised at how far 125bhp goes! Like I said before, I would definitely hire one from Caterham and then possibly test drive one with a different engine to compare.
Edited by framerateuk on Tuesday 24th September 11:20
Sounds like you'll fit in an S3 easily, I doubt you'll need lowered floors, I'm six foot and have flat floors and my view through the screen is ideal with Tillets.
The 1.6 sigma is great for road use, I have the 125 and it is torquey enough to cope with the 5 speed box and allow comfortable cruising while still being pretty quick when I use all the revs. The sigma is a shorter engine than the duratec so you get more ground clearance with the suspension set correctly and on a reasonable quick long run over 3 days I averaged 39 mpg!
I drive with people with all sorts of other Seven style cars often with 2 litre Zetecs, and they have commented how quickly my Seven goes with so little power.
On the road it is just a case of being able to use more of the performance available more of the time which equals fun
The 1.6 sigma is great for road use, I have the 125 and it is torquey enough to cope with the 5 speed box and allow comfortable cruising while still being pretty quick when I use all the revs. The sigma is a shorter engine than the duratec so you get more ground clearance with the suspension set correctly and on a reasonable quick long run over 3 days I averaged 39 mpg!
I drive with people with all sorts of other Seven style cars often with 2 litre Zetecs, and they have commented how quickly my Seven goes with so little power.
On the road it is just a case of being able to use more of the performance available more of the time which equals fun
I thought you were after an elise?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Caterhams are great, I looked at them before my elise. Depends what you want from it. Elise's are more useable in my opinion
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Caterhams are great, I looked at them before my elise. Depends what you want from it. Elise's are more useable in my opinion
mikeulster500 said:
I thought you were after an elise?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Caterhams are great, I looked at them before my elise. Depends what you want from it. Elise's are more useable in my opinion
Depends what you want it for. Most people buy these as weekend cars anyway, in which case, I don't see why one is more usable than the other? Yes, you could use an Elise every day if you wanted to, but if he's looking for a Caterham, there's a good chance that he's probably not looking to commute in it.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Caterhams are great, I looked at them before my elise. Depends what you want from it. Elise's are more useable in my opinion
I've done about 5000 miles in my Caterham this year the road, on the track and in all weather.
Chopper01 said:
Thanks Mike, I'm interested in a Caterham or an Elise but keen to understand the difference in models. Budget is up to £18k I would think.
Plenty of choice for that I'd say. You have a similar budget to me and I ended up with a Roadsport 140 (Sigma). You could probably find an R300 K-Series for that money too. It depends what you want. I decided the Sigma was for me as it's said to be very reliable, while I'd heard horror stories about K-Series head gasket failure in both Elises and Caterhams. Lots of K owners will say their cars have been perfectly reliable, and I don't doubt that for a second, but both on here and Blatchat I regularly see people going through head gasket failure and it wasn't something I wanted to deal with!Head Gasket Failure on the K is largely down to 2 causes:
Plastic dowels used to locate the head on earlier K engines - Pre-2001 or maybe earlier
Asking too much of the wet-liner/through bolt engine design when it comes to bigger power(200bhp+) and high (8500+) RPM
The K is a fine engine if you treat it with respect (let it warm up - oil and water) and use the right parts (putting quality before cost) if upgrading into the 200+ bhp region.
Plastic dowels used to locate the head on earlier K engines - Pre-2001 or maybe earlier
Asking too much of the wet-liner/through bolt engine design when it comes to bigger power(200bhp+) and high (8500+) RPM
The K is a fine engine if you treat it with respect (let it warm up - oil and water) and use the right parts (putting quality before cost) if upgrading into the 200+ bhp region.
If you intend to use the car year round, I would go for an Elise. Whilst some use a 7 in the winter, I would not recommend it. Also, they are a bit of a pain when it is wet, they don't have door locks and you probably will need earplugs.
If you do go Caterham, I think a 5 speed Sigma or K Roadsport is a good bet. Probably with an open diff.
As for HGF it is not really that expensive to fix permanently and I felt it was a risk I was willing to take for the sparkier nature of the K over the Sigma.
The Lotus is a very different drive however. It has more grip and steering feel but a very different handling balance. It does not move underneath you in the way the 7 does-whether that's what you want depends on your driving taste.
If you go Elise, the K cars are lighter and I found them sharper with a purer feel (no brake servo and more character) than the Toyota cars.
Either way they are both brilliant...
If you do go Caterham, I think a 5 speed Sigma or K Roadsport is a good bet. Probably with an open diff.
As for HGF it is not really that expensive to fix permanently and I felt it was a risk I was willing to take for the sparkier nature of the K over the Sigma.
The Lotus is a very different drive however. It has more grip and steering feel but a very different handling balance. It does not move underneath you in the way the 7 does-whether that's what you want depends on your driving taste.
If you go Elise, the K cars are lighter and I found them sharper with a purer feel (no brake servo and more character) than the Toyota cars.
Either way they are both brilliant...
Edited by SidewaysSi on Thursday 26th September 06:33
Be honest with yourself regarding what you will use it for and within a few minutes you will know which one is for you. Some say they are rivals but I think they compliment each other. One is predominantly a track car that is very good on road and the other is a road car that works very well on track.
Knowing what spec/model you are after is more difficult!
Knowing what spec/model you are after is more difficult!
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