Kitcat

I have a '97 Caterham classic, with standard cloth seats (not adjustable for rake) wh/I drive with the lights on and in a lower gear than necessary around town to make sure everyone knows where I am. I have the air horn option and a 3rd brake light on the upper part of the standard roll-over bar (I have the FIA bar on order). So, I am trying to be safety conscious, especially since the left side-impact bar is my arm! I drive the 7 like I drove my motorcycle: carefully/defensively/avoiding blind spots, etc. I'd say my car is as comfortable (or as uncomfortable:)) as my old A-H Sprite, but hotter and harder to get in and out of. Also tons more fun to drive, which is the whole point of this car, Compared to a modern sport scar like the previous poster's Miata, which I also owned for 10 years, it is much less comfortable and convenient to use. I am not complaining, I love my car! But it would be tough to live with as a daily driver.

At evey track day drivers' meeting I remind folks not to tailgate because the rookie drivers often don't react by pulling over but, instead, by standing on the brakes, tho it makes absolutely no sense. I also remind all that IF someone is on your butt, the last thing you want to do is stop. I know yours wasn't a tailgate situation, just an idiot drive doing the unexpected, but the driver error is the same. I also mention that a black flag does not mean stop instantly in the middle of the track. All of these circumstances have produced some intersting on-track moments for me, fortunately, no contact.

Do you veteran Caterham Crossflow owners follow any type of routine or preventative maintenance for the car, beyond oil changes and Weber fiddling? Are there bolts that need to be tightened occasionally, parts replaced, etc? I am hoping to prevent some type of disabling/catastrophic suspension or other failure. I have the build manual for my '97 Caterham which Sevens and Elans built 10 years ago, so I have the torque specs. What spares do you routinely take on long trips? I have ordered a backup throttle cable and cable linkage to the carbs. What else is unlikely to be found at the local Autozone if I break down hundreds of miles from home? Mike

I subscribed to Pat's publication, North American Pylon, at the peak of my auto-x period. She and her family are great supporters of the sport. As I recall, she has a daughter who was (is?) quite competitive in a Miata on the national auto-x level, competing in the "open" class (against the guys). Also, has anyone on the Forum owned a Seven longer, continuously, than Pat?

Ned: Type "Flyin Miata" into Google & go to their Westfield site-loads of info. They sell them as kits & as turnkeys cars w/Miata powertrain-v reliable. Type "Autopro Motorsports Westfield" into Google for the Miata engine Westfield distributor in Raleigh, NC. He advertises a turnkey car for $28K.

Hoosier advised M Dougherty (per a USA@se7ens.net search) on 1/24/07 to try a 7"-8" rim & Hoosier tire item 43161R25A-20.0x 7.5-13 R25A on front and back or 20 x 9-13 on the rear. Most auto-X'rs believe that too wide is just right but he pointed out that on a car as light as ours, the huge tires dont warm up & a cold tire has no grip.

I've mentioned this elsewhere but will toss it in here too as it is not a thread hijack, for a change: Planned to Leave Cincy @ 6:00am Fri, having just gotten the car out of the shop the evening before following a variety of repairs. Numerous work-related problems & logistical problems (no motel to stay at, no idea how to get to Tapoca, etc,) delay departure til noon. Notice both side mirrors have wilted. Decode the system for tightening them up. Then discover each side uses a different tool to remove the mirror and it takes a star key or something to then tighten up the internal mechanism. All mirror repairs are made in the boiling sun of the nearest Autozone. Many friendly questions from fans of the car slow up the process. Finally hit the road @1:30 & roast for 5 hours, but enjoy admiring glances & thumbs up along the way. Trip is about 50 miles further than I thot and the last 20 or so are the Dragon over which I average maybe 25 mph. Get to cool off when car breaks down on the Dragon and I spend 45' fixing. Finally show up after the car show is over, tired, hot, frustrated. I am approached by two friendly gentlemen (Michael Dougherty & Norm Beaver) who ask questions about the car, as Norm hands me an ice cold brewski which was ambrosia to my parched lips. (Norm-with one beer you bought a friend for life:)) The next night at dinner Tony Vacarro explained the joy of Seven ownership to me. It went something like this:" The thing with my Seven was, I always felt that I had accomplished something when I arrived at my destination. I had overcome mechanical obstacles and uncertainties and had triumphed after being tested along the way. With my new Elise, I just get in drive & arrive, big deal!" After my trip, having been a Seven owner for all of a month, I realized I knew what he meant. Mike

As a former Miata owner (10 years) going from a Miata to a Seven is like going from a Cadillac to a Miata. The Seven is a wonderful toy and you will make new friends wherever you go. It certainly is more fun to drive and better at the track. Since I have several practical cars (Accord/Prius/T-Bird), the 7 is a wonderful luxury for occasional driving on nice days (like today). But it is completely impractical-very small, hard to get in/out of, loud, invisible to other cars, little crash protection, little carrying space, and hot-hot-hot-like sitting right in the engine bay. Air conditioning? Won't you need a roof? Try getting in a 7 with the top on. If there are no 7's around , sit in a small folding chair and lift your left leg over your head to approximate the experience:). For a daily driver, keep the Miata-put in stiffer springs & add a supercharger. That will bring you closer to the 7 experience but keep the practicality of a mass-produced car. IMHO

Speaking of Killboy. He passed me one night on one of the back roads, driving his Mitsu Evo. He was doing about double my speed. My kind of photographer!

I was there, as was the blue car. But I arrived just before dusk Fri, chatted a bit, went to the Dragon video in the Quonset, returned to Robbinsville where I stayed, worked on the car the whole next morning ( I can now do the repair in under 5') then hit the roads, with visits back to Tapoca off & on during the day, then the photo shoot & banquet then left Sat eve around 8:30. So, I was hard to find. I did have a nice chat w/Tony Vacarro & Boxologist, & others. I learned Boxologist's nom du forum stems from his history of managing boxers (professional fighters). I have been surprised at looking at the photos of the event how many cars were there that I did not see. I am too technically challenged to send photos-otherwise I'd be posting some I took of the event.

My mechanical misadventures included the throttle linkage from the throttle cable to the carbs breaking. This was on the way in Fri night on the Dragon. The engine would only idle. No cell coverage & no traffic, except for the occasional sportbike whizzing by at supersonic speeds. Sun going down. Not a happy feeling. I was able to jury-rig the linkage so I could at least drive it gently & motor into Topoca Lodge, way late. The solution was a roll of electrical tape I had packed. Actually it fell out of my bag & my wife saw it as I left & asked if I needed it. Saved my butt. A more elegant but still imperfect solution was devised the next day after about 4 hours of tinkering. Part is now ordered. Special thanks to Michael Dougherty & Norm Beaver for the warm greeting when I pulled into the lodge parking lot, a total stranger to all. A shout-out to Norm for handing me a cold Molsons on the spot-pretty tasty after 6 hours in a 7! Also my luggage stuffed into the passenger foot well dislodged the starter fuse. I had a dead car again. Fortunately it was at the photo shoot & a fellow Sevener diagnosed it quickly & I was on my way. Mike

I got back early this am (3:00). I went to the banquet last night and left after the raffle, & drove 330 miles home. What a great weekend! Al was everywhere & did everything (quite well). The biggest surprise-just how fantastic that part of the country is. "Scenic" doesn't do it justice. The auto-x which is going on now shd be interesting as there were some serious cars and serious drivers. Most amazing feat: Boxologist who drove down in his 7 with a passenger , abt 830 miles, in a single day! They'd have to hook me up to an IV & give me a spine transplant if I tried that. Next biggest surprise: just how many gorgeous LiSS's there are. There was a BEC Lowcost that looked perfect, like it just came from the Ferrari factory. Ditto some of the Stalkers. The Westfield was beautiful as was the Demon. Dick Brink's wine colored Birkin looked fabulous. Sitting on mammoth Hoosier slicks it should be an auto-X threat this am. As a longtime Caterham admirer and recent owner, I thought they were hands down the prettiest. Now it's clear that they are all great. I followed some Stalkers on the way to the group shoot-when they decide to accelerate, it's over-I just watched them disapear. My little Crossflow was totally outgunned. Lots of time to shoot the breeze with fellow 7 lovers at the Tapoca Lodge & if things got slow, just hop in the car and head out for a little excitement. The Dragon is an amazing stretch but there are plenty of others. I loved Rt 28 with its 10 mph curve signs. It runs along the river with looming mountains on all sides. Anyhow, where do I sign up for next year! Mike

I just made a reservation at the Phillips Motel near Robbinsville, NC 828-479-3370 & 3433. They still have 4 cottages available-3-4 rooms. Cost $125 a nite. I have never been there so this is not a recommendation, but housing in the area is very tight this weekend so I thought I wld let other last-minuters know of this. Mike

I'm w/Roll-a on his trailer choice since it comes with a "wench":).

Busa: You are 2/3's of the way there: 1] Kate 2] 3]Trum No "awe", so its 2 syllables, not three

What are the other cars?

Yes, it was Paul's Ultralite. I shudda known bball was a "ringer":)! In my defense, I was driving on 10 year old Michelin Pilots, wh/Bball said were known among 7 drivers as "Pileups" not Pilots. Weirdest tires I ever drove: as soon as they exceeded their grip I was sideways, no warning, nothing gradual, classic snap-oversteer. New Toyo RA1's are on their way. I was also surprised at how torquey the Crossflow is-pulled very nicely from 3300 rpms. I stopped shifting so much and it didn't seem to make a difference.

What lovely engine bays! You should go to Plexiglas bonnets in the future. Makes my Crossflow look distinctly agricultural, or industrial. Al-no heater? You mean no auxiliary cooling system? (As I found out at a recent track day, running the heater full blast really drops the water temp). And, thanks to the brilliant design of the car, it actually is no hotter in the cockpit with the heater on than off:).

Blue Devil being a nick name for a monster Vette under development at Chevrolet.

Keith Barret's car (# 4 above) sold last month. Otherwise, an interesting collection of fact & fiction, fair prices & excessive prices. Good luck to the buyers out there.

For those who follow this obscure thread: We had a great time at the track: 2 Caterhams and an Ultralite mixed in with a variety of normal cars. Bball was fastest in his '98 Caterham Crosflow, I was a tick or two behind in my '97, with the Ultralite back a bit more (totally rookie driver). My car died and had to be trailered home (I drove it there & bummed a ride back w/a friend w/a trailer). Early Dx-coolant leak which landed on electrics and shorted things out. I am mechanically challenged so its at a shop with an experienced mechanic who has worked on Caterhams in the past. Wont be doing TOD tho. Hopefully it will be ready for the track day I am doing at Nelson's Ledges on 7/20.

The bad thing about pronouncing it correctly is now even Lotus fans give me a blank look when I say I bought a used kate-trum. I have to mispronounce it as cat-ter-ham before they know what I am talking about. I have started just calling it a Lotus 7. I guess I shudda got a Birkin:)).

I have test driven 2 Caterhams owned by brits. I bought the 2nd car I tested. Both owners pronounced it Kate-trum (Hence K8-rum7). Who wants an obvious vanity plate?. When I called the first owner, after seeing an ad, I said I was calling about the Cat-tur-ham. He had no idea what I was talking about. After many amusing miscues we finally connected. Wasn't it Oscar Wilde who said US & Briton were 2 countries separated by a common language?

Scratch my car from the list of availables. I went to Putnam Park racetrack yesterday and ended up with a dead engine and had to mooch a trailer ride home. Probably nothing terribly serious but it's at the only shop in this area with experience working on 7's, Crossflows, Webers, etc and there is a long line of other charming old Brit cars ahead of it. So it doesn't look like we will be cruisin the Dragon this weekend after all.

Nice article. They are trying to imitate "Evo" magazine's top car tests. Most cars that Evo test end up at the same track. Currently the Caterham 400 is in 2nd out of many cars on the Evo list. I am waiting for C & D to test the CSR w/ the 2.3 litre Duratec putting out 260 hp-the 'Vette's going down!.