Vovchandr

This might be your best bet for the fronts. http://www.kitcardirect.co.uk/caterham-lotus-7-style-front-cycle-wing-mudguards-carbon-csr-15-pair.html Don't know exact dimensions but there are quite a few choices http://www.kitcardirect.co.uk/locost/locost-bodywork.html

So now that I'm in over my head I'm going to have lots of questions. If my ITB's were physically wide open but my TPS was only reading them at ~65% does that mean that I was running lean this whole time? If so I'm going to have to escalate my time table for wideband sensor install. Could this have been setup like this on purpose originally?

If that's the case than I'm going to have to call "told you so" to my SO, but I will have to wait and see what exactly is implied by the comment above.

Good idea as well. The runners from the vacuum "box" are still original 20 year old hoses. I did basic pressure test on them with blowing into the vacuum box but I'm sure that's not very thorough. Updates: Decided to get more serious about the tuning software and will share with the class. *FULL DISCLAIMER* there is a chance that this monkey poking around on the typewriter at certain point in time over-wrote my original maps with one of the ones I found on the internet. It's highly unlikely (5%?) but stranger things have happened. I'm not sure how I would verify. I think you have to load a profile to start and I may have pressed the flash button years ago. More on that below. As I suspected, my WOT is not really WOT. At pedal to the metal I'm only at about 60%. Going to the ITB's and maxing out the linkages I'm at about 75%. I have to figure out how to change that. Not sure how drastically this effected my performance but I'm sure it was at least marginal. If WOT condition had it's own maps, that means I never hit them. Pretty pictures time This is the welcome window that describes this loaded map. Time stamp 2002 of last update. Could be OEM? This is a a closed throttle menu on top left. Not sure what it implies This is the open menu for the TPS sensor This is the IDLE SPEED CONTROL menu Welcome window. Loads from ECU This is with what the car looks like on at IDLE - settings on the right. 10.6% TPS Also shows the menu where I think I may have over flashed my ECU? "Load maps from ECU flash"? I'm sure I clicked it at some point a year or two ago (as well as today) All menus expanded Car running at idle

I agree this also makes sense. I think the combination of issues was a interesting case of compounding problems. Whatever was causing the car to run hotter (air bubble? etc), was also causing the cable to run hotter than normal, which was in turn causing binding while hot due to incorrect tensioning of idle by cable to begin with. As of right now there is ample slack at idle that is held by ITB idle control screw slightly propping up throttle bodies. I idle at about 1400 and still about 10% of TPS position at that point. I know it's not ideal and my idle should be 0 TPS but it works while im still figuring things out.

I'll look into it in the near future. So far, the testing as is continues and so far no obvious issues. At least as a means to an end I'm happy with the 7 being operational so I can enjoy it when weather is good. I can tinker on down days and concentrate on other projects. Thoughts: - The hang used to also happen when the car got hot/started to go above operating temp. So far neither happened. I've stayed at temp and haven't had any hang when hot. *longer testing needed* - I've also considered that my WOT my not actually be WOT according to ECU. My zero throttle was off, worth checking if my full throttle is accurate - Rebuild ITBs don't seem like night and day difference. If anything I actually feel like I might be down on power and I've had some strange noises/flat spots in the few times I've got on it recently. Requires more investigation and setup of the wideband to monitor A/F.

Something got into my eye around that turn..

@wemtd and @ashyers thank you both for the help looks like I'm not getting out of this without learning more about Pectel and what all the categories do in order to understand it better and find where exactly to zero out the idle TPS as well as looking at maps? Might have to message you for that one or take you up on the zoom offer @ashyers

Not sure why one butterfly still reads much lower vacuum vs others (7 vs 10) but I can troubleshoot that later. (sorry about iPhone rotating pictures for some reason) Car parameters to start TPS shows 10.8 at idle Idle settings (not sure what any of them do)

Alright. Updates of the day. I recorded the problem in situ. Cable connected and the rev hang. Forcing joints back in would bring it back down. I also unclipped the IAC hose and controlled the air by hand for a test of concept This is where playing with the throttle cable set my idle and you can see by me releasing the pressure would cause it to stall. IAC was not picking up the idle with no throttle in put/cable tension Here I measured the vacuum with the butterflies closed, due to the amount of hissing I heard earlier when messing with throttle cable. Not sure if they are supposed to be 0 when closed but they sure werent. Then I connected to the ECU and saw that I was having 10% throttle even with them closed. Again not sure if it's supposed to be 0 but thats where we were So I did the last part of the plan. I plugged the IAC line entirely and bumped up the idle screw on the throttle bodies. I believe I achieved the expected success. Without the IAC involved at all, the throttle cable was free/lose at idle and the car maintained idle. Seemed a little harder to start and I have to give it a blip of gas to start but everything seems normal and no hanging. Drove it around today and will continue testing. So in summary appears my IAC wasn't/isn't working or working well and I had to have had throttle cable tension in order to maintain idle which caused the sticking problems. As a means of at least temporary solutions I'm plugging the IAC line and running on ITB's idle air screw adjustment only.

I couldn't believe it was wiggling as low as it was for a while. For a while buying the car for the ITBs and the wheels seemed like a bargain Good luck with your future endeavors

Hi. Thanks for the info. I have not tried to balance anything yet. I've only bought a pressure measuring unit before the rebuild to get a baseline and to see whether they are balanced. I'll be honest ECU and anything related to mapping and if/then command orders of the systems are a "black box" mystery to me. I understand how components work but I have no idea how they interact/have a handshake with the ECU and what it does in return. Never needed to question it. Now that I'm looking into my problem I'm learning a better understanding of the system which will allow me to come to a resolution. It appears that me tensioning the throttle cable at idle is a problem. As I'm understanding now the car should idle without any throttle tension, whether by having air go past the butterflies directly or having the butterflies closed and having IAC/Bleed screws or similar provide the air. When I will go back out I will test to see how/if the car starts without throttle cable. I will also make sure all the butterflies are shut completely by moving the idle screw out more. 1) If it struggles to maintain idle with AIC on, I will unplug the line and give it more air only balanced by my finger on the intake port on air distribution rail. 2) Alternatively I will plug the AIC rail entirely and adjust the idle screw on the throttle bodies to keep them open, essentially eliminating IAC entirely It's entirely possible that my tensioned cable at idle is the core problem.

I could address that That's a peculiar point. Yes I was zeroing the throttle tension and setting idle with it. The idle screw on ITB's seems un-needed to me as butterflies should be fully closed if I'm using the IAC. So I've never adjusted it once I saw that they "close". This however makes me wonder, my car should idle fine without any throttle cable connected at all and I'm not sure if it does that. Fairly certain it either stalls or comes close to stalling while it's struggling. If I can't achieve idle without a cable at all then I either need to troubleshoot the IAC system or eliminate it entirely by setting the ITB's to be slighly open? Do I understand the two possible resolutions correct? Will that mess with ECU or will it throw the same amount of fuel regardless when it sees TPS at 0 and it doesn't care whether it gets air from ITB's or the IAC? I assume I can just leave it alone. I'll be further troubleshooting/waking up the neighbors this weekend.

That sounds like great advice. I'll try it on next vinyl project on edges

Interesting feedback to buying a Locost and taking a trip out in it A few fun mechanical failures to start I Bought a used Lotus/Caterham (Replica) 7 episode 1 I Bought a lotus 7 Replica episode 2.

Course. I used this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KBXBS96/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I see it's no longer prime, but principle is the same. Had double sided tape on the one edge. It was a bear to be put in situ and some corners are just very hard to tape to stick on. I've used heat gun in areas and my vinyl tools to help make it work. Some corners still don't stick well and I'm debating going back over and dabbing some superglue in areas to keep it nice. This looks identical and is primable https://www.amazon.com/ESUPPORT-Moulding-Rubber-Scratch-Protector/dp/B07Z79NQ6N/ref=sr_1_30?dchild=1&keywords=car%2Bdoor%2Bedge%2Btrim%2Bprotector&qid=1621011038&s=automotive&sr=1-30&th=1 Whichever you pick be careful with dimensions. They will all differ a little by a few mm. You certainly don't want something too large accidently.

There were talks about it having to comply with new European safety rules such as "Automakers in Europe are facing a countdown to new European Union type-approval rules, forcing them to install new safety technology on their vehicles if they want to secure permission to sell those autos in the EU and get them registered. These reforms have been approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers. They insist that all motor vehicles sold into the EU market (including trucks, buses, vans and SUVs) must be equipped with specified safety features, many from mid-2022. These include intelligent speed assistance, alcohol interlock installation facilitation systems, driver drowsiness and attention-warning systems, advanced driver distraction warning systems, emergency stop signals, reversing detection systems, event data recorders and accurate tire pressure monitoring." So you're right, they would have be sold as kits still in order to skirt rules. Or become something they should never be

While it's not going to be identical, replacement on amazon is pretty damn close, cheap and can be primed. I've ordered OEM and honestly used the amazon instead.

@Grog sounds great that we'll get to cross in the future. I really have no 7's in the near by distance at all. Only time I meet another is during the 7's Track day on NJMP Unfortunately I can't help you with a filter. I have a completely different engine and remote filter setup.

Honestly, I wouldn't replace my 7 with an EV 7, but as an addition or for people on the market who are looking for something stupid quick and very simple to operate a street legal electric go kart like a 7 or as a dedicated stupid fast track car, I'd be very content with having one. Not for environmental reasons whatsoever.

If you're going to do it, do it now without components in place. Makes it much easier I did it on mine and just think it makes for a cleaner look. No other reason reallyl

I have a set of 3D printed ones but I'm not entirely happy with them. They didn't leave an opening for the center caps of the center caps to plug into and when I was was modifying them to fit... I broke one of the "snap legs" of the center center caps. Ironically those are no longer available for ordering either, so I might have to 3D print/make a set of those as well. Thanks for getting back to me, it's unlikely that the gentleman would be able to find me a set of those as well. I was hoping that the big 16in wheels that the Caterham came with that had a very similar style center cap would fit, but I found out that they are actually different. Look the same but are bigger and wouldn't fit. They are more common overall.

@Brightonuk Not to keep beating the dead horse of the center caps discussion but I think it's fair to assume you won't be active on the forums much after the liquidation. I see that years ago you didn't have them and were looking for them on the UK Forums and then you found them somewhere? Was this just a lucky purchase or did you have them made? Thanks.

I wonder if they will keep the looks identical or put a twist/accent here and there to make it stand out. Obviously the radiator opening will be redundant but I'm sure they will keep it. Other vents in the bonnet will not be necessary but are a part of the look. With one or two rear motors going into the back the entire engine bay will be for batteries and other controls. There will also no longer be a need for a transmission/drive shaft tunnel but I doubt they would remove that as it's part of the cockpit character. Should be interesting anyway So what's peoples opinion? Should they keep it looking as identical as possible but be EV or actually have some distinctive characteristics to separate it?