Realistically How Long Should a Caterham 7 Last?
Discussion
Hi,
I've just ordered my new Caterham 7 kit (270s, Yellow and Carbon), but I've been reading quite a lot about rust. Now I know they are not 'normal' cars when it comes to rust, but I was hoping to keep it approx 25 years (by which time I'll be too old to get in and out of it!) and was wondering realistically how long might my new car last before...
a) Rust is making it look tatty
b) Rust is causing it to fail MOT
c) Rust is beyond economical repair.
...obviously, the way it's used and looked after will have most bearing on this so, here is the pertinent info about how the car will be used and maintained...
- It will be garaged in a warm, dry garage. The garage is integral to the house so doesn't ever get really cold in there. I've got various metal objects in there (mainly tools) and they never get surface condensation, but I'd be happy to run a dehumidifier or heater if it would make a big difference.
- It will be a 3rd car and so considered a 'toy' ie it will not have to do any journeys where the weather is not nice. That said, I do intend to do some 'Grand Tours' of UK and Europe with it, so it may well get caught out in the rain from time to time.
- I won't drive it in the winter unless roads are completely dry and salt free. (but might occasionally blat through the Alps!)
- I'm happy to perform one day's worth of winter storage prep - ie spraying underneath with something, plus touching up chipped powder coating.
- I'm going to do about 5k per year in it.
- My garage is brick build, but quite small (as there's other stuff in it) so I won't have space for a 'cacoon' thingy.
- I don't intend to track it, it's purely a road car used for blatting and touring.
I've heard people refer to Caterhams as 'Triggers Broom' ie all the bits get replaced over time, but are there bits of the chassis where it's just too expensive (e.g. >£15k) to strip down and replace?
Any other hints or tips to make it last longer than me would be appreciated! ;-)
Regards
Dave
I've just ordered my new Caterham 7 kit (270s, Yellow and Carbon), but I've been reading quite a lot about rust. Now I know they are not 'normal' cars when it comes to rust, but I was hoping to keep it approx 25 years (by which time I'll be too old to get in and out of it!) and was wondering realistically how long might my new car last before...
a) Rust is making it look tatty
b) Rust is causing it to fail MOT
c) Rust is beyond economical repair.
...obviously, the way it's used and looked after will have most bearing on this so, here is the pertinent info about how the car will be used and maintained...
- It will be garaged in a warm, dry garage. The garage is integral to the house so doesn't ever get really cold in there. I've got various metal objects in there (mainly tools) and they never get surface condensation, but I'd be happy to run a dehumidifier or heater if it would make a big difference.
- It will be a 3rd car and so considered a 'toy' ie it will not have to do any journeys where the weather is not nice. That said, I do intend to do some 'Grand Tours' of UK and Europe with it, so it may well get caught out in the rain from time to time.
- I won't drive it in the winter unless roads are completely dry and salt free. (but might occasionally blat through the Alps!)
- I'm happy to perform one day's worth of winter storage prep - ie spraying underneath with something, plus touching up chipped powder coating.
- I'm going to do about 5k per year in it.
- My garage is brick build, but quite small (as there's other stuff in it) so I won't have space for a 'cacoon' thingy.
- I don't intend to track it, it's purely a road car used for blatting and touring.
I've heard people refer to Caterhams as 'Triggers Broom' ie all the bits get replaced over time, but are there bits of the chassis where it's just too expensive (e.g. >£15k) to strip down and replace?
Any other hints or tips to make it last longer than me would be appreciated! ;-)
Regards
Dave
After a minor prang I decided to rebuild mine when it was 15 years old, (I bought it at 6 years old knowing it had been parked outside in Scotland in all weathers) it was sent back to Arch to have the chassis re-powder coated and all new panels (my choice) but even if it hadn't been pranged it would have lasted many more years, yes there was evidence of surface rust on some chassis rails and a little bubbling of the aluminium skin due to bi-metallic corrosion but it wasn't going to fall apart. They are resilient cars.
For those 9 years before the rebuild it was kept in a damp lock-up style garage, poor ventilation, asbestos type roof. The chassis was in remarkably good condition considering. I don't have a roof as its aeroscreened and it is driven in all weathers (not necessarily by choice). It gets absolutely soaked, it's got minor dings and paint chips from stones etc. It's now 26 years old with 92K on the clock and it is a 'Trigger's Broom' as I have upgraded and swapped parts etc over the years. I've never bothered with any special treatment over and above how I've treated my tin-tops over the years.
I like to keep it clean but it's no 'garage queen', just a car that gets 'used and abused' for the sheer fun of it.
Build it, drive it, enjoy it after all it's just a car
For those 9 years before the rebuild it was kept in a damp lock-up style garage, poor ventilation, asbestos type roof. The chassis was in remarkably good condition considering. I don't have a roof as its aeroscreened and it is driven in all weathers (not necessarily by choice). It gets absolutely soaked, it's got minor dings and paint chips from stones etc. It's now 26 years old with 92K on the clock and it is a 'Trigger's Broom' as I have upgraded and swapped parts etc over the years. I've never bothered with any special treatment over and above how I've treated my tin-tops over the years.
I like to keep it clean but it's no 'garage queen', just a car that gets 'used and abused' for the sheer fun of it.
Build it, drive it, enjoy it after all it's just a car
I think that you are worrying about something that may never happen.
I bought a 2 year old Classic with 1,500 on the clock and put 20,000 miles on it over 3 years.
Stored in a leaking unheated garage with a bath towel covering the seats, as I only put the roof on twice, and driven all year round through rain and snow.
There was no rust on it when I bought it, and no rust on it when I sold it. I only washed it when I felt like bothering.
The 7 friendly MOT tester that I took it to used to say that it was no garage queen as it was usually covered in horse s
t and mud from all the country lanes that I used.
It's for fun, drive it for fun and stop worrying.
I bought a 2 year old Classic with 1,500 on the clock and put 20,000 miles on it over 3 years.
Stored in a leaking unheated garage with a bath towel covering the seats, as I only put the roof on twice, and driven all year round through rain and snow.
There was no rust on it when I bought it, and no rust on it when I sold it. I only washed it when I felt like bothering.
The 7 friendly MOT tester that I took it to used to say that it was no garage queen as it was usually covered in horse s
t and mud from all the country lanes that I used.It's for fun, drive it for fun and stop worrying.
dabevan said:
Thanks, has it led an easy life? Ie do you avoid wet and store in garage etc?
Very easy life, if that means being kept in a garage but has alsoDone club sprints, countless track days, 100s of laps at the Nurburgring & Spa, raced all over the UK including the JCC Centurian series. Taken us on holidays around the UK and toured
France Italy Germany Belgium etc.
If you treat it like you propose it will outlast you. They dont rust much if they are kept dry. and the parts are easy to replace compared to pretty much any other car.
I would just keep it off salted roads, jet some air into the grot traps once and a while to clear it out and spray a bit of acf50 or similar here and there.
Other things folks do is to undercoat the wings to avoid star cracks from stones and putting black vinyl tape on the leading edge of the feont wishbones to avoid paint chips.
I would just keep it off salted roads, jet some air into the grot traps once and a while to clear it out and spray a bit of acf50 or similar here and there.
Other things folks do is to undercoat the wings to avoid star cracks from stones and putting black vinyl tape on the leading edge of the feont wishbones to avoid paint chips.
Edited by Dr Evil on Thursday 14th November 09:11
Aeroscreens said:
After a minor prang I decided to rebuild mine when it was 15 years old, (I bought it at 6 years old knowing it had been parked outside in Scotland in all weathers) it was sent back to Arch to have the chassis re-powder coated and all new panels (my choice)
Can I ask what the approximate cost of an Arch chassis refurb and re-panel costs? ThanksI wouldn't worry about it too much!
Mine's 10 years old, I'm the 3rd owner and while there's a bit of rust on some of the rear suspension components, the rest of the car looks very good.
I would get some ACF50 and liberally spray the chassis with it especially the 'grot traps' near the footwells.
Mine goes out in al weather and so long as it's given a good clean it always come out looking great.
It was quite rough around the edges when I bought it, but I've kept it looking decent. I'm currently talking to TSK to get it repainted. Planning on doing a little overhaul on the cabin to get it looking new again. I don't expect them to find many rust issues on the chassis.
Mine's 10 years old, I'm the 3rd owner and while there's a bit of rust on some of the rear suspension components, the rest of the car looks very good.
I would get some ACF50 and liberally spray the chassis with it especially the 'grot traps' near the footwells.
Mine goes out in al weather and so long as it's given a good clean it always come out looking great.
It was quite rough around the edges when I bought it, but I've kept it looking decent. I'm currently talking to TSK to get it repainted. Planning on doing a little overhaul on the cabin to get it looking new again. I don't expect them to find many rust issues on the chassis.
My first one was one of the mid 90s era ones which I bought as the press demonstrater.
I did about 25 k miles in 2 years all weathers. Then I sold it and to cut a very long story short, the person I sold it to noticed some corrosion problems after a year and it fell apart with rot.
Eventually he sold it back to caterham who rebodied it and then Aves bought it. Good old L20 CAT.
They were bad in those days, but I'd still avoid too much winter driving!
Bert
I did about 25 k miles in 2 years all weathers. Then I sold it and to cut a very long story short, the person I sold it to noticed some corrosion problems after a year and it fell apart with rot.
Eventually he sold it back to caterham who rebodied it and then Aves bought it. Good old L20 CAT.
They were bad in those days, but I'd still avoid too much winter driving!
Bert
fergus said:
Can I ask what the approximate cost of an Arch chassis refurb and re-panel costs? Thanks
Back in 2007/8 I think it was circa £2250/£2500 ish. This included straightening the rear basket after being rear ended, full sand blast and repowder coating of chassis and all suspension parts. All new panels internal, external and floor except bonnet and the front and rear tunnel covers.
I've had Eugene for some 35 years, and drive in all weathers... but it really is Trigger's Broom.
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/forever-cars/seven-he...
Having said that, the longest time between major rebuilds was 20+ years, and when I stripped it last winter (full chassis re-body due to hailstone damage) the chassis and panels still look very good.
The above link has a lot of piccys taken not long before the hailstone damage, and you can see it was well used and abused, but still looked 'ok', after 20+ years since the previous rebuild.
One thing I do though, is drill holes through the internal cockpit panels (and through the honeycomb panels) so I can squirt ACF50 in once a year.
If you look at the last piccy - Eugene's rejuvenated interior - you can actually see a grommet covering one of the holes, just above the front of the seat edge.
I have three such 'access holes' in each side.
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/forever-cars/seven-he...
Having said that, the longest time between major rebuilds was 20+ years, and when I stripped it last winter (full chassis re-body due to hailstone damage) the chassis and panels still look very good.
The above link has a lot of piccys taken not long before the hailstone damage, and you can see it was well used and abused, but still looked 'ok', after 20+ years since the previous rebuild.
One thing I do though, is drill holes through the internal cockpit panels (and through the honeycomb panels) so I can squirt ACF50 in once a year.
If you look at the last piccy - Eugene's rejuvenated interior - you can actually see a grommet covering one of the holes, just above the front of the seat edge.
I have three such 'access holes' in each side.
Its a car.
All be it a great one, but ITS JUST A CAR !
Drive it like you stole it, and enjoy the bloody thing !
If you want a garage queen, then OK, but whilst you are stressing about paint swirls, the rest of us are out caning the arse off the bloody thing at every available opportunity.....
All be it a great one, but ITS JUST A CAR !
Drive it like you stole it, and enjoy the bloody thing !
If you want a garage queen, then OK, but whilst you are stressing about paint swirls, the rest of us are out caning the arse off the bloody thing at every available opportunity.....
Aeroscreens said:
Back in 2007/8 I think it was circa £2250
/£2500 ish. This included straightening the rear basket after being rear ended, full sand blast and repowder coating of chassis and all suspension parts. All new panels internal, external and floor except bonnet and the front and rear tunnel covers.
It’s a lot more expensive than that now!/£2500 ish. This included straightening the rear basket after being rear ended, full sand blast and repowder coating of chassis and all suspension parts. All new panels internal, external and floor except bonnet and the front and rear tunnel covers.
Look at the Caterham website for cost of panels and you’ll get in idea of how quickly it can add up.
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