Ned the Red

Yep, that might work - if he has a way of blocking off the outside air during cold weather!

I've noticed a few comments on the fact that the footwell area in a Caterham tends to get a bit toasty so, it seems to be something that's indemic to the car. Has anyone thought about putting a little door on the side of the car, down by the foot area? I'm thinking about something similar to the fresh air vents found on old cars, up near the windshield. Just flip the door open in warm weather, close it in cold weather. Of course, you might just be venting really hot air in from the outside of the engine area, or from around the exhaust pipe (on the driver's side). So, it might not work. And this would not address the question of getting more cooling into the engine compartment. Has anyone tried this or does anyone have a source for this type of little door? An alternate idea might be to put a small scoop outside the footwell area, with a rubber "grommet" to seal the hole up during cold weather.

This is a little off topic but the "Prince of Darkness" part reminded me of a thread years ago on the Miata web site. Someone made a comment like that there and a reader from the UK logged in and asked what it was all about. Well, the floodgates opened..... Why do the Brits drink their beer warm? Who's the Prince of Darkness? And on and on about Lucas electricals!

I'll confess that I do like the look of the Westfields. I don't believe I've seen one "live" though so I'll have to do that before I take the leap. It will be a while before I get to that point, though. So, meanwhile, if there's anyone in the Dallas area building a car who needs some help - let me know. And, if you hear of any purchasing or contract management jobs around here, let me know that, too. Thanks, Ned

Welllllll, Kitcat, maybe you've convinced me to hang on to the Miata. We'll just have to see how it goes after I've lived with a Caterham for a while! First things first - get the car. Oh, I guess that's the second thing. Get a job first. I'm outta here to hit the networking/job boards circuit for a while.

I've looked at the Flyin Miata site, and done a little research on Westfields. A couple of things bother me, though. First is that, although I like my Miata, I'd rather end up with something a little closer to the original Seven. That means no Miata dash, no Miata engine, etc. Also, I noticed that the Westfield distributor for the US is here in Dallas. At first I thought that would help. But, I'm not impressed at all by their website. I thought I'd actually get some information about Westfields, but all they have is a picture of the car. No pricing, no real info at all. What kind of build support can I get from a company that doesn't even bother to put pricing on their website? It doesn't look to me as though they're all that interested in selling the car. Nope, the plan is to get a new job and get to work building a Caterham. I know they're more expensive but, at my age, I want what I want! I have ridden in a couple of sevens but never driven one. I know I'll need to do that before taking the plunge.

Thanks. I wonder, though, if I trade in the Miata and build a Seven - am I moving UP or moving DOWN?

Just registered so this is my first post. My small car history: In high school (back in the late sixties) when everyone else was into the "big iron" from Detroit, I drove around in a 1960 Austin Healey Srpite. 948ccs of screaming horse power! Sold the car, grew up, and finally got back to sports cars by buying a Miata and getting back into autocrossing. I'd always known about sevens but really fell in love with them at the autoXs. I still don't have one but have been watching this list for a while and hope to have one in the not too distant future. My goal is to build my own Caterham, and try to make it a daily driver. That might not be the most practical thing in the heat of Dallas (has anyone ever seen one with air conditioning?) but, that's what I'd like to do. So, in the middle of a job search and as soon as I'm working again I'll get started on the finances for a SEVEN!