Croc

All seats have now been sold and delivered.

I was known for my tendency to go backwards off a race circuit usually at a fairly high speed

Thanks for the pic Morgan. It is interesting to see the guard go all the way to the back of the sump. Either way it does the job for when the road decides the goof the driver. Also, George Alderman of MidAtlantic Caterham has a sump guard kit of his own design that he sells for Sevens. As for taking a number plate mount off - hey I would do the same in NJ if I could avoid the fines.

Not completely. I have to remove the single center rubber mounted bolt and then the nose can be removed independently of the rest of the installation. It is pretty tight for clearance but can be done if I am very careful. First time I tried it I did remove the number plate backet which is only 4 more bolts. I do not have to remove the sump guard.

Well it looks like it is the heated windscreen causing the problem: "The vehicles listed below are equipped with special windshields that contain metal in the glass(metal oxide) that prevents the E-ZPass tag from being read properly. Windshields with solar ray glass, solar tint, heated or heat reflective windshields, and insulated or Insta-Clear glass may also prevent the tag from being read properly. Standard EquipmentMakeModelYearBuickRoadmasterAllCadillacCatera99-01ChevroletLumina VanPrior to 2002Venture Prior to 2002FordCrown Victoria*1987-1994Taurus*Prior to 1995OldsmobileSilhouettePrior to 2002PontiacTrans SportPrior to 2002MontanaPrior to 2002SubaruSVXAll This has to be the first time a Seven has been associated with a Buick Roadmaster. oh the shame

Not sure if this has been posted before but I stumbled across this website while looking for nice winding roads to go for a drive on this weekend. http://www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html It has some interesting suggestions that I definitely plan to test out...

I learned from previous experience on my original Series II that sumps are easily broken (which ended in tears) so I made sure I had one this time. I think Will used the same design as yours Al? http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Picture_094.jpg I put one small ding in it last weekend so it was good insurance!

Hi Mike - I had a mechanic construct the mount since my metal work skills are not good (well ok maybe **** is a better description!). It mounts deep under the nose cone and runs forward - very simple - just 2 pieces of curved alum running forward. I can take a pic on the weekend and send it if you need inspiration.

Hi Jack & Jen - Sunday was perfect driving weather. Lots of bike groups and car clubs out having fun. I spent a happy hour at the top of Bear Mountain chatting with a bunch of car and bike guys. There was an Aptera there too with a jaw dropping paint job. Here is to more great weather for everyone to enjoy their cars with. Cheers mike

Here is the link to the downloads for the owners manual and some recent assembly manuals. http://www.caterham.co.uk/assets/html/technical/download.html I also have a K-series assembly manual which is entertaining at points for its less than clear direction plus does not match my engine choice (did anyone ever install a Rover engine in a US car???) I can scan it to a PDF if someone desparately wants it.

Hi Brad - I was sort of surprised there are not more SVT cars registered on this site. RMSCI said there were close to 100 applications out there in the USA but there seem to be very few of us on this site. It is a sweet engine for these cars. Hi KiwiBirkin - I get plenty of VB from a few places in Manhattan. An Aussie runs TuckShop on Lower East Side which sells the good old meat pie, sausage rolls, tim tams, vegemite and other essentials. Only you would realize how desparate I would be without them. Fortunately I came from Sydney in the south - so no cane toads for me - I just had poisonous snakes and spiders, blue tongue lizards, and the odd wallaby/kangaroo to deal with!

After being a member on this board for 4 or so months it is time I introduce myself and my ride. My car is a 2004 Caterham SV first registered 2005 with a 2.0l Zetec SVT with the 5sp T-9. I bought in second hand out of Florida where the previous owner had managed to run only 1800 miles in 3 years. I have doubled that in 3 months. This is my second Seven. I grew up in Sydney Australia and used to have in a 64 Series II with a 1300 Ford Cortina engine and a 4 speed box. Spectacularly unreliable there was not a straight panel on it as I used to have some "steering issues" during the vintage class racing I enjoyed. My father nicknamed it "Elvis" because it had so many hits. I had to sell it when I left Australia in 1994 but I promised I would buy another again someday. 15 years later and after living in 12 countries I finally settled down in the New York City area and I made good on my promise with this car. I still have my historic Australian Group A Holden Commodore touring car in storage in Sydney which I plan to ship to the US when the 25 year anniversary comes up in 2 years time. I am yet to work out what vintage racing class will accept some unique beast like that. With the perfect spring weather in NYC area today I took a run with a buddy up Rt9 to Bear Mountain State Park, had a blat around the nice twisties in this area, lunch in West Point and then a fast run back with 2 Porsches along the Palisades Parkway. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/DSC05477.jpg http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/DSC05480.jpg In case you are wondering the ugly extra exhaust shielding was required by NJ regs. Unlike some on this board, mine has not managed to fall off yet on the way home from inspection.

Looks great. I have always liked the polished ali look on these cars despite the pain it must be to keep it looking shiny.

I have some spare seats which came with the car and are surplus to my needs. I am offering them here first before I put on ebay. I have not yet taken pics but plan to shortly and can post them: 1) 1 x GRP composite and carpet Caterham "Blackbird" seat (part no. 73467). Looks to be hardly used - in very good condition. Some light scratching from race harness on lower outer tub near lower belt holes but this is completely hidden when installed. No hits, cracks or other damage. RMSCI parts list shows new one prices out at $630. Asking $200 plus delivery. http://www.rmsci.com/partspics/73467.jpg 2) 2 x S-type SV leather seats with matching headrests in tan brown leather. (good color for when your passengers get really scared by your driving and lose control ). Good condition - consistent with about 1500 miles in the car. Come with the sliders attached for mounting to floor. No stains, marks, water damage, rips or tears. New ones at RMSCI price out at $1075 plus $151 for the headrest. Asking $200 each plus delivery. All seats are currently in NJ - I can arrange for delivery with USPS, UPS, etc at buyers choice. If you have questions - send me a PM here. Cheers mike

I mounted an EzPass electronic toll tag on my car for the first time last weekend and went out for a drive. So here I am coming up to the toll barrier gate and at the last second realize that its not going to open for me. After throwing out all anchors and stopping I proved 2 things: 1) My rollbar does not quite fit under the auto toll barriers on the NJ Turnpike (but the windscreen and driver do!) 2) My new Ezpass does not work on the Seven (but it does work in other cars and yes my account is up to date.). If I took it away from the windscreen and waved it around well away from the car the e-tag would work. Has anyone had similar issues? Is the car too low compared to the toll sensors? I am thinking it is something to do with the heated windscreen that I have but cannot rationalize why? Any thoughts gratefully appreciated. mike

ok....now its time for a dumb newbie question - what is a USA7s datasheet?

Here is the link if anyone is interested - asking $11900 http://www.fredbakeraudibedford.com/used-inventory/vehicle-details.htm?vehicleId=7e10cac77f000001005f209c543bb782&useHistory=true

I drove one last year in the UK at Dunsfold when I was dreaming of which mid-life crisis I wanted to buy. I loved the engine and handling but reluctantly put it aside in favor of a LSIS because of NJ registration fears plus concerns over how usable it would be on the road. As a track weapon it is stunning with the Honda S2000 engine installed (does that little thing rev!). They are beautifully made and I love the open frame construction where you can happily drool for hours over all the engineering work that has gone into them. Its expensive in the US though mike

Is it the initial registration in Canada that is most difficult - once you are through that then it is an easy renewal process? I guess it is not as easy as buying a cheap US car and sending it over the border to some poor LSIS deprived soul....and I thought NJ was bad.

That nudge bar looks an interesting solution for those few states that requires bumpers in order to get registration. But a starting bid of $30k seems like he wants a pretty high sale price.....

Dan Sorry to hear about your NJ titling troubles and the hoops they are making you jump through. Unfortunately there is no simple way around this in NJ short of moving to a nice car-friendly state. If I was going through this again with a new car I would probably title in another state first and then transfer across. Its expensive due to the extra state sales tax you pay but it seems to be more certain that you can get it registered. I just do not understand why some states are anti-kit cars? Have they not got something better to do? mike

Count me and my Seven in for attending. Mike

Vin - Thanks for the write up link. It was an interesting read on how they made it work.

Interesting - curious to see it is supercharged. Was this standard from the factory or a later owner addition? I assume he has it sorted and it is reliable? mike

The yellow clams is the one that was on the for sale pages of this site from FL. While I had looked at it last year and passed on it, Jack ended buying it recently when the owner decided to negotiate price. So the side picture Bruce put up is the same car. My car has the cycle wings and green nose Cheers mike