ottocycle

Godspeed Skip. I am the current custodian of the turbo Miata Caterham SV he built. I bought it based on photos, his reputation and Croc's assessment of the car. I knew I wouldn't find another like it and have never regretted it. (I removed the butt extractor but have it stashed somewhere!) Another good guy leaves the stage.

I have an old Jaguar that I vanity tagged in Maryland (7 characters) DGSBOLX. I rolled the dice thinking they would probably red flag it but they didn't. Not many people get it, but those who do give it a big thumbs up and a laugh out loud. A great ice breaker.

One of the best things about doing the swap, funnily enough, was the V70R seats. They are great. I'm trying to get the seat heaters to work. The 960's electrical system is more "old school" whereas the V70 seats are computer controlled/influenced. The same old story: the last 10% takes 90% of the time!!

I too have a Volvo wagon. A 960 (one of the last RWD Volvos) that I swapped a Chevy LS motor. I put in better front seats (V70R), brakes and stiffer springs. Other than that its stock. Not super quick but it keeps up with modern traffic, has carrying capacity yet isn't too big, can tow a Seven, is old enough to be maintained by me and doesn't draw attention to itself. it looks like a college professors car. My only pretence of academic excellence!! I would love a Mercedes or Cadillac hot wagon but their electrical systems scare me and I would trash it cosmetically hauling trash to the dump! Aside from the fact that they are out of my price range.

Hello, I live just outside DC (Bethesda/Chevy Chase) and have an SV. If you want to try it on for size please contact me.

Hi guys. Not a Seven specific question but one I think many might be interested in. I took my old Jag out for a run today and one of my Goodyears blew out on me- steel wires coming out through the sidewall. I don't believe I hit or drove over anything. The tires are 10 years old and have plenty of thread left, I think they aged out. Has anyone any real information (not marketing spiel) on tire longevity- as against wear. I put less than 2,000 miles per year on it so they will rot before they wear out. I don't drive her like the Caterham so traction is not as big an issue as it is in my Caterham. Does any manufacturer have a formula that gives them an edge over another manufacturer or is it personal preference and like comparing a Ford with a Chevy. I have not read anything on the subject anywhere and wondered if anyone can educate me. Thanks everyone.

The Phileas Fogg association was a Freudian slip. I didn't think of it, although with his hectic travel schedule I'm sure he's been "Around the World n Eighty Days" more than once. My Saville Row reference was referring to a area of London that has a reputation for high quality bespoke tailoring and nothing is too much to ask for. It seems to me that CatKong is one mans vision of what the ultimate Seven trackway car could be. This behavior should be wholeheartedly encouraged. I can't wait to see it. Whats next........CatZilla??

Mike, I have not posted in a while but I check in to the website pretty regularly. Congrats on the arrival of your "new baby". When she learns to walk she will keep you on your toes!!! You have got to love an la carte Caterham. This one is a BEAST..... With your vast experience of these cars and your network of contacts i think you have ticked off all the boxes. A Saville Row Caterham. If I might suggest: if you decide later on you need a handbrake, the drag race boys use a hydraulic line lock that will keep your brake pads pinched. They are small and can be incorporated into your existing brake lines. I'm sorry I will not be joining you all this weekend but I know you will have fun. I look forward to reading the reportage (and the Monday morning banter/quarterbacking). I hope to see you all next year. Thanks again to you and Tom for keeping this event going. Be safe everyone.

Cool video Skip. It should be a public service announcement. If more people were better informed more people would take this blight seriously. Thanks for posting it. Dermot.

Thanks guys for your input. I appreciate all your feedback. Mike, its encouraging that I can gain 2.5" by removing the seat rails. My worry was going too low so that my butt "bottoms" out. I have never bottomed the rear but needed info on how much I could safely drop the seat to improve the seating. The idea os sitting in rather than on the car is appealing. Jerry, John, Wemtd, Pamamericano and Dave: Thanks for your advice on hats and glasses. You have given me something to work with. I tried normal baseball hats and they have blown off. I found a site that sells hats that are designed for guys with big heads so I will try them first. I like the idea of the shade provided by the bill, failing that a dewrag or a welders cap is in my future. I will look into prescription skiing or motocross goggles. I looked into them before but thought they looked too bulky, but I will give them another shot. Keep the ideas comming. Thanks again, Dermot.

Hello all, I have not posted in a while though I check in from time to time. I wanted to go to NJMP this year but we were in the UK at the time. Hopefully next year. About a month ago I had my first l long blat in my 2004 SV. I took a 5 hour RT trip to take a ride in a WW2 Mitchell B-25 bomber. It was a hot day and it drew my attention to a few issues I need to address before next season. Issue 1. I would like to lower the drivers side floor, I'm 6'3". I looked on the Caterham site to find out about lowering the floor but could only find the "kit" they sell with no dimensions. I contacted the company for further details but have yet get a reply. Rather than modify the seat squab I would like to lower the floor 2"+, if I can (I have a bad back). How low can I go and does anyone have any experience of doing this? Does the floor drop just at the seat area or taper from the footwell to the seat area? Upon getting the car the first thing I did was build a steel sump guard that saved my motor more than a few times on our crappy east coast roads. I'm wondering if I need to "armor a lowered floor or if an aluminum unit will suffice. Issue 2: Eye protection. I normally wear prescription driving glasses but above a certain speed my eyes water from the venturi effect of moving air. I have found a few companies on the web that do prescription goggles but I would like to get first hand experience feedback. Any suggestions? Issue 3: I normally drive bare headed or wear a wool monkey hat in cold weather. As i loose more hair I'm getting sunburnt in places that have neverseen the sun before! Any suggestions for lightweight head gear? Thanks in advance for your feedback/help. I'm sure it will help others too.

I am sorry I cannot attend the event next week. I have too much going on but I will be there next year. I am sorry I will not playing with everyone this time and to those who never played before you are in for a treat. A great track and a great bunch of guys. Thanks again to Tom and Mike. Have fun guys........ I am so jealous. Dermot.

Tom & Mike, Sorry for the tardy response but I'm not as active here as I once was. Thanks again for the efforts you make organizing everything, I know it will be another wonderful event. I will be a last minute sign up but will move heaven and earth to get there. I will keep you posted. Dermot. PS: Anyone need a roommate?

I do not wish to hijack this thread but does anyone have a good recipe for a "chemical soup" that will clean old carb bodies? I have yet to find one and do not like the idea of beadblasting Webers. Thanks and sorry if this is the wrong format. Dermot

I too want to thank Mike and Tom for all their hard work in putting this fantastic event together. It was great to meet old friends and make some new ones. I am only sorry I did not get a chance to chat with everyone. Next year hopefully. I will be better prepared with new tires and the oil issue solved. I cannot recommend this event enough. It's a blast! If you can make it do so... Thanks again.

I believe I am ready. There I am tempting the devil again. I finished making a sump guard today, not so much for the track but for the drive up 95 from Washington. It has been such a hectic year I have not had the time to recommmission my trailer so I will drive her up to the track. Hopefully my arm restraints will arrive tomorrow as promised. Looking forward to seeing everyone Friday. Cheers, Dermot. PS: If anyone who is attending has a June copy of Octane magazine they no longer need please bring it along. I was out of the country most of June and missed the opportunity to get mine. I have a collection of them and would appreciate the help in keeping them intact.

Hello all, A quick post to say the car arrived and i am happy with her. A few things to do before NJMP buy I hope to be there. We fly to Ireland for my niece's wedding but I hope to get to her when I return. I will put together a post on the whole experience of buying a car unseen, long distance when I get a moment but for now she is safe and sound in my shop. I will try to attach a photo. PS: Mazda, thanks for the good wishes. We will talk when I get back. I would love to hear about the plane./Users/dermot/Desktop/image1.JPG

Mike, Thanks. I did not know about the foam issue- I thought it was the nomex lining. Glad I got it sorted. I will go to OG when I return. Anybody know where else I can get a good deal on a lid?

Hello all, I have been off the track for a few years and I am out of touch with what is the current thinking. I need a new helmet and can get a deal on a nice Arai Defiant motorcycle helmet. I realize these are not legal for racing but can a motorcycle helmet be used for most trackday or club events, in conjunction with a nomex balaclava? Aside from the cost, the Defender fits well and I do not have a local store nearby to try on a selection of car helmets. Any thoughts?

Those with more knowledge than I, please correct me if I am wrong but it looks like a XKE Lindner coupe. A one off built bu a German racer in the early 60's. It was wrecked and if memory serves me well (and it does not always, these days) Lynx or CLK Developments in the UK rebuilt it at enormous expense a few years ago. I do not know if that is the "real deal" or a very nice copy, either way a beautiful cat. It is very hard to improve on the original E type coupe design.

Mike, Both physical and metaphorical!

As the new custodian of Skips car, I want to give a shout out to Skip for going the extra mile (actually 100 miles!) and delivering the car to the shipper in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The shipper, Jim, was delivering a car to Steamboat Springs and I got lucky with his schedule before he headed back east. I have learnt a lot about registering and shipping cars in the past few weeks. I spent a day at the MVA and got it titled. They gave me a temporary 30 day tag to get it inspected. Anyone know of a one eyed inspector in Maryland!!!! I will keep you all updated when she arrives. Thanks again Skip, and you have visitation rights anytime you are in Maryland. Dermot.

Jim, Sorry I did not reply, but yes, I got your PM. Thank you. I am going to visit Glen Burnie next week with my package of paperwork and hopefully get her sorted......stay tuned.

"Too soon old.....too late smart." So goes the German proverb. I fell in love with sevens years ago as a spotty faced teenager living in Dublin, Ireland, after reading an article in an English magazine called Custom Car. I saw my first one in the flesh a few years later and realized there was no way I was going to fit. I visited the factory and showrooms 20 years ago and lusted after the Jonathan Palmer edition. A number of cars and forty years later I finally managed to get my first Caterham. I bought a project off Mazda with the intention of modifying it to fit but with work, life and family commitments I realized that I needed to pull the trigger on a fat bastard Caterham or another driving season would leave me behind. There comes a time in ones life when one realizes time itself is ones most precious possession and I wanted to experience a seven before I "shuffle off this mortal coil". Skips car came up and it speaks for itself. The comments from forum members convinced me it was a good buy. SV's go not come up everyday and while buying or selling one of these cars can be difficult, I think in this instance the planets were aligned. I now have to get her home. As the new custodian I hope to have many years of fun with her. Skip is getting her tuned at Flyin Miata next Wednesday and I missed my time window with Gary Straight to get her shipped here. I am calling a number of outfits and found one called Montway Auto Transport that can take her here. I have no knowledge of them. Has anyone used them, or have a recommendation for a shipper? I am away for most of June and would like to get her here before I leave. My other concern is registering it in Maryland. Mike Dougherty has been very helpful in this matter as he registered his Caterham 15 years ago. Does anyone have more recent experience? I am hoping to make it to New Jersey, with a car this year. Last year was fun to spectate but I felt like a eunoch in a whorehouse. Bear in mind guys this will be my maiden voyage so please take it easy on me!! Finally a big thanks to Skip who has been a pleasure to deal with. He is being very helpful in aiding the transfer. Also thanks to Croc and Mike Dougherty for their advice and I look forward to seeing everyone in New Jersey in July. Thanks, Dermot.

Mike & Tom, Thanks again for organizing the event. I will be there. I move into a new garage in February and will be beavering away on my car to have it ready for July. I recommend this event to anyone who is on the fence. Those who attended before will no doubt be keen on coming again. If you do not have a car, spectators are welcome. I watched last year as my car was trashed (although I felt like a eunoch in a whorehouse!!). The comradarie is great and Tom and Mike took me out for a few laps. The Saturday night dinner is as great for its food as it is for its location. Happy Christmas to all and I look forward to seeing old friends in July. Dermot.