Kitcat

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!

Cueball: sorry you missed out on that amazing Stalker but there is always a “next time.” I don’t own a Stalker, and I dont auto-x my Caterham, so I have no opinion on large vs. small Stalkers in the auto-x environment. Based on my experience at NJMP against V8 Stalkers tho, I think they are track day beasts, whatever their size.

An amazing se7en and an even more amazing price! Congratulations! A bonus is, if you do track days, you will no longer have to watch your mirrors or give point-byes:).

A while back I bought a driver’s suit for track days (which is the only place my non-street legal Caterham is used). I was amazed at how much it calmed the driving experience (less buffeting, fewer noticeable pebble strikes, etc.). Combined with a full face helmet and ear plugs, it made the experience much less frentic and tactile. I find myself more able to focus on the track. Of course, it can get a bit toasty in what is essentially a snow suit in the hot Caterham cockpit during summer months…. Adding a full windshield and 1/2 doors creates a similarly quiet environment. But, by trapping so much cockpit heat, it’s still a pretty hot experience.

Slightly off topic, but my ‘97 Caterham had an 8 gallon tank. The fuel gauge was never accurate, so I just filled it up every 100 miles to be safe (Fortunately, the odometer was accurate:)). On long trips I took a 2 gallon container of gas(my own crude reserve system ).

Jon: Gone, but not forgotten. I got my only clean run at the LOG 30 auto-x after you jumped in as a passenger and told me when to turn:)! You also came to USA7S at the Tail of the Dragon in ’07 and you hauled an Automobile magazine scribe with you in your Caterham as he was covering the event and did a great write up after the event that commorated the 50 anniversary of the Lotus 7.

Steve, so you have been a se7en owner since ‘05? Who here has owned longer? I guess Tom G (Yellow SS, who went to the LOG event the year before)? Anyone else? Speaking of longevity and se7ens owners, Josh Robbins of RMCaterham told me recently that new orders for Caterhams are split equally at age 45. Half are older than that, half younger. In any event, Nathan would be a great track mentor: easygoing and low key. But also smart and talented. He was a US Caterham dealer for a moment in the early 2000’s.

Nathan told me he drove a Caterham in the 2003 25 hour event as part of the Car and Driver team. It didn’t hurt that he was an ace Caterham mechanic (or that he was faster than the Car and Driver writer/drivers:)). He and Josh Robbins were at my refurbished Caterham’s shakedown track day 4 days ago. They were able to diagnose why my Caterham 6 speed suddenly wouldn’t go into reverse. And fix it the next day. It turns out that the spring loaded Quaife manufactured Caterham shifter can wear out. Who knew? They swapped in a spare and all was right.

Or, Tom, why don’t you meet the southern members of USA7s at Barber? As you say, it’s only a day’s drive and you have a trailer and tow vehicle now:)! Just kidding (sort of). I thought I had heard all of your se7en adventures but this is a new one. That’s a full day, given that se7en miles are like dog years:1:7. Impressive!

Hey Steve: My Caterham took first in class, thrird overall, in the 2009 edition of 25 Hours at Thunderhill. It was an effort put together by Bruce Beachman, who as you know, is now a Caterham dealer par excellence. The car started out as a race car built to SCCA E-Production class, in 2003 and was upgraded by Bruce and owner/driver, Mark McClure, in 2008 to ST class, as I recall for the 2009 race.

Carl, I don’t have that. Since mine is from’96, I don’t think it’s relevant to your spec. You may need to contact Caterham UK with your car’s serial #. It was all done so seat of the pants, even they may not know?

Those who have followed my Caterham’s occasional issues know that my rear suspension was “solid” at last year’s NJMP. I had it properly sorted over the winter at Rocky Mountain Caterham. It turns out I replaced the A-frame (damaged when I had a half shaft break on track) with one of the wrong spec. So wrong that when my mechanic forced it into place, it bent the shock absorbers and the shaft was unable to move in the shock tube. Per Nathan Down, who did the suspension over the winter, there are many varieties of Caterham A-frames: at least 8 between ’96-98 alone. Nathan, who was a Caterham engineer in the ‘90’s, said the company kept tinkering with them until they were happy with the results. Apparently, since my’03 Cat was a race version, speced for the SCCA in the US, it came with one of the many late ‘90’s versions, not the final version (so much for racing improving the breed…). When I replaced it, I was sent the ‘03 version which was completely wrong.

My Caterham’s mechanical refurbishment was pretty comprehensive (shocks, springs, wheels, tires, alignment, front brakes, steering rack with a slower ratio, etc), so the handling should be much improved. So we shall see. Speaking of seeing, I like the new mirror concept!

Deal Croc:)! See you in September, in either the mighty Miata, or the even mightier Caterham. Will this event see the debut of the CatKong? Or, is NJMP too small to contain it:)???