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This is how far I got disassembling the wooden steering wheel to retrieve that bushing. It looks fine, both dogears intact as new. i got the locknot off from inside the set up dut can’t decide if this housing is rhreaded on or friction fit. Or should I just leave it on there for the next owner of the wheel? I have one on the way and am now seem to think I’m fairly knowledgeable.

And it’s done. The little pond is holding water at a test level, and the steering column is out! Did just what y’all said, a penetrating bath every 30 minutes, opened the key and out she came. After 45 years of extracting teeth I know this feeling of success well, carrying the intact prize around the office to show staff how lucky I’d been!!! Seriously guys, I used to a sliding hammer a lot in the mouth over the years, it’s all about correct line of draw and a committed strike. Next hurdle,retrieve the bushing. Red lock tite is evident….

And here’s the “factory” OEM piece. A nice looking something has somehow become welded to the poor innocent shaft. Josh is sending a bag of bushings for me to trundle through. I’ve given the water feature my all and time will reveal the depth of my folly with that. And to complete the circle, there is something of a reason it’s there, knowing this will help me reat better: ”It's for the steering column lock off of whatever original Thatcher-era British Leyland horror the original upper column is from. (UK road inspection requirement.) As the QR version is custom, it consciously omits the lock as everyone loathes it: pushing the Seven around the garage is impossible with the lock unless the ignition is turned on. And of course one immediately forgets the keys are in the lock barrel -- upon finally remembering, comes back to find a dead battery.) I have already done that, have it on a tender now like the Elise.

Here’s the new upper steering column. Apparently the one I need to remove is made differently? Have something cleverly welded to it to impede doing anything with it? So I have time to bathe the existing bushing in some lubricant. I have 27 and 30 guage needles to place it but with what lubricant?

Josh at Rocky Mountain told me there was supposed to be a replacement bushing in the shipping tube, which has apparently gone awol. He’ll supply another. I only wanted to take on the leaky water feature today anyway 😊

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I spent most of yesterday working hard in the sun revamping a troubling old water feature. Over two days of tedious effort in the sun. Got that pretty well under control and went to the garage to do a simple steering wheel change. I was pretty worn down so when this literally ran into the normal stone wall of somehow removing a brand new bushing that was never meant to be removed I was pretty floored. Not much mental energy left. So the car is in pieces until I can source a couple of spare bushings to hammer on. Great. Removed the steering wheel of a Rover SD1 decades ago. When it finally freed up after three days of effort, it sounded like a gunshot. In my brief experience with these cars, it seems that if you don’t get something in the original build, it’s just not like other cars. Changing it later requires real engineering not just some wrenches.

Exactly what I was thinking. You have one laying around? Seriously I’ll be on that in the morning. Good superstition to have the part ready.

Thanks Slonie. Was hoping for a simple safety screw to remove, but I guess tomorrow I’ll give it a go.. As a Dentist (ret) I had a small hammer slide that only one of my assistants could slide it just right to remove half a crown or something elsewhere, that sudden force got it done.

Three bolts and the bracket’s off. Column slides freely a couple of inches if oriented right. Then it feels like it’s finding a retaining screw, that I’m not finding. Might be one under the column near firewall that’s covered in silicone?

Ianscotticus I got into a rig like that with a Rover SD1 decades ago. Mine much simpler, I have it all loose, except for some one safety retaining screw somewhere

The car came with the good looking wood rimmed Caterham wheel, non removable. It’s nice to look at but not so comfy to drive, and does not suit the rest of this particular car. I have a nice alcantara OMP on the track Elise, feels so good especially with gloves on. Today I received a nice little MOMO removable and the upper steering colume. Looks pretty straight forward but two questions. * I don’t have a shop manual for this car, can someone show a link to this procedure? * What to lubricate the bushing in the instrument panel? The one I have now is quite squeaky. Yes the pretty wheel will be available. Perfect for the Sunday picnic sort of themed car.

Even though the basic composite race seat fits me fine I’m looking to replace them with leather, a lot of that for passenger comfort. Who other than CBuff has cut such seats for sub straps, as I did with the Elise? Anything to look out for?

This picture how we ended up

I believe that’s the setup I have in the track Elise, not sure of what hardware might be needed to secure the sub straps in the 7. This picture during the transition to full track.

Brand new 360R. The composite seat fits me fine but the stock Caterham harness just does not make it. I’ll be glad to get into a discussion but I learned over on Lotus Talk quite a while back how to set up my seat and harness and roll cage. Let’s just say that I require 6 point, see no reasonable time to ever use 4 point. The deal breaker for the stock harness is that it is humorously, devilishly difficult to adjust even when you are not in the seat. That’s fine for just one person who rarely adjusts anything but just way too big an ask for a passenger. My Elise has a nice Schroth set up, a breeze to adjust. Old fashioned 3” shoulder belts, my neck protector back in the day worked with it. I’m thinking another Schroth setup in red for the new 360R, appropriate bolt in hardware incl attachment for sub straps, if I can source such. Any other contenders?

Does anyone make one of these off the shelf?

Took her out last night enough to know what these lights can do, at normal driving around about 50 mph. I had compared to stock when just one was in. There is no comparison. Stock Halogen a tiny fraction of the output from the LEDs. DRL halos easily engaged at first click as it should be. At first I thought I had them aimed low, but the low beam in right about where you’d look for your apex. The low beam stays on when the brights are selected. No one flashed light at me like I was too bright on low beams and the impressive DRLs The dotted pattern of the LEDs in the halos oddly complements the 7 painted on the grill. A good look. Sorta War of the Worldly but modern. And like $75 to your door overnight, never harmed any original wiring.

On a bit of a lark I ordered an Amazon option. Made sure returns accepted. Amazon.com I’m not saying this is the way to go, just that it’s something I’ve tried that seems to have worked. These things fit great, hardest part was figuring out how to redo the four springs on each light that hold the bulb to the bezel. First light took an hour and a half. Second took 20 minutes. Almost plug and play. Had to crimp the connection for DRL with the halos, some shrink wrap for good measure. Not driven them yet, did cast them on the garage door to rough in the aim.

A quick search show that a lot of motorcycle headlights will fit the Caterham housing, 5 3/4”. Plenty out there, some on Amazon for $40 each. There are many options and many claims about all sorts of things going on, but of course the question is whether the soldering gun etc have to come out to make it work. Today I took one headlight apart and (upside down 😉) photographed the wiring to get some idea of how the car let the light know what to do. So here’s the question. Has anyone put these halo lights into their late model Caterham? Surely there is no plug and play, that might be too easy. Has anyone found that, or have experience with an option I need to be warned about? Don’t want these lights to end up out in the woods with a couple of printers.

Thanks CBuff, he’s holding one for me at Rocky Mountain as well as a removable steering wheel setup. Edit: ordered that silicone soft backing from Amazon as well.

Thanks. This car has LED tail lights but I am interested in some rear running lights on the roll bar, some that integrate well, not held on by cable ties 😉 Our greatest fear is another driver just plain in their own world.

How are you folks doing this? Sticky tape? Something that mounts to the reversing light? Drilling holes? Temporary plate with moderate strength sticky tape for now. Took this image per ipad rotated various ways. Found one that reveresed into form.

Just got the car, not even driven after dark yet, but I’m looking to change out the headlights. A prime motivation is to add daytime running lights. Looks like the factory and plenty aftermarket options have the horizontal drl, but seems like one ones with circular running lights might be more visible a d suit the car better as well. What experience has anyone had in recent years with a new build? And ok I flipped my pic before posting but it still put it in upside down. Impressive.

Good discussion, but my track days are over. Had a blast for over 100 track days in the Elise. But the new 360R will be astreet machine for the foreseeable future. The car just came to our garage with the original Avons, stickers still on them. Four years old so about time to replace and I learn that it is not like fitting tires to the Elise, or at least how it was when I needed tires for her. I expect to keep the stock 15” wheels. What are people using nowadays for pure street, as the Avons on her now would do if fresh? It’s time to replace the nice OEM on the Elise as well. We ran Hoosiers for years but she’s street only for now too.

I guess there must be some other forum out there where iphone pics taken in landscape by a left hand appear flipped. But I’m pretty active for the last 20 years and never seen it before. Just a quirk of Sevenworld.