Alaskossie

rzempel, I do feel your pain.... take a look at the thread on this list titled "I've thrown in the towel," starting 7/17/09. My upgrade-itis began even before my assembly of the 2007 Caterham kit was started, let alone finished. As a result, after more than two years of long commutes and mounting frustrations, my car is now being completed by ace ex-Caterham UK engineer Nathan Down in Colorado. His help has been invaluable. He informed me that my chassis, intended for the Duratec engine from Cosworth USA, was shipped from UK with a Zetec wiring loom. As a consequence, Nathan has had to pull 54 additional feet of wire into the loom to make the Duratec work with the Zetec sensors etc. as well as to accommodate some of my upgrades. The upgrade-itis pandemic is an equal-opportunity affliction, but it hits the inexperienced (like me) the hardest. Good luck with your car -- sounds like it's mostly downhill from here on out. Someday, you'll be able to have a laugh over your experiences (I hope -- for both our sakes).

This is a bit less than current, but I ordered my S3 kit, through RMSC, from CC in UK in late October of 2006, and it was delivered to Denver, via ocean freight through Chicago, in May of 2007.

Bob, Those are damned heavy springs..... 225# x 4....... Should knock your power-to-weight ratio into a cocked hat......!! 8 Alaskossie

George and daughter, Welcome aboard! I can second what Scannon has said about Caterham Seven assembly, and local (Colorado) resources. I bought my Series 3 kit from RMSC in late 2006, took delivery in May of 2007 in Greeley, Colorado, took delivery of a 2.3 Duratec engine from Cosworth USA at the same time, and between then and now, have made 13 round-trips between my home in Alaska and Greeley to assemble my Seven (my life-long dream, from 1962). I finally realized that I was not making progress on the final completion, and turned the project over to the capable hands of Nathan Down for final assembly and matching of the mechanical and electrical bits. If i had had the car in my own garage, and could pop out evenings and weekends to work on it, things might have been different, but I still would have faced wiring problems (inappropriate wiring loom installed by Caterham UK in the kit) that only someone with Nathan's knowledge could have sorted out. As Nathan says, when you assemble the kit, 90 percent of the parts in the kit are assembled quickly, but it is the last 10 percent of the parts that take 90 percent of the total assembly time. I hope you can link up with Scannon (Skip Cannon) in Erie soon. His SV is a real gem, and rather quick, besides! In addition to Skip's SV, and to my Seven S3 being assembled at Nathan's, there is a Seven S3 ("classic") in Boulder, two of them in Ft. Collins, and one in Loveland. There are of course several in Denver I believe, and in addition, no doubt, some Westfields and other Seven variants in the general area. A really good group of enthusiasts, I've found! Hope to meet you and your daughter soon. Alaskossie

Chrenan, Welcome to the forum! I too own a Porsche Type 951 ('86 944 Turbo, 1 owner, 50k miles) -- the best long-distance, over-the-road car I've ever owned. Did your 944T from Japan come with right-hand steering? i bought a 2007 Caterham kit, had it delivered to Colorado, and have spent the past two years shuttling between Alaska and Colorado to try to finish it. I got it mostly finished (nothing too complicated as long as it's found in the assembly manual), but the mechanical side hung me up, since I was putting a Duratec engine in a Series 3 car before the factory had done it. After less and less progress, more and more frustration, and mounting airfare costs, in July I turned the car over to a fellow in Boulder, Colorado at a vintage race car restoration shop; he used to be an engineer at Caterham in UK, so obviously I have found the right guy. He's making some progress on it; should be on the road fairly soon. Alaskossie

Bruce, your first photo, with the New England autumn colors and the mist rising off the pond and your Birkin in the foreground, is a calendar shot, for sure! It's a keeper!

It looks good in blue, and at least on first appearances looks to be in very good condition. But if I owned it, I'd ditch that tall, "basket-handle" roll bar.

Kiwbirkin, Nice trip, nice video -- but why are you driving in the passing lane all the time??

Winter modding project? Get my 2007 Seven S3 on the road for the first time..... With the able help of Nathan Down in Boulder, Colorado, it's getting closer......

Busanostra, Is Dax available in the US of A? Do you know of any Dax Sevens over here? Seems that I recall concluding that Dax was not interested in selling to US customers, or seeing any of their kits end up over here. I do know that it is not possible to have a requested Dax factory brochure delivered by mail to a US address......

I understand that relatively few of the CSR buyers are choosing this optional dash, though? Wonder how much extra it costs?

7evin, The "birthplace of Caterham" is at an old commercial garage in Caterham-on-the-Hill, Surrey, outside London. However, the current location of the Caterham plant is in Dartford, which is another location entirely. In 1985 my sons and I took the train from London and visited Caterham at Caterham, and it was a fascinating glimpse of British cottage industry -- the informality of it, the fairly ramshackle premises, the workers' own cars (an old Aston, a Jag, and others) parked about so that they could be worked on when the odd moment of down time present itself; the discarded Seven nose cone from a Le Mans race, with two driving lights moulded into the nose fairing, etc etc.) I bought a T-shirt and a nice framed, etched-on-brass cutaway drawing of a Seven, but not much else. I believe the old Caterham garage building is still there, now occupied by some outfit that is doubtless oblivious to the history haunting the premises. I'm sure Ansar Ali runs a tighter ship at Dartford.

Well, Sean, I just have to break the news to them that this is not your typical pizza-delivery guy's Escort... then I blip the throttle, and the explosion from the blow-off valve drowns out any further conversation.... I'll admit it's juvenile, but somehow satisfying.....

Basically, there is a fairly close family relationship between the US and UK Escorts 1990-1995. But there is only a slight relationship between the European Escorts of 1990-1995 and the Ford Escort Cosworth 4X4. Superficial exterior dimensions were similar, but the Escort Cosworth used a shortened floor pan from the earlier Cosworth Sierra 4X4, as well as its longitudinal engine/trans layout, with a separate trans behind the engine, and 4WD. The European Escorts and the American Escort had transverse engine/transmission units. i have seen some photos of UK Escorts with "Escort Cosworth" body kits on them, which made them look fairly close to the Escort Cosworth..... and I've been asked at stoplights a few times by Escort drivers, where they could get a body kit like mine.....

Hank, I got the weight figure of 2882 lb (post-1994 build dates) from from the data sheets in several of Graham Robson's Ford RS books. I don't know what equipment the data car had (or didn't have) on it. Of course, with the variety of "comfort and convenience" options available for the Escort Cosworth, I'm sure an individual car could gain an extra hundred pounds easily. I've never actually weighed my own car.

Hank, I think living with a "stripped" car such as the EVO RS performance version might be tough over the long haul, unless it were used basically as a dedicated track-day car. My 1995 Escort Cosworth is listed as weighing 2882 lb., and it does have A/C, stereo, sound deadening, power door locks, power windows, power mirrors, power Recaro seats rear "whale tail" wing, rear wiper, ABS, airbags, and cruise control, but no sunroof (most Escossies did have the sunroof, except the Motorsport versions that were intended to be converted into caged competition cars). Except for the quick acceleration/deceleration, the tight transient responses, and the explosive noise of the blow-off valve, it is usable as a daily driver. Alaskossie

MoPho, That's what I thought. (I took the custom grille bar that had no space for the Ford logo off, and replaced it eventually with the original stock Ford bar that I had found in a trash bin at Sun). When Sun brought these cars in, as a DOT-recognized manufacturer they had to register them as a "Rally Sport," and had to remove all external Ford logos and model names. For some reason, Sun was not required by Ford USA to replace or fill in the "Ford" name on the wheel covers, however.

MoPho, Could you ask your Escort Cossie friend how he came by the small, non-stock Ford Oval on the narrow, non-stock front grille bar? A Cossie owner in UK saw a photo of this car, and has asked me how it was done. I have an idea, but would like to hear it "from the horse's mouth." The red Escort Cossie for sale in Oregon is owned by a friend of mine, a PhD in physics who is currently working in UK as an aerodynamicist with the Brawn Formula 1 team (neat job!!). His father in Oregon also owns one.

oPho, So you have a friend in LA with an Escort Cossie 4X4? There are only about 15 street-legal ones in the US, all imported by Sun International Racing in CA, ending in 1996 (production at Karmann in Germany ran from February 1992 through early January 1996, with a total of 7,145 made). I bought my Cosssie new in 1995, but had it sent to Eggenberger Motor Sport in Lyss, Switzerland for engine and brake mods before shipping it to LA. Stock power for the 2-liter Ford Cosworth turbo engine was 220 hp. I had the engine stroked to 2.3 liters, a different engine-management system installed, etc. and it now dyno's at 377 hp at 5500 rpm, and 435 lb.ft. of torque at 3500 rpm. With studded tires on snow, it is a beast! My son Scott and I drove it from LA to Anchorage in August of 1998 -- a great trip! A few photos:

Mondo, If World Rally drivers are your heroes, I assume you have seen what IMHO is the most thrilling in-car video ever, the film "Climb Dance," showing Ari Vatanen in the Peugeot 405 T16 Group B rally car on Pikes Peak in 1988. Talk about driving on the edge, on dirt -- literally as well as figuratively! I was there at Pikes Peak for the hillclimb in 1988. From the great vantage point of Devil's Playground at 13,000 ft. elevation, I witnessed those two 500 hp beasts at the hands of Vatanen and teammate Juho Kankunen rocket up the mountain. At least 20 hairpin turns are in view from Devil's Playground, and those two drivers attacked the road like they were downhill skiers. The most thrilling display of driving skill I've ever seen! This 5-minute film give a good taste of it: What Is Rally About - Climb Dance - Peugeot 405 T16 - Pikes Peak - Ari Vatanen Alaskossie

Hank, What were the specs on the limited-edition 2006 EVO IX RS that you owned? Just wondering how it compares on paper to my Eggenberger-modified 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth? (Assuming my Cossie was running, which it isn't at present!). Alaskossie

Hey Skip, Remind me next time, that we should not be seen together in your blown yellow Miata.... Seriously, I'd have to second Skip's position that some Miatas (including his blown and race-suspended one) is no chick car -- unless the chick has hair on her chest, and cojones to match! Skip's Miata is all business, and then some. And I'd suspect that Flying Miata's Chev v-8-engined Miata conversion would blow the "chick car" image into the weeds for good.... Alaskossie

When did the vodka happen -- before, during or after the blat? (After, I hope...!).

Scannon, Not a chance. Nathan is tied up with an XK120 at the moment, and I'm going to be working all Labor Day weekend. Sorry for me (and my Seven).... Alaskossie

Slomove, Hilarious! Please give us more of your machine-translated Deutsche-Spreiche! (and your translations of the translations, of course)!