Kitcat

Vlad: It looks...perfect!

I am hooked. You will be too!

I think you are right Croc, that is likely a TMW car. As I recall, they had 2 versions: a purple one and a yellow one, both Dunnel powered, and track oriented (the "yellow twizzler" and the "purple twizzler", so named by TMW). And I think the purple one made it to the Tail of the Dragon event, back in '07. Both were listed for mid $40K's back then and were state of the art for Birkin.

The 2019 SCCA Runoffs were held at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) this year. I watched the "F-Production" race this a.m. If only F1 were this exciting! Forum member, and friend, Craig Chima, qualified in 4th and was .5 second behind the leader in his Lotus 7. Just like last year, he got the jump on everyone at the start and spurted into first, followed by a gaggle of angry Miatas. They slowly and surely picked him off over the ensuing laps and he fell to 4th, where he was hot on the heels of the Miata in front and being closely hounded from behind by another competitor. Then it rained for 1 lap and got even crazier, as no one had traction, and everyone was getting sideways. Then it slowly dried off. On the seventh or so lap Craig was hit from behind in the braking zone heading into turn one. Impossible for my amateurish eye to know if it was anything more than typical close racing contact. But he was punted backwards into the weeds and lost considerable time, eventually, clawing his way back into 7th where he finished. The 2 front-running Miatas swapped the lead on every lap, sometimes, more than once. Finally Eric Prill pipped the leader with a great move heading into and thru the downhill S's to barely eek out a 1/2 car length victory. Anyhow, good on Craig for maintaining the honor of the se7ens community, in his ancient Lotus with its tiny little engine and barn door aero at such a high speed track. The field of 20 or so cars included 7 former national Runoff's champions (including Craig, a 2 time winner), with 21 Runoffs championships among them. So the level of competition was extremely high. And in other se7en news, the Caterhams in "E-Production" came in 9th and 12th. These were Caterham "Americas" from '00 and '01 that were built by Caterham specifically to SCCA's spec for E-production. My current Cat started life as a Caterham "America". They run larger motors among other things but still feature the barn-door aero that makes high speed tracks so challenging.

Croc: You are half right. I did go off in the Birkin at NJMP, but that didn't cause the axle boots to come off. Because of the "off", I looked carefully for damage on returning to the pits. I had 2 bent wheels and, after taking them off, saw that both axle boots had failed. The mechanic that you so kindly supply for these events, told me that neither boot had been attached with fasteners. Instead, they were simply held in place by the elasticity of the rubber boot-which was not up to track work. Fortunately, I had spare wheels and the mechanic said I could just drive the car until the compromised wheel bearings failed (which allowed me to complete the weekend). But we digress: I think some type of car purchase inspection can be helpful, but it is not foolproof.

My long distance se7en buying experience is as follows: I found a Caterham locally and drove it, jut to confirm I wasn't crazy to buy one (I was but it turns out being crazy is why I liked it:)). 1] I bought Caterham #1, sight unseen from this thread. AFAIK, it was the first one sold here when I bought it in '07. It was built by Sevens and Elans and I flew to NJ, bought it from its first owner who had put 10K miles on it and I drove it 500 miles home. It was bullet proof, except for a nagging elec short that would strand me at the worst possible times/places. But always self heal after 30' and off I'd go. We finally sorted it and all was well. I put 12K miles on it and listed it here but sold it thru an intermediary. 2] I bought a Birkin with roughly double the power of my X-Flow. Unfortunately, it had been poorly assembled by Texas Motor Works. I did inspect it before buying. I took it for a 10 mile spin and it was perfect. Turned out that if I had gone another mile, it would have broken down, like it did immediately after I got it home (in a trailer) and I wld have saved myself 3 years of frustration and $. Finally sold it here, for a huge loss. 3] Car # 3 is my current Caterham. I bought it sight unseen based on photos at Rocky Mountain Motorsport where it was listed as a favor to the owner.It was professionally built but had a long history as a race car and was very, very (very) worn out. But the price reflected that and it had all the safety stuff that wld be major bucks to duplicate. It has been pretty challenging to keep it operational. I like to say, half kiddingly, that the only thing that hasn't been replaced is the battery. Lessons: Know your builder. I favor the home assembled se7ens of all stripes. They tend to have been lovingly and meticulously assembled, then driven a year or two to smoke out any issues. Know your seller: if you buy it from a poster here, odds are the price and presentation are honest. Next best: get to know the seller if they are a stranger. Ask lots of questions. Most are still somewhat in love with their car and love talking abt it and will want it to go to a good home. So get them talking, you will learns tons abt the car AND abt them-and whether they are trustworthy. Don't buy a used race car. Beware of 12 year old cars with 900 miles etc. Why were they driven so little (never ran?). They were likely not well maintained either. Plus all rubber parts like tires, engine mounts, etc, will have seriously deteriorated. Buy cars that were used at track days. Sure, it's hard on them, but they are survivors, they have been tested, fixed, tested, fixed. And up-grade-itis is a known condition that we track junkies suffer from, so our cars frequently have had expensive improvements that are not reflected in the selling price. Sure, get an inspection, or take it for a spin yourself. Why not? It will reveal anything obvious, esp to an experienced owner, like Croc. He knows how a Caterham rides, drives, feels, and the noise it makes and doesn't make. So the obvious stuff will be clear. I am not sure a professional car inspector, with no Caterham or other se7en experience, will know what to think. The car is so mind-blowing it's easy to get caught up in that and miss stuff. Also, will they fit into the car for a test, will their feet fit into the tiny foot well, and will they have ear and eye protection needed to take it for a spin. Just another way of saying the inspector should ideally have experience with the model se7en they are examining. Even with an inspection, it is very hard to know what will be wrong until after a bit of use. For example, I have had 2 half shafts snap. An inspection is not likely to have found that. A coupla bolts came loose on my flywheel. Only found that out when we pulled the engine out to replace the clutch. Two axle boots came off at a track day-they looked great before hand. Etc., etc. Happy hunting, finding and buying the right se7en is a big part of the experience.

See the currently active Rotus-rebuild photos for his chassis stand solution:).

AB: Solid advice.

Ahh, that makes sense. I saw the color scheme and thot it was a R400. Power is similar to my X-flow, which topped out around 105 mph. The lower power makes knocking off 4-5" a lap that much more impressive.

Looks like fun! How accurate is the speed shown in the vid? Surprised you didn't get that much over 100 mph.

We live in a cynical world and sometimes a Leggo ad featuring a bunny and a Caterham is just what we need to "add some lightness" to our mood:)!

I like your choice Shane. So far, I have been of the old-school opinion that the new C8 isn't a real 'Vette, or particularly desirable. Instead, it's an affordable NSX with 'Vette highlights. But I like your photo a lot. Its hard to teach us old dogs new tricks but it's starting to grow on me (a little). According to this, the new version weighs in at about 3550 lbs. Bigger is better these days? And the Z51 version doesn't get to 60 until 3rd gear? It's good the new tranny shifts so fast! Not mentioned here or elsewhere is the fact (I think) that mid engine cars have far less powertrain loss than front engine cars. Meaning that a higher % of hp makes it to the rear wheels. The mid engine layout is typically just touted as a step towards better balance or enhanced acceleration/deceleration potential.

Croc: You are making me jealous. All of these car adventures, but isn't it time for a new vehicle as well? I think you are overdue!

Hey Vlad: I went thru this when I recently rebuilt my '03 Zetec SVT engine and clutch. No idea where Cat USA got their engines in '03 but doubt it was the UK. As to the clutch, Raceline in the UK has everything you need. Call them, don't email. They tend to be slow, but thorough and very knowledgeable. I didn't hear from them for 3 weeks after I told them what I needed so we ordered a custom clutch from Clutch Masters. Then Raceline called and said they had everything. They also have the oil pan gasket and pick up oil rings which are very hard to find (buy several). I can get the clutch specs from my mechanic and details of the order if you want. They come in all stages of durability and mine was designed for heavy track use. We had the flywheel resurfaced, we were not able to find a replacement, tho Raceline said had them, when they finally called me back.

The 2.3L engine was used in many Fords in mid 70's on, including the Pinto. It might not have been a X-flow variant but a successor engine instead, dunno. They were also turbo charged and used in T-Birds AFAIK, among other applications.

Hey Glen (aka: Certified Lotus Nut:)): I enjoyed every sentence of your write up and every photo! I hated to see it end. They say adventure begins when plans fall apart(I think that's an old Lotus adage), so you started off with great adventure. Major props for sticking it out and returning to the road in your Europa. Even your Europa looks big next to the Elan photos. The V8 Europa sort of defies belief (Go Buick, er,... Rover)! The Camaro at Lime Rock looks like a school bus next to the Lilliputian Loti scattered around the parking lot. Great to see so many lotus faithful keeping the dream alive. And how about the person who brought their car from Hawaii, yow!

To save Croc the bother, I will add that wheel diameter can affect the delicate handling balance of a Caterham, with 13" apparently being optimal (tho greatly limiting available tire choice). I agree it is odd to claim 1600 lbs is heavy. Most car forum's discussions on weight involve getting below 3,000lbs! For them, 1,600lbs would be unimaginable. Tom Carlin replaced the former Birkin dealer, mentioned above. I think Tom has built some turbo Birkins with hp in the mid 300's? AFAIK, they weigh in around 1,350 lbs and have a fully independent front and rear suspension, unlike the standard Cat SV.

RNR: He won the very first race he ever entered, which was in a Lotus 7, in the rain:).

Will someone please buy the MK Indy and bring it to the next NJMP se7ens event so we can see how it does on the track:)? Specs, on paper, are impressive. Croc: The newly listed '94 Caterham has a Vauxhall engine. As I recall, these were comparable to high end Zetecs (or better), powerwise?

Just saw this. I had to read it several times as I was in shock/denial(I must be reading this wrong....). My memory of Scott includes the many small and large kindnesses toward me. Small: finding an exact scale model duplicate of my Caterham and arranging for me to buy it (still have it). Large: At the NJMP gathering in 2018- "What's that sore on your upper lip Kitcat?" Hmm, the one I have been ignoring for months. So call my doc on return, he looks at it, biopsies and says "It's cancerous, it's coming off." I managed to thank him this year. He, Norm Beaver and MichaelD were Caterham buddies of the highest order. Scott and Norm did numerous trips to the Solo Nationals and were toying with going again. He kept the Caterham faith and exemplified everything I like most about se7ens and their owners.

Looking (very) good Bruce! That is my favorite se7en color. It will look great with the yellow nose cone. I will be interested in your build experience. It seems that the most reliable se7ens are home-built versions, where cost and time are no object. I am thinking of Mighty Mike and YellowSS for example. Dumb question: what does the "S" signify in the 310S model?

Lawyers are paid worriers. So we try to anticipate what might go wrong, not just what is most likely to go wrong. So I might substitute: "all reasonable offers will be considered." Or some such, to show that the seller retains discretion to decline low-ball offers.

Ahh, the joys of se7en ownership:)! Reminds me of my first track day in '07 in my X-flow Cat. A coolant line sprang a leak and shot a steady stream of liquid perfectly aimed at my distributor cap, with the resulting, miss, lack of power, etc. Easily remedied, as yours will be. I have to give srf86 a shout-out for the 33K miles on this se7en. We see so many with 700 miles, 1100 miles etc., after 5-10 years of ownership. Nice to see this was used and enjoyed. And as anyone who follows my occasional posts knows, I love se7ens with mileage:it's empirical evidence that they are fully sorted. No small thing! Also, the lawyer in me has to say, the "or best offer" approach is a bit risky. What if it's $1.00? Maybe say "OBO over $20K", or some other reasonable reserve etc? Or list it on BAT where it will bring $29K:)!

Maybe Croc will chime in, he's the pricing expert. The wild card is build quality. Who assembled it, and are they trustworthy? Related is the mileage. Low mileage cars are suspect in my opinion as this suggests the car was non-operational a lot of the time, hence the eventual sale. More miles often means it has been fully fettled and can actually be driven home. That is a very high spec Caterham and in in my semi-informed opinion is a $45-$55K car, assuming it is healthy and doesn't need another $20-30K of work.

Brightonuk: Have you figured out a solution to the possible oil starvation issues that sent you on your recent engine rebuild adventure? I saw your pix of huge, sticky Hoosiers and imagined high G-forces.