New USA owner of an SLR

[vovchandr]

This has been a long road to get to this point, but the right car at the right time at the right place lead this adventure to an end.




It all started in a very non direct route when Top Gear did an episode with the Ariel Atom and piqued my interest followed by me starting a Locost build about 10 years ago, ending with me coming across a 7 listing on the other end of the country 3000 miles away which just happen to be near where my friend lived.

I wasn't even looking to buy one and was planning to finish my Locost but this car was just right.

2001 Superlight R, white on red with a Zetec 6spd sequential.


Impressions: After 10 years of riding bikes its really refreshing to get a similar feeling but without the risks and a helmet and in relative comfort. I love bikes and with a 7 you don't have to worry about losing rear tire, having to wear gear or spare shoes to work, having to be hunched over, being cold etc. I actually don't believe I rode the bikes this year since I got the 7 on the road.

Plenty of similarities with the bike as well. Noisy, weather dependent, not very practical, same sequential hassle etc.

In the states nobody knows what it is, so it's always a topic of a conversation.

Overall, I love it. It's everything I ever wanted. Ironically in hindsight even if the opportunity presented itself, I wouldn't want an Atom type car. Maybe if I didn't have bikes to begin with. Caterham bridges the gap between reasonable vehicles and raw fun of bikes perfectly. It's a bike on 4 wheels with heat, safety and comfort.







Plans are as follows: Fix the cluster/speedo, LED headlights are on the way, SBFS half hood/rain cap are being made, sorting out all the small misc leaks over the winter and getting lots of miles in next year.

[Trackdayguy]

Nice

[Baron Greenback]

Very nice! I do miss my formula 27 was my only car for 3 years including lift share! Just love the side roads and roundabouts but moved to boring London traffic so had to sell!

[Krismuss]

Nice, but it’s not a SuperlightR!

[vovchandr]

Krismuss said:

Nice, but it’s not a SuperlightR!

What makes you say that? It's definitely a Superlight and the stickers say "SuperlightR"... Only thing that I don't seem to have is the plaque.

Edit: My vin # also seems to be inline with the "First Chassis no. 20538 (car no.1 chassis no.20873)" > mine is 22117

http://www.thecaterhamregister.net/superlight%20Rs...

Edited by vovchandr on Thursday 1st November 12:34

Edited by vovchandr on Thursday 1st November 12:34

[snapper seven]

I'm guessing because you state it is a Zetec. The Zetec was never offered on an SLR (at least in the UK market). SLRs had 1.9 K series VHPD engines.

[Trackdayguy]

Part of the problem is the US regulations and how the cars are imported. The car in mention was probably imported by ex CC Dealer Rocky Mountain Sports Cars. They imported the chassis through 1 company and the mechanicals through another, because it was at the time illegal to import complete cars. The K Series was never sold as an option in the US which is why the ZETEC was fitted. So is this car the real deal, YES, because that's the engine it was fitted with by an authorised Caterham Dealer. Is it correct in the US, most definitely, is it correct in the UK NO.

Your quite correct the ZETEC was never fitted by the factory. If my memory serves me well I had this conversation with the export dept many years ago. CC defined the model by its spec & VIN, so if the VIN says its a SLR then it is. Unfortunately on this side of the pond things aren't quite so black & white regarding model specification as they are in the UK.

Just as a side not the SLR badges on the bonnet are not in the correct position, there are too high

Just my 2 cents worth

[fergus]

snapper seven said:

I'm guessing because you state it is a Zetec. The Zetec was never offered on an SLR (at least in the UK market). SLRs had 1.9 K series VHPD engines.

ahem. All K-series engines were offered in 1800 cc format for SLRs (in the UK). (A re-engined car doesn't preclude it from being an SLR. It's just not an original SLR (UK))

PS my car didn't have a dash plaque from the factory....

[Simon1796]

Don't think the SLR had an identifier in the vin different to a superlight as they were a superlight with a vhpd, which is taken care of in the engine position. A USA car then would have NS in the engine positions I expect.
If it has a letter L in the 7th digit position it's a superlight chassis. Can't say it's not one if that's what's stamped.

[vovchandr]

Simon1796 said:

Don't think the SLR had an identifier in the vin different to a superlight as they were a superlight with a vhpd, which is taken care of in the engine position. A USA car then would have NS in the engine positions I expect.
If it has a letter L in the 7th digit position it's a superlight chassis. Can't say it's not one if that's what's stamped.

You are correct. SDKLDKLNS

The factory Superlight R stickers and other options reinforce that it's an R. Interesting enough on the invoice it never references it as anything "superlight R" specific verbatim but rather Superlight with misc R line items.

Edit: Does anybody know the story of the plaque? Which cars got them and which didn't and why?

Interestingly enough what appears to be a sister car/build to mine (very similar spec/year/factory) got a plaque on theirs.

Edited by vovchandr on Thursday 1st November 18:05

[Trackdayguy]

Its also got a spare wheel carrier which I would say would not be correct on a UK spec car, but could be on a US one. Does that car have a ZETEC?

[vovchandr]

Trackdayguy said:

Its also got a spare wheel carrier which I would say would not be correct on a UK spec car, but could be on a US one. Does that car have a ZETEC?

Mine had a spare too which was lobbed off. I found it strange too that the option even existed.

Here is the line item for it during the order, somebody must have really wanted it

[jeremyc]

Of course there's no such thing as a 'standard' Caterham, but the key specification items that make it an SLR are the wide track suspension, uprated brakes, split rim alloy wheels, carbon wings and nose cone and (in the UK at least) the 1.8 VHPD K series with dry sump.

And yes, your 'SuperlightR' stickers are in a "non-factory" position: they should be on the side skins rather than the "hood" (there should be one on the back panel as well).

Mine is SLR Number 50.

Edited by jeremyc on Thursday 1st November 20:44

[vovchandr]

jeremyc said:

Of course there's no such thing as a 'standard' Caterham, but the key specification items that make it an SLR are the wide track suspension, uprated brakes, split rim alloy wheels, carbon wings and nose cone and (in the UK at least) the 1.8 VHPD K series on with dry sump.

And yes, your 'SuperlightR' stickers are in a "non-factory" position: they should be on the side skins rather than the "hood" (there should be one on the back panel as well).

Wide track, big brakes, split rims carbon wings and dash are a check. Only thing missing is CF nose cone but I see not all SLR's had them, including the red one I linked above.

Edit: I see what you mean about stickers. I do have one on the back and in regards to the hood/bonnet ones you mean they should be lower closer to the side panels. Internet search reveals them being in both positions however, maybe a year to year difference.

Edited by vovchandr on Thursday 1st November 20:49

Edit X2: I think the hood/bonnet has been replaced at some point in its life as the paint doesn't quite match and the center stripe is vinyl and not paint. Scuttle may have been replaced as well.

Edited by vovchandr on Thursday 1st November 20:51

Edit X3:

Here is an example of another one with "high stickers"

http://uk.caterhamcars.com/pre-owned/639-superligh...

Edited by vovchandr on Thursday 1st November 20:57

[V7SLR]

vovchandr said:

What makes you say that? It's definitely a Superlight and the stickers say "SuperlightR"... Only thing that I don't seem to have is the plaque.

Edit: My vin # also seems to be inline with the "First Chassis no. 20538 (car no.1 chassis no.20873)" > mine is 22117

http://www.thecaterhamregister.net/superlight%20Rs...

Chassis numbers for SLR's are non-concurrent, the only statement is that the first SLR chassis was 20538, the last was 20873. The chassis built in between could be Roadsports, Superlights, R500s and yes, SLR's.

Regarding the plaques, Caterham had the full set made and just issued them roughly in order, but you could choose a particular number if it was still available, there wasn't any strict issue procedure.

Edited to add, car no.1 was chassis 20873, not the last car.

Edited by V7SLR on Thursday 1st November 21:41

[jeremyc]

V7SLR said:

Chassis numbers for SLR's are non-concurrent, the only statement is that the first SLR chassis was 20538, the last was 20873. The chassis built in between could be Roadsports, Superlights, R500s and yes, SLR's.

That doesn't seem correct: 20538 to 21873 maybe?

I can't believe that more than 1 in 3 within that range were SLRs.

[V7SLR]

Who knows! Are we even sure that Caterham's chassis numbers run concurrently? The sequence of chassis numbers from first to last SLR is definitely more than the number built.

Mine's no.77

[jeremyc]

V7SLR said:

Who knows! Are we even sure that Caterham's chassis numbers run concurrently? The sequence of chassis numbers from first to last SLR is definitely more than the number built.

Well mine is in the 21000s, so I suspect there's no rational pattern.

[vovchandr]

I'm not sure where you guys are getting that the "last was 20873"

It just says that the first one that was plated #1 plaque was 20873.

According to this link there were 127 SLR's

https://7rcb.be/page.php?id=156

Thats not accounting for the American market because it says there were "~250 Zetec" out which there were SLR's as well obviously.

[V7SLR]

Yes my apologies, the correct information is that the first SLR built was chassis no. 20538, the chassis that has the no.001 plaque is chassis no. 20873. It's as clear as mud.