Elldawg

It’s bittersweet, the car just got dropped off in Denver from CA. I’m here placing it in its new home a few weeks before we move in and it’s my only ride for the wknd so if you see an all yellow 7 tooling around Denver that’s me! I have nothing better to do but blat for a day.

I dropped Hagerty and went with JC Taylor. They require your other insurance (for normal cars) to have 50k per person and 100k per accident for medical and uninsured motorists (one tier over minimum coverage in CA) JC Taylor $288 a year in California agreed $35k for Xflow car.

Ok so super late completion to this thread but I thought I should share what I ended up with. I eventually went with the Jack Webb Quantum’s on the live axel car although I think the Nitrons would have worked out fine too. Jack knows his LA cars and was really helpful via email. The Quantum’s I got from him are divine. I was able to raise the car up to the proper height and the ride is amazing. No rubbing on fenders ever, very comfortable and my god it feels so balanced now. He also recommended swapping the ARB to the smaller orange 1/2” think size for LA cars to reduce understeer and I think that helped the balance a lot but before the new coilovers I was hesitant to really throw the car around. Now it’s track day everyday Install was straightforward but I had to sand down the aluminum spacers on the rears where they attach to the axle because the wrong size was sent, it was only a mm or 2. These are direct replacements so they have the correct and all new rubber bushes etc. for the top perches on the rear. Something I don’t think the Nitrons have. Those use some funky bracket to adapt them to the LA perch holes. Overall very happy with the setup, the car no longer scrapes or bottoms out and is now a dream to drive. Also just look at the size difference between the stock Billy and the Quantum, yes plz!

Yeah it’s weird. She said something about some policies being grandfathered in. Could be because the car is a “kit car” spncs not a “Caterham” idk maybe they think I’m a factory five guy so they up charge an old xflow. I just had a call with JB Taylor broker (ACC) who quoted $260 for a year in CA. So I have no idea what’s going on. Agreed value 35k, good+ condition car they don’t care if it was a kit car and the rep knew what a Caterham was. We’ll see how it pans out I guess. They will need to write a new policy in CO though after I slog through the DMV…. Again. I’m up in eastbay so don’t make it down to peninsula a lot. Cars and coffee for me is my toddler and the local coffee shop down the street. She loves the “race car” ride.

Hagerty just increased my premium from $555 to $1200 annual after one year today. I’m shopping around now. The sales rep on the phone said “kit cars” in California have been “reclassified” as the justification because they are more popular now, whatever that means. I’m relocating to Colorado soon and the quote there was $900. will try Grundy I guess. Quite annoying as I couldn’t even get through the quote process with them last time since the system was down. How does one find a broker? Worth it?

Yes I have one but the front suspension setups depicted in it are only for the “classic” single top link and “DiDion” double wishbone. The manual is from August 1995 :/ as you pointed out this car is the single top link + a second link that completes the top wishbone. “Uprated Live Axle” front end. in my manual the front upper bushing is not listed by name but the bolt for it is on the DiDion spec as a 3/8” x 2” bolt, a 5/16” bolt is what’s on this car. I suppose I could just buy new forward upper linkages with bushings in them too.

Thank you @IamScotticus this is exactly the info i needed. I don't know if all the bushes need replaced but the smaller upper front wishbone bushes, i think this: A arm top inner front 2030 seem very worn, the metal of the bracket and the linkage are touching and the angle is askew. Maybe this is normal, seems not proper idk. From a previous list you posted a while back its either one of these E2030 Radius Arm Small Length: 31mm Centre hole diameter: 9mm Outer diameter: 19mm ******************************* E2030 Short (S2030A) Length: 26mm Centre hole diameter: 10mm Outer diameter: 19mm I think short to fit into the arm thats 28mm, but there is a gap between the bush / washer and the bracket, 31mm could fit... bolt threads are 5/16 diameter. The coil overs need replaced so while I'm at it I was thinking about refreshing the bushings too. Waiting for my Tony Weale book

Yup, 185/70 r13. No complaints but I don't have anything to compare them to. Running at 20 psi. I think for an old LA car this is good fit for road use they seem to absorb quite a bit of the harshness out of what I would have expected to be a much bumpier ride, even with worn dampers. They also look classy @MV8 hoping not to tear it all apart before ordering, but I went to lift it and started investigating, the configuration is not what my build manual said it should be and discovered.... @IamScotticus YES TY! The lower wishbone mounts on the front and rear with 1/2 bolts, the front bolt has no nut its in the chassis. The top "wishbone" is a combo of the old classic upper link and a front A-Arm that bolts to a bracket the sticks out through the skin and is mounted to the back of the ARB bushing mounts on the inside of the frame and to where the ARB mounts to the upright. On it! I have a similar book for my Lambretta "Stickys Book" and the "how to keep your Volkswagen alive", sorts through all this type of stuff for ppl 50-60 years later. So this is not represented in the build manual I have. All these wishbone parts seem available from Caterham but with bushings pre installed, does that mean I need a fancy press (more than a hand screw type) to replace them? More pics of the configuration for future folks. Separate part for the forward part of the upper links the small front bushings are very worn and the arm is starting to rub on the chassis mount. Front lower wishbone 1/2" bolt screwed directly into the chassis rear lower wishbone bolt also 1/2 in bolt. The bushings when calipered from the outside are the same size. ~1.25" long, ~1" OD with a 1/2" ID bolt:

Hi all, I'm looking for information to replace all my suspension bushings along with the coilovers on a yr 2000 live axel car. Imperial chassis UNF threading (Arch Motors 00). This car has a narrow track front, Triumph uprights with brass trunnions not spherical bearings but with the double front wishbone suspension, my build manual labels this as a DiDion front suspension, the LA "classic" one has only a single upper arm. Here are the images from the build manual and I circled each of the bushings in different colors, hoping someone can list the part numbers for each color: Front, assuming the 2 lower wishbone bushes are the same. Rear, I deduced the center A frame are Y16 tapered, green might just be a spacer..? Photo of car: many thanks!

Figure I’d post an update. So the more I dig into this the only options for live axel caterhams are looking to be the budget friendly stuff spax, gaz, standard Oem Bilsteins or Jack Webb Quantum’s. Meteor thinks they might be able to make a set but have never done it before and I get the impression they don’t really want to, fair enough as these are old aging cars that are a niche within a niche that will never be made this way again. The Nitrons while advertised as a product for LA cars are more of an R&D project from what I’ve gathered with my conversations with Jack Webb. He develops products with Nitron and raced a Live Axle car in hill climbs for years, so has experience with them, and he continues to support the LA cars today. After inquiring on my behalf with Nitron, in his words, “It turns out that whilst they list a Live Axle set on their website they haven't actually got any drawings for them - they originally made a damper for a Ford axle car that had a nasty metal bracket to make it fit” So since they don’t have any CAD or drawings of this setup it would take some development time to design the proper mounting solution. I inquired if there are pics of this Nitron setup. I’d be very curious to hear from anyone who has actually installed them in an LA car. So for high end, looks like quantum’s or maybe Nitrons but you would need to order a set to know what you end up getting if anything at all, sounds like it’s more of a line item in the catalog vs an actual product idk. I’ll update with what I eventually go with.

Thanks, as I’ve been learning the hard way SB100 is basically useless once the car is removed from state, especially if the car was re-registered as the actual caterham model year. SB100 allows for replica model year reg that exempts the car from smog. Kit cars coming back into CA are subject to CHP vin verification and smog check or re application for the exemption. FYI if someone from CA is thinking the reg will be a cakewalk it probably won’t be but the car will be able to come back home.

Yeah you're probably be right. Meteor asked for pics of the mounting points at the rear. I'm sure some gurus know what different years / configurations did what with those mounts. maybe indicative of the "1973-2002" years for the Nitron LA option.

Update after speaking with Ben at Meteor and doing a bit more internet sleuthing, he is looking into whether or not they can produce their in house Core brand (tractive technology) with digressive damper system for a LA narrow track car. This + new better bushes would be probably one of the best slap in systems an old car like this would ever need. Its certainly not the inexpensive option at over ~$2500, £1850 per set. Meteor and others, some in the states can supply Nitron brand live axle coilover kits. I've found many sources that carry the LA kits for narrow track cars a few linked below. Meteor however states they offer 3 valving solutions based on the driving needs and much nicer looking springs in a soothing dark blue color vs the stock racer boy teal the Nitrons come with. There are various included spring options too from many sources. Nitron Caterham Live Axle Kit 1973-2002 - Part No: NTCCA-015R1 ~$2000 per set Evassive Motorsports Driftworks BBGem This is ~2x the price of new non adjustable OEM Bilsteins + adjustable collars and 3x GAZ... and I'm sure lots of folks would consider such expenses on an old LA car unjustifiable, but idk seeing what ppl spend on lifted trucks There is also the Quantum Kit for LA narrow track cars, that Meteor can probably source (they carry Quantum) but it's advertised available at Jack Webb Suspension. Starting to really break the bank now Caterham Quantum One.Zero by JWM - Road/Track Live Axle Calibration £2249.17 per set + options Anything can be made for the $ i suppose. Other than the Jack Webb system none of the sites ask about what type of axle the car is running, I assume the Nitrons are all for the Marina / Ital and not Ford.

Thanks for the additional info. I'm still actively researching and reaching out to various manufacturers and shops. As far as direct replacements this is what I've found so far as of June 2025, just dampers not springs, but easier to get the springs. Merlin motorsports: SPAX fronts a rear adjustable height and non adjustable height - product codes, G775, G776 ~$202 ea AVO front and rears adjustable height - product codes, PC565, PB148 ~$161 ea Direct from GAZ GAZ front and rears adjustable + springs - product codes, GP4-2032, GP5-2037 ~GBP 116 ea Caterham Bilstein replacements, non adjustable- reference # 75526, 75524 ~GBP 200 ea Bilstein height adjustable kit for the non adjustable shocks - reference # DSSU01K Caterham says these will retrofit my old yr 2000 Bilsteins and also fit on their non height adjustable Bilsteins, my local Caterham mechanic Rich Kamp has some experience with them and says they may need an additional ring machined to locate properly but its a way to get the Bilsteins height adjustable. ~GBP 245 set Meteor - started a dialog with Ben, there. Have not gotten confirmation that they would be able to build a set for my live axle car with the threaded top rear mount. Leda - I have an inquiry with them, they seem active in the UK and could build a set for the car. I'm looking into possibly updating the entire front end to wide track but to do that the uprights would also need to be replaced with the more modern spherical bearing ones, the later model live axle cars have the brass trunnion steering swivel thats not compatible. This would at least get the front to be the same as the more modern cars and open up lots of possible front coilovers and basically make the front like a new car. Juice might not be worth the squeeze as this option still leaves the rear live axle issue of finding LA mountable rear coilovers to pair with whatever fronts I use. I'll inspect the trunnions and front uprights for damage per Rich's advice, if the uprights need replacing, may just go for it. Will update as I sort it out. I've also found out that my oil sump is actually from an Elan so its not the slightly flatter bottom one Caterham made. Could hack and weld... would prefer to just raise the car slightly.

Thanks MV8, I’ll look into possible shimming too, although I’m thinking the suspension is a bit tired being how old it is, maybe not? I don’t really have any other comparable car to reference. I had not heard GAZ as an option before, will investigate. I’ll probably also end up contacting Meteor for some advice and my local Caterham shop. Will let yall know what I find. For now gonna enjoy low and cautious. They made the handling so good so you could dodge sump mines right?!