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As a follow up, last weekend we had the 289 roadster out for a multi day, 287 mile tour in the hills of NW Georgia/Tenn/NC along with 67 other Cobra owners. Some had hardtops, some custom made bikini tops, or full soft tops (I am now down to 4 minutes 48 seconds as a best time to install from scratch, not including side curtains, which take another 20-30 seconds each side). As we had rolling thunderstorms and torrential rain, any time we were in the car past 3pm, the top was installed, before that, it was safely folded in the trunk. The only way to get in the car with the top up is head first. The shot below is for comparison purposes only:

I know you guys love pictures (me too)....

I did quite a bit of testing over the last couple of days. I've attached my log if anyone is interested. To summarize, here are my two best setups. This is the factory setup with the exception of 125 mains and 00 pump drains. These changes seem to smooth out the transitions quite well. On the low end, I like both the 45F6 and 45F9 idle jets. For now, I am going to stick with 45F9. I like the AFR at cruise with this setup. I didn't test the F11 tubes with 00 drains, so I plan to do this in the future. For now, I'm happy with how things ended up. Test Choke Aux Venturi Main Air Emulsion Idle Pump Jet Pump Drain Cruise AFR Progression AFR WOT AFR Change Made Result / Notes 5 32 4.5 125 165 F16 45F6 35 0 ~11 ~11 ~11 60 → 00 drain Very smooth, but rich 6 32 4.5 125 165 F16 45F9 35 0 ~12.5 ~12.5 ~14 Back to 45F9 Best so far Weber_DCOE_Tuning_81526.xlsx

Thanks @cobra8214

Stalker on BAT https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2007-brunton-stalker/

Thanks!

just stitched a loop on

Pierce Manifolds sells a couple of DCOE DVDs (which are great) - in them, Mike Pierce says that the range for the short tapered screws is 3/4 - 1.5 turns off the seat, and that the range for the long tapered ones is 2.5-3.5 turns.

My 2023 420 has the same plate. It was weighed for registration at 1300lbs. (Which sounds like a very round number to be truly accurate ). But that’s what I am going with. I do carry a bunch of crap with me and I have some lbs to myself. I did buy some cheap floor scales and will at some point weigh it myself.

Probably 360kg max load on front and 500kg on rear axle

It may be the gross vehicle weight rating listed on the placard.

One item that surprised me was the stated weight placard the placard showed 860kg. Until that moment I had been under the impression that the car weight a flexible 610kg That’s a significant difference 610 kg ≈ 1,345 lbs 860 kg ≈ 1,897lbs at 1900lbs, that’s damn close to my former Elise, and ~400lbs more than my old europa. The caterham web specs list the 610 and various publications reference that number. hp per ton certainly shifts a good bit. 610 kg: ≈ 508.2 hp/ton 860 kg: ≈ 360.5 hp/ton

Like I say, I don't know if they have a DOT number...

That’s good to know. A lot of people like them for Autocross around here as well. I see them in 15” and 14” on Tirerack. You say there is a 13” as well?

A quick update on my DCOE adventures: @SENC is correct. Thanks again for chiming in. Apparently, the useful range of the long taper screws is about 5 turns out from seated. With this in mind, I purchased another set of 45F9 idle jets. I tested these with my F11 emulsion tubes and left everything else factory. I found 12.5:1 at idle with the screws out 2.5 turns...perfect. From idle to cruise, it held ~12.5 very well. This resolved the rich cruising condition I've been working on. However, at WOT things started to go lean, as it did previously. Also, I was getting some spitting back through the carbs when I reved the engine. So, it appears I have a bit of leaness somewhere as the RPMs transition. Regardless, I am happy with how the 45F9 idle jets performed. So, I left them in and put the factory F16 emulsion tubes back in. The spitting went away, and the transition from cruise to WOT appeared steadier in terms of AFR. My observation is that the 45F9 idle jets seem to work better with F16 tubes than F11 tubes. It's a bit subjective, but Caterham seemed to have the same idea when they originally supplied these tubes. Long story short, I am back to the factory setup, and things are looking closer to optimized. This setup is probably just fine for people that aren't overly obsessive about this kind of thing. For the rest of us, hopefully this thread saves some headaches. I've tormented my neighbors enough for one evening, so tomorrow I am going to try 125 main jets in an attempt to richen WOT. If that doesn't work, I have 00 pump discharge valves to install. Making progress...

Wow!!! Amazing looking, can’t wait until you can drive it!

Lovely to see new frame colours as an option. I hope the builder can sign the car somewhere.

I didn’t think to look at that at all

I didn’t think to look at that at all

Hi @Darcy glad you found us. Did you take up Lotus7's offer and contact him? I have a friend who is looking at a barn find and will be interested in talking with other S2/S3 owners like him. Again, congrats on the win.

did not realize that Caterham was now building dual use chassis with provisions for RHD and LHD instead of two specific chassis, one for each. I was just under the impression that the chassis had always been duel configured. Also, are you are having the car completely built by the factory? We spent a few minutes on this today. for most factory US assembly cars, the build includes the fitment of the engine and includes first startup before removing the drive train for shipping for the 620, the engine is fitted, but not fired up. following quality inspection l, the drivetrain is removed and then shipped separately to the assemblies.

Ditto to all comments posted by the others, great colour combination, great spec and a FUNtastic adventure for you and your son to remember for decades to come. I also agree with the look and advantages of the padded, leather covered roll bar. It’s a rare option indeed and one I really appreciate on our car. A couple of notes, I did not realize that Caterham was now building dual use chassis with provisions for RHD and LHD instead of two specific chassis, one for each. Makes too much sense… hehehe Also, are you are having the car completely built by the factory? It was my understanding that under Caterham’s new US sales policies that the chassis and parts are shipped from England but that the engine is sourced in the US. I understand that the 620 is a different beast so I’m sure there are things I do not know.

Interesting. I have thought about ratchet straps for a Bimini. I could go over the internal bars on the cage so the straps wouldn't get into the headroom. Nothing on the topside to bother the storm cap. What method/parts did you use to add the loops?

Did you sneak a peak to see if your belts were dated ? That’s just where my mind goes. gorgeous car.

Thanks for sharing the photos. That has to be a fantastic experience for both of you. And -- hey, that's my dry sump tank!