Caterham Superlight R #29
Discussion
I'd always disliked that despite the correct Caterham blanking panel being used when the heater was removed, the panel was raw aluminium in an otherwise black engine bay. So I carefully masked everything up and painted it satin black to match.
I then turned my attention back to fat fighting. An easy way to chop weight on a car is always the battery. I've used the cheap invalid scooter batteries in the past but over the past few years now that Lithium batteries have become cheaper I've used those. This is the weight of the original Caterham supplied Banner battery:
7.97kg
...and this is the small lithium one I've bought to replace it:
791g.
That's a huge percentage and another 7.18kg saved towards the target.
To fit the new smaller battery I needed to devise a way to fit it or fabricate a new battery tray. The original battery tray is 301g
I cracked out a biro and sketched a few ideas and then made this, which weighs 68g
...saving another 0.23kg. I can probably cut down the power and earth cables about 300mm too which will save a bit more.
Lastly I took the hoodsticks off to save another 1.15kg.
Based on the 540kg weighbridge start point total weight should now be 522.48kg
I then turned my attention back to fat fighting. An easy way to chop weight on a car is always the battery. I've used the cheap invalid scooter batteries in the past but over the past few years now that Lithium batteries have become cheaper I've used those. This is the weight of the original Caterham supplied Banner battery:
7.97kg
...and this is the small lithium one I've bought to replace it:
791g.
That's a huge percentage and another 7.18kg saved towards the target.
To fit the new smaller battery I needed to devise a way to fit it or fabricate a new battery tray. The original battery tray is 301g
I cracked out a biro and sketched a few ideas and then made this, which weighs 68g
...saving another 0.23kg. I can probably cut down the power and earth cables about 300mm too which will save a bit more.
Lastly I took the hoodsticks off to save another 1.15kg.
Based on the 540kg weighbridge start point total weight should now be 522.48kg
I bought my carbon light pods from Carbon Mods and they are good quality. However, they appear to have stopped making them now.
There is a new website opened online (initially) from the Facebook group called Carbon Caterham, and there are a few parts on there that will be order-worthy I suspect. I've just about exhausted available supplies so like yourself am making my own parts and logging everything.
Interesting that the battery and bracket is one mod I was looking into doing.
There is a new website opened online (initially) from the Facebook group called Carbon Caterham, and there are a few parts on there that will be order-worthy I suspect. I've just about exhausted available supplies so like yourself am making my own parts and logging everything.
Interesting that the battery and bracket is one mod I was looking into doing.
Annoying that Carbon Mods are no longer making their stuff, assume this is the place: https://carboncaterham.myshopify.com/collections/a...
I bought it as a bit of a gamble, I'd read somebody else say he used one on a Caterham with no issues, but it seems just too small and light to run a road car. For the price I thought it was worth a try and amazingly, it seems to work fine.
In the past have used the Shorai lithiums. Even those are only about 1.1kg, the price of them has crept up though and they're approaching the cost of the 'proper' motorsport batteries now.
In the past have used the Shorai lithiums. Even those are only about 1.1kg, the price of them has crept up though and they're approaching the cost of the 'proper' motorsport batteries now.
Yep that's the one - awful picture of it on that site though! Once I get a chance I'll get an updated picture posted. Yours looks fab btw.
I also need to refit the original KN SLR wheels - once they've had a bit of a refurb and will try and fit some proper CR500s if I can get them. The KN alloys currently have AVON slicks fitted that I need to sell on.
The car was tweaked on a RR and is producing around 205bhp - plenty enough for now I think!
I decided the 68g battery mount was too porky, so I rethought it and made a 53g one.
I could chop it down more using alu or ti bolts but that's getting into the land of the daft when there's still loads of big things to do to chop 10s of kgs.
Today I drove it over to PGM (Partridge Green Motorsport) for them to fit the lowered floors. Was cool that they had a fluoro orange car in the workshop too. 8)
Whilst there I had a good look at a few of the other cars that were in. I managed to get some inspiration for changes I can make from some of the race cars, in particular a sprint car that was sat in there. I also spotted the leader board from their last weigh-in. Something they do each summer when they have an open day and BBQ. So I have something to aim for now...
I could chop it down more using alu or ti bolts but that's getting into the land of the daft when there's still loads of big things to do to chop 10s of kgs.
Today I drove it over to PGM (Partridge Green Motorsport) for them to fit the lowered floors. Was cool that they had a fluoro orange car in the workshop too. 8)
Whilst there I had a good look at a few of the other cars that were in. I managed to get some inspiration for changes I can make from some of the race cars, in particular a sprint car that was sat in there. I also spotted the leader board from their last weigh-in. Something they do each summer when they have an open day and BBQ. So I have something to aim for now...
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