A few questions
Discussion
I'm looking to only spend about £12000 on a caterham after I've sold my current 2 toys , so I'm a little limited. I'm looking at a k-series or an xflow. I've been reading a few things on here and there seems to be a lot of talk about reliability with the xflow and regular rebuilds. Is this exaggerated or will an xflow really require lots of work to keep running? I'm set on having about 160bhp or more, hence the xflow at my budget but then I've also read that an xflow with 160bhp or more is pretty much unuseable on the road as itll run rough as a badgers ass? Again is this right?
Finally, does anyone know of a dealer that'll be happy to take a non caterham as part ex?
Finally, does anyone know of a dealer that'll be happy to take a non caterham as part ex?
Crossflows are bombproof.
Mine just goes on and on. The good thing is that even if they do go out of tune they don't conk out altogether, and there's no mapping or other witchcraft.
I suspect people just don't like it when someone rocks up in a £10k quarter-century car and gets as much out of it as a £30k new build.
Mine just goes on and on. The good thing is that even if they do go out of tune they don't conk out altogether, and there's no mapping or other witchcraft.
I suspect people just don't like it when someone rocks up in a £10k quarter-century car and gets as much out of it as a £30k new build.
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 21st July 22:37
Crossflow Kid said:
Crossflows are bombproof.
Mine just goes on and on. The good thing is that even if they do go out of tune they don't conk out altogether, and there's no mapping or other witchcraft.
I suspect people just don't it when someone rocks up in a £10k quarter-century car and gets as much out of it as a £30k new build.
What sort of spec is yours? Do you find it quick enough to keep you happy and does it run lumpy? I love the sound of the btw.Mine just goes on and on. The good thing is that even if they do go out of tune they don't conk out altogether, and there's no mapping or other witchcraft.
I suspect people just don't it when someone rocks up in a £10k quarter-century car and gets as much out of it as a £30k new build.
CHN said:
Crossflow Kid said:
Crossflows are bombproof.
Mine just goes on and on. The good thing is that even if they do go out of tune they don't conk out altogether, and there's no mapping or other witchcraft.
I suspect people just don't it when someone rocks up in a £10k quarter-century car and gets as much out of it as a £30k new build.
What sort of spec is yours? Do you find it quick enough to keep you happy and does it run lumpy? I love the sound of the btw.Mine just goes on and on. The good thing is that even if they do go out of tune they don't conk out altogether, and there's no mapping or other witchcraft.
I suspect people just don't it when someone rocks up in a £10k quarter-century car and gets as much out of it as a £30k new build.
Beginning of the month I did Stelvio and back. Never missed a beat. The revs varied a bit when it got really hot but rather that than the K-series click.
Everyone thinks they're heavy. Mine's a sniff over 500kgs and when rolling-roaded just before last Christmas it was pumping out bang on 100bhp at the wheels. Not epic, but sufficient to have fun, especially with aeroscreens, and with careful power management and conservation of momentum it can be as good as anything dripping with carbon.
And remember, everyone loves an underdog.
BertBert said:
How have you decided that 160bhp is the magic number by the way?
Bert
Power for my budget which will give me a little more oomph on the straights when on a track day. From what I've read so far, 120bhp has left some just wanting a little more when on the track, for £12000 I think 160bhp will be the best I can hope for.Bert
I too am an old fashioned Crossflow driver (old fashioned regarding the driver and the car) and it also is totally reliable.
If going for a Crossflow, make sure it has been upgraded to run on unleaded. My hunch is that nowadays and Crossflow cars running will have been altered to run on unleaded but I would make sure to ask.
If going for a Crossflow, make sure it has been upgraded to run on unleaded. My hunch is that nowadays and Crossflow cars running will have been altered to run on unleaded but I would make sure to ask.
X-flow budgets are £8-9. For £12K you can get a good 16/1800 K-Series, and forget the aforementioned "K-Series click", there's a cheap and simple fix which has proved to be totally reliable. It will have a Dedion back end and a proper wishbone setup at the front. Just because these guys drive x-flows doesn't mean they'd buy one if they were going out with £12K of hard earned readies. As I said, get down to one of the South Wales meets and have a chat with some owners - you'll likely get taken out in a few different cars as well.
I agree. I wouldn't buy a Crossflow today.
I bought mine back in 1996 and love it to bits. But they are rather ancient. So, unless one is purposefully on the look out for an old technology classic Seven or are on a limited budget, I think one of the more modern options would be better.
I bought mine back in 1996 and love it to bits. But they are rather ancient. So, unless one is purposefully on the look out for an old technology classic Seven or are on a limited budget, I think one of the more modern options would be better.
You could look at a car that has been upgraded to a Zetec.
Whilst Caterham never sold this engine, it has proved a pretty common and effective upgrade for those X-flow owners wanting more power and reliability.
(Any conversion done using kits from or by Dunnell and Raceline are a safe bet).
Cheers
SS
Whilst Caterham never sold this engine, it has proved a pretty common and effective upgrade for those X-flow owners wanting more power and reliability.
(Any conversion done using kits from or by Dunnell and Raceline are a safe bet).
Cheers
SS
OK I see that the general consensus is that an xflow is good but not really the best I can get for the money and my pennies would be spent on something more modern. How is the vauxhall in comparison? I see they're quite powerful as standard but weigh a lot more than the k-series.
I'm hung up on the lack of power I know, but I've seen plenty of videos and there definitely seems to be a lack of grunt approaching triple figures with the 140 k-series. Is the extra weight of the vauxhall unit (referred to as a boat anchor by some) that much of a problem?
I will try and get to one of the local meets soon, but I want to get as much info as possible so I can ask some relevant questions when the time comes.
I'm hung up on the lack of power I know, but I've seen plenty of videos and there definitely seems to be a lack of grunt approaching triple figures with the 140 k-series. Is the extra weight of the vauxhall unit (referred to as a boat anchor by some) that much of a problem?
I will try and get to one of the local meets soon, but I want to get as much info as possible so I can ask some relevant questions when the time comes.
I'm on the lookout for a £12-15K Caterham predominately for road use. Power output is an easy thing to get hung on, especially as I've seen a few ~130BHP owners say they wished they had gone for more...
I owned a ~170BHP ZX10R MAC#1 BEC a few yrs back and that had ample power, albeit with little torque, so while acceleration was pretty epic throttle control was more tricky, not to mention very manic on the road with a 12.5K redline
I owned a ~170BHP ZX10R MAC#1 BEC a few yrs back and that had ample power, albeit with little torque, so while acceleration was pretty epic throttle control was more tricky, not to mention very manic on the road with a 12.5K redline
Don't believe that alll K series cars cost five figures; I sold mine a few years ago for £8k- despite everybody, including myself ,being utterly certain that it was worth nearer 12k. Fact was that after 3 months nobody was interested even at 10k- different times maybe but it rather undermined the universal truth that all Sevens cost lots. It was a 60k + mile car which I had upgraded with VVC power(and lots of other bits )and which went like a bloody rocket and still looked stunning - moral is keep your eyes open.
CHN said:
How is the vauxhall in comparison? I see they're quite powerful as standard but weigh a lot more than the k-series.
I have a Vauxhall HPC though I can't compare to a K-series as I have never driven one, only passengered. I only ever wanted an HPC. They have very different characteristics so it is also about what sort of drive you prefer. The K is very buzzy and you need to rev hard to get the max from them, VX (2 litre) cars are much more torquey and grunty. Quite a bit more reliable on the whole too. No right or wrong and equally as much fun.You can get VXs to handle very well through a good flat floor set up and I understand wide track helps with giving a sharper turn in. I don't think mine ever feels overly heavy, though I guess the grunt helps over come that.
You may struggle to find a nice HPC for your budget but many Sevens were bought as 'Engine Not Supplied' and owners then fitted their own C20XE engines, these tend to be a little cheaper - give away is the chassis numbering.
That said, whilst the prices for HPCs are pretty strong, whether they are actually selling for that is another matter.
I'm sure you won't but, if shopping, make sure you don't get confused with the Vauxhall 8v 1600s and the 16v 2000s!
Cheers
SS
snapper seven said:
I have a Vauxhall HPC though I can't compare to a K-series as I have never driven one, only passengered. I only ever wanted an HPC. They have very different characteristics so it is also about what sort of drive you prefer. The K is very buzzy and you need to rev hard to get the max from them, VX (2 litre) cars are much more torquey and grunty. Quite a bit more reliable on the whole too. No right or wrong and equally as much fun.
You can get VXs to handle very well through a good flat floor set up and I understand wide track helps with giving a sharper turn in. I don't think mine ever feels overly heavy, though I guess the grunt helps over come that.
You may struggle to find a nice HPC for your budget but many Sevens were bought as 'Engine Not Supplied' and owners then fitted their own C20XE engines, these tend to be a little cheaper - give away is the chassis numbering.
That said, whilst the prices for HPCs are pretty strong, whether they are actually selling for that is another matter.
I'm sure you won't but, if shopping, make sure you don't get confused with the Vauxhall 8v 1600s and the 16v 2000s!
Cheers
SS
Cheers for that.You can get VXs to handle very well through a good flat floor set up and I understand wide track helps with giving a sharper turn in. I don't think mine ever feels overly heavy, though I guess the grunt helps over come that.
You may struggle to find a nice HPC for your budget but many Sevens were bought as 'Engine Not Supplied' and owners then fitted their own C20XE engines, these tend to be a little cheaper - give away is the chassis numbering.
That said, whilst the prices for HPCs are pretty strong, whether they are actually selling for that is another matter.
I'm sure you won't but, if shopping, make sure you don't get confused with the Vauxhall 8v 1600s and the 16v 2000s!
Cheers
SS
I'm aware that I will have to go over my initial budget for a HPC but I'm potentially prepared to do this if the right one becomes available once I've sold my current two weekend toys.
How is the HPC off the mark? Do you happen to know the weight of a standard HPC as I've not found a great deal of info on them. Are regular rebuilds needed?
Cheers
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