First Caterham

[robbom3]

Hi All,

Considering my first Caterham. Know almost nothing about these cars other than by reputation.

Have no idea which one to go for given a budget of around £12K. Not an everyday car, only to be used for sunny days, and track days, and perhaps a little competition at some point.

Can anyone point me in the right direction in terms of useful information, advice, etc.

Any advice gratefully received.

[Mark83]

Sounds like you're in a similar boat to me.

I'm looking at ex Academy cars, track ready and road legal and within your budget.

[SMerK]

I bought my first Caterham last Dec. Use for commuting when poss. So wanted some reliability & economy. Bought 1.4 Rover K series supersport. Super & perfomance is amazing even at the 'entry' end of Cats.

I recommend looking at Lotus Seven Club website 'Blatchat' there is huge amount of info in archive here. I had a discussion re engines under 'my first caterham'. Also join the club - well worth it for info.

Good luck & go for it - I haven't looked back

SMerK

[B@W]

I bought my first Caterham this year in the shape of an R500.

Absolutely love it - can see me having a Seven of some description for quite a while

[Matt W]

Get yourself a decent ex academy car and come join in with the Lotus 7 Club's Speed Series (sprints and hillclimbs).

[robbom3]

Thanks to all for your replies. Going to go and look at a few cars, and perhaps doa test drive or two. I'm tempted to stretch the budget and go for a Superlight (maybe an R300).

I'm interested in the academy. What is the spec of the academy cars, and what sort of budget do you need for a seasons worth of racing ??

On a practical note, does anyone have any comments on depreciation. I've only just started looking at these cars, and my initial impression is that they don't depreciate much at all. if that's the case, I am tempted to go for a classic or roadsport to "get my feet wet" and then trade up to something a bit more lively later on.

[Mark83]

SMerK said:

I recommend looking at Lotus Seven Club website 'Blatchat' there is huge amount of info in archive here. I had a discussion re engines under 'my first caterham'. Also join the club - well worth it for info.

any other Caterham forums out there, I need to do my homework too.

[ewenm]

Mark83 said:

SMerK said:

I recommend looking at Lotus Seven Club website 'Blatchat' there is huge amount of info in archive here. I had a discussion re engines under 'my first caterham'. Also join the club - well worth it for info.

any other Caterham forums out there, I need to do my homework too.

If you're really brave, join one of these mailing lists and ask questions there: www.se7ens.net/ Beware though, some of the characters are best described as interesting or unusual perhaps...