Croc

Sadly it rained in Brno. Towards the end of the day, I was one of the few circulating in the rain and slowly I came up behind another Bookatrack Caterham, a 620R, which was struggling for rear end grip around the corners. Yes it was Jonny from Bookatrack having fun by escaping his customers. So Jonny nicely pointed me by in my R300 and I continued on my merry way trying to be as smooth as possible, using only 5th or 6th gears to avoid breaking traction. Sadly, 3 laps later, I loop it coming out of the steep uphill right hander just before pit straight. Jonny sails past, probably with a huge smirk on his face, and gives me the thumbs up.

My trusty R300 for my days on track is here. A standard S3 chassis with de Dion rear end. 2L Duratec making 180hp. Redline is 6800-7000 but I usually change at 6500 for sympathy. No frills race car – no lights, indicators, extra gauges, or heater/blower unit. It is usually set up with fiberglass Tillet shells, although I use a foam seat arrangement when I run this car. Its nice to see Bookatrack gave her a shiny new coat of black paint and orange stripes since I last used it. A bit about Bookatrack. I have been running with Bookatrack for 5 years now at various UK and European circuits, always running Caterham R300s. Jonny Leroux, with his wife Sarah, run the best track days of any operator I have run with. Handy with the wheel himself, I think he still holds the lap record at Spa-Francorchamps in a Caterham R300 – the video is on YouTube somewhere. But Jonny’s best skill is building a group of loyal repeat customers who are just all welcoming and friendly to anyone that joins one of his track days or annual Europe trip like this one. The laughs are frequent around these days – no egos. I have tried a bunch of UK/European track day operators over the years – Bookatrack are the only ones I will run with now. Even if you never run a Bookatrack track day, Jonny is a passionate Caterham supporter and in the last year opened Caterham Midlands, based at Donington Circuit in the UK - worth a look if you are in the Midlands of the UK. The format of the track day is open pit lane. The track breaks for lunch for an hour but you can guarantee 7 hours of open track time. I would average about 3 hours on track in a day with lengthy breaks in between to keep the car and myself fresh. You do not lack for quality track time. Someone told me there were 30 cars but apart from the first 30 minutes there was never anything close to this out on track at once. You really did have quality time on the circuit. So some photos courtesy of Bookatrack. One feature of a Bookatrack track day is their practice of 2-3 sighting laps for people new to the circuit to get a basic familiarity before you go out and plant the size 11s to the floor. So I took out my Avis RentaCar, who for once gave me an upgrade to a nice Mercedes…. low powered diesel…sigh… Some pit photos

But, the story of Brno circuit is all about elevation change. It may be hard to read the following graph but there is close to 250 feet (75m) of elevation change in the track from top to bottom. You start up high, wind your way down to the lowest point and then it is a very steep climb back up to the start finish line. This photo illustrates the elevation. This is me about half way down the circuit and in the distance, lower, continues the circuit and it is not even the end of the elevation drop. Yes I know I missed the apex Tom (as some of my "friends" on here will be quick to point out!) - with so much water on the apex you had more grip hold the car well out from the apex. The trusty rental Caterhams all lined up. The R300 have orange stripes and the 620R are red stripe. I did enjoy how the Bookatrack photographer lined up the cars at opposite angle to pit exit!

As I have done for a number of years now, I rented one of the Bookatrack Caterham R300 racecars for their European tour, this year Eastern Europe. The plan in the week of October 10 was to fly into Budapest, spend 2 days enjoying the town then pick up a rental car and drive to Brno in the Czech Republic to meet the group at the hotel. First circuit was Brno. We travel then to Slovakia Ring, which is roughly 35 miles east of Bratislava in Slovakia. After that it is drive back to Budapest where we run the Hungaroring, home of the Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix. For those that have never been to Budapest, you are missing one of the great cities of Europe. Lots to see and do and very reasonably priced. Naturally I sampled the local brews in my favorite cafe by the Danube watching the world go by! Brno Circuit, Czech Republic There was a famed Brno Circuit. But like the other great tracks of Europe – Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, Pau, even Nürburgring, it has changed dramatically over time. The original 19 mile circuit was discontinued and a move was made to purpose built facility nestled in the hillside and valleys on the outskirts of Brno city in 1987. I drove some of the original 1930s track, as it is now the access roads to the current circuit. Even some of the original pit buildings remain present on the sides of the road. The track is known for hosting MotoGP bikes, Formula 3 Euro Series, DTM, FIA World Touring Car, Superbike World Championship, and FIA GT1 World Championship. Sadly the weather forecast was not encouraging. The day was cold, high 30sF, overcast with rain forecast late in the day. In Fall with the leaves changing color it is a magnificent setting The track map shows a fairly lengthy track nothing special in layout.

Hi Yeti - because Wemtd's post seems to have disappeared, he was asking what year/model of Birkin as it will make a difference in cost/time/difficulty getting a replacement. He has a nice paper mache nose cone that he used temporarily while he waited a year or two until Birkin supplied new one to replace his broken one. He still worked with Tom Carlin to get one. Hi Paul (Wemtd) - thanks for the PM on the disappearing post but I could not respond to you as your mailbox is full and I can no longer send messages to you.

Give Tom Carlin of Birkin USA a call. Very easy to deal with.

Welcome to the forum Chris! :seeya: Sensible idea but let me structure a list for searching otherwise you will need a second bottle...not that there is anything wrong with that... Original Lotus 7 Original/Original Looking Replicas/Traditional Caterham (continued the UK Lotus 7 lineage after it passed out of Lotus hands) Birkin (similar story to Caterham but did it via South Africa) Some Locost sevens Modified Traditional Look Westfield Modern Seven Look Brunton Stalker WMC Ultralite (Not sure these are still available new but worth looking at to decide your preference) Some of the above have narrow or wide chassis options (SV, XS, XL, etc) depending on your belt size or use (e.g. track versus road touring versus canyon carver) Once you decide the look then you need to decide drivetrain. Each of these some options for engines and transmissions ranging from 4 cylinders all the way to V8s. After that it becomes all about the various options that personalize the car to you. You're in the US so try to stick with the US sellers to avoid the whole importation hassles unless you decide desperately that you need a Hayabusa powered Caterham which only Super 7 cars seems to have in kit form (forget about importing a whole new car to the US unless you want to Federalize it...not a good idea). All of the above are accomplished cars at what they do but they all require a level of patience/fiddling/fettling to bring them to your idea of a perfect Seven. Urk! Paul - I would not have done that to Chris. He may be scared away(or just scarred) by that series of posts that were the result of more than a bottle of wine by someone unknown...:leaving:

Is this a high end car or something lower end that ro-ro would work for? Do you need your own container or are you happy with share? I assume these are all over 25 year old road cars? They are the cheapest for importation/shipping costs. With Hanjin sinking the container freight rates are a little unsettled right now. I would get some updated quotes if I were you. I will only use Cosdel now after previously using a bunch. Process is managed smoothly albeit somewhat abrupt in the communications at times. No share containers with multiple cars - dedicated container for your car. They do all the US to UK and UK to US for events like Goodwood, Monterey, etc., so they know how to treat high end cars. They took care of my last 3 cars being shipped internationally. The Batmobile arrived without any damage and that fiberglass fairing is fragile and easily damaged. I can talk offline on costs for my cars.

And that folks is how you sell a car: - glossy colorful large photos - lots and lots of photos - great color scheme on the car - good description Damn that looks tempting! Good luck with the sale Carphoria!

If it were that historic I would expect it to come up on the L7C UK site as been featured somewhere in LowFlying or other Blatchat inquiry. I only found reference that the former owner was an L7C member. There is an archivist facility at Caterham for inquiries like this. Records are sparse but they should have worked out their first car. I dont think it was their first car as I thought they took over S4 production and then after the parts quickly ran out they reverted to the S3 body. I dont have access to my reference books on this but going from memory maybe they are trying to infer it is the first true Caterham in the traditional body style? The H&H auction in 2014 that sold this car has none of the claims this more recent ad does. Just says it was an early Caterham. And that is probably the right answer. Still it does look nice.

Oy! Who let John out of his box! :rofl:

My personal view is SV stands for "Svelte"

Hi Blake Welcome to the forum! While I am in NYC sadly my cars are not thanks to a Hudson River flood prone garage. Your best bets for trying a car on for size within an hour of you: Blackhole - just bought a new (to him) SV in CT Boxologist - has an SV on Long Island - rarely comes on here and is hard to get a hold of. JVbtte - has a S3 in northern NJ. Rarely comes on here and is hard to get a hold of. There are others in CT in MA but I am not as familiar with them. Your better bet for trying a car out would be weekend of November 12/13 when the Drivers Club group are at NJMP. There would be a few S3s, S5s and a CSR to try on for size assuming the weather behaves and chat with the various owners about options to spec (or not). We could also show you what the cars are like at speed in that setting as a few of us are accredited instructors. But that is more like a 3 hour drive which may be too far for you.

Been there done that. Needed my neighbors to help me out again! :iamwithstupid:

I guess I better not make fun of dune buggies in the future - some people are sensitive. Getting an early run on the weekend's update Caterham 270 SV - this is for Kevin in response to his question above. Seems a decent price for a 2014 year model. Looks like the updated Sigma engine rather than Zetec? $39800 BIN http://www.ebay.com/itm/Triumph-Other-270-SV-/391587567747?forcerrptr=true&hash=item5b2c701883:g:c7UAAOSwpLNX9~yo&item=391587567747 1988 Caterham S3 with 1700 Crossflow. UK import - RHD http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=11888&stc=1 Lots of options and bits. $30k BIN or auction is at $15k http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lotus-Other-SUPER-SPRINT-/252589075404?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3acf7b6bcc:g:-VMAAOSwCGVYBCn8&item=252589075404 Its not a seven but does have its DNA through the people involved in the Zenos project. Its being sold by forum member Randy Chase Asking $57k in the US http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=11889&stc=1 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lotus-Other-/191997880535?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2cb3f728d7:g:BugAAOSwmLlX7QSO&item=191997880535 Superformance S1 in CA in dark metallic green. Back again on auction. This is the one that always has interesting bidding history. Currently bid to $21150 http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Replica-Kit-Makes-SUPER-7-2-Seater-/322293074612?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4b0a2a0ab4:g:NwMAAOSwFe5XyIT~&item=322293074612 Yellow ultralite with blue noseband and stripe currently at ad price of $29,995 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Other-Makes-Ultralite-S2K-/351872841420?forcerrptr=true&hash=item51ed4176cc:g:x~8AAOSw8gVX-95U&item=351872841420 Westfield pre-lit at $26,995 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lotus-Super-7-Series-3-/162236795328?forcerrptr=true&hash=item25c61109c0:g:cfkAAOSwmLlX~ox~&item=162236795328 Lotus Seven S4 $22995 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lotus-Super-Seven-S4-/272415458092?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3f6d3a032c:g:2xYAAOSw8w1YAznf&item=272415458092 1988 Caterham 7 S3 in CA at $22750 https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5822710035.html 1996 Caterham 7 classic at $24500 http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=11890&stc=1 http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/5820388165.html 2015 LS1 Stalker at $35000 in NY (White Plains) http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/cto/5814007161.html 1995 Westfield with Toyota engine $18950 http://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/5777542258.html Another Stalker with 3.4V6 in Indianapolis at $18000 http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/5766415684.html Lotus 7 with BDR in CO $23900 http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5837486695.html Locost with 1500 Datsun engine in CA at $10500 http://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/5838148550.html Another early replica in NC. 1960s build in the UK then sent to South Africa as a race car then to US in the 1970s. Asking $16500 https://hickory.craigslist.org/cto/5811449204.html 2001 Birkin in MI at $26500 https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/birkin/s3/1878050.html 1962 Lotus 7 S2 at Fantasy Junction for $42500 https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/lotus/7a/1875222.html !964 Lotus 7 S2 in CT at Automotive Restorations - $43500 https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/lotus/super-seven/1871753.html 1981 DSK racing replica with a Cosworth YBB engine at $32900 https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/lotus/super-seven/1864119.html 1959 Lotus 7 S1 in NY at $27900 https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/lotus/7/1861752.html 1963 Lotus 7 S2 in Canada at US$39750 https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/lotus/super-seven/1843916.html Stalker chassis 94 V6 in TX at $18500 https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/lotus/7/1832388.html 1969 Lotus 7 in CA - not much in ad details and not even a photo of the actual car for sale Asking $22k https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/lotus/7/1827972.html Another replica something in the PNW at $26500 https://classiccars.com/listings/view/892840/1957-lotus-super-seven-replica-for-sale-in-gladstone-oregon-97027 1969 Lotus 7 with series 4 frame and series 3 body at $26500 https://classiccars.com/listings/view/715384/1969-lotus-seven-for-sale-in-spokane-washington-99208

PM sent

The Caterham SV's come up regularly. There is one out there now for sale by word of mouth. At least one a month comes up. There is a price premium on these because of their relative rarity - call it 20-25% extra over the S3 chassis. Now that Birkin sells their own wider version that is one to keep an eye out for too - similar dimensions to the Caterham SV. CSRs are rare. I have seen 5 come up for sale in the last 5 years. None are 360 engine package - they were all the Cosworth Duratec 263hp package. The two cheapest were RHD and only one of those dropped below $50k. All others were higher values. Post what you are looking for and you may trigger some interest from a seller not actively advertising. This is the time of year to do a deal - just before winter.

Hi Jay, Perfect for touring around the country CT lanes. Stop your traveling and drive it! Congratulations on the choice! Cheers mike

First things first - when dialing in a suspension, change one thing at a time, test and then evaluate the result. Dont change all at once as you have no idea what made a difference. I would not change the camber. The Avon ZZRs require at least 2.5deg to work best on non-IRS Caterhams on track. I agree with Warren that it does sound too much but it works in practice on track. Hopeless on road that way though and only works with ZZRs or slicks. Wider tires just scrub more so thats not the solution. I have always disconnected the rear anti roll bar - I think sevens handle better with some rear end softness as it enhances the weight transfer effects. You state you don't want to change the rear end but often problems at one end of the car are solved by reworking the other end. Easy one to try out in session 1 at the track - even if only to rule it out. You could drop the fronts to 15psi. Some have gone as low as 14psi in the UK but that feels too low. Easy one to try at the track in session 2. Never tested rake personally but I would be curious if the 5mm gain to 15mm does anything. I know Westfields are very sensitive to rake but never tested a Caterham this way. I am traveling and cannot look it up in my car files at home but what is the Caterham standard spec toe? Toe out generally improves your turn in but rapid turn in does not always translate into higher front in grip as it can still push.

Insurance won't be an issue with the right insurer. The definitions are different. Worry about getting it on the road first then worry about insurance. I read section 175.209 multiple ways: 1) Assume Birkin is a recognized manufacturer - no bumpers required as it was not included in the design. 2) Birkin replicates Lotus 7 which is the recognized manufacturer and no bumpers were in that original design. They will argue back that Birkin is not a recognized manufacturer by their definition and you are under the special construction rules since there is not PA replica rule as such. As a result the default position will require bumpers.

What a great thread to follow! I hope you enjoy many miles of reliable blatting.

Birkin bumpers - refer post 16 onwards on this forum page for photos http://www.usa7s.net/vb/showthread.php?1395-CT-Inspection-Registration-We-Got-Bumpers!!!!!/page2&highlight=bumper

Firstly, I am really sorry to read this post. It brings back the rubbish I and others had to deal with in NJ. It looks like the insanity has crossed the border. Do you have the rules that they are using as the checklist for this inspection? Any reasoned addressing of the issues they failed you on would need to be researched before remediation if they are going to continue being "strict constructionist" in their approach to your Birkin. Otherwise they potentially will continue to reject after you made remediation modifications. Some of their findings strike me as "make difficult" rather than valid concerns specified in an official PA vehicle safety reg document that their inspection is based off. Half of my NJ specialty inspection findings disappeared once I did an FOI for their internal inspection manuals and read them carefully and came to the next inspection with the manual and an attorney. For potential off the shelf solutions to the minor issues I like CarBuilder Solutions in the UK http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/ For your exposed exhaust system problem, I still have the shielding I did for my Caterham to pass the NJ specialty inspection which had an identical concern. It accidentally fell off in my garage afterwards - not sure how? It should fit your car. You are welcome to it if it helps you. For bumpers, there was a photo in a post made by Bruce (11Budlight) a long time back with bumpers fitted on his Birkin to pass CT inspection. If I recall he used something off a trailer. I vaguely recall Paul (Wemtd) did something similar. As Skip notes there were bumpers being passed around for CT at one point but no idea where they are now. Edited to add: If you need to temporarily borrow a Caterham windshield with integrated demister like Skip suggested above then I have an SV sized one off my car currently plus I am sure Tom could be persuaded to lend his S3 one for a good purpose.

How do the cars behind see your point bys Dan? :jester:

For GBP30,000 extra I am definitely not feeling a woody.