Slonie

Dang Darren, was hoping to see you with this car in person at least once before it went! Is it at least staying local?

Before Harbor Freight trip, it was cars and coffee... Hey, we're all Ford-powered! I was really surprised to see a 620R at the gathering as well! 19504739-3159-4043-AF40-D2215D8D32EA_1_201_a.heic

Not that I know of, because I only ever filled it up with 5 gallons and then added 5 gallons to an empty tank. But it is easier to immediately stop the flow than a can that's tipped over. The dispensing lever on top is spring-loaded.

Got my car back on the road just in time for Free Bucket Weekend! Now that all the chassis hardware is torqued, time for a wash...

I'll take any excuse I can get to link to the definitive article about the Caterham's exploits at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. I'm surprised the special edition didn't have red wings, considering the red rollbar seems to be a tribute... https://www.autosport.com/general/news/when-caterham-enjoyed-its-finest-hour-in-improbable-surroundings/10341200/

My one last (for now) thing to add is when I imagined that I'd be filling gas up at home more often, I splurged on one of these. A gas can that you don't need to tip to control the flow. So luxurious! (I've used it precisely once) https://www.surecanusa.com/product-page/5-gallon-gasoline-surecan

I haven’t ever really determined my maximum range or filled my tank all the way (except the time I overflowed!) but I tried to crunch the numbers from my notepad-based drive log over the past two years and it seems I get around 20mpg, give or take. This is mostly on canyon drives (since the hills start 10 minutes away), so I guess I’m satisfied. Would always like to see a little better though! Edit: Zetec on TWM throttles, Pectel T2, 13” Toyo 185/205 tires. Actually a bigger rolling diameter than stock so my economy should be *slightly* above indicated but not enough to matter.

Nice to see further signs of life! I wonder what this is in the background, maybe a powertrain mule?

This is an interesting idea! I've noticed my gauge doesn't track up to F after a fillup unless it's been running for a while though, so I'm not sure I can trust this.

I think if I combined both of these products with a keen eye on the bottom of the funnel, I might be able to manually fill the entire tank without overflowing. We'll see?

I have never been able to use the auto-shutoff at the pump, but I do carry one of these which lets me fill up gas way faster than I could without it. This will probably be totally unnecessary for those of you in states that don't have evaporative fuel nozzles, to people who've modified the internal flap on their filler necks, and to those of you who have figured out the secret to getting fuel in. But for me? Lifesaver! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MEPIU4M Lisle 17232, made for filling annoyingly-placed reservoirs but snaps right into place on a Caterham fuel filler... That being said, I just found this when looking for a reference image for our non-California friends... https://www.aerostich.com/products/gascard As for overflow, I've been there too. My way to avoid it has been to only fill up 5 or 6 gallons when I've traveled more than 100 or so miles. I'm definitely leaving some range on the table with this policy but I haven't overflowed since the one time I got cocky and went for 7...

Oh wow that looks handy! That being said, my friend was just installing grommets on a tarp and couldn't use a hammer so he used a plier clamp with the normal tool and ... Seems pretty similar without buying a new tool* *assuming you've done any cabinet work recently and bought that style of clamp The FLIR gun does sound handy as the next step after an IR thermometer. I bought one with the laser pointer AND a contact probe so I could do two jobs with one tool. Very recommended when I was chasing cooling system gremlins.

I was seeing if anyone had started some threads on cool handy tools (I'll do that soon) and found this instead. Sure is an oldie but it it's worth a bump!

I've often wondered about this route in abstract, as a Pectel T2 dying is going to (likely) be an extended amount of downtime locating a replacement. Not that it's happened to me, but it's on my mind. Of course, switching ECUs and having to re-tune from scratch would also be an extended downtime (for me, anyway), even if it was "plug and play" with a harness. Either way would seem to beat re-wiring the whole thing though! I try not to think about it too much.

It's not too late for them to paint the wheels white!

It's up for a spanner check. The best time to have done that would have been BEFORE hearing new noises. Second best time is now, right? On the plus side, look forward to a checklist of bolts with wrench sizes and torque specs soon... Also, I brushed a metric tonne of bugs out of that radiator, and ordered a straightening tool, let's see how that goes!

It's funny because I usually hate tiny headlight conversions ala microlight, but those are so small they almost disappear and it just looks like a race car. Approve! (if the light output is good, in any case I'm sure it's better than the halogens that came on older cars). But I do love my big goofy high-mount 7" lights. Low 5.75s look great too, but I'm not that eager to update my car. For 2026, Caterham is offering body-colored headlights (and roll bars) as standard, so we can start whole new debates over those

Thanks! I'm just going to admit that I didn't realize the standard pods were plastic and not crinkle-coated metal... Fooled me! Given their light weight, I think I'll hold onto the OEM ones for now. On the other hand, what about a carbon headlight stay?

I think you're right, at least per 7 wonders of the world who's making them: "No more knocks as the OEM bush gets ripped out and the A fame collides with the Dedion tube, increased axle articulation with reduced torsional stress on the A frame itself." *emphasis mine. I had just kind of talked myself up into getting one of these now in case I actually want to install it later, or even getting a group shipment to the US going in case other people are interested. But then I realized I don't have a membership over there and can't even message the seller.

Loving the build updates and your pictures/video. Those Jack Webb arm ends look like a must have for next time I plan on having everything apart or getting an alignment.

I'm curious, does anyone know how much weight the carbon pods save? I know there are perfectly good aesthetic reasons to do it if you have other carbon parts, but I have always been curiou.. The stock metal ones "look heavy" but I've never had them in hand off of the car.

As it was listed with no reserve, it sold for $11k earlier today. Heck, that’s a Lotus* for Locost money! *alleged

Apologies if Croc already posted it because I’m reasonably sure he did but… guess who’s back? https://www.barrett-jackson.com/2026-palm-beach/docket/vehicle/1964-lotus-seven-series-2-297 Yes it’s that one that keeps popping up. Going to up for bids with no reserve (finally) on Saturday.

Huge news! Congrats on getting it running. I don't trust the fuel gauge in my car at all (with similar behavior) but unlike a 2016+ car I'm not sure there's a cure. Hope to go for a drive soon! (my car is back up on stands to address a noise coming from the rear suspension, which really means I'm long overdue for a torque check on every bolt back there...)

The biggest eyebrow raise for me in this article was the list of US dealer locations and not including Sonoma... Okay, I'm not losing it, they stealth-edited the article (without comment) to restore Kampena's status as a dealer. Eyebrow un-raised. Current version of the article: Previous, memory-holed version of the article: This is great news, I was worried there for a minute. Both about Kampena's dealership status and my grasp on reality