Cranky

Any recommendations for where I can order a half hood for sun protection that won't interfere with my MirrorsForSevens rearview mirror or my rollbar mounted third brake light?

My local garage, Mo Muscle Cars, fixed the issue. The fitting on the steering wheel had a metal lip inside the splines, presumably because someone tried to force the wheel on with a hammer or something in the past. They filed down the lip and it now fits on and locks in place. I feel much better driving it knowing that the wheel won't pop off. That could be very inconvenient.

It seems like I get the same few questions asked frequently at stoplights, gas stations, and parking lots when I drive my Caterham. I'm curious as to how you guys answer these questions, mostly because I'd like to steal your lines. 1) What is that? This one is hard because I never feel like I can answer in a way that means anything to them. If I say a Caterham R300, I've done the equivalent of answering in gibberish. Calling it a Lotus 7 would be less accurate, but would be more likely to lead them to useful information if they try to Google it. Sometimes I just say "a car", but that's because I'm cranky. 2) How Fast Does It Go? I don't know what people are looking for here. I have no idea what the top speed is and it probably wouldn't be much different than the top end on our mini-van. A 0-60 time might be more impressive, but only to people that know something about cars and they probably wouldn't be asking that question. I usually just say that its very quick. 3) Is That a Kit Car? Did You Build that? I usually just answer yes to the first and no to the second because it was bought as a kit but I bought it from the person that assembled it.

On either side of my car, there are poorly coupled wires dangling below the dash. Driver's (left) side - blue wire connected to green wire. http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-8nP5kBP/0/L/i-8nP5kBP-L.jpg Passenger's (right) side - black wire http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-jFC4jqs/0/L/i-jFC4jqs-L.jpg

I'm starting to think that the mounting hub is faulty in some way. This is the steering column without the steering wheel mounted. http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-JktRXR8/0/L/i-JktRXR8-L.jpg This is the hub one the steering column without the steering wheel mounted on it. I have the large spline in the correct location and the hub slides on past that. This is as far as the hub will go. I cannot get it to slide further. It feels like it is hitting a hard stop. I have tried pushing it on with the release plate completely pushed in so that the balls are free to move. http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-ZcDDscC/0/L/i-ZcDDscC-L.jpg I tried wiggling it. I tried pushing on it harder. I even spent an hour filing it and de-burring it so that there is nothing rough on the inside of the hub. I also tried mounting it backwards and it doesn't mount at all in that direction. At this point, I'm at a loss and am considering ordering another hub to see if I can get a different hub to match. I've tried, but I cannot figure out what is causing this hub to stop as I mount it.

Thanks! Got it.

I recently bought a Caterham R300 (2012 model). It was assembled by an individual and sold on consignment by a non-Caterham dealership. I got an owner's manual, but I didn't get any build instructions. It would be awfully handy to have something like that to help me with repairs. Any idea how/where I could get one?

I was just looking at the Texas DMV site on how to register it. I think I'm going to need to hire a consultant to help me figure it out. I think I'll call the dealership in Dallas tomorrow to see if they can give me some guidance.

I found the handbrake adjustment. I also found a blown fuse that was preventing my horn from honking. I'm still vexed by the steering wheel issue. I'll dig into more this weekend and will probably post pictures/videos in an effort to solicit more help. I need to figure out the speedometer/tachometer issue as well. I noticed that the tach does move. It appears to just read really, really, really low (never going above about 800 rpm).

OK, I've got things working well enough to get to, I think, pass inspection. I need to get it inspected before I can get it titled and licensed. Until I get it licensed and inspected, I can't drive it. So how do I get it to the inspection station? Do I hope nobody notices my lack of plates and drive it there anyway? Do have it towed? Are there inspectors that make house calls?

I thought you might have it, but I took off the wheel and tried it with just the hub and still had the same problem. The hub itself doesn't quite slide on far enough for the balls to lock. I need to do some studying to see why it won't go on any further.

OK, reverse works fine now that I understand how to get to it. I was a little confused at first because "down" meant second gear to me, but I finally grasped what you meant. When I start the car, the speedometer and tachometer needles swing from end to end and then settle back down to 0. After that, they don't move. The oil pressure gauge never moves off of 0. I did verify that I have oil using the dipstick and I'm assuming that it is circulating. The idle stalling issue is something I can live with. The steering wheel problem is still vexing me. I'm still waiting on my manuals and extra keys. I'll get more serious about fixing things once I have those. Here are a few shots of the dash. I'll get some engine shots later in the week. My garage is about 100 degrees and nasty humid, so I haven't wanted to spend a lot of time in there setting up pics. http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-zs4KZV7/0/L/i-zs4KZV7-L.jpg http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-x6HrRXW/0/L/i-x6HrRXW-L.jpg http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-cc9kbHL/0/L/i-cc9kbHL-L.jpg

World of tanks?

Handbrake needs adjustment Can't get it into reverse Oil pressure and RPM gauges are reading low Stalls at idle before warmed up Steering wheel releases without pulling the release plate It has the Duratec 175hp engine with the 5 speed trans.

Just got a "new" R300. It needs some significant sorting before it is ready to take to the streets. Here are a few pics I took this morning: http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-N7WGnnc/0/L/i-N7WGnnc-L.jpg http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-HVK7ZNM/0/L/i-HVK7ZNM-L.jpg http://photos.barbierifamily.org/photos/i-h3724Hb/0/L/i-h3724Hb-L.jpg

It looks like the lock mechanism is a set of four ball bearings that jut out inside the inner column. They are held in place with a metal sleeve. When you pull the release, the sleeve moves out of the way and the balls are free to move out of the way. When I push the mechanism onto the column, it goes far enough for some of the splines to engage, but not far enough for the balls for reach the groove. I need to figure out why it is stopping and not fully engaging.

Just bought a "new" R300 that needs some sorting. The first and most critical issue is with the Momo quick release steering wheel. It doesn't lock. I can pull it right off the column without squeezing the release plate. Any ideas or suggestions?

I live in Texas, a state that requires a front license plate. How does one attach a front plate to a Caterham? Do Caterhams come with an OBDII port? Specifically, would an R300 with a Duratec 2.0L come with one?

I entered my info and got a reasonable quote. Then, because I have an almost 15 year old at home, I checked to see what the rate will be when I have a third driver at the house that will not be driving the car. They told me I was declined. :cuss: I'll have to call them tomorrow. I won't be happy if I can't get insurance until the last of my children has left the house.

I called my State Farm agent this morning to ask what it would cost to add a Caterham to my insurance. She called her underwriter and came back with the answer that they won't insure it because they consider it a race car. I did some searching here and saw several older references to State Farm insuring Sevens in Texas. Does anyone know what information I need to give to my agent to get them to insure a Caterham? Failing that, what are people's recommendations for insurance? This would be far a car driven

Tell more more about them.

What are those prices? When I see something like a Seven 360 for $59,340, what does that include? It looks like the base car ($44,900) plus the options ($13,940) plus a mystery $500 (destination charge?) but not the engine. IT lists the engine as $10,500 plus another $2,500 for installation. So am I correct in assuming that the full retail drive-out price is $72,340 for the car they list as $59,340? If that is the case, the used market is looking better.

http://www.chariotsofpb.com/Inventory/InventoryDetails/tabid/2245/company/CHARIOTS/vin/SDKLDK3NS11070411/Default.aspx The ad lists this car as a "5-SPEED MANUAL!" (not sure why that gets an exclamation point - must mean that it was written by either a female or a used car salesman). This picture sure looks like a six speed: http://cthst.com/chariotsofpb/11070411-22sm.jpg Am I missing something or is the ad copy wrong?

Thanks for all of the great advice and a special thanks to pksurveyor for giving me a ride in one of his Sevens. I'm still undecided about several things, but I now know that I don't need an LSD, a plumbed in fire extinguisher, or the aerofoil wishbones. I definitely want the 5 speed and not the 6 speed. I want a painted car. I'm not inclined to pay extra for leather but wouldn't mind it either. I'm skeptical about the value of the heater (at least here in the Houston area). I want a quick release wheel. A master battery switch would be nice, but not essential. I was surprised at how tight the SV chassis was. I have some friends that I don't think will fit even as passengers if I get a standard chassis. Thanks again for all of the help. I'm sure that I'll have more questions soon.

I'm looking at the specs for new Caterhams and I have a lot of questions. For context, I'm looking for Caterham that will be fun to drive on the roads. It will see very little, if any, track time or autocrossing. I have no experience driving anything vaguely similar. 1) The 280 comes with 14" wheels, the 360 comes with 13" wheels, and the 480 comes with 15" wheels. What difference does it make and why would I prefer one set of wheels over the other? 2) I see having a 4-point harness as an option but not a 5-point harness. I think I'd much rather have a 5-point harness. Is it easy to add a 5th "point" or would it make sense to just by a 5-point harness aftermarket and skip the Caterham option? 3) How important is having an LSD for non-racing road use? 4) How important is the plumbed in fire extinguisher for a non-track car? 5) Why do I want a Master Battery Switch? 6) What are aerofoil wishbones and how much of a difference do they make? 7) Their site lists 5 speed and 6 speed transmissions, but not the gear ratios. Any idea how they are set up? Any opinions as to which you think I should choose? 8) The cost of engine installation ($2,500) is more than the cost to build the car ($2,395). How hard is it to install the engine? If you opt for unassembled kit, does that also mean that you won't be getting the engine installation? It seems like it would be hard to install the engine in a kit. 9) When considering building it myself or paying to have it done, what should I consider? I have very little mechanical experience aside from changing my oil; should I even consider it or is that crazy? How much does self-building impact resale value? 10) Any advantage to painting the aluminum body aside from the look?