mccasksl

@wddfourI see this post is still active / you're still looking for seats. I have a set of OEM (#77670) cloth seats w/ runners and adjustable headrests from my 2008/9 Roadsport S3 Duratec you're welcome to. They are in good/fair condition and quite comfortable, the cloth cover (black w/ yellow piping) is good but the inner foam is disintegrating w/ age requiring constant vacuuming of the degraded foam pieces and particles. They could be "refreshed" by a good auto upholstery shop or used as is. I removed them to install new leather seats of the same design. FWIW the seats / headrests fit w/ the roll bar w/ cross braces. Pickup preferred as shipping is problematic. PM me if interested. Cheers! Steve

Ouch! Just now catching up on this. I had followed much of the original build etc. But now see "the rest of the story." CarYenta I feel your pain. So much effort went into this car. Interesting "opportunities / project" if it can be bought right.

Want to buy one Avon 195/50R15 ZZS (new or used) for the spare on my 2008 Roadsport S3. My current spare w/ age / extensive cracking / sun damage doesn't inspire confidence, it's time to get a proper spare, ideally to match the four corners. Was hoping someone may have one used or NOS Avon ZZS but may have to go the NOVA route whenever they become available stateside. I've had to use the spare a surprising number of times and it fits the original "7" look I've enjoyed since seeing my first 7 in the 70's. Cheers! Steve

Bump...still available. Cheers! Steve

Not to hijack the thread, but @williamwashere, another Texas Caterham owner here in Austin. Between Austin and Houston, likely no shortage of folks willing to help unload your kit, try to answer any build questions. ETA Houston? Cheers! Steve

PM sent.

👍 yes

Wow, it has got to be a tough day for Croc! Saying good by to the CSR. The buyer is getting one heck of a car and spares, etc. Can we expect to see the buyer at NJMP in October? Mike you mention CSR - three iterations...are the differences reviewed / summarized anywhere? That would be very informative for the new CSR 200 / 260 talk group. Cheers! Steve

Mike, does this mean you are "Cat-less" (operational in US)? How does that work? Cheers! Steve

Still Available! ROLL BAR KIT S3 TRACKDAY METRIC CHASSIS Lower 48 only, pickup / possible delivery. Cheers! Steve

What is the nature of your required maintenance and repairs? I'll ask around for Houston but there is a very good independent Lotus mechanic here in Austin who I suspect may be willing to take on a Caterham. PM any details / questions. Cheers! Steve

For Sale: 30RB04AK ROLL BAR KIT S3 TRACKDAY METRIC CHASSIS As purchased new from Caterham Parts 03/2022 w/ bolt kit (327.61 British Pounds + shipping) for my 2008 Roadsport S3 Duratec, never fitted. Back Story: FedEx/US Customs "lost" the shipment from Caterham Parts 03/2022, some 3 months later, a couple days after Caterham filed a claim, the roll bar and order was delivered to my house in a very badly beat up box. By then I had already modified my existing roll bar and didn't need the bar from Caterham. Asking $440 OBO, your chance to avoid price increase (now 411 BP vs. 327BP in 2022), no shipping, no tariffs! see attached pictures. Possible free delivery? I'm not exactly keen on shipping such a large ungainly item for fear of damage or loss. I have several road trips scheduled and could deliver it: 6-16 June - Texas to Western PA via Indiana and Ohio July, Sept., Oct. - trips to Wisconsin, Utah, New Jersey Please PM with any questions. Cheers! Steve

Inquiry to the collective wisdom of the CSR folks: What Duratec do I have and how to find out more about it? Focus 2.0L, Ranger 2.3L, block / head? 2005 CSR 200 engine number: YDG0001 (no bar code found on front of engine (like my 29/05/08 2.0L Duratec) or rear bell housing mounting area as ref in the Ford/Mazda engine assembly chart) Factory (Cosworth?) applied seal on front cam cover bolts: "000133 Cosworth" who might I contact / may keep records of the build / Cosworth applied seal / number? The block measures slightly taller than my 2008 2.0L Duratec, so 2.3L consistent w/ my understanding of 2005 CSR 200? The intake ports and throats to the valves etc. are massive compared to my 2.0L Duratec but only have 5 bolts retaining the large intake plenum (no studs shouldered and non-shouldered as pictured / called for in Cosworth Duratec documentation, or seven bolts as per my 2008 Duratec) Very large (compared to 2008 2.0L Duratec) intake plenum w/ cast individual internal trumpets) / one throttle body no multiple throttle bodies or roller barrels as per Cosworth Duratec documentation CSR 260. A search of build documentation received w/ the car does not provide anything other than 2005 CSR 200. I've reviewed the cache of CSR documents uploaded to the USA7s site but may have missed something. Any questions / words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Cheers! Steve IMG_8292.MOV

FWIW / YRMV (ref: 2008 S3 Duratec) I went thru a similar iteration, replacing the sensor after the speedo started acting erratic and then quit altogether. Still no go with a new sensor with the gap set at 0.8mm (my 2007 assembly guide (supplied w/ the car) says 1.0mm gap, more recent guides Duratec 2.0 on say 0.8-0.9mm gap). After reading trials and tribulations of others on the Caterham and Lotus Seven Club site (one report of reducing the gap to 0.5mm to get it right), I started reducing the gap and at 0.45-0.5mm (0.020") or so (best I can measure, looks tight) it now works perfectly. I never was able to see the fiber optic light thru the small hole in the side of the sensor, lite or not. I wonder if my original sensor was fine all along with the gap just out of wack. You might try adjusting the gap before purchasing a new sensor. Cheers! Steve

Thanks John, I have Mintex 1144 pads front and rear as installed on the car when I purchased it. (2008 Roadsport S3 very low mileage). Once I get the master cylinder sorted, I intend to visit the front / rear bias as is the thread topic. Cheers!

Greetings (sorry for the long rant, don't mean to highjack the thread): I've read this thread and a few others that touch on brake issues / problems I'm experiencing and my questions, so I'm posting here. This is after talking w/ AP Racing, Caterham, Demon Tweeks, Questmead, and researching AP documents as best I can. But of course, I may have missed something so defer to the collective group wisdom which greatly exceeds mine. Does anyone have direct experience replacing the "STD" 0.700 bore brake master cylinder w/ the "AP Racing" 0.812" (13/16") bore brake master cylinder, or associated driving experience / feel to offer comparisons 0.700" to 0.812"? The line pressure comparison data etc. AP offers would indicate going up in bore size would reduce feel and the ability to modulate pedal pressure etc. Seams counter intuitive to go up in bore size. I should be able to answer this question myself but am currently trying to remedy / fix brake issues on my: 2008 Roadsport S3 Duratec (0.700" bore brake master cylinder CP5615) repair kits are unavailable so I need a new brake master cylinder, front brakes finally bit the dust as the whole travel to cut off thing, seal degradation, shimming etc. apparently does not allow the port to the hose / reservoir to open upon pedal release, the pads cannot be fully retracted nor can I bleed the front brakes, even with the pedal detached to not preload the cylinder. Rear brakes work fine and can be bleed. The brakes have never really been to my liking. Trying to decide, if I have to buy a new brake master cylinder, should I stick w/ 0.700" bore ($$) (repair kits unavailable) or go w/ the 0.812" (13/16") bore ($$$+) "AP Racing Brake Master Cylinder" (repairs kits are available). Note I have yet to remove, disassemble, and inspect the master cylinder, so do not preclude the potential for a broken internal spring or other problem. 2005 CSR 200 (0.812" 13/16" bore brake master cylinder "AP Racing" CP4627) CP4627-18RK repair kits are available. The brakes work (considerably better than my S3), but given recent experience driving a couple Caterhams with incredible brakes in the UK, and after cleaning, checking, and bleeding brakes my CSR brakes, I have decided the brake master cylinder needs to be rebuilt. I've attached the CP4627-18RK repair kit info including schematic for reference. As best I can tell the 0.700" bore brake master cylinder CP5615 internals are similar but I welcome any corrections. Note: Both cars have the uprated 4-pot Caterham / AP Racing front calipers and stock rear calipers (Sierra?). Anyone with experience or knowledge about the above who can provide any insight or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Cheers! Steve P14.038.pdf

(Attn admin: I'm not sure where this should be posted, it's an international event not National, so feel free to relocate, Thanks!) Just returned from the incredible 22nd Taffia Fish and Chip Run in Wales. I’ve been trying for several years (entries are capped at 300 cars, it was fully booked in 2 hours) and finally made the cut this year. The Caterham and Lotus Seven Club and the Taffia F&C Run organizers did an incredible job in hosting what has to be the premier Seven motoring event of the year. Starting with a BBQ on Friday evening (camping alongside your Seven for the hardiest of souls), Saturday morning breakfast (BAP), and run (some 263 cars made the start) from the Hanley Farm Shop (Chepstow) 140 miles north to Aberdyfi and Walkers Fish and Chips on the Irish Sea coast. The Sunday return to Chepstow on your own allowed for alternative routings to take in Mt. Snowdon, the Mach Loop, and the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. It was UK touring at its finest, the beautiful countryside and greenery with never ending winding roads, lakes, rivers and seacoast, the essence of British sports car motoring, and in a proper British car, the Seven. I think several USA7s members have made previous Taffia F&C Runs, and I highly recommend it for any Seven owners must do list. I see Vovchandr has just posted a link to a Youtube video of this years run and Caterham Cars will be coming out with a 2026 Taffia Fish and Chip Run video likely similar to their excellent 2025 Youtube video. Thanks to Hannah at Williams Automobiles in Chipping Sodbury near Bristol (highly recommended), we were able to hire a 2015 360SV for the three days. The well broken in (42,000+ miles) Seven ran like a top never missing a beat. Thanks to Caterham Cars who sponsored in part this year’s run as well brought along a CSR Twenty edition and a 310 Encore edition. Finally, many thanks go to Jon Symons and the rest of the 2026 organizing committee and Derek Holliday for doing everything they could to assist us and personally making our F&C Run a success. A few take aways: The supplied mapping / routing and suggested MyRoute-app worked (short term free trial) extremely well with the proper level of map display and text, for the secondary roads of Wales; Google maps less so; and Beeline worked but is really more suited for motorcycles. But there is nothing like a hard copy “Road Book” and a suitable copilot / navigator. The organizing committee put together an incredible Road Book w/ the proper level of detail and notation to help with the many nuances of the roads / routings in Wales, something I haven’t seen in many years. A Club WhatsApp Community was set up for drivers / participants which provided a mechanism for rapid communications for everything from road conditions, detours, construction, weather, assistance needed, status, picture posting etc. which worked very well. Headsets w/ intercom are nice for pilot / co-pilot communications, but not necessary (we used a half hood and side doors / windows, and the rain / wind noise was not bad at all). Finally proper layering and wet weather gear are essential. We left 90 degs and sunny in Austin to arrive in London / Wales with 40’s-50’s maybe low 60’s and rain nearly everyday. This is one time we appreciated the endless heat emanating from the footwells in a Seven. Be on the lookout for notices about next year’s event about Mid-January 2027. Cheers! Steve and Akiko

FWIW I'll give my initial review of the Gyraline G1, the little brother to the G2 ($200 plastic unit readable to nearest 0.1 degree vs $600 aluminum unit? readable to nearest 0.01 degree), with software on your i-phone, as discussed by Austin David. Gyraline has several on-line Youtube videos which have been very helpful. The biggest thing I've found is I can measure and tweak the suspension as many times as I want very quickly w/o having to schedule / visit an alignment shop and depend on their technicians. This is very handy when rebuilding / refreshing or tweaking your suspension etc. etc. I've had the unit for several months and used it to dial in the suspension on my 2006 Lotus Exige after a complete overhaul / rebuild front and rear w/ new: Delrin bushings, tie rod ends, ball joints, Penske DA shocks, wheel bearings, powder coated a-arms, etc. i.e. 6-months plus effort. I first used the rotors as the reference for the G1 and then followed up w/ the wheels as the reference. Consistency in measurement technique provides incredible repeatability which followed by road testing and the occasional "string" check even for fairly minor adjustments gave me a lot of confidence in the G1. Of course, it helps that everything on the suspension (and tires) is new so the car has a completely different feel (far more precise and responsive). Toe (individual relative to car CL and total front and back) and camber are easily dialed in as well rapid checking for bump steer. After getting the Exige to 90% of where I want, still working on bump steer w/ limited options for adjustment on the Lotus, I moved to my 2009 Caterham S3. I upgraded to Penske DA shocks and revised spring rates, checked all suspension bushings, rod ends, ball joints etc. As a precursor to replacement of all bushings (Powerflex), rod ends, tie rod ends and ball joints (using Jack Webb's (UK) incredible Caterham suspension bits for improved camber and bump steer) I checked, adjusted / tweaked the alignment w/ the G1. Again, incredible how fast I can measure and adjust everything, and feel immediate results on the road. I'll give further update(s) as I get into the S3 suspension overhaul / rebuild but the $200 spent on the G1 has been well worth it for me. Of course, as always "your results may vary". Cheers! Steve

I’m signed up for SLC in Sept., will be trailering car (Lotus or Caterham TBD) from Austin. I’ve enjoyed several LOG events over the years. The combined Golden Gate Lotus / LOG event should be great. Heading to the UK next week for Taffia Fish & Chip Run, on my must do list for years. Now retired, I’m determined to make NJMP in October. Cheers! Steve

Pardon my being late to the table, but I'm still searching and trying to catch up on the A-frame issues as I refresh / upgrade my 2009 S3 suspension (street only). I had planned to upgrade to Powerflex bushings throughout, but reading about the A-frame issues as well studying the geometry / suspension it may not be the best idea here. I note several Caterham and Lotus Seven Club folks (courtesy of Neil - "7 wonders of the world") have gone to a spherical bearing in the A-frame de dion tube attachment point which looks like a very good improvement although it may not solve all problems for full on track cars w/ slicks etc. Does anyone have experience with this bearing kit or similar? I know some of the USA7s folks are also in the Caterham and Lotus Seven Club so thought I'd inquire. @MV8 @EdWills Thanks for the Len Terry book reference, it brought back fond memories of many hours studying the rapidly evolving Formula Fords during the 70's at SCCA events and dreaming of fabricating / trying some of the Len Terry designs. Spherical A Frame bush set - Page 9 - For Sale - Caterham and Lotus Seven Club Batch 2 - Spherical A Frame bush set - For Sale - Caterham and Lotus Seven Club Cheers! Steve Austin

Ian please PM me off list. I’m north of Lake Travis w/ S3 and CSR(similar to SV). Cheers! Steve

No luck freeing those problematic rod ends. New push / track / tie rods etc. from Caterham (on BO so 12+ months for several of them) was the solution. It appears everything was assembled dry and likely froze without any further adjustment or anti-seize. Slowly but surely I’m re doing everything on my 2005 CSR and 2009 S3. No doubt I should have bit the bullet and ordered a kit new from the factory and waited to do it right myself. “Built by others” is a mixed bag but generally produces unsatisfactory results. Many thanks for all your words of wisdom. Cheers! Steve

Got it thanks! Now I see the all the battery pictures posted. Cheers! Steve

Thanks Mike. It appears to be over the passenger footwell. I’m installing same bracket same place. Did you secure the two SS studded plates so they don’t fall away when removing side brackets /nuts / battery? How? The bracket is an engineering marvel except for when you might want remove the battery seasonally etc. cheers! Steve

Thanks!