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I'm in London for work, so booked the factory tour way back and went this morning. Super easy to take the train and one short bus ride from the city. Was really fun, when I mentioned I had recently got my 420 Cup, they called with the guy who build it and they dropped me off at his bay, and we had a nice long chat (he said they only have done something like 19 of them so far and he has built 9 of them). They had 4 or 5 cars under red car covers with the suspension and wheels removed, those they said were already built then disabled and coming to the USA. One USA car being built they said was this brownish one. I think it was an Aston Martin brown he said. If it's your car, I took a few more photos I can pass along . In fact, I think I tried to take a picture of every car that was being built, so if yours is still in process, I bet I have a picture of two of it. Seemed like over 1/2 were going to Japan though and most others getting assembled were non-USA cars. If you blow these up, I think you can see most of the ones being built One of my favorite colors was this white one with a white painted dash, looks really great in person. Made me second guess my color choice about 100 times as I went through the factory. A few more random photos.

Trying to see where I might bump into fellow 7 owners. Where and who are you all driving with? I am located in Pittsburgh and would love to bump into some other 7 owners at track event. I am a newbie outside of the now defunct PittRace. I just ventured out to Nelson Ledges with Chin Track Days, which aside from cruddy facilities was a really fun lap and I will be going back. Now that I paid the Chin membership fee, I am thinking about attending their event at Summit main on July 4/5th. https://chintrackdays.com/event-details.aspx?q=5ZPP1Gu2V14%3d Anyone else going? Which venues are 7 friendly? I have noticed quite a few don't allow 7s - namely PCA. Chin actually doesn't either, at least in instructed novice according to a post for 2012, but somehow I was able to register and do an event without issue.

First track day this year and first time at Nelson Ledges

Thank you to everyone who helped me figure this towing nonsense and indulged me and my unnecessary long posts! Last weekend, for the first time, I towed my Caterham to a track weekend and now I think I can add my final thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Towing setup recap: - 2026 Nissan frontier with a tow mode button and Redarc Tow-Pro Liberty Brake Controller - Steel frame 7x14 v-nose tandem axle car mate avalanche trailer (2375# empty) - 1280 lbs s3 caterham strapped down over the wheels via floor mounted etrack with ratchet straps. - Tongue weight was right at 15%. - Standard hitch - no sway/weight distribution - Hitch and door locks. - Grip tape on the ramp doors My first towing trip was a hair over 2 hours, 90% highways with 70mph speed limits. The weather was not very good - windy and rainy. I keep speeds around 55-65mph to play it safe and improve mpg a little - you can tell the trailer is acting as a huge air brake the entire time. Through the seat of my pants I could feel some very minor bouncing as well as sway/movement from wind gusts and hitting standing water. Surprisingly, the most movement I felt was not from semis passing me, but rather SUVs that were going ~30 mph faster than me, which I did not really expect. Overall, it pulled fine and I would do a very long trip with a standard hitch without much thought. I do have the Anderson WDH, so I might just install it since I already have it. So I did a >2hr stint in the truck and it was so, so, so much nicer than if I had to drive the Caterham. I had heated seats, took a phone call, listened to music, and enjoyed a cup holder. I also could comfortable shoes. Pure luxury! I probably would have cancelled the event and been out a decent chunk of change because of the weather without this new setup. The weather was atrocious all weekend. It was raining cats and dogs. The car only got wet when I took it out to do some ice skating on the track and once when I thought it was clearing up and I was stuck in a classroom. It was awesome to have a little home base at the track to stay out of the weather as well. Being able to lock up the trailer after the track day gave me a nice sense of security as well. This weekend also made me think of a few things that would be nice to have outside of just the bare bones trailer. 1. An extended roof at the rear to let less rain in the trailer when the ramp was down 2. Maybe a tent of cover the rear ramp when raining 3. mounted paper towel holders 4. mounted clipboard 5. A little shelf 6. hangers for helmet/hans/gloves 7. maybe a hanger for the nose cone and hood

Today is the day... The WCM is headed to its new home.

Mine started acting up last year. Tweaked the gap spacing and it worked as intended. The light does pulse when you rotate the hub and the reluctor wheel passes by sensor. One attempt had it reading well at low speed but above 60-70 it would act erratic. Small tweak to gap fix this. (2023 420r) https://www.caterhamlotus7.club/forums/topic/257730-speedo-sensor-replace/

Thanks.... I'll give that a shot as razor thin as I can get it without touching.... but I do have a new one enroute

FWIW / YRMV (ref: 2008 S3 Duratec) I went thru a similar iteration, replacing the sensor after the speedo started acting erratic and then quit altogether. Still no go with a new sensor with the gap set at 0.8mm (my 2007 assembly guide (supplied w/ the car) says 1.0mm gap, more recent guides Duratec 2.0 on say 0.8-0.9mm gap). After reading trials and tribulations of others on the Caterham and Lotus Seven Club site (one report of reducing the gap to 0.5mm to get it right), I started reducing the gap and at 0.45-0.5mm (0.020") or so (best I can measure, looks tight) it now works perfectly. I never was able to see the fiber optic light thru the small hole in the side of the sensor, lite or not. I wonder if my original sensor was fine all along with the gap just out of wack. You might try adjusting the gap before purchasing a new sensor. Cheers! Steve

Modeling the bare minimum for a proper harness.

Exocet (250whp turbo BP4W) and Hyundai Kona N. Looking to add something more 7ish…

The steering box seems to be from a Ford Escort MK2, built from 1974-1980. But for the Birkin the middle tube was shortened on the right side. That's why the tie rod boot on the left is standard Ford Escort MK2 but on the right side one from Renault was used (Part number 7701469497).

Josh is a good dude, always willing to help out.

Yes it is. Pawleys Island is a great area, as is Wilmington.

Thanks Dave, We’ve been to the Outer Banks a lot. It’s a great place to visit, but it’s not a place we would want to live. My wife’s family is down in Hilton Head, so she’s thinking down there somewhere. HH is nuts in the summer with all the vacation traffic..

as in, "outer banks is cool but mostly straight and salty" ?

Happy to offer guidance/assistance for the coastal areas of SC/NC - have lived in SE NC for a long time and spent a good deal of time with up and down the Carolina coast. They're not great areas for your Seven, though.

On a Maine road-trip for the next bit (sans 7, unfortunately) - but will explore the links when I can. I'd definitely like to do something like this - but struggling to prioritize it against other demands on my time (thus my likelihood of selling it on sometime this year).

I am always excited to get into the cat and go for a drive. If it’s a decent amount of miles I am also excited to get out of it. That’s how I know it’s a long enough drive. A trip out to Colorado or across the country is on my bucket list. @CWThomson well done. That’s no small achievement.

I just had a full hood. Given lack of luggage space, and unpredictable weather along the route, I needed to have a full hood (especially for parking overnight). Having some shade together with a breeze would have been nice. I'm tempted to get one of the roll bar mounted bags for the hood to free up some of the trunk space. Being 6'3", the hood makes a "fun" entry and exit so tended to avoid using it as much as possible. On a fast moving road, without the hood, the breeze was just about ok even with the high heat but coming into LA traffic was pretty tough. It did feel good getting into my first car after 3 weeks in the Caterham and experiencing AC again! I did also think my steering was broken on my regular car but it just took a while to get used to power steering again! :-)

At least in ny you need a vin to get insurance. And insurance to register. So the ny dmv inspects and assigns a vin. At that point the make is “custom”. Preliminarily I asked Hagerty if they would insure and caterham and then asked for a quote. $2400/ year which surprised me. Then when I got the vin assigned and they designated “custom” it was $1200. Even with my mco and all the invoices from caterham to prove worth. Hagerty said. It’s custom not caterham $1200. but @Vovchandr agree with you on the model/maker designation, especially on agreed value makes no sense. I’ll take one of the few financial wins in that whole process.

Time to add more here. This is for new guys who may not know the difference between the two types of coolant tanks. This thread uses overflow, recovery, and pressure tank terms frequently without really explaining what is what. Recovery or Overflow tank: an open air vessel that holds coolant that is purged from under a radiator cap when the engine is hot and during pressure surges like hard accelerations. The cap and hose are usually located at the top of a radiator or on the head as part of a thermostat housing or swirl pot. The vessel holds the coolant until it gets pulled back in when the engine cools. There should be enough extra coolant kept in a recovery tank to ensure the hose doesn't pull in air. Expansion tank: a vessel that holds extra coolant in circulation under pressure. The hot coolant flows into it and pulls back when the engine cools. There is not a radiator cap, the radiator is typically sealed. The cap on the expansion tank regulates the pressure, but unlike the radiator cap, coolant does not flow through it, this cap stays above an air gap. Typically, a "closed" system expansion tank should be half full of coolant at all times, expanding with the temperature but not needing an overflow tank. Most road vehicles since the 90's will have this type of system with an input hose at the top of the vessel coming from the thermostat housing hot side, an output hose at the bottom going to the lower radiator hose or the cool side and an overflow hose at the filler neck that drains to the ground, if needed. For sporting applications, the overflow should be captured in a recovery tank to prevent spills and is usually a safety regulations requirement. Location, location, location. For open radiator cap systems, the height doesn't matter as air bubbles are purged out and vacuum pulls coolant back in. For closed expansion tank systems, the tank should be located where the tank cap can be the highest point for efficient air bubble egress. Above the highest coolant level in the engine or radiator. Regardless of which system you use, and why, realize that a failure of the cooling system can destroy your engine. Pressure caps are wear items and should not be expected to last forever. In a 7 where the coolant recovery tank is often located in front under the nose, it's not very visible. And even if you do see coolant in it, are you sure the cap is working? Choose the system that you can watch. I prefer a closed system because the level in the tank is the level in your whole system at all times and temperatures. If there is a loss happening, it will be more visible from an expansion tank mounted on the scuttle than a recovery tank under the nose. Can I use my current thermostat housing from Caterham for a closed sys? Yes, if you can fit a cap that is not an overflow pressure cap. The outlet barb should go to the top inlet barb on the expansion tank (not the overflow barb). On those pressure caps, only the lower seal holds pressure. The top seal has no guarantee of it. It's better to use a housing without a cap so you don't have a failure point. Also be aware of those housings elbows that have the vertical nipple , those nipples are glued in and have been known to come off. Some Formula Ford tracks don't allow them. The nipple can be replaced with a threadded brass barb.

Oatman was amazing. The whole time I was driving it, all I could think about was having a 7. I didn't miss the 7 for that stretch out into california - outside temp was close to 100 degrees. Did you run a half hood?

Would you share the contact info for your JC Taylor broker? i'm currently at $1,356/yr to insure my CSR at $68k and my 2007 Elise at $40k (probably need to raise the value).

I sent Josh my r400 as the Bimmer dif was toast and I just didn't feel like doing the work myself.... I always have but am at the point of let someone else do it if I think they'll do it right. Steve Perks (Tracsport) sent the LSD he built to Josh (40 lb. pre load 3.64 gears) directly whilst I sent the car. I also had the shocks changed back to the original adj. Bilstein's and the height set to fast road, and the toe/camber (when I bought the car both sets of shocks came with).... that is the same set up Josh uses on his 420r. I find the Bilstein's to be as firm on hard corners (round a bouts) as the Nitrons (but they were on their lowest setting...which is firm, can't imagine the high settings/track only). They replaced the accessory Gates belt and I bought 4 new wheels from Beachman Racing (thanks, Bruce, very quick and reasonable shipping). The car came with 4 8x13 wheels with a 185/55 mounted up front.... no bueno... I suspect the seller bunged a wheel and used what was available. Now properly shod. The Tracsport is much quieter and less 'clunky' than the old Bimmer...especially no high pitched whine and strange noises. On the road I'll never really test it at its limits and that's fine. I found Josh to be very helpful/informative and very fair in pricing. Ram Logistics (transport out of Phx, Az.) was also professional and very reasonable and have worked with Josh on numerous occasions. Being close didn't hurt either.

That was my assumption but wanted to ask..... easy to fix with the replacement... the newer ones are supposedly more stout.