Kitcat

It has a Zetec built by Forum member 1Turbofocus. It dynoed 168 hp, 149 torque on the dyno that I have also used locally and can vouch for. Those numbers are very good for a Zetec engine and are just slightly better than my Birkin’s Duratec showed on the same dyno. It was built as a track car, though the current owner has just used it for blats.

Cueball: check your mailbox for an update. I am inspecting the car this Friday a.m., and will send you my thoughts then.

BTW: cost of shipping is proportional to how quickly you need it. The cost seems ball park to me. I’d describe the things the seller has done as responsible upkeep. Track use IS very hard on all cars, including Se7ens.

I just realized it was full and emptied it. I will contact the seller and will let you know via the Forum’s message system, now that mine is working again. Happy to have an excuse to play with a se7en! Mike

Cueball: I am in Cincy and will be in the seller’s neighborhood tomorrow a.m. As a technically challenged old guy I don’t see how to contact the seller for a visit. If you can get me that information I will see about arranging a look/test drive. Mike

As I have mentioned, former Caterham engineer/mechanic, Nathan Down, participated in the refurbishment of my Caterham before it’s sale last year. He told me that the A-frames were under constant development and that over a short period (6 months), there might be 7-8 different sizes. They would try one out on the track, change it, try again, repeatedly. They have probably settled on a standard size but mid 90’s, early 2000’s there is no one size. So stick with what you have as long as it works. When I replaced mine with the wrong side, it bent the shocks so much they became solid and my rear suspension turned into a pogo stick. And Croc: 10,000 track miles in the Caterham in UK alone? Combine that with miles you’ve logged at NJMP and on European tracks and you must hold some kind of Caterham world record?

Rider: I have had 3 se7ens in the last 15 years but am currently se7en less. My first, and favorite, was a ‘97 Xflow which I put 10K miles on. It was replaced by a Duratec powered ‘09 Birkin. In someways it was superior to the Cat(better suspension) in some ways worse(interior was cramped, seats were torture). It’s poor build quality (due to the assembler, not the manufacturer) led to it’s relatively quick resale(to a member here who completely disassembled it and put it back together properly). My final version was an SVT Zetec powered track only Caterham with a massive roll cage, 21 gallon FuelSafe tank etc. I sold it last year to another member here who bought it to race. I may buy yet another, who knows but, at age 76, it was getting to be a bit more than my aging body could handle:)! I like your approach to this project, I am sure you will love a 420! I agree it is the ultimate blend of handling and power in a Caterham.

I measured the heat in my Xflow powered Cat down by my ankles on a 75 degree day:120degrees. On the passenger side it was 20 degrees cooler. So the observation that the right hand exhaust on the Duratec cars makes the driver’s side cooler seems apt (as opposed to the left side exhaust on all other versions, like my Xflow and my Zetec). The biggest heat mitigation occurred when I swapped in a Brooklands screen for the standard barn door windshield. For whatever reason, the larger windshield trapped hot air and the Brooklands evacuated it immediately. I learned early on that it was hotter to wear shorts than long pants. The Bluejean fabric provided some insulation against the toasty transmission tunnel. And I promptly burned my bare leg on the exhaust pipe’s heat shield. in many ways the Se7en induces so much sensory overload (fierce buffeting wind, intense noise, tooth rattling ride, vibration, minimal height, exhilaration, adrenaline, super car+ status among fellow motorists), that the heat becomes incidental. Some have had success placing space age insulation on the bulkhead and around the pedal box. But all of the ideas you have listed help at least a bit.

The ‘93 is a low mileage (for a 30 year old vehicle) “Limited Edition”, so presumably some collectors would be interested. Unlike most “Limited” and “M”versions, this ‘93 had more than cosmetic changes. It included a Torsten rear diff, Bilstein shocks, BBS wheels, stiffer springs and sway bars and a small air dam and spoiler, etc. Those features were then included in the R Package in the more powerful ‘94 version (which I bought new) and for several additional years. The hardtop is a big plus as well. I think this car was well-bought, as they say. 6/19/23 Update: This car’s twin sold for $19K on BAT yesterday.

Mine was knocked off and destroyed in a track day incident. Josh, at Rocky Mountain Caterham, was unable to find a direct replacement so used the closest thing he could find. Unfortunately, it stuck up even further. Focus-Power in North Carolina is a source of expertise on the SVT and may have a solution.

Caterham sales on BAT have faltered a bit recently. The results section shows that just 2 of the last 8 Caterham auctions have met the reserve. Prior to that the odds of a successful auction were reversed(only 2 of 8 failed to meet the reserve). No idea why. Maybe the reserves kept creeping upwards due to all of the prior BAT successes?

The Birkin has 2” less leg room than the standard Caterham S3. Thanks to its overlarge (IMHO) standard seats, the Birkin further shrinks seating room. The Birkin has an odd(Again, IMHO)arm resting plan with one higher than the other(the arm resting spot heights on the Caterham are the same, so you don’t feel lopsided). I owned both simultaneously for about a year, so did lots of comparisons. The Stalker is more like a SV version of the Caterham.

So $64K in the car, which is essentially brand new, and $9K in the trailer and asking $43K for both? I nominate this for “deal of the century”(so far…). Good luck with the sale, this is an amazing spec se7en, even without the huge discount.

Google Focus-Power. They are in Belmont NC. They do remote tunes, via a SCT device, which they will sell you. They specialize in SVT Zetecs. Presumably, they can help troubleshoot the non start issue first to get things rolling? Then, at a prearranged time, you put your car on a nearby chassis dyno and hook up the SCT device and connect with Focus-Power and they can see/read the dyno results and adjust timing, A/F ratio,etc. They added 9 hp and 5 lbs of torque to my SVT 2 years ago. Quicksilver Race Engines, in Frederick, MD, also has a long history of working on Zetecs. Also maybe consider contacting Sevens and Elans in St Augustine FL. The owner has semi retired but is still doing Caterham and Lotus repairs/restoration . They were located near Boston for decades and sold more Zetec engined Caterham kits than any one else did. So, the owner, Chris T, may have a suggestion for a Zetec tuner closer to you?

Maybe post your question on FocusFanatics.com? They have a subsection on Zetec SVT engines. As I recall, SVT guru, TurboTom(on this forum known as 1turbofocus, I think), says that the stock Ford ECU is the best available option for this engine.

I checked out some early reviews of these models. Motor1 reports that customers wanting better track performance can order theirs with “four-piston ventilated front seats”:)!

Many thx for all the photos Croc! I like the light blue (its own form of adding lightness?)early Caterham, as well as the dark green original Lotus 7. Maybe not the fastest on the track but they get points for longevity and coolness in my book.

Just a note that with my Caterham sold, and my track Miata not compliant with NJ track regs, in spite of Croc/Tom’s generous offer to let me participate in the White run group, I will be sitting out this year’s event. For those on the fence: this is a bucket-list type event. If you have a se7en, it’s worth the effort and inconvenience to attend, even from afar. If you don’t have se7en, see Croc’s for-sale thead:)! It’s never too late!

It has been 15 years, which is scary! And it was 98% you and Mazda, Al, who pulled it off. Here is another fuzzy shot of the stars of the show, and their owners. My Caterham is the dark blue Caterham, second in from the left, second full row from the bottom.

That’s a tempting offer Croc, made even more so by the opportunity to expalin, yet again, to Tom (YellowSS) that it’s not too late for him to receive political enlightenment:). So, I have it on my calendar and, if all goes well, I will be there in my Miata with the same power as my Caterham, but carrying an extra 1,000 lbs! Although I won’t be in your run group I will hang with the se7ens in the paddock, etc. I just hope it’s not like bringing a Birkin to a LOG event:)!

Update: my beloved Caterham is being sold. A forum member who wants to start racing has contacted me, a fair price has been agreed upon, down payment received, and delivery is in 10 days. The car was uniquely attractive to the buyer as it has all of the required safety items for racing. Even the fuel cell is still current. I probably spent more time debating this sale than I did any other decision in my life:).The deciding factor was simply that, at age 75, I have become less able to handle the car’s physical demands (noise, heat, vibration etc.). The adrenaline hit was no longer sufficient to offset the toll the car took on my body. I am still bombing around racetracks in my Miata and terrorizing drivers half my age:).Folks who have tracked with me at NJMP jnow what I mean. So all is not lost. And, there is no law that says I can’t buy another one some time in the future. I plan to still hang out here, so the USA7S component of my car life will remain. In the meantime, keep the faith and keep blattin.

My custom cage is 17&1/2” above the top of the rear bulkhead (top of the “boot”), 40” above the floor. The driver’s side protrudes 7” from the side frame(supplying crumple zone not provided by the stock Caterham cage), 3” on the passenger side. Aesthetically, it comes in a distant 2nd to the Caterham cage but seems to offer greater protection. I’d guesstimate its 125-150 lbs. The seat height must be factored in. My current Caterham seat puts my butt 2” lower than the FIA compliant racing seat it replaced a few months ago. I will try to attach some photos of my cage.

And just when I was starting to think of your vehicle as “Jeff’s Caterham”:).

Good luck with auction.

Stewart/Jeff’s blue BDA Caterham is now on BAT. One of my all time favorites! GLWA!