The big one....

[em177]

So:

I have the funds to buy a caterham, I driven one, and I want one.

But. I only have an underground (electric gated) garage.

Would you? And should I?

It'd be dry stored but there's another 50 or so cars down there, and technically anyone in the 75+ flats in the block could go down there.

[tight fart]

Go down there and what?

[em177]

tight fart said:

Go down there and what?

My main concern Is security. I don't live in the most desirable area.

[caterham_lad]

Take the steering wheel off, it will have an immobilizer. fit a wheel clamp.

[framerateuk]

Personally, I wouldn't, but then others have left theirs outside with no issues.

I had a flat with gated parking, and came down to find my bumper and spoiler missing one day. When I bought my 7 it lived in my in-laws' garage until we moved into a house with a proper garage.

[neil-935ql]

I don't think I could do this , would not sit at all right with me at all , but then I am very weird with my cars and bikes . I get a bit funny at a family BBQ when people are entering my garage ( for a beer from the drinks fridge ) , thinking they could be somehow interfering with my seven or my bikes . KEEP AWAY FROM THE CAR !

[battered]

neil-935ql said:

I don't think I could do this , would not sit at all right with me at all , but then I am very weird with my cars and bikes . I get a bit funny at a family BBQ when people are entering my garage ( for a beer from the drinks fridge ) , thinking they could be somehow interfering with my seven or my bikes . KEEP AWAY FROM THE CAR !

Christ, you are weird. You don't trust your family and friends to get a beer without damaging your precious cars? Get a grip. Nobody's interested in your car. They just want a beer. Does your wife get so hung up on the hall carpet?

To the op, get the car. Insure it.

[coppice]

Very few people even know what Sevens are , so are less inclined to vandalise them than a 'look at me ' Porsche or AMG etc and as long as you remove the wheel (as much to stop it from being nicked rather than the car itself ) there should be nothing remotely to worry about . Just get a dust cover and enjoy it .

The bonus is you will be regarded as an interesting eccentric and will also make new friends - everybody wants to talk to Sevenista about their ...'kit car, 'Morgan' , 'vintage car' etc and you will learn to preface every conversation with 'Actually it's a ...' and as you explain Caterham's purchase in '73 before discussing the Add Lightness mantra your audience will slowly dissolve and won't trouble you again .

[bcr5784]

Spot on!

[battered]

Absolutely spot on! Once you have explained that the trunnions came from Standard Triumph and were used in all 7s from the beginning all the way through to 1995 on some versions, you'll be free from any boring dinner party invitations and you can just enjoy your car.

[subirg]

Do it! I kept my seven in a gated multi storey garage in my old place with no problems. Car was never touched. Never damaged. I always made sure to button the car up and take the steering wheel and cut off with me. It was absolutely fine.

[Huff]

FFS OP, get a grip & just do it. I run BEC and a daily and live in a city centre flat (Bath) with no parking (juggling onstreet with 1 lockup). Never had a 'problem'; as Battered said - buy car, insure it. Enjoy car.

A bit like the slave's job to whisper in the ear of Caesar receiving his Triumph - remember it's just a car.

[huwp]

Would you have access to power to be able to use a trickle charger? If not you would be wise to have a battery cut-off fitted. Mine will go flat after a relatively short time when off charge.

[Huff]

+1 to that - easy, cheap, and good secondary security measure also.
Disconnected batteries IME are good for on-the -button restart months later (no problem at >4months on just a 10Ah motorcycle battery in mine...)

However
If you go for a cut-off switch, do buy the decent £25 ish FIA-approved ones, not the barely-any-cheaper knock-offs: because the FIA ones incorporate multiple terminals and internal shorting resistance to ignition circuit etc (and provide decent wiring diagrams!), which ensures it would shut-down gracefully* - in case you use the thing in anger one day, say on a track day gone wrong, and need it to kill the engine.

* i.e avoiding the alternator running the the engine without battery support and so risk killing both the ecu and alternator through over-voltage / load-dump spikes. Cheap £8 battery isolators just don't care about this - they simply separate the battery from the rest of the electrical system. A potentially very-expensive, one-shot device the day you need it ...

Edited by Huff on Tuesday 6th June 21:12

[neil-935ql]

Seems most people are saying go for it , I guess the issue for me would the dirt dust build up , I have worked in underground car parks maintaining lights , and these places can be pretty dirty , get a decent cover for it and it could work , I would still struggle a bit to leave my pride and joy in a shared car park , but I guess it is just a car and if that's your only option . Is there any pigeons leaving there mess ? This is pretty disgusting also. I hope it works out for you , good luck , they are great cars .

[coppice]

My car used to live in a converted - just- pigsty . It leaked , was dusty and damp. I did carcoon my Seven in winter but otherwise it wasn't remotely problematic. If OP wants a Seven then just bloody buy one- don't find reasons not to. You'll thank us .

[Eugene7]

For the first years of my 7 ownership (many years) Eugene was parked outside on the road when not being driven...
Would have loved to have had access to a shared garage!

Even now I park Eugene at our local railway stn. when travelling into town.
(I use Eugene as my daily runabout as much as possible...)



Stop worrying, and just get on with it!!!

[MXM]

I would, and I do (albeit not in UK). You're going to be worried for a few weeks at first, but you'll get used to it

If this is the last step on your path to 7-ownership, don't let it stop you. And there is always insurance, anyway.

[unclefester]

Huff said:

+1 to that - easy, cheap, and good secondary security measure also.
Disconnected batteries IME are good for on-the -button restart months later (no problem at >4months on just a 10Ah motorcycle battery in mine...)

However
If you go for a cut-off switch, do buy the decent £25 ish FIA-approved ones, not the barely-any-cheaper knock-offs: because the FIA ones incorporate multiple terminals and internal shorting resistance to ignition circuit etc (and provide decent wiring diagrams!), which ensures it would shut-down gracefully* - in case you use the thing in anger one day, say on a track day gone wrong, and need it to kill the engine.

* i.e avoiding the alternator running the the engine without battery support and so risk killing both the ecu and alternator through over-voltage / load-dump spikes. Cheap £8 battery isolators just don't care about this - they simply separate the battery from the rest of the electrical system. A potentially very-expensive, one-shot device the day you need it ...

Edited by Huff on Tuesday 6th June 21:12

I did this when I had to use the external cutoff handle at high revs on a Caterham.

It had managed to gobble a filter 'sock' and jammed the Webers at WOT going up a hill, The doors were off, I grabbed the kill switch.... not knowing it was the cheapo type without ballast, and terminated the alternator.

I suppose it was a reasonable price to pay for not crashing.