Road Ready

Good news! It's a false alarm. I had apparently disconnected a wire from the oil pressure sensor while searching for a way to reach the oil filter. Oil pressure showing as soon as I reconnected it. Thanks for all the good advice. John

NC allows us to title a car to the year it's intended to replicate. Ours is a 2007 bild, 50th anniversary edition. It's titled as a 1957 Lotus Seven Replica. John

I changed the oil in my 7, with new filter. How long should it run to achieve oil pressure? My son did it last; what's normal? John

Long story short, I hit a really big pothole at sufficient speed to break a wheel. I'm on my way to replacing the wheel with the help of Josh at Rocky Mountain Caterham. It seems like a good idea to get the alignment checked. Do I need a special shop/special equipment for that or would a regular alignment shop be able to do it? I'm in western NC

What's the best number to call for parts at Caterham in England?

I'm in Western NC and would love to run with some other Seveners on the BRP sometime. Right now it's closed mostly due to nasty ice stalagmites in the tunnels and some other issues. Think about springtime!

I don't think he had ever seen a 7" Ford diff. He did admire the car, even though he was about 200 lbs too heavy to get in it.

Burt was unable to get the right parts for the pinion gear in my diff. He had to send some stuff back to Burton in England. It's the Ford Sierra diff, built by Quaife. Burt had a very low opinion of the way it was set up. I might end up buying a new diff., having Burt take it apart to be sure it's properly assembled and then install in my car.

Having a car that's road-legal and having it legalized are two different things. When we were working to get my car titled for the first time it had to be inspected, at our place. We worked carefully to be sure that all the lights and horn were working properly. Then the inspector arrived. We noticed that he was wearing a side-arm. It turned out to be a rather different kind of inspection than we were anticipating. An engine block serial number being impossible to see orsee using a mirror or even obtain a clay imprint, we ended up having to post a substantial indemnity bond as one of the hoops we had to leap through. Now were titled as a 1957 Lotus Seven Replica. It works fine for me!

Rocky Mountain Caterham was very helpful. Josh has a hearing impairment that makes e-mail a better option for him. They have a lot of diff parts in stock. I talked to Ross, Josh's father. There's also Burton Power in the UK. Amazingly, Burt, my diff guy, was able to order all that was needed from his usual supplier. He uses an old transmission casing for his mailbox!

Who is best to call re Pinion Bearing parts and such? I'm in NC but anywhere would be good. The car is on the rack right now so you can call me at 828 779-9028 in the interest of haste.... Thanks! JR

My car is in the shop of a guy who's supposed to be nth local diff genius. He may be asking me for the phone number of a parts source for pinion bearing and related parts. Nobody picked up at Rockey Mountain Caterham. Who next best? John

It whines under load at speed greater than about 30 mph. I have a video that has a good example of the sound.

I've got a Quaife limited-slip diff on my '07 Caterham and worry about the amount of noise that's coming from it. Do any of you guys have that diff and could tell me what living with yours is like? JR

Thanks for all the help. I've got it right now. ( I had the headlights on but didn't notice because it was such a bright day.)

My Seven had a terminally dead battery. So I got a fresh one and suddenly remembered that I should have marked which wires go where. The way I've got it hooked now I only get a solenoid click but the starter doesn't rotate and the dash lights don't turn off. Anybody want to send a photo of their correct battery hookup?

Now that the weather is perfect in WNC, the Blue Ridge Parkway is shut down but for short sections. The oak leaves are as big as squirrel ears but there's COVID-19 about. The BRP is not a challenging road by far but it would be difficult to find a more beautiful run this time of year.

Starting well and running strong, My ZTECK -engined '07 still runs really rich at idle. Not that I plan to idle much but what could be doing that? The intake manifold is geometrically variable on these engines but I don't know if that could be playing a part or not or even how to test intelligently.

You guys are so far beyond me re: ECUs! I know where it is. In the effort to fix my issue I grounded it externally. That was a pain in the ass and didn't help. How do you guys access the ECU? Remove the passenger seat and lie on your back with a headlight? My ZETEC is running rich at idle. My guru says it might be any ECU problem. He's very diligent but I don't know where I should be focussing my efforts now. Who idles for long anyway?

Finally my car is ready to go. But it's winter. Planning time. I'm very near the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville. The Parkway is closed now but will reopen once the ice in the tunnels melts. Would anyone like to join me?

This is frustrating! I've finally gotten fixed some long-standing issues with my '07 Caterham home build and the weather will likely prevent me from taking her out on some of my favorite drives in the area. My favorite is the Blue Ridge Parkway which is only 20 min. away. They close it when the ice starts to form in the tunnels. That and the fact that it's a bit cold. 30 F and sunny now and it's almost noon. Those Avon tyres are optimized for warm/dry pavement, are they not? I'm personally optimized for warm and dry conditions. This means more time for planning. There are a host of windy back roads near Weaverville and Hot Springs, NC. Anybody thinking of future rides in the area; please keep me in mind. I took my car to Olthoff Racing in Mt. Ulla, NC. Dennis is the man in charge there. He specializes in the Ford GT40 and the Cobra. He couldn't resist helping me out. A fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. In addition to the problems that I thought I had he found problems that I didn't know I had or was about to have. She still runs rich at idle but who idles for long? Any suggestions of what to check about that would be welcome!

I could use one too: johnrowland@frontier.com

Where am I going to find replacement wiper blades for my '07 7? They're not worn out from overuse, just the ravages of time.

My '07 Caterham with the Zetec engine is having problems. I'm at the end of what I can do with my level of expertise (which is not 'expert' by any means.) I was having a hard start problem and now it's gotten to no-start. A noid-light test revealed only one or two good flashes then weak ones or no flash at all. Fuel pressure seems good, at least initially but then weakens. The returnless fuel system seems tricky. I'd replace the fuel pump relay but I don't know where to find it.... I'm looking for someone that I could ship the car to who knows his stuff. I'm in Western North Carolina near Asheville. The nearby Blue Ridge Parkway beckons.

I'm pretty sure that my problem is not fuel-related. I'm starting to delve back into the problem. My noid light test showed weak/intermittent signals going to the injectors. Once it starts it runs great. I'm wondering it it could be something as simple as the battery. What was in there was a little 310 CC battery that is a long way from filling up the space allotted. What I'm looking for is the biggest, baddest, most powerful battery that will fit into the space: L 7" x W 4 5/8" x H 7" Any suggestions? I know I've asked you guys here about this before; my bad for not acting on your suggestions already.