theDreamer

So, I bit the bullet and I ordered key rings off of eBay UK. The one I wanted was GPB15.00 but there was only one left. (see image) I quickly found another that looked smaller and the leather looked more like vinyl in the photo. Funny, the photos had the same background image. I think it was only GBP 5.99 so I ordered one of those as well. I now had two slightly different Caterham 7 key rings on order. Over the following weeks I received two identical messages from the same person saying that they’d been away and would get right on my order. Almost two weeks passed before the first package arrived. Based on the photo it was the “last One”. It looked close to the photo in the ad. The difference being the chrome is raised above the colours and I thought it would be all smooth like the nose badge. A couple of days later I had a notice from eBay UK to rate my experience. The odd thing was it was for the other key ring order. So I waited to reply. Over a week goes by and I finally received the second package. To my great surprise not only are there three key rings but they are exactly the same as the first one. Again eBay UK asked for my feedback so I wrote my little story. I explained my bewilderment at ordering the last one of one type and another one that looked different from another ad. Then, getting the exact same message from the same person that they were late in getting my order out. Now these Feed Back forms are to two different people but it seems that the items are all coming from the same shop. I got a reply from some guy that he’d look into it but didn’t understand how I ended up with three key rings. I wrote him back that I actually received four and not to send anymore. So I have two to use and two set aside. Well, you just never know when you might need a Caterham Key Fob, eh!

Early one morning just after a huge snow fall we had to pick up some meds from the pharmacy. Only the main roads had been plowed and the parking lot had only seen a couple of cars. I knew where the parking spots where so when I pulled in I did a wide turn and then planted my foot hard on the accelerator to get the wife’s Crosstrek into a nice controlled, sweeping drift. The vehicle came to rest perfectly situated in the first spot in the row. No sooner had the vehicle come to a stop and WHACK! The wife hauled off and hit me, hard, in the shoulder and started yelling at me. What did I do wrong?

Fejar 7 in Montreal Quebec. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1588416435882505/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Aa2e76c97-5fdc-4021-8eff-a32645e9e329&__tn__=!%3AD

I posted a breakdown of the VIN which shows it to be an SV chassis from 2018 with a 5 speed box. What I don't understand is it has full doors and a bag marked Hood SV & CRS Zip-Rear Win but no photos of a hood or windscreen.

While I understand the sellers zeal to sell and how focused se7en cars can be I think he will have upset many, if not all, Elise owners with this one line; “One short drive with one of these will make the Elise feel like an S-Class afterward…”

If it’s a daylong event I’ll pull it off for about an hour midmorning and again about hour midafternoon. Car looks much better with it on to the general public. The gear heads want to see the power plant so on occasion it will come off to expose the hamster wheel. If it’s a judged event I follow the rules. Usually that means leaving it on until asked to remove it. If it’s for a short time the wife holds it. For longer periods I lean it up against the spare tyre then place a folding chair behind it. (see image Bonnet Off) As other’s have said, let the little ones have fun and feel they are part taking in the show. (see image Next Gen Driver) As to Timothy Keith-Lucas’ comment re: “…campaign to get all entered cars to have explanatory plaques.” You’ll notice in my show photos there is a plastic covered sign under the wiper blade which does just what Timothy is promoting. Furthermore, you’ll see in some images the purple binder that is always with the car and on display. I’ve mentioned it other threads. It has copies of all the documents and even colour pages from the article that the UK Caterham and Lotus 7 club published in the May 2024 issue of Lowflying called “A Glass and a Half. As a side note, I grew up with antique and classic cars. No matter how rough it looked, you never went near a car afraid a button or zipper might scratch. Most of the cars had signs like “I’ve been tubbed, scrubbed and rubbed so please don’t touch me.” Or, “Do not lean on this car unless you are completely Nude!” My father on the other hand was more than happy to let anyone and everyone sit not just in the car but climb up into the rumble seat of his 1934 LaSalle. Also, the wife has been known to dress up the car, (and ourselves) to celebrate special events like our 50th wedding anniversary.

Good luck. I've been looking for one to fit my '93 HPC Evo for a year now. Even in the UK most are too short for the upright roll bar. My car is about 36.5 inches which means 925 to 930mm from the front of the windscreen to the back side of the roll bar.

I hope this isn't a repost and yes, it's in Italian but it still looks like fun.

Shipping containers work great to store and even ship cars. Just ask any auto theft ring! One of the accused classic and collectable car thieves lived and stored the cars just miles from my home. He had about two dozen containers on his property. Not to mention his ginormous private garage that was filled. I wrote about this in the Off Topic sections: https://usa7s.net/ips/topic/15079-3m-in-stolen-cars-may-have-been-a-scam/#comment-144906 The photos of the Datsun are of my late boss’s second 240Z. These photos were taken when it was loaded up to be shipped to Germany. He wanted it over there for when he went back home to participate in races and track days. He kept his first 240Z here in Canada. Both cars were built in house with Buick Grand National engines. You can see him in action leading a Viper in this video from 2007. Sorry I got a little off topic.

I’ve become addicted to the heated seats and steering wheel in the wife’s Crosstrek with these -20c temps this winter. I’d never dream of taking my Caterham out in -10c temps but +7c yes. However, wind chill can make my hands feel like ice cubes so I’ve been looking into battery powered winter cycling gloves. A pair of soft buckskin or Kangaroo hide driving gloves may be all I need for those few early spring or late fall drives though.

FYI: Moonstone Blue Metallic was first used on the Ford Sierra Cosworth 3 door (hatch). This particular colour requires a light grey undercoat. The top coat is produced only as a varnish finish with a dominant blue colour. The photos I found on-line show it to be more like metallic silver with a slight blue hue. Obviously, what base coat colour was used plus the thickness of the top coat would play a part in the final product.

Most Caterhams that have the spare tyre carrier/license plate bracket welded in place are painted body colour. Cars with bare aluminium bodies are the exception being left in the frame colour. Our car's carrier and plate are therefore in the same Cadbury's Purple as the rest of the car.

You need them both. The flat washer is what the lock washer is meant to bite into. I’d buy longer bolts.

My father used to recite a poem supposedly written on a tombstone in some long forgotten cemetery that went something like this: Here lies the body of Johnny O'Day Who died Preserving His Right of Way. He was Right, Dead Right, as he sped along But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong.

I viewed the Pre-Lit Westfield listed for sale just to see what it was. https://www.bugeyeguys.com/2025/02/pocket-rocket/ While I was on the Bug Eye Guys website I looked at all the other cars for sale. Of note was that in some of the ads there are videos where he mentions motorcycle safety tips during his drives. Things that a lot of seven owners may not know about if there have never ridden motorcycles. For example; leave a gap between you and the car ahead and angle your car slightly to the side when at a stop. This so if someone comes up too fast you can move to the right, (left in the UK) out of the way to avoid being rear ended. On a motorcycle there is usually room between the car ahead and the shoulder or curb. In a seven you may have to mount the curb. However, better to only need an alignment than to have to repair the rear coachwork. I know there are some good seven videos by people like Turn 7 but I haven’t seen many (any) that go into safe driving practices. This is one of the videos where he mentions Motorcycle Safety Foundation tips.

I have a friend that runs a parts and restoration business. He was informed by his broker that tariffs have already increased on parts coming into Canada from the US and vice versa. So, he has stopped doing business, both buying and selling with the US. I do not know for sure what will happen in the near future or long term. However, my instincts are that it will not be good for the average person in either country. Sorry but if you really want the car you’ve ordered you should be prepared for a worse case scenario. These new unknown costs may be what are driving prices in the used Caterham market.

This is what the stock cover looks like.

I completely understand and envy the journey you have before you. (I made such a journey over 50 years ago.) So much history to soak in and adventures await. With all the flooding you may want to think about building something like this from the Grand Tour. https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/car-profiles/7-reasons-why-caterhams-seven-is-still-going-strong/

You may find more than just a chassis at his shop. I see by his earlier posts that he inquired about engines and may have bought seats plus other parts. Looks like some good good parts and a great start to a build.

Search the internet, there are dozens of simple kits and plans, pdf's and YouTube videos. Someone will come along soon with all the links you'll ever need but here's one to start you on your adventure. https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/build-your-own-locost-15-easy-steps/ You’ll get lots of support here. P.S. As a soon to be grad I'm sure that money is tight and you'll build what you can as you can afford it. However, if you have savings or your father is so inclined to help you might want to look into unfinished projects. There is a widow in Annapolis MD who is trying to gather together all the parts her late husband had collected for a Locost build. Check out this htread:

It has been many decades since I got in and out of an AC plus I was much younger and flexible then than now. However, I find your statement hard to believe. An AC Cobra, real or kit, has doors where the Lotus/Caterham 7 does not. So first one must get over the sill height and then bend, twist and contort themselves to fit through a much smaller opening. An AC Cobra’s door sill is almost level with the seat cushion and closer to the ground so nothing to step over. I‘ve posted this image before with the opening sizes in inches. I cannot see an AC with its hood up and doors open having a smaller or being harder to enter and exit than a 7. I would suggest that you have mastered ingress and egress of your Seven but not your Cobra. Once you find the technique that works for you, you’ll be off to the races so to speak.

I agree with your comment as it is amusing. Same too for the wipers. However, we’ve been caught in three major down pours in our seven and never had any water leaking in from around the hood or doors. We did get water running along the inside bottom of the shelf with the odd drip hitting our legs. I think that water is getting into (or behind) the heater via the bonnet vents for the fresh air intake. The wife’s 1964 AH Sprite had roll up windows and a good fitting hood as well. Back in the day my older brother’s Midgets had the sliding Plexiglas side windows and ill fitting hoods so both cars leaked. He did have fibreglass hard tops for both to use in late fall through to spring. Then again, his 850 Morris Mini Minor had sliding windows and he always carried cloths around for when it rained.

Good job and I agree with you about the looks but then I’m biased. I’d like a shifter with a proper big Caterham logo on it like the one in the HPC that Stang70Fastback just sold. But I like the feel and look of the polished ball that came on my car against the grey leather. Even though it has a Lotus logo on it I like that it is the same colour palette. Most don’t realize it is not a Caterham logo until I point it out. Then as I explain the cars history it is easy for them to draw the line from Chapman’s original sevens to the Caterham sevens. Many comment on the fact the Caterham logo is basically a Lotus badge turned 180 degrees. (Which we all know is basically how it came about when Caterham bought the rights to the seven.)

This AI crap is getting WAY out of control. I read on anther forum where someone Googled something about; how do racing officials indicate which car is being shown the black flag to come into the pits? The AI answer was that the Black and White (checkered) flag is used when cars need to come into the pits. I usually use Duck Duck Go but on occasion I’ve tried other search engines and Google always starts with an AI answer that almost always has an error or three in its reply. BUT… I’m really sick to death of all my non car family and friends who continually send me these (obvious to enthusiasts) fake AI announcements about cars that they think are real and are going into production.

It's yours so you don't call it pitted, you tell people it has patina.