jordway

I now have the multimeter reads. Unless a time is given, these were done immediately, one after the other. Note that before hooking up the trickle charger, the battery gauge was never noticeably past 12V when cold. Now, with the trickle charger, the gauge is well above 13. Seems the gauge is measuring pretty true. Definitely have drain. Will be installing kill switch and looking for bad grounds. I have not yet tried @MV8's latest suggestions. Have an appointment for service on Tue next week (a shop with Lotus and Seven experience). On trickle charger (2 days since last start), cold, key off: 13.4 On trickle charger, cold, key on: 13.4 Off trickle charger, cold, key off: 13.3 Off trickle charger, cold, key on: 12.6 * Started the car (off charger) and it started fine and idled smoothly (no revving) After idling 5 min: 13.7 * Drove 30 min (~15 min on interstate at ~70mph, ~15 min in stop and go traffic) After drive, idling: 14.0 After drive, off charger, just turned engine off, key on: 13.0 After drive, off charger for 30 min, key off: 12.6 After drive, off charger for 30 min, key on: 12.5 * Car started (off charger) then immediately died (no revving) After drive, on charger for 30 min, key off: 14.1 After drive, on charger for 30 min, key on: 13.9 * Car started fine (off charger) and idled smoothly (no revving)

@John B, I plan to also install a battery master switch (and might as well go with a track-suitable switch). Sounds like you're happy with yours. Any recommendations?

Thanks again. I'm away for work, but I will test these things when I get back/when it's running again. I've given up on finding my volt meter. Likely lost in a move. I'll just pick up a new one. I agree that my 5 minute drives to the office and home are not enough to fully recharge. It was okay for a few weeks, but not now. Walking into the garage on a sunny morning with the option of a Seven or a Subaru Outback... it's really damn hard to get into that Outback. But, these short trips are pretty ridiculous and not good for the car, so I need to suck it up. With key ON, the gauge reaches just a hair above 12V within 2-3 seconds. During these couple seconds, I've always heard a slight buzz as the gauge rises. I thought that was normal, but perhaps it's because some power is getting to the starter, but not enough to engage with the flywheel? But, that would be odd since it's always done that even when I had no problems starting it. It's the same whether it starts or not. If on a charger or jump, it gets up to maybe 12.3-12.5. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to start. Sometimes does, sometimes doesn't. I've never seen it get above 14 while driving. While starting, I think it drops to maybe 10 or so, but I'd need to confirm that (and get all of these numbers from a meter, as you all have pointed out). It turns over at the same rate and either starts normally and then dies within a few seconds or doesn't start at all. I could usually get it past the dying if I really rev it just after starting, but that's not something I want to keep doing. Of course, this was all before the stall while driving on Monday. Now, it wont start at all (regardless of charging, revving, anything). It really seems to me like it's getting no fuel. When the stall happened, I first lost all acceleration and then the engine stalled out a few seconds later. No chugging or shudder or anything... just stopped. I think I may have both an electrical problem and a fuel system problem. Maybe related to each other, maybe totally independent. Before the stall on Monday, once it was started it idled smoothly. Yeah, @Austin David, I'd really hate to lose the SC. Boy is it a blast!

Thanks, @IamScotticus. Will get these checked out. @MV8, thanks for the suggestion to post photos. If anyone wants a closer look at something (or better resolution), let me know. .

Thanks to all for the feedback. After 24 hours on a trickle charger, starting was fine on Saturday and drove for about 50 miles with no issues other than the backfires I mentioned. Started fine Monday morning, right off the charger. Made one stop on the way to the office and it starting dying again after turning over. Got it started, and then it stalled while driving, a couple minutes later. Couldn't start or jump at that point. Towed it home. Fuel filter, ignition timing, alternator ground... all possibilities I guess, and then some. @MV8 was probably right about advising against Seafoam. That may have freed up enough gunk to clog the fuel filter and injectors. I'll do what I can in my own garage, and meanwhile I'm looking for a shop that will work on it. So far, no takers, but @bball7754 recommended a shop a while back that I'll try to call.

intake manifold and stock ECU.

I’ve been driving my 2004 Zetec for a couple months with no major engine issues (at least none that seemed major to me). I’ve always needed to wait a few seconds after turning the key on for the battery gauge to reach 12V in order to start. I assume that is normal. The car does not have a battery master switch Last week, seemingly out of nowhere, it wouldn’t start. Jumped it with a portable jumper and it started right up. Drove it for only about 10min. Next day, same thing, but this time I wasn’t able to jump it. I assumed the battery was spent and I replaced it with the same NAPA lawn and garden 300/370 battery that was on it, and I ordered a trickle charger. First crank after connecting the new battery, it started right up. I drove it about 20 min. Battery gauge got up to 14V while driving. Later that day, I tried again and it wouldn’t start. It would turn over but then chug a few times and die. I could get it started if I really revved it up immediately after turning over. Again, started fine with the jumper. But it required the jumper to be attached for ~5 min with the key on before it would start. Yesterday, I hooked up a CTEK smart charger, and I added the recommended amount of Seafoam injection cleaner to the gas and motor treatment to the oil. Charger was immediately at 4 (ready) and got to 7 (fully charged) after about an hour. But, I still had to jump it. And again the jumper needed to be attached 5 min with the key on in order to start. Again, up to 14V while driving. It seems to start fine if I jump it, shut it off and then start again without a jump. But if I wait half an hour or so, it won’t start without the jump again. It runs normally once started (well, normal meaning the same as before the starting problems). Maybe a tiny loss in power, but so tiny that it may be in my head. It has always backfired (not misfired) a bit while driving. This happens when it’s in gear with no acceleration. Just a couple pops from the exhaust, then fine. Happens when the engine is cold or warmed, no difference as far as I can tell. Another thing that might be important, the starting problem began during a week when I was driving the Seven to work every day, which is only about 5 miles there and back. And that short trip was all it was getting on those days. The car had 4400 miles (17 years old) when I got it, and I have added 350 miles since March. So, it’s clearly seeing more use than it had been. Alternator? Seems obvious, but it does seem to be adding charge back to the battery according to the gauge. Fuel filter or injectors? We’ll see if Seafoam helps. Running rich? I guess that would be consistent with the popping and might be signaling a timing problem (ugh). I see similarities with Vovchdr's thread below (Backfire and stalling at idle when hot, followed by no start conditions), but I'm not stalling in idle and if it were the same thing, why would a jump make any difference? Any advice is greatly appreciated. I’m pretty green, so you may have to dumb it down. Regardless of any issues, I am totally in love and awe with this wonderful machine. Each problem that needs sorting is another opportunity to learn. I sound like I’m pep-talking my kids.

I was hoping that we could make it to the Jeff City gathering, but unfortunately I have to be out of town that week. But, I'll keep an eye out for other Midwest gatherings. Melissa and I would really enjoy that!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CLiTx689wZ-BPgCnrkphac1vNnWTsRgL/view?usp=sharing The wife and I had our first weekend drive together in the 7. From St. Louis, took Hwy 100/Route 66 to Wildwood, then turned off on St. Albans Rd for a more rural stretch, then Hwy V before heading north to Washington. The link is video from a stretch on St. Albans. No Tail of the Dragon or anything close, of course. But, a fun hilly and somewhat winding road (a bit bumpy). Sorry for the audio. That terribly annoying rattling is the license plate vibrating against the plate frame. We couldn't hear it at all during the drive, but due to where the camera was mounted, it's really loud on the video. Fixed that with a couple zip ties. The photo is from a pit stop in Labadie, MO just off St. Albans. Neat little stop with cozy bar and grille. And on weekend afternoons, you are sure to see LOTs of awesome cars and bikes, as it's a common stop for those out for weekend drives.

This is remarkably similar to a scam I nearly fell for. A Seven at a suspiciously low price, the same phony escrow situation, same 7 day grace period. "Seller" kept coming up with excuses why I couldn't see the car in person. I was surprised that the scammer seemed to know a lot about Caterhams in his email responses to my questions. After realizing it was a scam, I googled a few phrases and found the real web post for the car from several year ago, listed for a reasonable price. The scammer was just copy/pasting sentences from that write up and passing it off as his responses to my questions. Rat bastard nearly broke my heart when I realized it was not real.

Just to close the loop on this, I am swapping the Lotus badge with Sean's Caterham badge. That was exactly the badge I was hoping for. Thanks to everyone for the responses!

Happy New Year to all! I'm hoping to switch the LOTUS badge on my 2004 Caterham with a Caterham badge. To be year appropriate, I'm hoping to find the yellow/green style (either the "Sprint" or "16 Valve" style would be fine with me). If I can't find that, the 2016+ black and silver badge would be my next choice. Does anyone have either of those badges that you'd be willing to part with? For sale or a trade for the LOTUS badge, either would be fine by me. The LOTUS badge is the "two prong" type and is bolted onto the nosecone.

That's exciting, @Rodnok! That will be an awesome car!

Hope this helps...

YES! Steve has already been a great help. I've probably already bugged him too much about advice on registering in MO!

I am the very happy buyer of the blue and white supercharged Zetec SV mentioned above. Chris has been fantastic throughout the process (car arrives in STL this week). I spent a lovely afternoon with him at Sevens & Elans last week for a thorough walk-around/under/through of the car, very patiently answering all my questions and even briefly taking me to school with a few jaw dropping blasts around the shop. I'd been searching for 8 years. It was worth the wait. Rodnok, good luck with your search!

Holy Moly, Croc/Mike. I just noticed your inventory at the bottom of your post. Sweet!

I’m sold on the 13”/ZZS. Thanks to all for the advice. RMC will be building the kit. Would you recommend asking them to put on the skid plate, or is that something better done after I get it?

Wow! Thanks so much for the replies. This is awesome! Great feedback on the wheels... I hadn't considered a dry sump (but should)... very good to know about the Raceline compact sump... and now I know there is another Seven in STL!!! I've made more progress in one day than I have in the past 5 years! THANKS everyone!

Hi everyone. I'm really happy to have found this site! After several years of hunting not just unicorns, but very specific unicorns, I've finally come to terms with having a Seven built. I live in St. Louis. I'm wondering if anyone has had experience titling/inspecting a Seven in MO or even better in STL city. Any advice? Things I should be worried about? Things I should steer clear of? The car will be a 310R. A big part of my difficulty in finding a preowned has been that a SV chassis is a must, and I really prefer to not go over 160 hp (I'll be mostly a winding backroad driver, but would like a relatively rare trackday). 310R feels like the right fit for me. At the risk of sounding like an endorsement (not sure if that is a no-no here), I must say that Josh at Rocky Mountain Caterham has been absolutely awesome with helping me really dial in on specs. The screenshot is what she'll eventually look like (my productivity has taken a big hit since finding the online configurator!). My other question that I'd love to get some feedback on is regarding wheel choice. 15" Orcus wheels with AVON ZZS come standard on the 310. 15" wheels on a Seven seem counterintuitive IMHO. There is the option to instead go with 13" Apollo (also with TTS). Here's the rub. There are great driving roads nearby, but unfortunately I would have to drive it through the TERRIBLE STL city roads in order to get to them. Massive pot holes, those cursed steel construction plates... just awful. Sump damage is a real concern. One suggestion is that the 15" wheels with the car raised a bit in height would be a good option for me. A bit more peace of mind would be worth the somewhat reduced handling compared to 13". Any thoughts about that? I realize the correct answer is "DON'T HIT POTHOLES!". But, especially in traffic, these can tend to sneak up on you! Has anyone tried a skid plate over the sump? Thanks in advance for your thoughts! jordway in STL