Going slowly in a Caterham

[fergus]

I took the car out at the weekend (for the first time in around a year), but even though I had one of the kids with me, I found it very frustrating going (relatively) slowly. Am I missing something here?

I only really enjoy the car when "pressing on", although this could get into illegal territory very quickly. Going slowly ends up with the diff clunking, a bit of driveline shunt, etc. Also, even though I live in the Chilterns, with some cracking roads, they are not quite big enough/well sighted enough to properly get on it, without risk of tractors pulling out of fields, people coming out of driveways, etc.

I can't see the point in "show and shine" type gatherings either, or sitting round a group of similar cars with a picnic hamper.

The "Caterham on the road" argument currently sits with me like the "Radical on a trackday" point: when it works, it's awesome, however, the opportunities for this are limited....

Racing / Trackdays / Nurburgring trips are largely behind me now due to family commitments.

Anyone else have similar dilemmas?

Does this leave the "for sale" option?

Edited by fergus on Monday 8th May 12:44

[fergus]

Equus said:

Yup, I came to the same conclusion long ago.

For UK road use, I prefer something that can be driven, rather than dawdled, a lot more of the time, without it being illegal, antisocial or just plain dangerous: cars like the Lotus Elan, Westfield Eleven and original Mini.

+1.

I have a 1969 Alfa Giulia which I'm currently building a warmed 2 litre engine for which may fit this bill.

I think the Caterham space in the garage may soon be occupied with 2 less wheels....

[fergus]

KN02LEY said:

Agreed, slow running is a total pain. My solution is to find the roads where you aren't forced to go unnaturally slowly. I'm lucky in that I have the Ribble valley, Trough of Bowland and West Pennines close by. Additionally the Lake District and Peak District aren't too far away either. If this isn't viable for you, maybe a big bike is the answer?

Apologies if I come across as a smug git, it isn't intentional :-)

Smugness accepted!

Already got the bike!

The other problem is that even when not going "slowly", I find I can be going down a road at a similar speed to how I would be going in a more vanilla "quick car", but wanting to push the Caterham to actually make use of its grip and power, i.e. in the 6-8k rpm band between the gears. Alas, this is even less "socially acceptable" now than it was 10 years ago....

[fergus]

rubystone said:

Exactly what I was going to suggest. But frankly, this is just Fergus getting old. When he says the space will be occupied by something else, I think it might be battery powered...

Two words:





















Rolling burnout

[fergus]

jimhcat said:

First world problem here.
I can't really see the problem though. Driving a Caterham on the road is bound by the same rules as any other high performance car or bike. Personally I live for track days when I can unleash my car without worry of being fined, banned or prison. I do drive it on the road but tend to obey the speed limits but I don't find this makes the car less enjoyable. I don't particularly enjoy being stuck in traffic but the car handles it fine and you just have to be patient.

My pet hate is people who follow too close to the car in front and have no intention of ever overtaking. If you can't get past the whole queue in one go and have to cut in you generally get loads of flashing etc. If they left a suitable gap and/or looked in their mirror there wouldn't be a problem.

It may well be a "first world problem", but given what the car <can> do from a performance perspective, my post was relating to the fact that even on "empty" roads, it's still frustrating having the power, etc but not really being in a position to use it. I imagine supercar owners have similar issues, but their cars, although a lot bigger on the road physically, could be considered less of a compromise (roof, aircon, etc, etc).

Not a rant, more my thoughts.

[fergus]

TimAla said:

I've recently bought a Caterham, wishing to re-live the joys (and forgetting the rest) of my twin-cam in the 70s. Ignoring the passage of 40 years and buying the car from a photo was probably never going to end well, and suffice to say I have found the car a struggle. I suppose I was a bit shocked to find a vehicle produced nowadays and purported suitable for road use was such a pig to drive. The power isn't an issue; I'm used to powerful cars. The 'basic' nature of the vehicle, the trials of ingress/egress and melting trousers and fried shins was all expected. The child and dog only needed to burn themselves once; that silver thing is hot and they're not stupid.

It is the fact that poodling around at low speeds is really unpleasant, a fact that has prompted this thread. With backfiring, drivetrain clunking, horrendous gearbox noises, stuttering, kangarooing and general commotion, you do have wonder whether it is a suitable daily driver. I put it away in October for a re-think, and reverted to my 'normal' car for the winter, which I had not intended to do.

A New Year, a New Hope. I've basically decided to man-up, and have taken the car by the scruff and impressed on it who's in charge. I'm driving it, not the other way around. Has this changed things? Yes, radically. I now have positive feelings, and I just power through the negatives, literally and figuratively. If I'd wanted a pussy car I'd have bought something else. The biggest problem is remaining entirely legal at all times; I've never incurred a motoring violation and don't wish to start now. Talk about dreaming the impossible dream.

Not quite my sentiments....

Imagine taking your daily driver for a "spirited cross country drive" (decent roads, light traffic, etc, etc). My frustration lies with the fact that in the Caterham, I doubt the same journey, at the same time could be made much faster. I've raced both cars and bikes, so "taking it by the scruff of the neck" isn't an issue. It may just be me getting older and having the nagging doubt of "social responsibility" in the back of my mind, rather than driving like an aggressive muppet, carving through the "traffic".

[fergus]

JustCallMeMac said:

Eugene7 said:

I think this is actually more of an issue as to what 7 you have...
I have an Ital live axle, 2L 210bhp Zetec, with 5 speed box.
I can potter around town at silly slow speeds with no issues at all - no drive-line shunt; no kangarooing; no axle/diff noise; no nothing...
I can do most of this in 3rd gear too (other than when pulling away from stop).

I borrowed a mate's R500, and it was a bh!
Loads of mechanical noise, and hated being driven on small throttle openings at low speeds...

I can echo this entirely.

Had a 210bhp Zetec Westfield on Jenvey TB's mated to an SPC rocket-ratio Type 9 (5spd) and with a Subaru diff and I could drive it easily and smoothly at any speed, with next to no mechanical noise. Was the perfect road and track car and I regret selling her on.

Now have an R500D and it's certainly a bit noisier and needs a lot of throttle and clutch control at low speeds / revs, which makes it a complete PITA in slow moving traffic and this despite a remap by 'the two Steves' and using a new MBE 9A4 ecu. (A characteristic of RBTB's?). Get rolling though and the car is absolutely epic and all is quickly forgiven and forgotten!

So going back to Track n Road to see if they can smooth things out a bit.

My point wasn't relating the semantics of "how well mapped my car is", etc, but more the 'concept' of a 7 on modern roads. Given the nature of the car (whether 130 or 300hp), I find it a frustrating experience driving on the roads. The car is very single purpose. Think Radical on a normal track (not test) day, and Radical owners who don't race probably have similar feelings.