Kitcat

Wow, that is pretty generous! Anyone here have an SV that I can borrow for a day:)?

Quite an adventure, congratulations! You put more mileage on your se7en in less than a month than most do over the period of their ownership:)! Are your ears still ringing? Are you tired of answering questions at gas stations? How much does the tank actually hold? I look forward to reading your follow-up reports, including the inevitable upgrades/improvements.

Vlad: you must have a pretty stout Zetec? When I last drove T-bolt, I just left it in 5th, where it maxed out at 7200 rpm's, as shifting to 6th was so momentary before downshifting again. Of course with my 15" rear wheels, my effective gearing was different than yours. But, per my Garmin, I was topping out at 115-117 mph (vs 105-107 mph in my Xflow).

$14,500? About 2/3s-1/2 its value, IMHO. Should sell fast. At that price I am tempted:)! Thx to the magic of Bring a Trailer (BAT), prices of this spec Cat have gone thru the roof.

What about a push-start, just to see what happens? If it really is a weak starter, the momentum of the car should do it. I used a rope for a tow back when I was having starter issues with my X-Flow Caterham: once moving (5-10 mph), pop the clutch in 2nd, engine springs to life, hopefully. Or park on a hill? We have all been there. Maybe you have weak battery?

My '03 Zetec powered Caterham uses a starter from a 2000-2004 Ford Focus w/DOHC engine and manual transmission, Denso part number 2805118. No idea if Zetec Birkins use the same one tho.

This build has obviously been a labor of love. So cool that you and Bruce are the ones making this ultimate Caterham happen. Biggest changes over the current CSR seem to be the adjustable suspension with trick shocks, traction/launch control, throttle blipper, and the paddle shifter Sadev transmission. It looks like peak power wont be all that different? I thought your current CSR made in the 300 hp range also? Or is torque way up and the torque/hp curve fatter? I didn't see dry sump in your list of specs but am sure its there. Roll over bar in a car capable of 160 mph seems pretty brave. Bruce built, or had built for him, the roll cage for my Cat and no one else's comes close to offering the protection it does (esp Caterham's). I get that you want it to be usable for the street but you have your current car for that, right? I love the color. I cant wait to see more pix. What do you think all of this will weigh (Around 1,400 lbs.?).

I am speechless! (that won't last tho:)).

Thx Croc: So "S" stands for Road and "R" stands for Sport? Makes total sense, in a Caterham sort of way:). Given that the Caterham seats are typically on sliders, the weight balance will also be affected by where on the slider the seat is. I sat in my Cat when it was aligned. Just moving the seat up or back one position totally threw the alignment off. Skip: patent pending???

Craig Chima brought home the gold in his FP Lotus 7:)! Super kudos to him. He has won it all in EP, FP and GP now. Miatas filled out the podium. Very exciting race, esp the last 2 laps after the first place Integra suffered a mechanical failure, letting Craig into the lead. The lead Lotus 7 went out early with a mechanical problem.

I will be watching! Craig always seems to get a super fast launch, so it will be interesting to see how he does this year. I am surprised that se7ens are in front of the Miatas, etc., given their aero disadvantage on this high speed track.

Krtypton: The Belmont NC tuner is a member of this forum and goes by 1TurboFocus here. He is known as TurboTom on the Focus Forums. He is a long time Zetec builder and tuner and is also very involved in Duratecs. Since your engine is so rare, I doubt that he knows of it or its spec.

Once I started wearing a balaclava, all of my issues with my glasses were solved. Before that, putting the helmet on would knock the glasses off, or way down, and re-positioning was challenging, and occasionally damaging to the (expensive) fragile glasses frame. Initially, I switched to glasses with a heavy plastic frame for racing only. I now have a set of 5-8 balaclavas that I take to each event. They protect the glasses so the helmet slips right on. Some times a very minor adjustment is needed once the helmet is on. When I am done, I pull the glasses straight out then remove the helmet. I take so many as I also use them to absorb head sweat. It really helps in the summer and protects the helmet from getting soaked. Maybe just an issue for those of us more follically challenged types?

I used to park my '97 Caterham in the cart return corral to avoid dings on Kroger runs:).

AstroBob. I'd add Rocky Mountain Caterham to the mix of top Caterham dealers in the U.S.A. Per their website they have sold 8 new Caterhams thus far in 2020 with more on the way. Given that something like 19 Caterhams, total, were sold in the U.S in '19 (per the ongoing R&T article abt their Caterham build), no dealer can make much of a volume claim. Rather, it seems that Caterham expertise, parts inventory, repair and upgrade services are what separates Beachman and RMC from the rest. I have had significant experience with both and their attention to detail and excellent customer service have allowed Caterham to a visible brand in the USA. And, I'd add Tom Carlin's Birkin USA into the top 3 se7en resources in the States.

Congratulations Ahavams! Great car at an amazing price, if it's half as good as it looks, you stole it! As Croc noted in his detailed write up, the weak link was the rear diff attachments on early versions. Fix it, if needed, and drive it like you stole it, which you did:)!

There was a supercharged 6 cyl Stalker in the advanced group at Putnam last weekend. It was faster than my Miata:). (Caterham is undergoing repairs).

The CSR 260 is a whole lotta Caterham for that price. Which makes me wonder, like Croc. Seller says it handles so well you "literally" dont have to brake for turns:)! Right, it must have some new advanced F1 technology. Or the seller is clueless....

It's all so simple....

Beautiful high spec Caterham Bruce! What transmission (5sp, 6sp?). And, does this price include the engine, ECU etc? After years of astronomically high prices for Caterham kits, without engine/drivetrain, I still have trouble grasping the new, lower prices. How much is added to the price if your company builds this?

A bit of toe out makes the turn-in happen faster. But it also makes the car twitchy to drive (less inclined to go straight), especially as the front tires get wider and stickier. Is rear toe adjustable on Stalkers? If so, what are folks running? I would assume that V8 power could influence that setting? While we are at it, what about rake front to back, and caster? I recently had my Miata aligned. Without me the front toe was -2.7 left, and -2.4 right. With me in the car it was -2.5 both sides. Just pointing out that having you, or your equivalent weight, in the car can influence the settings.

Until this year, Ohio required a front plate. I never had one on any of my cars, se7ens and otherwise, and never got a ticket. Maybe just lucky? If I had on-street parking only (rather than my garage) maybe things would have been different? There have been various posts on this issue over the years so maybe do a search here? As I recall, someone had a swivel mount so the plate swung under the car at speed and dropped down when parked.

The price of the above BAT Caterham is already $21K,with six days to go. This for the lowest spec Cat there is (1600 cc X-Flow, 4 sp, solid rear axle, no paint, etc.). I like the car a lot, but 10 years ago you couldn't give this spec Caterham away. The R&T article on their Caterham build says 19 were sold in the U.S.A in 2019, so maybe rarity is helping? And Covid seems to be sending folks into fun social-distancing activities (camping, boating-not to mention drinking:)).

I will also have to be a no-show this year(:. Our vacation to the mountains of N Carolina was planned for this new date, and my car is still in pieces. The upside is someone else will have a shot at one of the coveted post event awards, which I have cleaned up on over the years!

That was a fun ride-along. I don't know the track so can't comment on your lines. But I think you need a wing:)! So many fast cars in your group with huge wings. Always a sign of great manliness. I saw you had a top speed of 127 mph, which is pretty fast for one of these little mobile barn doors. Never heard a Caterham described as a tire shredder, what tire were you running? I like your track set up (cage, shifter light, Aim Solo, great video with car/track metrics).