Kitcat

Take ear muffs or headphones to put over the ear plugs. I still have ringing in my ears from just using ear plugs when I picked up my first 7, using your same plan of action. Take a very small tool kit and elec tape and duct tape. I am sure you will have your cell but be aware of possible limited-no cell coverage in remote areas. Add the car to your AAA plan, add ins coverage to your car. Be prepared for the ruckus your car will cause at every rest stop, gas station and restaurant (Is it a kit car, how fast, how much $, etc.). Ask the seller to show you how to set up the top & side curtains before you leave the seller's place. I can still remember my trip home in my new X-flow Cat back in '07, all positive. I agree with others that 1600 miles in 3 days is really pushing it in a 7. It is a go-kart, with all the pluses and minuses that implies (bumpy, noisy, incredibly hot, etc). Also, it is not unheard of to have a mechanical problem in a 7:), and allowing a bit of time to work thru that mite make sense?

Love the color! Between that and the car itself, you will soon know what Oprah feels like when she goes out in public:).

Sevens and Elans was the largest importer of Caterhams for many years. They were in Ayers, right next to you, I think. The owner, Chris Tchorznicki, has semi-retired and moved to St Augustine FL. But he may know of Cats in your vicinity to look at, or drive and maybe even buy. I have always found him to be friendly and helpful. He built the first Caterham I owned and supplied me with parts for 10 years. You can google sevensandelans for his current location/phone, etc.

Tom, I promise: I willl not engage in any on-track "rubbin", as we Nascar/Talledega types like to say:)!

I am putting LOG 37 down as a definite maybe. Track time on Talledega and on Barber Motorsports track are definite draws. And it is a much closer haul for me from Cincy than the annual se7ens gathering @ NJMP. In addition, the May 19-22 date is separated by 6-7 weeks from the '17 NJMP event so the timing is good for attending both.

First, drive one. You may be shocked at how different the real world experience is than the imaginary world of 7 bliss penned by crazed auto mag scribes. It is noisy, hot, low, and a constant magnet for attention. Also no real storage, certainly no lockable storage and very hard to talk to your passenger, if any one rides with you. Not so great in cold/hot/rainy weather either. Of course, you already know about the good stuff: you wear it, driving it risks sensory overload, the engine sound is intoxicating,it is incredibly responsive, holds the road as on rails, etc. All true, and them some. So it is a mix of extremes, but it helps to be aware of the negatives. Depreciation is steep on new purchases. After that it seems to be pretty negligible. So if you buy a Birkin that was $50K 8 years ago for $25K, it is likely you will sell it for about that. The real cost issue is what will you spend on 2 separate items while you own it: Upgradeitis. Nearly impossible to resist, we all need stickier tires, more comfortable seats and, invariably, just a bit more power. So you could easliy spend $5-10K making the car "better", a cost you are unlikely to recover on resale. Repairs/maitenance. This is the great unknown and can be a black hole. As a general rule, these handbuilt cars are far less durable or reliable than a $25K Miata. I bought my current Cat for around $23K and have spent nearly an equal amount fixing all the things that have gone wrong obver the last 4 years(engine rebuild, clutch replacement, half shaft failure, steering wheel failure, 4 fuel pumps expired,fuel liner replaced, fuel system failure, wheel bearing failure, just to truely name a few of the repairs). Since I am not a mechanic, I hired all this work out. If you can do the work yourself, cut this cost in half. And I now, finally, have a reasonably reliable Cat that has run flawlessly for 6 months. How do you know what problems are lurking? Wish I knw, but I like cars with lots of miles, whih means they are working, rather than cars with almost no miles which can mean they have never been sorted. Unfortunately, in my case, my car had too many miles. I also like cars that have been built by the owner as they typically spare no expense and no time in getting things right. Tom Carlon's Birkin shop would be an exception that comes to mind tho. Happy hunting. Feel free to send any of us a PM for info, if you are interested in a particular car. We are much more likely to be candid when we arent risking hurting the seller's feelings.

As the former owner of a Duratec Birkin, I can affirm it is easily the equal of the 2 Caterhams I have owned, in terms of handling, stopping, acceleration, etc. And if you build it yourself you will avoid the issues I had, tho everything I have read and everyone I have talked to says Tom Carlin's shop does an exemplary job on turn-key Birkins. Tom says there have been a number of important upgrades since the '09 S3 Birkin I owned. The Birkins cockpit was quite a bit smaller than the Cats but, as you note, you will fit nicely. And maybe interior space is one of the improvements?Also, the seats were horrible (IMHO) and I think that has been addressed as well. If not, it is easy to fit aftermarket seats or even Caterham seats (Wh/I did).

Some of us mix a gallon or 2 of 100 octane unleaded gas in with our otherwise premium (91-93 octane) gas. I have two 5 gallon jugs of 100 octane in the garage. At $12.00 a gallon, its not cheap, but it gives me a sense of protection.

I thing the Cats in the R&T article wld have to be disassembled and brought in in pieces, w/o engines, no? Or used only on the track? Otherwise, a great price on a per-car basis.

I hadn't heard of the 485S until now (Caterham seems to change model nomenclature on a monthly basis). I just Googled it, wow, it is a beast. Redline is 8500 rpm, 0-60 is 3.0 secs, top speed 140 mph. It even has a button to push that extracts a bit more performance. If it doesn't come with the FIA roll-over bar, I'd consider adding that. The stock bar may not be equal to the performance this machine offers. I will be interested in how it compares to your departed ZO6. Totally different approaches yes, but in terms of ooomph, this Cat may be similar (at least up to 110 mph or so). Since it is brand new, I cant imagine it needs that much maintenance. I'd take a bunch of little trips out and about, never too far from home and always in cell phone coverage. All of the little things that can and do go wrong with hand built cars will pop up and you can get them fixed before doing anything too adventurous. Parts, it depends. It is typically a scavanger hunt. Stateside, Bruce Beachman at Beachman Racing, has parts as does Caterham USA in Colorado. They are occasionally available from Caterham UK, but more often from Redline in the UK. Also since so many parts are from other cars, you can sometimes get what you need at Auto Zone, etc. (where I just picked up some exotic, high capacity oil filters for my Zetec SVT).

Seb: My sound was via a $23.-00 external for my GoPro2. I got it from Amazon (where else?). I wrapped it in a sock and duct taped the whole thing under the dash. It is described as a Cowboy Studio, model# BY-LM20, on my Amazon receipt. Dan: I have now uploaded a video from Day 2. Again, it is totally unedited so the action doesn't sart til 5-10' in. I chased you a bit at about the 13' point. I haven't watched the whole thing, so I am not sure if you appear elsewhere. Until someone embeds it, you will have to google "978Kitcat" to find it on YouTube. It is described there as NJMP-pt 2 008. Initially, Google will just give you the stuff you ave already seen so you have to click on "repeat the search with the omitted results included"-at the very bottom of the Google search pop up.

WingsA: My idea of how to measure the desirability of a car is to take note of the financial compromises it makes me consider in order to purchase it. So here I am thinking: If I sell my Cat, de-fund my savings for grandchild's college education, stop saving for my own imminent retirement, etc., I mite be able to make this work:)! In all seriousness, it is a spectacular Cat and, hopefully, somebody will snap it up at this price and I can go back to being a (slightly) more rational person.

Too funny! I am not a Testarossa fan so wld prefer your Stalker. Your car is probably faster too!

Thx Tom, parts have been purchased and installed. Installation required removal of cage, drivers seat and rear aluminum bulkhead, just to get access, so it was not a simple project. Starvation problem is solved at least. Mike

Tom, one of my "speed secrets:)" is to go shallow into turn 3, rather than use the classic line. Even tho it looks bad. What little I lose in 3, I gain back, and more in 4, because I am then pointed much straighter into turn 4 and can blast through it at a higher speed, climbing the curbs as much as possible on both 3 and 4, again to make them as straight as possible. I seem to catch everyone there, even thee guys who are faster everywhere else.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwb7DKoq0A&list=UUjZR-x5TFicnhZ7QcyDKpQw&index=1Here (maybe) is some raw, unedited footage (as in it includes 5-10' of me sitting in the pits) of some hot laps from the 1st day 2 weeks ago. Update: OK, that link doesn't seem to work. As an alternative, just google: 978kitcat and you will get the YouTube site where this NJMP video, in all of its unedited splendor, resides.

Parts alone for my surge system exceeded the Hydramat. But I was a bit nervous abt Hydramat's statement that degradation can occur and that it shd be pulled and checked every 5 years or so for deterioration.

So sorry and, so shocking. She was young, by today's standards, and I am sure you and she were enjoying her new found retirement freedom and making endless plans for new adventures together. My wife is 64 and I can't imagine life with out her, or what you must be going through. Words fail me....

Another top event and once again my favorite car-oriented experience of the year. Much fun was had and much was learned. Top photo is one of hundreds from Croc's garage. Then it is Wentmd's Birkin, lurking in the grass, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting Caterhams. Next is emblematic of the group's spare-no-cost approach to car numbers:). And talk about attention to detail! Followed by MichaelD, fighting off the effects of squeezing to much fiun into a single weekend. And finally, Tom in his super fast Cat, next to his passenger, Dave, who drives a Superperformance S1. The "Birkin Boys" showed us the "Birkin oil pan Diaper", a jury-rigged device scientifically designed to stop a moderate to severe oil drip from keeping them off the track. We (I) also learned that one point by-means just one car can pass out on the track (not 2 cars, even if I am the 2nd one:)). It is possible to combine massive drinking and eating with massive amounts of track driving, you just have to do so in the proper sequence. Croc's garage has to be seen to be believed. Many of the participants were at the USA7s event at the Tail of the Dragon in '07, including me, MichaelD, Norm Beaver, and Scott Lentz. Many also attended the LOG in Gettysburg a few years later where we cooked up the idea for what has become this annual gathering at NJMP. Those folks again included the above suspects and the critical addition of Tom and Croc. Dave of Birkin diaper fame was there as well (and mite have been at the Tail of the Dragon?). We had so much fun together, after being ostracized by the Lotus guys, that we decided to get together on an annual basis. This led to Croc and Tom suggesting the NJMP venue for what has become an annual gathering and the largest USA gathering of sevens. Next year will be the 7th anniversary. I already cant wait. I will post some random pictures, including the new, but already coveted, "Debris Flag" award, referenced above. Since I was this year's honored winner (victim?) I have renamed it the "I Rock" award:). It truly illustrates the old adage that what goes around comes around. It now sits proudly in my office next to my Golden skid marks trophy (a gold toilet bowl) from last year.

My Zetec SVT suffered a power loss on the Lightening course at NJMP last year necessitating a rebuild. The best theory was the fuel pump was failing, causing the mixture to lean out, causing engine damage. Since I was on my 3rd fuel pump in a short while, it was determined that the "return-less" fueling system was not adequate and was causing my multiple premature fuel pump failures. This was confirmed when we dyno'd the car after the rebuild, but before the conversion to a return fuel system. That showed inadequate fuel and dangerously high AFR's. So we ultimately converted it to a "return" system. And beefed up the fuel pump capacity, and added multiple fuel filters, and are in the process of now adding a fuel surge tank system. We also put in a nice big AFR gauge that allows me to visually monitor the AFR's under track stress. It has run well the 2 track days I have done since it was rebuilt, apart from fuel starvation in some corners, but it is still too soon to really know. I am also running 100 octane unleaded fuel per advice of the engine tuner, as a final safety measure. Good luck with trouble shooting what can sometimes be a complicated and elusive problem.

Zetec SVT engines have become somewhat scarce, ditto parts. What are you doing with yours?

So sorry! Any theories as to the cause (oil starvation?)? In any event, your reaction is perfect.

MichaelD's Cat is looking sharp. He must have polished it up in anticpation of the NJMP event, in 2 weeks:).

Tom: Remind everyone (incl me) what the best way into NJ is for those of us coming from the west. I know Philly is an epic diaster and folks on I-80 need to drop way down past it, but where? I will be heading north on I-95. First timers beware: traffic on the interstates in and around Baltimore, DC, Wilmington and the fore-mentioned Philly is atrocious, esp Friday afternoon and evening. Once you enter NJ all is well, it is getting there that is murder (esp pulling a trailer in the cut & thrust East Coast traffic).

I look forward to a full report of YellowSS's "other" Caterham, the fire breathing former Blubarisax Uber Cat, now that its overheating issues have been addressed and it has been re-tuned. Rumor has it that it made 250hp at the rear wheels on a conservative chassis dyno recently. Look out Storkers!