pethier

With a pure vertical filler, the gas-station setup should work just fine.

Is that like a wrestling mat? (I haven't wrestled on a wrestling mat since high school...)

I don't understand your question. The CSR has a curved filler hose like other Catherham cars. Therefore, the filler neck is not vertical, like a those in a TR4 or a Europa are. What I hear IamScotticus suggesting is removing the standard curved filler hose. I have not had the filler neck off of my CSR, but I have had the filler hose off of other Caterham cars. With these cars (and perhaps with the CSR also) it seems simple to "go vertical" with the hardware already at hand. What I have done in the past: Remove metal cover over filler hose. Remove filler cap from outside of the car; it is essentially only held on by the curved filler hose. Remove filler hose. I have done all that on other cars to take out the boot floor. At this juncture, one could continue on with the IamScotticus mod to go vertical: Procure a short piece of straight filler hose the same diameter as the stock curved hose. Shove it onto the tank. Drop on the two clamps from the stock curved hose. Push in the stock cap assembly. Presumably, you have cut the hose to the correct length to allow the hard bits to butt together. Tighten clamps. What you wind up with is a filler cap inside the boot. When you put on the boot cover, the cap will not be visible. I never considered this with my other Caterham cars because these cars have full hoods, and the idea of having a gas cap inside what is essentially a passenger compartment seems like a bad idea. Remember those cars started out with carbs and had vented caps. On a car that never has a hood, maybe this is an OK idea. Make sure you always have a towel to catch the drips when you remove the gas-station nozzle. It would not do to drip gasoline on the carpet back there. Perhaps a louvered vent could be fashioned to fill the hole left in the back of the car. Louvers would help keep out the rain whilst allowing ventilation in the boot. I realize that fuel cells are often used this way, but that's another kettle of fish altogether.

My money is on Croc’s new CSR Superlight

LOL. On my first 7, a 1600 Caterham with dry sump and live axle, I installed a Quaife LSD and 4.11 gears. Didn't touch the speedo. I'd be cruising down the highway at an indicated 90mph being passed by soccer moms in their minivans.

The Carrousel at Road America?

For some reason, I have been lucky with these red poly cans. I do not possess great grip strength, but if I tighten the cap as hard as I can, I don't get leaks. The seal has to be good for both gasoline and for air. To prevent overfilling, the hose must reach all the way into the car tank, and the only path for air to get into the can has to be via the end of the hose.

Love them. First, remove the part that locks the valve "off". That was not in the original design and is a damned annoyance. Second, to fill a Seven, affix to the nozzle a hose long-enough to reach into the car's tank. Fish the hose into the tank. Hook the tab on the valve to the filler rim. Tilt the can horizontal and press the can towards the car. Gas will flow into the car, Now and again the assembly will burp air from the tank into can. When the fuel reaches to the end of the hose, air can't enter the hose and gas stops flowing. Ease up the pressure to close the valve. Withdraw the hose slowly to break the air seal to allow the gas in the hose to drain into the car tank. I two-step this by using a big can to repeatedly refill a two-gallon can so I don't have to hold a heavy can at the car.

I took my Birkin to a Practice Autocross today. I got more than 20 runs for maybe 60 dollars (I'd have to look that up, but surely was not $100). Didn't sell the car, though. Tomorrow is a more-conventional autocross.

Neither am I. My autocross pick for light cars is Yoko A052. The R888R tires were new on the car when I bought the car.

I don't know. I know the 1700 Super Sprint came to me with a MOCAL oil cooler on the front of the radiator, held in brackets similar to this one. I think my brackets went to the ends of the cooler, and the little pads might be 90 degrees out from the ones in the photo. Of course, I don't know where they are right now. I don't race. I do autocross and pleasure driving mostly in Minnesota. My air-horns live in that space in 74PHIL now.

Taking out the CSR 260 for an autocross practice day. Wondering where to start with tire pressures. New Toyo R888R tires 195/50 R15 x 6.5” width (fr) 225/45 R15 x 8.5” width (rear) We expect temps in the 70s F. Asphalt is in pretty-good shape at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds lot. I have been using 20psi all around on my square setup on my other Sevens, using Yokohama A052 tires. For 74PHIL that has been 195/50 R15 x 6.5” width (Prisoner wheels). I have a set of 8" wheels on which I will probably go to 205/50 R15. I have not had fresh tires on the Birkin until just now. Tuesday I put new 205/50 R15 Yokos on its 7" rims. Those tires will go to the lucky person who buys the car. As time goes by, I expect to switch the CSR to the Yoko tires to get legal in XU. Only change is that the rear tires would change to an aspect ratio of 50. For now, it's Exhibition class locally. For the Practice day I hope to have both the CSR and the Birkin out. MACs "over-70 drivers don't need to work" rule means I have six hours to do whatever I want. 74PHIL will sit out this event. I am putting its passenger seat into the CSR. My new Tillet seat will be a while getting here. I can't wait to try out the CSR quick-ratio steering rack on a slalom. I't's about 1.5 turns LTL.

The Storm Cap fits just fine. A bit of variation for the intake scoop. See Photo of your car you took today thread.

On Long Island, The North Shore has land on the south and water on the north. In Minnesota, The North Shore has water on the south and land on the north.

I picked up some pop rivets with oversized heads

The rear of the CSR fender is cantilevered out a ways. Fender is designed to hug the tire closely. I figure I have to take off the tire, drill the fender, insert pop rivet from the inside Add mud flap. Pop rivet washer,. Tighten it up. Long part of rivet is on the outside where it can't mess with the tire.

I'll try again.

That method does not look as failsafe as my unvented-can-with-a-hose method. How do you know when the tank is full before the fuel spills out on your paint and your shoes?

This is a decent car. I'm only selling it because a CSR has taken over its storage space. I can't sell 74PHIL because it is a work in progress. I have about 20 grand in the green Birkin. I'm strapped for storage space and willing to take a beating. I'd take 15 grand, FOB Saint Paul Minnesota. Spares include: Two cycle fenders in the same green paint. No brackets for these fenders. Factory bolt-on-style spare-tire-carrier which needs repair. Spare tire on a wheel which does not match the K-1 Racing 7x15 wheels on the car. Full top which I have stretched to mostly fit. Birkin uses a single "hood stick" which pulls apart for storage. Doors which appear to be correct for the car. I don't think they have been used because interior snaps have never been installed in the interior. Full tonneau assembly which consists of the attached boot cover and two separate cockpit pieces. These do not need to be stretched, but a zipper or two need some fettling. I'd call it ready for sun protection but not for rain protection. There are no headrest pockets: The headrests easily pull out. The car has that vintage look when covered in the tonneau. Car runs and drives. I intend to run it with the new tires in an autocross this Sunday. The new side mirrors are perfect. It has a fresh alignment. All five forward gears and reverse work. The Zetec engine has a RaceLine water rail and the sort of throttle bodies one would expect to replace side-draft Weber carbs (not the Hayabusa setup now in 74PHIL). Four-wheel disk brakes. I have not tested is for LSD, but the few autocrosses I have run on not-sticky tires makes me think it has something. The front swaybar is adjustable. The coilover units have adjustable perches so you can set the ride height and corner-balance the car. I'll put together a proper ad with lots of pictures REAL SOON NOW. Right now, I need to finish putting a temporary passenger seat in the CSR. I'd deliver the car within a short distance for free. Price for distant delivery is something I'd need to determine after crunching the numbers from my recent California trip. Otherwise, the buyer would need to arrange transportation. Would I be afraid to drive it a long distance? I trust the car, but I don't trust the weather. The top is not completely ready, and the interior snaps are not there for the doors.

Has anyone put mud flaps on the front cycle fenders? My CSR 260 is my first cycle-fender car. The two Caterhams and one Birkin thus far have all had the long, sweeping, "clamshell", fenders attached to the body. In autocrossing, we use sticky tires and turn the steering wheel sharper than road racers do. This is a nice car and I want to beat it up as little as I can.

I have a CSR 260. Is it any easier to use a gas-station pump to fill these cars compared to other Caterhams? I have had two Caterhams and a Birkin and I find it is almost impossible to fill them at a gas station. Is the tank and venting arrangement in the CSR 260 any better. I have worked out a gas-can method, so if filling the CSR 260 at a gas station is just as dodgy as the other cars have proven to be, I won't even try it.

I am used to finding BP stations around the Twin Cities metro area, most of which carry 93 for my Cayman and my F-150. The Cayman demands 93. Ford is flexible, saying the 3500 twin-turbo ought to have 93, but the computer will adjust, and the truck will carry on with reduced power. I have been using 93 in the truck as much as possible. I have identified 93 sources near Road America, for instance. On the trip out to the San Jose area to collect the CSR from Darren, I seldom found 93. I didn't really notice any power loss with 91 on the rig. Other drivers, when they see my pickup with a full-width enclosed trailer on an entrance ramp, seem to assume it will be slow, but it got up to the speed limit in a heck of hurry, even in 80-MPH zones at altitude. I will stick to 93 octane for the CSR, as I do for the Cayman. I have done better at finding 93 in the Central Time Zone than out west. I drove the Cayman to the Porsche Parade in Oklahoma and managed to find 93 for the entire trip. I didn't take time on my California trip to look for the supposed 93 source on the south side of the Salt Lake City metro. I should investigate that before the LOG in September.

Thanks for the link to the file. I don't yet completely understand how use the USA7s Library.

The goofiness with the Birkin turned out to be the starter itself. With all the times it was installed, uninstalled, and bounced around in the shop, it now seems to be functioning perfectly. It started as many times as you would expect at the autocross novice school on Saturday and at the 7-run regular autocross on Sunday. Now I am putting the Birkin up for sale and I have to show some actual performance for the autocross crowd. Put 4 new Yoko A052 205-15 on it yesterday.

I believe I now have that car. Darren had it resprayed in orange in 2025, I think.