Driving Caterhams during the winter
Discussion
Do many people use their Caterhams during the winter?
Does the car stand up to use on salty roads?
Anyone tried winter tyres?
Trying to decide which direction to go: Caterham or something exotic (which definitely wouldn't get used during the winter) - I don't think it is worth asking on this forum what choice I should make
Does the car stand up to use on salty roads?
Anyone tried winter tyres?
Trying to decide which direction to go: Caterham or something exotic (which definitely wouldn't get used during the winter) - I don't think it is worth asking on this forum what choice I should make
It's not really an ideal car to use in the winter.
It's fine on sunny winter days, and the cold I can live with, but it's not really a car you'd want to take out in the rain if you don't have to. It's not really any fun in the rain (I'm sure others will disagree), the rood will get you by and get you home (or to you next destination if you're on tour) but the fun is to be had with roof off on a nice dry road.
Corrosion wise, the powder coat will eventually flake and the salt will effect the car unless you've had it treated with something.
Personally, I tend not to take mine out if the roads have been salted. It's not moved for about 2 months as it is since the weather has been terrible here.
It's fine on sunny winter days, and the cold I can live with, but it's not really a car you'd want to take out in the rain if you don't have to. It's not really any fun in the rain (I'm sure others will disagree), the rood will get you by and get you home (or to you next destination if you're on tour) but the fun is to be had with roof off on a nice dry road.
Corrosion wise, the powder coat will eventually flake and the salt will effect the car unless you've had it treated with something.
Personally, I tend not to take mine out if the roads have been salted. It's not moved for about 2 months as it is since the weather has been terrible here.
Depends how old you are IME 
For the first 5 or 6 yrs I had mine it was my only car and was used in *all* weathers. So it can be done. I wouldn't dream of it now though - I'm fortunate enough to have access to far better tools for that job now.
Sensible tyres can be bought - I used to use Yoko A021Rs and they were fine. Just be more circumspect when it's very cold/raining/snowy.
My roof was excellent - very water tight and as I had a heater at the time, on longer trips you could get nice and warm (though it would be pushing things to say longer trips in bad conditions are "fun"....unless you're a pervert).
Corrosion is an issue. Aluminium and steel are not good bedfellows, and when the salt goes down on the road it just makes them even less so. Even if you clean it, you will get bimetallic corrosion. Usually between skin and chassis which will eventually eat through the skin, starting with any paint blistering.
I'd owned mine for nearly 10yrs before it warranted addressing properly though, so unless you want your car to look showroom fresh every minute of every day, it's probably not something to worry about unduly, as long as you allow for a full refresh of the car every so often.
Summary - if you're in your 20s, love the Caterham and have no access to any other transport, do it. Otherwise, don't.
For the first 5 or 6 yrs I had mine it was my only car and was used in *all* weathers. So it can be done. I wouldn't dream of it now though - I'm fortunate enough to have access to far better tools for that job now.
Sensible tyres can be bought - I used to use Yoko A021Rs and they were fine. Just be more circumspect when it's very cold/raining/snowy.
My roof was excellent - very water tight and as I had a heater at the time, on longer trips you could get nice and warm (though it would be pushing things to say longer trips in bad conditions are "fun"....unless you're a pervert).
Corrosion is an issue. Aluminium and steel are not good bedfellows, and when the salt goes down on the road it just makes them even less so. Even if you clean it, you will get bimetallic corrosion. Usually between skin and chassis which will eventually eat through the skin, starting with any paint blistering.
I'd owned mine for nearly 10yrs before it warranted addressing properly though, so unless you want your car to look showroom fresh every minute of every day, it's probably not something to worry about unduly, as long as you allow for a full refresh of the car every so often.
Summary - if you're in your 20s, love the Caterham and have no access to any other transport, do it. Otherwise, don't.
I intend to drive mine as often as is practicable. BUT NOT when salt has been down. Thats a no-no for me and a lot of people. Steel+aluminium+salt+bad news if its not washed off.
The full hood is far better than I expected it would be and Ivee been out in some torrential rain and its been bone dry. Some others say that the full hood makes the cabin uncomfortable interms of noise boom and ventialtion but I have no problems with it at all. You'll probably have more water coming through the heater vent or footwell joins than the hood, in my limited experience.
The full hood is far better than I expected it would be and Ivee been out in some torrential rain and its been bone dry. Some others say that the full hood makes the cabin uncomfortable interms of noise boom and ventialtion but I have no problems with it at all. You'll probably have more water coming through the heater vent or footwell joins than the hood, in my limited experience.
Murph7355 said:
Depends how old you are IME
For the first 5 or 6 yrs I had mine it was my only car and was used in *all* weathers. So it can be done. I wouldn't dream of it now though - I'm fortunate enough to have access to far better tools for that job now.
Sensible tyres can be bought - I used to use Yoko A021Rs and they were fine. Just be more circumspect when it's very cold/raining/snowy.
My roof was excellent - very water tight and as I had a heater at the time, on longer trips you could get nice and warm (though it would be pushing things to say longer trips in bad conditions are "fun"....unless you're a pervert).
Corrosion is an issue. Aluminium and steel are not good bedfellows, and when the salt goes down on the road it just makes them even less so. Even if you clean it, you will get bimetallic corrosion. Usually between skin and chassis which will eventually eat through the skin, starting with any paint blistering.
I'd owned mine for nearly 10yrs before it warranted addressing properly though, so unless you want your car to look showroom fresh every minute of every day, it's probably not something to worry about unduly, as long as you allow for a full refresh of the car every so often.
Summary - if you're in your 20s, love the Caterham and have no access to any other transport, do it. Otherwise, don't.
All of this is my experience too - I just need to check Murph7355 isn't my mild-mannered alter-ego (or more likely 7-driving superhero For the first 5 or 6 yrs I had mine it was my only car and was used in *all* weathers. So it can be done. I wouldn't dream of it now though - I'm fortunate enough to have access to far better tools for that job now.
Sensible tyres can be bought - I used to use Yoko A021Rs and they were fine. Just be more circumspect when it's very cold/raining/snowy.
My roof was excellent - very water tight and as I had a heater at the time, on longer trips you could get nice and warm (though it would be pushing things to say longer trips in bad conditions are "fun"....unless you're a pervert).
Corrosion is an issue. Aluminium and steel are not good bedfellows, and when the salt goes down on the road it just makes them even less so. Even if you clean it, you will get bimetallic corrosion. Usually between skin and chassis which will eventually eat through the skin, starting with any paint blistering.
I'd owned mine for nearly 10yrs before it warranted addressing properly though, so unless you want your car to look showroom fresh every minute of every day, it's probably not something to worry about unduly, as long as you allow for a full refresh of the car every so often.
Summary - if you're in your 20s, love the Caterham and have no access to any other transport, do it. Otherwise, don't.
).The first year I had mine, I used it in all weathers. It coped admirably with whatever I threw at it, sleet, snow, rain, cold etc etc. It's certainly not a particularly difficult car to drive in bad conditions.
In my opinion the main downsides are the weather protection and the visability. The hoods are really rather good at keeping the rain out, however the moisture tends to creep under the door and soak your right arm. The windscreen wipers are pretty pants and the internal surface of the screen gets wet and foggy too which can be tricky. Finally, the headlamps aren't particularly great.
The other downside is the diminuitive proportions of the thing. You sit so low that you are going to have your retinas repeatedly scolded by the high output headlights of modern cars and vans.
Regarding corrosion and surface finish longevity, Yes it'll suffer. Once the powdercoat gets chipped, the moisture creeps in and the rest soon follows. Galvanic corrosion is a problem where the aluminium skins are riveted to the steel chassis, and salt acts as a catalyst. Is this a big problem though? In my opinion, no. Caterhams are specialist cars and as such their owners should be prepared to treat them as such. In the case of corrosion, why not consider budgeting for a partial or full re-skin/re-spray every decade or so? At the end of the day, whatever car you buy will suffer if you use it in the winter, but Caterhams are much easier to fix than most cars.
In my opinion the main downsides are the weather protection and the visability. The hoods are really rather good at keeping the rain out, however the moisture tends to creep under the door and soak your right arm. The windscreen wipers are pretty pants and the internal surface of the screen gets wet and foggy too which can be tricky. Finally, the headlamps aren't particularly great.
The other downside is the diminuitive proportions of the thing. You sit so low that you are going to have your retinas repeatedly scolded by the high output headlights of modern cars and vans.
Regarding corrosion and surface finish longevity, Yes it'll suffer. Once the powdercoat gets chipped, the moisture creeps in and the rest soon follows. Galvanic corrosion is a problem where the aluminium skins are riveted to the steel chassis, and salt acts as a catalyst. Is this a big problem though? In my opinion, no. Caterhams are specialist cars and as such their owners should be prepared to treat them as such. In the case of corrosion, why not consider budgeting for a partial or full re-skin/re-spray every decade or so? At the end of the day, whatever car you buy will suffer if you use it in the winter, but Caterhams are much easier to fix than most cars.
Assuming a Caterham has been driven on a salted road, how effective is a thorough hosing down in removing the salt?
I've seen blistering on skins near the lower chassis rail on other cars from bi-metal corrosion, could that be avoided with a good wash down under the bonnet or would that be inadvisable?
I've seen blistering on skins near the lower chassis rail on other cars from bi-metal corrosion, could that be avoided with a good wash down under the bonnet or would that be inadvisable?
S1X OK said:
Assuming a Caterham has been driven on a salted road, how effective is a thorough hosing down in removing the salt?
I've seen blistering on skins near the lower chassis rail on other cars from bi-metal corrosion, could that be avoided with a good wash down under the bonnet or would that be inadvisable?
There are some well-known grot-traps in the car. Specifically between the inside of the sideskin and the outer wall of the pedal box. It's pretty hard to get rid of all the road-dirt that gets flung into there. Obviously the more cleaning you do the better in terms of preventing corrosion, but it can be difficult after a wet cold winter blat to get it properly clean, especially if your garage facilities are limited/non-existent.I've seen blistering on skins near the lower chassis rail on other cars from bi-metal corrosion, could that be avoided with a good wash down under the bonnet or would that be inadvisable?
ewenm said:
Murph7355 said:
Depends how old you are IME
For the first 5 or 6 yrs I had mine it was my only car and was used in *all* weathers. So it can be done. I wouldn't dream of it now though - I'm fortunate enough to have access to far better tools for that job now.
Sensible tyres can be bought - I used to use Yoko A021Rs and they were fine. Just be more circumspect when it's very cold/raining/snowy.
My roof was excellent - very water tight and as I had a heater at the time, on longer trips you could get nice and warm (though it would be pushing things to say longer trips in bad conditions are "fun"....unless you're a pervert).
Corrosion is an issue. Aluminium and steel are not good bedfellows, and when the salt goes down on the road it just makes them even less so. Even if you clean it, you will get bimetallic corrosion. Usually between skin and chassis which will eventually eat through the skin, starting with any paint blistering.
I'd owned mine for nearly 10yrs before it warranted addressing properly though, so unless you want your car to look showroom fresh every minute of every day, it's probably not something to worry about unduly, as long as you allow for a full refresh of the car every so often.
Summary - if you're in your 20s, love the Caterham and have no access to any other transport, do it. Otherwise, don't.
All of this is my experience too - I just need to check Murph7355 isn't my mild-mannered alter-ego (or more likely 7-driving superhero For the first 5 or 6 yrs I had mine it was my only car and was used in *all* weathers. So it can be done. I wouldn't dream of it now though - I'm fortunate enough to have access to far better tools for that job now.
Sensible tyres can be bought - I used to use Yoko A021Rs and they were fine. Just be more circumspect when it's very cold/raining/snowy.
My roof was excellent - very water tight and as I had a heater at the time, on longer trips you could get nice and warm (though it would be pushing things to say longer trips in bad conditions are "fun"....unless you're a pervert).
Corrosion is an issue. Aluminium and steel are not good bedfellows, and when the salt goes down on the road it just makes them even less so. Even if you clean it, you will get bimetallic corrosion. Usually between skin and chassis which will eventually eat through the skin, starting with any paint blistering.
I'd owned mine for nearly 10yrs before it warranted addressing properly though, so unless you want your car to look showroom fresh every minute of every day, it's probably not something to worry about unduly, as long as you allow for a full refresh of the car every so often.
Summary - if you're in your 20s, love the Caterham and have no access to any other transport, do it. Otherwise, don't.
).I used mine daily for around 4 years through all weathers. My panels are bubbling and I'm rebuilding it this winter to bring it back up to scratch. But I do never clean it, so not surprising. It also lived outside 24/7 for most of it's life.
In the snow you have no weight to make a 'footprint' to even get up slight hills covered in snow. the sump ploughs through the ice ridge in the middle of the cleared tyre tracks.
My Toyo 888's in sub zero conditions used to swing the back end no matter how slow you were going or careful you were trying. I currently run Yoko 21's as an all round tyre. I'd get through a set of rears every year and front every 18 months - 2 years.
I cracked the windscreen one evening putting the full hood on for my girlfriend who needed to take it to work the next morning. That saw the end of the full hood and a half hood was purchased.
The first car I owned. Before that I drove my Mothers 1.25L Fiesta. Going straight to a Caterham was quite a change. I drove it home one October evening. Pitch black, torrential rain, the car is new to you and like nothing else you have driven. The driving position. The engine power under the pedal. The candle lights, the lack of any driver aids, the heater which was either blowing so hot I was panting, or off and the screens kept misting up. The wipers and the silly small windscreen. The titchy steering wheel. The lack of any music but noise of everything going on outside. The really long bonnet and misted up side screens. The vibrating blurry mirrors. The danger of hitting standing water in the dark.
Excellent, love every minute of mine!
I have owned Caterhams for about 11 years and always take them off the road for winter (November-March) i.e. when the salt is down. Unless you thoroughly clean it after every use, I didn't think it worth the risk.
Unless as said about you intend to keep it forever and are happy to rebuild it every 10 years max. There are other performance cars out there that would cope better with winter months...
Unless as said about you intend to keep it forever and are happy to rebuild it every 10 years max. There are other performance cars out there that would cope better with winter months...
This is the first winter I've not used mine (it's in lots of bits getting a good tidy up and some rather expensive upgrades 
).
Previously I've used the car all year round, just with some golden rules ie I always clean it as soon as I get home (regardless of time of year) and put it away in the garage and in the winter months I only drive it when the roads are dry. Even then I spray a little WD40 down the line of the chassis tubes so it soaks in to the area between them and the skin. Although it's in good nick for a 2001 car, there is still a slight amount of bubbling of the paint underneath but it's nothing major and a full repanel is some years off yet. So it can be done, but you have to pick your moments and be pedantic with the maintenance after you're home.
). Previously I've used the car all year round, just with some golden rules ie I always clean it as soon as I get home (regardless of time of year) and put it away in the garage and in the winter months I only drive it when the roads are dry. Even then I spray a little WD40 down the line of the chassis tubes so it soaks in to the area between them and the skin. Although it's in good nick for a 2001 car, there is still a slight amount of bubbling of the paint underneath but it's nothing major and a full repanel is some years off yet. So it can be done, but you have to pick your moments and be pedantic with the maintenance after you're home.
I also believe liberal use of WD40 might help....and it smells good too.
But then you'd just be left with that and a load of gunk to wash off.
End of the day, because of the materials a 7 is made from I do not belie *anything* will prevent issues fully over time. Just budget to refresh the car every 10yrs as a few have noted above. To be perfectly honest cars that are used a lot will benefit from this anyway, regardless of whether they are used in salty conditions or not.
But then you'd just be left with that and a load of gunk to wash off.
End of the day, because of the materials a 7 is made from I do not belie *anything* will prevent issues fully over time. Just budget to refresh the car every 10yrs as a few have noted above. To be perfectly honest cars that are used a lot will benefit from this anyway, regardless of whether they are used in salty conditions or not.
RE - AFC-50: see my earlier thread titled 'Thinking of using ACF-50 this winter'.
Total cost was £45, for full cover incl engine bay, front & rear susp etc, which for up to 12 months protection seems pretty good value IMO. Too soon to confirm if it works OK but worth a punt. A lot of bikers swear by it and they should know. My plan is to clean it off completely in the spring and re-do in autumn.
You can buy ACF-50 on the net and DIY or as a top-up - just use a small compressor and spraygun.
(I can fully recommend Barry's Mobile Valeting for anyone in NW England.)
Total cost was £45, for full cover incl engine bay, front & rear susp etc, which for up to 12 months protection seems pretty good value IMO. Too soon to confirm if it works OK but worth a punt. A lot of bikers swear by it and they should know. My plan is to clean it off completely in the spring and re-do in autumn.
You can buy ACF-50 on the net and DIY or as a top-up - just use a small compressor and spraygun.
(I can fully recommend Barry's Mobile Valeting for anyone in NW England.)
I've had the same 7 for some 25+ years, and use it in all weathers...
(It was re-built and re-skinned some 14 years back after a shunt)
Every other year I treat the chassis with a corrosion inhibitor - previously Waxoil, now ACF-50.
Its stops the corrosion well, if you apply correctly into the gaps between the panels and chassis.
(I apply myself as others will not know how to get in-between the panels)
As for bad weather - I use Aero's, and just dress for the weather
(It was re-built and re-skinned some 14 years back after a shunt)
Every other year I treat the chassis with a corrosion inhibitor - previously Waxoil, now ACF-50.
Its stops the corrosion well, if you apply correctly into the gaps between the panels and chassis.
(I apply myself as others will not know how to get in-between the panels)
As for bad weather - I use Aero's, and just dress for the weather
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