pethier

I now suspect there is a 7,000 limiter. I think I hit it in 2nd gear at an autocross.

I want big blocks of bright color. This is not complicated. "Here's a big chunk of fiberglass.. Make it all yellow."

Mine makes no flappity-flap at all at freeway speed, much less below 50mph. The Velcro around the taller top bow is supposed to prevent flutter, but my top fits so tightly, I don't think it makes any difference. Bikini? I think Bimini is more-accurate. I suspect bikini was an error that took hold among non-boat people. Of course, my friend Stephen calls his a Birkini, it being on his Birkin. When we had my wife's TR4, I was annoyed that the back window did not zip open. I managed to pick up a used white top with discolored windows. I razor-bladed out all three windows. The top was so shrunken that I could not raise both ends of the bows all the way, so I left the right one loose. We enjoyed the shade and the breeze. We carried both tops in the car all the time. We drove the car with the cockeyed white top when we were in California. I even drove the VTR autocross that way. I was quite chuffed to discover after I bought my present Caterham that the backlight does zip open. Very pleasant on a sunny day, no doors, no windwings. Whether you call it a half-hood or a Bimini, I don't think I will get one. I'm not razor-blading my quarter-lights, either...

LOL. I do tell my students, "Don't fear the cones; the cones should fear you." I can't tell you how many cones I hit with my yellow Caterham. Never a bit of damage. I was totally stunned by the destruction last Sunday. Well, this one was a kit. I don't know if the Yellow one was factory-built, but I do know this FMB one was assembled by the owner.

Thanks! PM sent.

My car is painted Ford Moonstone Blue, and a guy at an autocross at first thought part of the car was aluminum. FMB is a nice color, but too-easily-confused with asphalt when seen (or not seen) by other drivers on the street. I'm thinking of leaving all the metal FMB and doing all the fiberglass in Caterham Yellow.

I hear you.

Thanks!

Still have these wings? I will take them.

> Our region gives a trophy each year for the autocrosser that hits the most cones. You might be in contention for a prize if your club does similar. I am not in contention for hitting the most cones. I may have hit four at this event. None are recorded on the preliminary results. 1 or 2 would have been on the run that earned me a rerun (only a DNF will show if there is a timing error, cones hit on a rerun-earner are not carried over). For reasons that elude me, the two cones I hit that ruined my fender are not recorded. Perhaps they were not were not reported. The finish marshal showed me a raised fist (the sign in our club for a clean run), and I yelled to her that I was certain I hit two. The station captain may have been too busy radioing "hold the cars" to remember to report the cones. There were a lot of people who hit a lot of cones at this event. The highest total I noticed for any driver was 13 cones.

I have been noodling on that concept, My first thought was to put a fake exhaust pipe on the right side. Did you cut yours out of aluminum plate? How is it fastened to the car? One idea I had was a similar item held on by the bolts that hold the seat tracks.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/albums/72177720317138580/ Advice: If you autocross a Caterham you might just want to inspect the fastenings at the front of the rear fenders. From 2008 until 2010, I autocrossed a 1979 Caterham 1600. Had a lot of fun. Must have hit dozens of cones in those seasons. Never sustained any appreciable damage to the car. I had then, and have now, absolutely no idea how the rear fenders were attached to the car. A week ago, I took my 1991 1700 SuperSprint to its first autocross. Made 8 runs and hit several cones in the process. No big deal. Sunday, I took the 1991 Caterham 1700 SuperSprint out for its second autocross. First run clean. Smacked a couple my second attempt, but got a rerun for timing failure. Second run faster, third run just a tic slower than the second. Turned the wick up for the fourth run and ran just a bit too wide in the exit of a left-hander. There were two cones in succession, and I hit them with the back fender. Time was no improvement. The Mustang driverwho had followed me came up to the car to thank me for getting him a rerun. I asked if there was any damage to my fender. "I could probably answer that if the fender was here." I pulled my mirror down and was staring at a Yokohama tread pattern. I got out of the car. They entire fender was AWOL. The Mustang pilot started taping up the wires. "Be careful to keep your arm in the car your next run." I decided the only run this car was making was to my trailer. After I got the car strapped down, I went out on the course and retrieved my fender. The worker told me the fender had flown high in the air. SEE PIX Upon examination, I believe several things had to align to come to this result. The cones needed to be on the right side of the car. The exhaust pipe is substantial, and its angle probably would have sliced the cones to the side, or at least absorbed the bulk of the impact energy. The fastening of the front of the fender had to be pretty-lightweight. There had to be two cones. How I think it happened: The first cone struck the fender and cracked it across the top. This allowed the fender to pull out the forward fasteners, which were simple threaded pop rivets with no backing washers. They left small round holes The second cone struck the front of the flopping front half of the fender and pushed it into the spinning tire, which pulled the fender down. Unfortunately, the crack at the top of the fender did not go all the way across, so the tire was able to rip the rear fasteners (nut-and-bolt combos with washers) out of the aluminum body. I suspect the rear fenders on my 1979 car were anchored at the front better than on this 1991 car. No idea if that is true or why they were different. Damage at the rear is much worse than it probably would have been if the rear was secured with the same undersized fasteners used in the front. Although the holes are very large, the rips in the aluminum do not appear to extend beyond the area which will be covered with the new fender. Ruined pieces: The fiberglass fender itself. Could be reconstructed by a competent fiberglass worker. That's not me. The taillight assembly did not survive being driven over by car. The rubber base may still be workable, but that might be moot as it may not be a separate part. The backup light was completely squashed. I don't think I really NEED two backup lights, but we will see. Parts that appear still usable: The chromed metal stoneguard looks just fine. Drill out the pop-rivets and put it on the new fender. The piping/gasket looks like it can be cleaned up and installed again.

Thanks. I should add that I don't think the manual; I received was one specifically meant for my model of Caterham. My original post was poorly-worded.

Thanks.

I need a right rear fender and the associated lights therefor. 1991 Caterham 1700 Super Sprint

Also just received a package of zipper bags. 40"x52". https://www.walmart.com/ip/Big-Zip-Lock-similar-ZIPLOC-Zipper-Resealable-Storage-Clear-Bags-3MIL-Jumbo-XL-SUPER-JUMBO-5-PACK/787221166?athbdg=L1100&from=/search These are actually larger than the ZipLoc bags I bought off the shelf at Walmart back in 2008 for my first Caterham. I can't seem to find those anymore.

The bolt circle is 4.25" or 108mm. I'll have a look at the hub.

Yes, but I think Triumph Spitfires had 3/8" studs. I know my Lotus Europa did.

My 1991 Caterham 1700 Super Sprint has the same thread as my daughter's Honda Fit. They are certainly 12mm. Too lazy to look up my records now, but I think that is M12 x 1.5 I have Prisoner wheels. What torque should I be using? Honda says I think 80 foot pounds. I just tested the spare-tire mount gizmo to 70 and it didn't strip. The Caterham owner's manual for my car gives 45 and 55 for two different models, but does not confirm the stud diameter, and the model names don't mean much.

Maybe I will make a video. The only one I have found of my car is one made in England.

I'd rather drive the Seven with top and no doors than with doors and no top. I like the shade. I also like the fact that my top has a zipper-opening back window, The only reason I still had the mirrors on the doors is because they held up the doors on the "towel bar" I fabricated on the wall of my shop. I had no way to store them so they would not get damaged. Today i removed the mirrors and filled the holes with pop rivets. I slid each door into a wildly-oversized pillowcase. Product Dimensions : 40"L x 31"W. Each door actually will turn sideways in the pillowcase, leaving a large area to fold over. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WTL99LZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 Now I need to figure out how to hang up each door-bearing pillowcase in the shop and on the wall in my trailer.

I'll restart: Took the Super Sprint for its first USA autocross last Saturday. Eau Claire Wisconsin, on the parking lot of a drag-strip. Great fun! Finished 17th out of 48 drivers. Slightly hampered by inexperience shifting left-handed. Any doubt about the car having a plate-type limited-slip was dispelled by the sidestep at the launch. At one point, the car did something that has never before happened to me in a rear-drive car: It tore the steering wheel out of my hands. Some combination of trying to shift left-handed and the LSD, I think. Ruined a perfectly-good run. I will be on the lookout for this in the future. The DeDion seemed to behave itself better than the live-axle I used to have.

What LED setup did you you use?

What's the matter with a RHD Seven? I'm liking mine a lot!

Got the autocross tires on the Prisoner wheels on Friday. Car started right up after its winter nap. Put the car in the trailer and headed for Eau Claire. Saturday morning early, arrived at Rock Falls Dragstrip. Autocross in the parking lot. Finished 17th of 48. This is certainly the first USA-style autocross this car has done. Sunday I returned home and took my neighbor for a good long ride. Then we hopped in the Cayman for a totally-different sports-car experience. Cooling system worked fine throughout. I'm still having a problem remembering to switch off the turn signals, even though they show atop the fenders. I may need a loud beeper. Getting used to left-handed shifting. Under autocross conditions, I'm not ready for prime time.