Advice on speccing new Caterham

[uremaw]

I'm in the fortunate position of finally realising a life's ambition to build (or at least attempt to) my dream car. But with the second deposit due to be paid tomorrow, i now have to lock down the specification. I'm 95% there, but would appreciate any advice you may have on the last couple of items.

Firstly, is the 'Track day rollover bar' an essential purchase? I plan to use the car on the road mainly, but it would be good to have the option of trackdays and sprints later. Is it relatively simple to retro-fit a rollbar or is it better to just buy it now?

Also, I do want to have carbon front wings, nosecone and aeroscreen eventually, but it seems like it may make financial sense (using man maths) to add them now, as purchasing them separately at a later date costs about 25% more. Is there any benefit in sticking with the composite stuff until the car has passed IVA? Are there any suppliers who do wings, nosecone and aeroscreen to a similar (or better) standard to Caterham?


cheers

Scott

[DCL]

My only regret when I bough my car was that I now have a loft full of most of the extras I ordered!

Try to work out what you want to do with the car (road or track or both) and stay focused to that goal. Not doubt that will change in time but only spend now if there's good reason e.g savings on Carbon.

[coppice]

The track day FIA rollover bar is a precondition of doing L7C trackdays and from memory is a lot more robust than the bent coathanger my first Seven had.Think about lowered floor if you are 5-10 or above. Get the proper harnesses , not the MacLaren baby buggy standard ones. Don't bother with full hood- half hood so much better. Get leather or tillet seats not fabric ones. You don't need carpets- they get wet- like fabric seats

[framerateuk]

I'm 5'8" and have the lowered floors (with the standard leather S seats) and that's about right. The Mrs is 5'3ish and does need a cushion underneath to see properly. I love the S seats. Very comfortable and still pretty light.

Definitely get the trackday roll bar, it'll save you time, money and effort later.

[uremaw]

Thanks guys.

Current options i'd settled on were:-

Wide rear wheels
Carbon dash
Lowered floors
Heater
QR wheel
12v socket
Met paint
Weather pack

It's interesting you mention not going for the full hood. The caterham order form seems to only include the hood as part of the weather pack, so it looks like I can't order a proper windscreen and doors without also going for the full hood? I'm unlikely to ever intentionally drive the car in the wet, but as I live in Scotland, it's going to see its fair share of rain. Although i want to try it with an aero screen at some point, I will be commuting in it on sunny days, so not sure i can do without a proper windscreen for protection from stones etc.

[mattmurdock]

uremaw said:

Thanks guys.

Current options i'd settled on were:-

Wide rear wheels
Carbon dash
Lowered floors
Heater
QR wheel
12v socket
Met paint
Weather pack

It's interesting you mention not going for the full hood. The caterham order form seems to only include the hood as part of the weather pack, so it looks like I can't order a proper windscreen and doors without also going for the full hood? I'm unlikely to ever intentionally drive the car in the wet, but as I live in Scotland, it's going to see its fair share of rain. Although i want to try it with an aero screen at some point, I will be commuting in it on sunny days, so not sure i can do without a proper windscreen for protection from stones etc.

One of the things I wish I had done was to ask them to 'delete' the full hood, as mine has never left the bag. I wanted the windscreen and doors, and then once I fitted the half-hood I realised it was all I would ever really need. I remember discussing it with the sales guy at the time so I'm pretty sure it can be done.

[uremaw]

Excellent. I'll give them a call and see what they say - thanks!

[tomwoodis]

mattmurdock said:

uremaw said:

Thanks guys.

Current options i'd settled on were:-

Wide rear wheels
Carbon dash
Lowered floors
Heater
QR wheel
12v socket
Met paint
Weather pack

It's interesting you mention not going for the full hood. The caterham order form seems to only include the hood as part of the weather pack, so it looks like I can't order a proper windscreen and doors without also going for the full hood? I'm unlikely to ever intentionally drive the car in the wet, but as I live in Scotland, it's going to see its fair share of rain. Although i want to try it with an aero screen at some point, I will be commuting in it on sunny days, so not sure i can do without a proper windscreen for protection from stones etc.

One of the things I wish I had done was to ask them to 'delete' the full hood, as mine has never left the bag. I wanted the windscreen and doors, and then once I fitted the half-hood I realised it was all I would ever really need. I remember discussing it with the sales guy at the time so I'm pretty sure it can be done.

Wish I could find the thread for you as i remember this question coming up previously for another owner that was in the final throws of speccing his car. I could be wrong but I believe a chat with Caterham confirmed that he could get £130 off the price if he opted to have the half hood instead of the full hood. They would give him the rest of what was in the weather kit thereafter.

I'm sure a call to Caterham will confirm for you though.

Tom

[TBKBABAB]

Think that was me, I specced half hood instead of the full one havent got the details with me but if you search threads
I started you should find it.

[TBKBABAB]

Actually was on Blatchat 'On the hood/halfhood discussed above CC just told me will be £100 less if I want the half hood rather than full one as part of the weather equipment package.'

[Toaster]

Having owned 7's for 15 years I would opt for both, the reasoning is that a full hood does offer a tad more protection, the half hood does provide good cover and airiness however if your away touring and its a poor day or so (by that I mean constant rain) you will welcome a full hood, a half hood when its a really poor day the rain gets sucked in to the cockpit area, you will get damp.

The original half hoods were a development by softbits http://www.softbitsshop.co.uk/the-half-hood-8-c.as... who do a range of quality kit

I assume that Caterham still use Oxted trimming for their stuff Oxted now have a Thundersport brand http://www.thundersport.co.uk/index.php/hoods/thun...

So the above will give you a view and choice on what is available

Also to add that I never have any intention of taking my car out in the rain, but when you are touring it happens, go get both a full and half hood

[framerateuk]

I've only had a half hood for a month or so and managed to use it once when it was absolutely hammering down and we got pretty soaked inside. I'd imagine for most situations it would be fine (and I certainly wouldn't carry the full hood around most of the time), but as you said, when we go touring I fully intend to take both as getting constantly rained on would be miserable!

[chris_speed]

Definitiely spec an LSD!

[Andy Bell]

chris_speed said:

Definitiely spec an LSD!

as long as you don't mind the whine/noise from it All depends on track aspirations

[chris_speed]

Not having easy access to oversteer, donuts, powerslides in a car like a Caterham misses the point of the car IMVHO

[cambuscat]

Where abouts in Scotland are you? What car have you on order? General consensus is that under 180 - 200bhp then wider rear tyres spoil the handling (although they do look better)

David

[uremaw]

I went for the 180hp duratec Supersport R. I figured it would be better to have more power than I need than less power than I want. I originally wanted the 175hp Roadsport but strangely it worked out cheaper to add the creature comforts to the Supersport than it did to add the go faster bits to the Roadsport.

It comes with an LSD 'free' too, so sideways fun should be available on tap, even with the wider rears (which I have to shamefully confess were purely an aesthetic choice).

I'm in Livingston, West Lothian. The kit is due to be delivered the last week of June. I had hoped for an earlier build slot but ho hum. Given the depth of my mechanical abilities (I once changed a tyre all by myself) I'm aiming to have the car on the road in time for summer 2014.


Thanks everyone for the advice. I ended up going for the trackday rollbar and carbon nose cone. I've held off buying the carbon cycle wings in the hope I can source some decent csr-style versions post-IVA. I've specced the half hood weather pack just now, but will possibly include the full hood nearer the delivery date if I can clear some space on the (bruised and battered) credit card...

[subirg]

Re Hoods - another vote for both full hood and half hood. I have them both. Strated with a full, then realised it was over the top for shorter runs and light rain, so added a half. As of now, I get good use out of both and I'm glad I've got the choice. For info - my car is used on road and track plus I usually do one European trip each summer. On the longer trips, I take both options - you never know when a torrential downpour will strike and a half hood just can't cope with the heavy stuff.

[cambuscat]

I work in Livingston so if you need any advice or an opinion come build time you can contact me. I didn't build my car but have had the engine and g/box out and messed about with other bits and pieces. Presume you have seen Blatchat where you can get answers to almost anything.

David

[coppice]

I have found that halfhood with draught screen from SBFS and a showercap for when parked will deal with typical Scottish weather just fine. Never used my full hood once in 5 years !