Opportunity to buy a Caterham for restoration

[DickyC]

The opportunity to buy a '79 Caterham has come up. It's in poor condition, it's had the world's worst engine installation but it's cheap.

Always wanted one, always wondered about a restoration as a route to ownership. This one is there detiorating and in need of love and attention. I wasn't looking, it's just there at a customer's place, in the open under polythene but it's a bad time for me to take it on.

£2,500 as is with a V5 and a shocking four rotor rotary engine complete with insane pedal arrangement.

Buy it, store it and forget it until I can devote time to it? The scope of the restoration won't increase much. Or wait and buy a reasonable going concern?

Difficult.

[DCL]

On a commercial basis restorations are usually bad news, you probably spend more than a new kit would cost. But that's not to say they are not worth doing if you enjoy that sort of thing, and get the pleasure from the restoration process.

[anonymous-user]

Four rotor? That sounds epic! Pics!

[DickyC]

eezeh said:

Four rotor? That sounds epic! Pics!

I'm going again in a fortnight and will take some pictures.

[DickyC]

DCL said:

On a commercial basis restorations are usually bad news, you probably spend more than a new kit would cost. But that's not to say they are not worth doing if you enjoy that sort of thing, and get the pleasure from the restoration process.

Nicely put. Thank you.

[Three Cs]

Any photos available?

[DickyC]

Three Cs said:

Any photos available?

Not yet. It was all a bit clandestine. I was left alone in the chap's yard for fifteen minutes and had a poke about. Lots of cars in various stages of disrepair. Finding an elderly Caterham under a sheet of waterproof membrane is a marvellous experience; I'd recommend it to anyone. When the chap came back I asked about it and it turns out to be an almost abandoned project of his elder brother. I asked if it could be for sale and, if it was, how much. He'll probably sell and he'd be happy with two and a half was the answer. I had the feeling it's been discussed many times. That's the situation at the moment. I'm going back the week after next and will find out more. And take pictures.

[DickyC]

Barn.



Find.



A good feeling.











A not so good feeling.



A bad feeling.

If that's a Caterham, I'm a Stutz Bearcat.



No idea why I thought that was a rotary engine. Its a bike engine. No idea why I thought it was a Caterham. The seller genuinely thought it was.

I went with two and a half grand in my pocket and came away with it intact.

Thank gawd.

[S555DFH]

I’m glad you came away with a pocket full.

[DickyC]

Thanks. It makes me go hot and cold thinking about it.

[Eric Mc]

Why would a "Caterham" have a Lotus chassis plate?

[DickyC]

Eric Mc said:

Why would a "Caterham" have a Lotus chassis plate?

It was the fakiest fake cobbled up by the dreamiest dreamer based on a very old special. And not the lads selling it, I hasten to add; they were taken in when they bought it.

And it claimed, according to the V5, to be based on a 1979 Lotus Elite of which there was no sign. Hence the chassis plate and the V reg. It also has an old registration plate that was registered to a Ford Pop. It may have had a Lotus Elite 1973cc engine and gearbox as its two major components to secure its registration but it now has a motorcycle engine. And rust. Plenty of rust.

Had I been told it was a special from the fifties rather than a Caterham from the seventies and all it needed was an 1172 side valve to relive its glory days I might have been interested. But not for £2,500.

[mickrick]

I got a bit excited when I read 4 rotor rotary! Interesting number plate though... MKO

[DickyC]

Both registrations come up as SORN. I would have thought the previous owners would have done better to keep it as a side valve Ford special than pretend it was a Caterham.