Discussion
A few questions that i need help with after driving a caterham i looked at ???
The car felt and sounded as if the prop shaft was banging against the tunnel is this normal??
Rear arches and front wings how much are they to replace??
The car has a quaiffe box, arp racing clutch,live axle, the clutch comes in with a "bang" is this normal??
Any advice appreciated thanks
The car felt and sounded as if the prop shaft was banging against the tunnel is this normal??
Rear arches and front wings how much are they to replace??
The car has a quaiffe box, arp racing clutch,live axle, the clutch comes in with a "bang" is this normal??
Any advice appreciated thanks
Rear and front wings are fairly cheap. The rears just bolt onto the bodywork and I think they're under a hundred pounds each, and the fronts are even simpler and cost even less than that. When I bought my first seven I looked into it and it was £70 each for rears and £40 for fronts. That was 6 years ago, so it's probably more than that now. Funny thing is though that even now I've got a racing Caterham I've never actually cracked one or needed a replacement!
I've never heard banging under the transmission tunnel in a Caterham! That sounds odd.
As Eric says, drive a few before you buy. Caterhams can vary quite a bit; you get some cherished ones and some abused ones. Equally, the tiniest changes in setup can make them feel totally different to drive.
I'd reccomend looking at Caterham's stock. They're all original, usualyl in excellent condition, you get a warranty, comeback if something should be wrong, and they're very honestly priced with only a small markup.
I've never heard banging under the transmission tunnel in a Caterham! That sounds odd.
As Eric says, drive a few before you buy. Caterhams can vary quite a bit; you get some cherished ones and some abused ones. Equally, the tiniest changes in setup can make them feel totally different to drive.
I'd reccomend looking at Caterham's stock. They're all original, usualyl in excellent condition, you get a warranty, comeback if something should be wrong, and they're very honestly priced with only a small markup.
Just a quick question...
What engine is in the car? Only reason I ask is that the box & clutch seem quite 'expensive' and I would read into that that the engine may be a little uprated too?
Problem with uprated engines & live axles is that the half shafts are a potential weak point. Caterham Graduate/Classic car is the live axle version and there are usually a couple of incidents during the year with wheels leaving cars... with only 100bhp!
What engine is in the car? Only reason I ask is that the box & clutch seem quite 'expensive' and I would read into that that the engine may be a little uprated too?
Problem with uprated engines & live axles is that the half shafts are a potential weak point. Caterham Graduate/Classic car is the live axle version and there are usually a couple of incidents during the year with wheels leaving cars... with only 100bhp!
It's a blue printed crossflow motor and yes the other bits are expensive bits!! just been in to my local 7 dealer who will for a fee take a look at it, if the seller agrees!! forgot to mention has anyone converted the hand brake from the passenger footwell to the centre tunnel as i believe the first early caterhams had them built in that position
Any idea what kind of horsepower it is putting out? Again the live axle isn't the strongest and with 'stickier' tyres will put additional force onto it. Is the axle an 'Ital' axle or has it been changed to an English/Escort 'live' axle?
With regards to the handbrake location, it had been in that position (under dash) until 2000 then (I believe) that the rules & regs changed for SVA - something about not being able to reach it when belted up (dont quote me though?) - to change it would be difficult and cost prohibitive. You could speak to Arch Motors (Huntingdon) for a definitive answer though.
Why do you want to change its location?
The handbrake in the middle requires several chassis tubes which in turn mean that it is very rigid, if you get a side impact then your pelvis has 'nowhere to go' (guess the consequence) whereas with the under dash handbrake the central section is aluminium, which will crumple if the above should happen. Hence why the race chassis retained the under dash handbrake... although I think that they are all central mounted i.e. Academy cars.
With regards to the handbrake location, it had been in that position (under dash) until 2000 then (I believe) that the rules & regs changed for SVA - something about not being able to reach it when belted up (dont quote me though?) - to change it would be difficult and cost prohibitive. You could speak to Arch Motors (Huntingdon) for a definitive answer though.
Why do you want to change its location?
The handbrake in the middle requires several chassis tubes which in turn mean that it is very rigid, if you get a side impact then your pelvis has 'nowhere to go' (guess the consequence) whereas with the under dash handbrake the central section is aluminium, which will crumple if the above should happen. Hence why the race chassis retained the under dash handbrake... although I think that they are all central mounted i.e. Academy cars.
Will this be your first Caterham? If it is, you appear to be buying a rather extreme car with a spec that will make it hard to sell on...and almost certainly a car that has raced at some time in its life. It sounds like it has a competition clutch too. Is the Quaife the 5 speed manual or a sequential? Does it howl in every gear except 4th for instance?
Who's your local Caterham dealer?
May I ask how much you are looknig to pay for this car - do you have a link to the site where it's being advertised?
Who's your local Caterham dealer?
May I ask how much you are looknig to pay for this car - do you have a link to the site where it's being advertised?
Edited by rubystone on Wednesday 30th April 10:50
I would have said the "thunk" could have been the half-shafts moving on corners, had it been an Ital. Easy to fix with some shims.
It does seem quite a specialised car. Definately worth getting a drive in some others, and someone else to have a look. It could be a bargain, as others have said the more messed about from original sevens do take a price drop.
p.s. Don't understand all this Ital-hate
Shims, the secret oil seal magic trick, jobs a good un Just don't catch some single wheel air over track kerbs and you are fine.
It does seem quite a specialised car. Definately worth getting a drive in some others, and someone else to have a look. It could be a bargain, as others have said the more messed about from original sevens do take a price drop.
p.s. Don't understand all this Ital-hate
Shims, the secret oil seal magic trick, jobs a good un Just don't catch some single wheel air over track kerbs and you are fine. http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/480173.htm yes my first caterham purchase and Nobles is my local dealer, straight cut 4 speed box, the owner also has a sprint engine too!!! maybe i need to see a few more?? £10:000 budget
There are two possibilities with a car like this. It's either a specialist car that has been well put together and modded over the years. Or it's complete s
te.
It's cheap, but one of the above will be a very painful/expensive owner experience!
It's worth getting an expert opinion as it is cheap, but it's probable that you would be better off with a more standard, mainstream car.
I'd get it checked out.
Bert
te.It's cheap, but one of the above will be a very painful/expensive owner experience!
It's worth getting an expert opinion as it is cheap, but it's probable that you would be better off with a more standard, mainstream car.
I'd get it checked out.
Bert
How many have you looked at? There are plenty of Caterhams out there in immaculate condition that won't cause you any concern at all. I'd advise going to see a few more before making a buying decision. Do look at Caterham Cars' stock too, they're not hugely marked up like some official dealer stock is.
ro55ifumi said:
Hoping to go to Stoneliegh at the weekend, and see a few more.
Also maybe pop along to your local Lotus 7 Club meet. It's the best car club out there IMHO. Most local meets have 10 to 20 cars in attendance, and owners are normally only too happy to show you round them. It'll give you a flavour of what's out there.Quite a few Sevens up to the late 1990s, when the old solid rear axle line was finally discontinued, are on "Q" plates (like mine). The "Q" plate in itself is not a problem when dealing with Caterhams. The provenance, specification and condition of the car itself are the main things.
Cheap car maybe - depends on how straight it is - on ACB10s too isn't it? I don't like those on the road they tramline too much but on track are great.
As others have said, £7k isn't expensive. I don't understand why the propshaft bangs on the tunnel though - seems a little odd - almost as if the drivetrain isn't aligned properly?
As others have said, £7k isn't expensive. I don't understand why the propshaft bangs on the tunnel though - seems a little odd - almost as if the drivetrain isn't aligned properly?
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