athens7

I sold this car about 3 years ago, so my memories of specifics are a little foggy. mbwever, if you're referring to the plexi shield, I think airflow through the radiator is more important than airflow around the engine. The SV body allows for more airflow around the engine from underneath as well. The short answer to your question is that I never saw any increase in engine temp as the result of the plexi shield. Also, no modification was necessary to the wiring associated with the air intake. Taber10, I got that plug cover from a Ford dealer in NC back in 2007 or 2008, when they were still available. It was his idea to trim the front of the cover on an angle to clear the bonnet.

Thanks!

SOLD - I'm finally getting off of my backside and selling this NIB complete SVT Zetec cylinder head with valves. Ford part number is 2M5Z-6049-AB. I also have a set of SVT camshafts that were taken off of the car when it had 90 miles, in order to install the Kent camshafts recommended at the time by Caterham USA. $600 plus shipping for the whole shootin' match.

These pulls are from several years ago. The software was a Diablosport Predator (that you sold me, Tom), and the only difference between the two pulls was the oil pump. Once the pump was removed, ALL subsequent pulls reflected the higher curves, regardless of other variables introduced later. I do not claim to be an expert; I am simply sharing my experiences with the board.

I would be very careful about installing a C-F-M billet oil pump on an SVT zetec engine. I have run both stock and billet pumps, and done extensive tuning on both. The billet pump generates higher oil pressures than the stock pump (for reasons I don't understand, but C-F-M has confirmed this is true), which causes problems with the variable cam timing on the SVT motor (VCT is controlled by oil pressure). Attached is a comparison of the dyno pulls with and without the billet pump. As you can see, the torque and horsepower curves are flat in the rpm range affected by VCT on one pull. This pull was done with the billet pump installed. The other pull was with the stock pump. Further research with Ford indicated that VCT operated within a range of oil pressures, and the higher pressure in the billet pump wouldn't allow the VCT solenoid to actuate properly.

My business gets copies of both Motor Trend and Automobile. IMO, the content in each magazine is almost identical to the other, other than the columnists. The cars featured in the road tests are almost always the same. Perhaps a consolidation would be a good thing.

I certainly hope that Tony is committed to the brand, both going forward and preserving and supporting its past. Best of luck to him in securing financing.

I have spent my entire adult life (30 something years) in the automobile business, and try to be a student of its history. Automobile manufacturing is a brutally complicated and competitive business whose history is littered with the corpses of people who thought they could build and sell cars. The Caterham is an iconoclastic delight, IMO, and Ansar Ali proved it could be a profitable enterprise (AFAIK); I hope some entity that cares about what it represents winds up with it.

http://www.f1times.co.uk/news/display/08914

My number was based on conversations with Jon from before the recession; I'm sure your numbers are a more accurate reflection of recent history. In my experience, the best way to amp sales of a niche product is to significantly raise the price :ack:. While at it, offloading the existing expert product sellers in favor of a new group that lacks the expertise and connection with the body of current users is bound to help...

So, a 180 hp SV with a 5 speed and no options will cost almost $80,000 as a roller with the drivetrain sitting beside it?! Assembled and with a couple of options, that's C7 Z06 territory :willy_nilly:. It was hard to imagine that Caterham USA was a viable business model for the mothership based on the 35 - 50 cars sold per year when Ali and his group had it. How viable can it be selling 15 - 20 per year at these prices? There are also a lot of performance options available today that didn't exist 8 - 10 years ago, both for street and track use. Hell, I can buy a used Formula Enterprises car for a lot less than a new midrange 7. This is sad to see, IMO.

Sorry for the delay in posting; I was researching the head. It is still stapled shut in the box from when I received it from Hilbish Ford in NC back in 2007. It is a complete head (with valves, without camshafts). There are 2 new heads still in stock at Ford dealers on the west coast; retail is $2000, dealer cost is $1200. I was thinking $600 plus shipping. As to the camshafts, I was thinking $200 for the pair. I will be happy to crack open the box and provide photos of the head if the numbers make sense.

Ymmv.

Good question. I'm doing some homework to try to determine a fair value, but there aren't a lot of references available. I'll come up with a price and post some pictures shortly. In the mean time, if anyone wants to make an offer I'd be happy to discuss.

Would anyone have any interest in a new OEM SVT Zetec cylinder head? I bought it on a whim shortly after I got my 7, and it's been sitting in its' box ever since. I also have 2 stock SVT camshafts that have about 90 miles on them. Jeff Sloan at British Auto Specialist installed the Kent cams at my request before I took delivery back in '07. These are the camshafts he removed.

I wore a gloss black helmet while autocrossing my 7. Even in the heat of a Georgia summer, I had no issues with heat. Of course, in autocross you're only wearing the helmet for a few minutes at a time. I understand the matte black helmets can have problems with the matte finish peeling over time (I believe it is a coated finish). My current helmet is plain old boring white. If you get a flashy chrome finished shield, it's like wearing a stylish tie with a white dress shirt :cooldude:

Doesn't your Seven have a factory VIN on the right side of the engine bay where the bonnet meets the body? Georgia should recognize the 10th digit as the year, as the 17 digit VIN should be US compliant (it was on my car). The title you want to get in GA is an "assembled vehicle" title, as opposed to a salvage or rebuilt title. The titling mechanism is the same and is performed through the salvage division of the Motor Vehicles Division, but salvage or rebuilt indicates prior damage while assembled does not, so it's an important distinction. Here is a starting place, if you haven't already found it: http://motor.etax.dor.ga.gov/motor/TitleSection/ts_Assembled.aspx

Here is a good place to start: http://motor.etax.dor.ga.gov/motor/TitleSection/ts_Assembled.aspx

That Seven shines like new money! :cooldude:

Mike, I honestly don't know. I never put the 7 on course at Road Atlanta, so I have no basis for comparison. When I decided to purchase the Mustang, I was considering getting 6 point harnesses and an aeroscreen for the 7, but I really needed a daily driver. I expect in comparison to the Mustang, it would have felt like the track was as wide as the interstate!

Well, the difference in mass is constantly evident, and the steering is numb compared to the 7. The Mustang is not as easy to place as the 7 as far as the edges of the car go, but what car is? The brakes are excellent (I think better than the AP binders on the 7), but the car feels really unsettled when asked to brake from speed while turning where the 7 would simply rotate. The power delivery is smooth and strong all the way to 7000 rpm. The car turns in well, with a slight tendency to push. The communication from the rear end as it is rotated with the throttle is pretty good, although the 7 sets an extraordinarily high bar in that regard. I do notice that I feel the tires working more in the Mustang, by which I mean as I have adjusted tire pressures down (they were too high to begin with), I can feel the car become more "squiggly" as the tread moves more, and the car is easier to rotate. With the 7, the communication was through the chassis, not the tires. Grip levels on the Mustang feel a good bit higher, but the rubber is pretty massive (255/40ZR19 on 9" in front, 285/35ZR19 on 9.5" in back). I'm still working on tire pressure and damper settings, so the balance will likely change a bit. With the dampers on full stiff, the car is remarkably flat under load. The Mustang is also a very stable car at speed, and markedly less twitchy than the 7. Aerodynamically, there is no comparison, of course. While the stock windshield equipped 7 is a brick at speeds over 80 mph, the Mustang just goes. The only limit to my top speed on the backstretch was the size of my attachments. I have kept the stability management on sport and use the track key ECU program, which sharpens throttle response, WOT fueling, engine braking, and a host of other parameters. I have yet to have the stability management interfere, which means I'm not trying hard enough yet! I doubt I would enjoy auto crossing the Mustang after using a 7 for the same job, but as a closed course track toy that is still street legal, the Mustang is probably more fun on a course like Road Atlanta. At Atlanta Motorsports Park, which is a tighter, more technical track, it could be a toss up. I will say that cresting the blind ridge at Road Atlanta's turn 11 and staying on throttle through 12 is probably as much fun as I have ever had behind the wheel of a car.

From the SCCA event at Road Atlanta last weekend:

Lime green, mmmmmm...

Remember that the relationship between front and rear ride height (rake) is also important to handling. Caterham suggests 15mm higher ride height in the rear vs. the front. More rake equals more turn in (up to a point). I remember that the front lower wishbones should be basically parallel to the ground. My alignment setup for street and autocross use was zero toe, -1 1/3 degree camber. The car was stable on the road, neutral on track, and wore tires evenly across the tread. YMMV. I believe your understanding of spring perch adjustment is correct.