Kitcat

Thx Croc, great pix, great memories. One of my all-time fav se7en memories was at that LOG event, 10 years ago? I got propositioned in the parking lot the night before the LOG trackday event. A comely young woman insisted on helping me put the car cover on my seven. I said thx, I needed your help, and she said something like:"Honey, I am just what you need:)!" And she was not subtle. I again thanked her and walked into the motel and called my wife and said: "you wont believe what just happened:)!". Such is the power of the se7en! One of those unforgettable moments.

Thx Croc, yes that is the ex-Kitcat Seven! MANY great memories! And one of the prettiest Caterhams ever, IMHO.

Datsun: I'd say that if you are fairly new to track days, then the 310 might be the perfect learning tool. It will force you to concentrate on maintaining momentum by being extremely precise with braking points, finding the best racing line, etc. And it will not punish you instantly if you overdo it with the throttle. The softer suspension will allow curb climbing, as will the thicker sidewalls of the 14" tires. The 420 is a big step up as a track car, as Croc notes, and as I can attest to, having tried in vain to hang with them in my SVT Zetec Caterham. And the M-Spec Stalker is a huge bump up from the 420. It's really not a beginner's car.

Coupla additional thoughts. This car was assembled by Hilllbank. They offered Jamie Kitman, of Automobile Magazine, a loaner to test. It broke down numerous times due to shoddy assembly. And this was the car they were confidant enough in to lend to a journalist. Given their track record, I'd be leery of anything they built. OK to buy, just be aware that some sorting and fettling may be required initially. And speaking of "built", the 310S SV for sale by Beachman that you reference Croc, is $43.5K, turnkey (assembled, and engine and transmission both included in that $43.5K). See their thread here titled "FS:New 2019 Caterham 310S....". Which I consider pretty amazing, given the long history of hyper-inflated cost of new Caterhams. It used be the kit was mid-high 40's and the engine, tranny, and assembly added $20K.

We have a tiny little C&C here in Cincy. It's going full blast: "What, me worry?". Since it's a small place, everyone is jammed together and walking shoulder to shoulder and, of course, no masks. Our Saturday a.m., bike ride takes us directly past it (we stick to the far side of the road). I doubt anyone is over 40 years old, most are early 20's-early 30's. Did I mention Cincy has had a 5x increase in its infection rate, ditto the surrounding counties?

I actually like the standard Caterham rear lights. Their rectangular shape matches the rectangular shape of the rear of the car, unlike the round lights. Also, I think they are the only remaining part of the Caterham that was also on the original Lotus Seven Series 3? Croc can correct me on that. And I think Lotus sourced them from a pop-up camper (caravan?) in wide use back in the late 60's.

I have had 2 SVT engines in my current Cat. The first, well tuned one, made about 162 hp and 148 lbs torque, on a chassis dyno. The second, as of yet untuned one, made 148 hp and 136 torque, per my faltering memory. Basically, the SVT falls a bit more than half way between the stock Zetecs, which were lucky to get more than 124-135 hp on a chassis dyno, and the Duratec, which I had in my Birkin and which made around 169 hp and 155 lbs torque, on the same dyno, again per my faltering memory. Forum member, 1 TurboFocus, an expert on Zetecs, says, for all practical purposes, the SVT was a different engine than the stock Zetec. Anyhow, it is a nice, torquey, easy to drive engine that red lines around 7200. It weighs maybe 35 lbs more than the Duratec, in standard form and isn't as amenable to tuning as the Duratec. Because of its broad torque range, it matches well with the 5 sp transmission (no need to keep it on the boil). As a reference point, my '19 MX-5's (Miata) ultra-modern "Skyactive" Mazda 2.0 liter engine is rated at a bit more power than the SVT on paper but on the dyno the numbers are similar or less, than the the SVT. That's progress:). Or maybe emissions and mpg issues???

Sounds like a great plan. My thoughts on this, having done one long (1200 mile) trip and lots of shorter trips: 1] Ear plugs AND ear muffs (like you use to operate a lawnmower), or earplugs and a helmet, tho as others have noted, the helmet isolates you from the sights and smells that help make the trip pretty amazing, 2] Cell phone AND a Garmin. The cell can do Google maps, play music into your ear buds if you choose, etc. THe Garmin provides directions when there is no cell coverage, which is likely to occur during parts of the trip. 3] Sunscreen and a big floppy hat, like a Tiley. 4] Light weight clothes, it is hotter than hell in a Caterham, even when it is cool out. You are basically sitting in the engine bay, with the exhaust on your left side. 5] A portable bag/small backpack for all of your valuables. Unlike any other car, or even cruiser bikes, there is zero lockable storage in a Caterham. So unless you are a very trusting person, you will not want to leave phones, wallet, Garmin, etc in the car when you go into McD's (BTW, you wont be using the drive thru, it will be 2' above you) or when you take a bathroom break. I also used a small 4' steel wire bike lock to tie everything else down. It will not stop a serious thief but will stop someone from reaching in and grabbing a loose item. 6] A small tool chest and duct tape/gorilla tape and some string and wire. I have fixed broken accelerator cables and falling off rear wings with the tape. Since you wont always have cell coverage you may be forced to fix things yourself. My accelerator cable failed in the middle of the Smokey Mountains as dusk was fast approaching. It was totally deserted, no cell coverage, and I had owned the car 1 week and had no idea how the cable worked or why it failed, but I learned fast! And I am as mechanically challenged as anyone on this forum. 7] A flashlight and a "miners" light that fits on your head so you have both hands to fix whatever goes wrong after dark, using both hands. 8] Some spare fuses. And be aware that some are more essential than others. So perhaps if you lose your headlights in the middle of the night you can pull a less essential fuse to fix it. 9] If you have the "full visibility" or "high visibility" top, it converts into something close to a bikini top. Take out the side curtains and unzip the rear window and its very close to being a bikini. BTW, the side curtains fold upwards in half. So you can leave them in place and once you get going, shove the lower half of the drivers side up and wind pressure will keep it there, letting tons of cool air in but , with the top half up, protect your ears from the wind buffeting. As I type this I still have tinnitus from my first road trip in my Caterham, 13 years ago. 9, pt 2] The top and side curtains fit in the "boot". Of course, if you have all of your clothes there, it will be full. Maybe take your cloths etc in a duffel bag and bungee it on top of the "boot" when the top is down. With the top up, it will fit behind the seats and the full boot. 10] A Triple A card. 11] A positive attitude towards people. At first the fact that the car attracts non-stop attention is fun (What is it, is it a kit car, what is the top speed, what did it cost, etc., etc.?). Eventually you may just want to be left alone, after reciting the same info at every stop, every day. Too bad, folks simply can not help themselves. At one point I thought about printing a handout with all the info to give to then endless inquiries. And I consider myself a friendly guy. 12] One or both of Ross's Lotus Seven books to read at night. And remember the se7er's motto: when plans fall apart, the adventure begins:). Enjoy (I'm jealous)!

So the undated Zetec powered, 5sp., Caterham, without a Caterham mfg plate, just sold for $45,500 on BAT. It was a nice late 90's/early '00's notch frame Cat with 8K miles on the clock. Worth every bit of, say, $27,500. Maybe a bit less. So, how did it get to $45,500? More than it would cost to buy a new, turnkey SV from Beachman Motors, with similar power, and all new everything. It was beautifully photographed and a traditional BRG color with a yellow racing stripe. And it had a driving video that blew everyone's mind, except those of us who have se7ens and can say, yep, pretty accurate. So add a few bucks for that, but $45,500???????

Ferrari came out with its first Superamerica in 1957, Lotus was probably just trying to hang with them:).

If mostly street use, be aware that the only place to put your left foot in the extremely tight S3 foot well is under the clutch pedal. And it doesn't pop back out all that easily. I put 10K combined street/track miles on my first Caterham with this arrangement so it's not a deal breaker, just something to be aware of.

I read a brief blurb about this car in Top Speed. It runs tire sizes, front and back, nearly identical to my Miata (I run 245/40x17") front and back, this runs a 245 in back and 235 up front. What size tires are you running Shane? The diffuser is said to add 176 lbs of down force, and the front nose design adds 110 lbs of down force. That is a beautiful thing, but I suspect it is at top speed and doubt that it would allow the relatively skinny tires to generate 2 G's. I am sure someone will actually test this claim soon, then we will know. By serious aero, I am thinking of a Sprint Car type set up with a huge wing up top. I am pretty sure that's how the fast Stalker ran such an impressive time at VIR a decade or so ago by former 7's member, Midgetracr. His V8 power probably didn't hurt either.

Right 2.0:)! With no real aero, wings, etc. I need to get some Hankook tires apparently. I just hope they dont stick so hard to my driveway that I can't lift them into place....

Sounds like a dream come true (my dream:))!!! Color? Sequential just pours gas on the fire, who will be faster at a track day (other than the V8 Stalkers:)? Being so close to Bruce is like living in near the Caterham shop in England. Probably better (IMHO). I think Dave LeBrun, if he is the builder, has been doing Caterhams, on a very small volume, for decades so should know his Caterham spanners. His partner in Caterham crime, Tony Vacarro, is a long timer as well. Welcome and enjoy your car. I am sure the wait for the build will seem endless.

Thx Shane, that's right up there with our constitutional right to arm bears:). The Fifth Amendment is packed with stuff, not just the right to avoid self incrimination. IMHO, the single most powerful protection offered by the Bill of Rights is in the Fifth, as follows: "No person....shall be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law...." Due process is generally defined as advance notice of the government's plans, and an opportunity to a hearing in which you can submit evidence to contest their planed action (such as immobilizing property that may or may not at some future time, be used as a weapon).

Hey Shane. Unlawful taking of guns is a Second Amendment issue, unlawful taking of property (without due process first) is a Fifth Amendment issue. The police dont have the freedom to take either guns or property based on possible future abuse. My concern about taking of property (by slashing tires) that may or may not be used in a dangerous way at some later date is that it is a cousin to locking up people now, because they may become dangerous at some future unknown date. Both abuses were concerns of the authors of the Bill of Rights incorporated in the first ten Amendments.

Shane: First, I will observe that if all police officers had your temperament and judgement there would be no police protests. Second, I think giving the police the ability to confiscate, or destroy, any property that could, conceivably, be used to commit a crime in the future is pretty dangerous. For instance, why couldn't the police use this to order everyone to turn in their guns?

Impressive car! I'd say the car to the right is a Jag XK120-150? What is the car on the left? Maybe an early T-bird? And the orange car to the far left?

Regardless of recent use, if Lotusman1951 is right, and this car is now $25K, it is a steal.

First, kudos for a great thread name! And, like others, I find the green/gray combo surprisingly attractive. And it tells me that all those owners of bland silver/gray se7ens need to add a BRG racing stripe (I am talking to you Croc).

Thx Bob! Cincinnati's C&C is tiny in comparison to this but was open yesterday for the first time. It was packed with people and cars, a few masks, no social distancing. It's squeezed into a small space so participants couldn't social distance if they wanted. On the other hand I went to a track day Monday and it was also packed but the huge paddock venue at Mid Ohio made it easy to be 6' apart. Also, 100% masks in use, purely voluntary but everyone was on the same page. Participants had to bring their own food and water. Drivers' meeting was virtual via smart phones. They took everyone's temp as they entered. Really a model Covid gathering.

Haggerty charges me about $200 per track day for coverage with a $5K deductible, as I recall. Depending on what car I am tracking, I typically buy it for peace of mind. And, somewhat counter-intuitively, I am a bit more cautious as I dont want to have to report I Fked up to a 3rd party....

Wow, that's huge damage! Since I briefly owned and tracked a Honda Type R last year, I visit their forum too. One of the members is an instructor and was at this same VIR event. He somehow talked Randy Pobst, who as you note was there, into driving his Type R. He beat the owner/instructor's best lap time by 10" on the first lap, and had lots of ideas on how to improve handling. All the time talking & laughing. The Honda owner said the car was always just on the verge of an apparent crash, he called it controlled chaos:).

Graham: So the big 3 car pile-up occurred on the waiving yellow parade laps? If so, that's not good. I can say that some of my worst moments on track have occurred on cool down laps, yellow flag laps, etc., when I over-relax and lose focus.

Too funny Croc, you know you are talented when you can successfully pilot your car as a passenger! The Caterham is looking good! But it needs a patina of squashed bugs and black rubber streaks to look right. Graham, the VIR experience sounds memorable! You are correct, the back straight is endless. It's better when they include the cut through the infield, the configuration that Car and Driver runs at their annual Lightening Lap. Chin is big time/high end, nicely organized.