pksurveyor

My 2009 SV is about $ 70,000 including shipping, tax, duty, and assembly. I ordered mine in January 2008 when the dollar was worthless against the pound. The exchange rate works in your favor now so don't wait too long.

It is the yellow Seven with the wide track front suspension.

I really like the clams on that yellow Seven.

Jeff: My two Caterham are SV. I am very familar with the Houston Police Academy because I am the track day organizer for the Houston Lotus Club (Lotus Owners of South Texas or LOST) We have held events at the academy track since 2004. The authorized Caterham dealer in Fort Worth is British Auto Specialist, http://www.britauto.net . Dick Brinks at Texas Motorworks is a Birkin dealer. You should fit in a standard chassis Caterham because the later model has a longer cockpit. Since you are a mechanical engineer, you will have no issue assembling the kit. Don, my friend at Conroe who built his own SV is also a mechanical engineer. Ordering a Caterham kit will test your patience. It will take 7 to 9 months to cross the pond. Call me at 713-861-7068 or pkwan@landtech-inc.com. You are welcome to stop by for a trial fit.

Jeff: the two Caterham you saw at the Car and Coffee in Uptown Park are mine. They were built by the Caterham dealer in Fort Worth. A friend of mine in Conroe has built a SV from the Caterham kit in 2005. His car runs great. If you need more information or like to have a closer look, please give me a call. I am at Eldridge and Clay. Paul

Based on what little Japanese I can read from the posting , the Zero 1 production ended at July, 2000.

Step 3 - walk away from the all you can eat buffet line.

I used an Extreme Battery AGM battery from Battery Plus for the Caterham. It is half the size and weight of the original Banner lead acid battery. I have it for over two year now. The battery can turn over the Zetec even after sitting still for 3 months without recharging. Take a look at the Battery Plus website.

My 2003 SV has them and the 2009 SV does not.

You have the SVT engine: Displacement: 1988cc # of Cylinders: 4 in-line Bore: 84.80mm Stroke: 88.00mm Compression ratio: 10.2:1 Valves: 16 Camshaft: DOHC Ignition System: Fully electronic Firing Order: 1-3-4-2 Fuel: Unleaded 92 Octane Octane Fuel System: Multi-point Ford Fuel Injection Maximum RPM: 7,200rpm Maximum power: 185bhp @ 7,000rpm Maximum torque: 150lbs/ft @ 5,500rpm If you have the Kent cam upgrade, add 20 horsepower.

Excellent job. thank you.

" I have a simple solution to the adjustment problem - I don't let anyone else drive it!" It is easy for you to say unless the other driver is your wife. This is the reason we now have "his & her" pair of Caterham.

The mirrorsforseven mirror is great stuff. I have one and it eliminates the blindspot. The only catch is if you have multiple drivers, the adjustment is not easy.

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/186561975_caterham+009.jpg Our "his & her" pair of Caterham sitting in front of the house. The silver car has a new yellow nose cone and a half top from Softbitsforseven.

You must be real good this year to receive such a nice practical present from Santa Claus.

Lotus Owners of South Texas (L.O.S.T.) held a time trial at the Houston Police Academy last Saturday. I was the fastest driver in the morning sessions and came in second overall on Fastest Time of the Day. The Fastest Time of the Day was an Elise with a highly modified Ohlin suspension.

Media Information: December 15, 2008 Caterham R500 – Top Gear’s Car of the Year Top Gear has named the Caterham Superlight R500 its 2008 ‘Car of the Year’. The most extreme version of the legendary Seven appeared on the popular BBC show for the first time at the beginning of December, instantly leaving a lasting impression on presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. In the hands of Top Gear’s mystery test driver, The Stig, the R500 put in one of the most visually spectacular laps around their benchmark test circuit, Dunsfold. Free of any driver aids, the Seven slipped and slid to a lap time that disgraced cars costing over ten times as much. Despite incredibly cold conditions, the £37K* Seven was less than a second slower than the absolute record around the ‘Top Gear lap’ and rapid enough to steal the overall fifth fastest time, previously held by the £1million Bugatti Veryon. Top Gear Power Laps: Position Car Lap Time 1 Gumpert Apollo 1.17.1 2 Ascari A10 1.17.3 3 Koenigsegg CCX 1.17.6 4 Pagani Zonda F Roadster 1.17.8 5 Caterham R500 1.17.9 6 Bugatti Veyron 1.18.3 7 Pagani Zonda F 1.18.4 8 Maserati MC12 1.18.9 9 Ferrari Enzo 1.19.0 10 Porsche 911 GT2 (997) 1.19.5 (pd) Clarkson, who’s wife is a proud Seven owner, awarded the R500 for “achieving something that a car of its value shouldn’t be able to”, amidst competition from Nissan’s GT-R, Fiat’s 500 and the new Ford Fiesta. Unbelievably - and testament to its brilliance - the Seven still uses Colin Chapman’s original chassis design, dating back 51 years. Caterham Cars continue to ‘add lightness’ to modern variants, pushing the performance envelope through the benefits of modern technology and advanced construction methods. The result is a British car that persistently offers arguably one of the purest driving experiences. The nimble R500 exploits its featherweight, 506kg chassis to its full potential when combined with a 2.0 Ford Duratec engine, tuned by Caterham Powertrain (CPT) to achieve 263bhp. The resulting 520bhp-per-tonne beats that of the Veyron and is capable of propelling the two-seater from 0-60mph in a staggering 2.88 seconds.

As long as the weather does not get to freezing temperature and no rain, the Seven will be on the road. Layer clothing to stay warm and ear plugs to keep the cold air off my ears.

It is not street licensed. May be this is the reason I have not seen this car running around in Houston. The dealer is located near my house. If any one is interested, let me know and I can offer you a second set of eyes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SFBTSjs_XQ

Great trip. We did the opposite this year. We did a round trip from Houston to San Antonio in the middle of Texas summer to participate in a children diabetic charity drive. The sun, 110 degree heat, and heatsoak from the Caterham just about killed us on the way back. We have wet towels wrapped around our neck and head to keep us from dying from heat stroke. We never knew a human body can hold so many quart size bottles of Gatorade.

My 2009 Caterham SV is made by Arch.

When you buy a Caterham in UK, you need to pay the Queen 17.5% VAT. It is a lot more than the sales tax we pay here in the USA.

I agreed with Yellowss7 - "I know it's contra to the party line, but 150 hp is plenty for a street going/autoxing seven. Even though I like the power level of mine, I've driven 135-150hp cars that seemed to handle better because I couldn't overdrive them. " My silver Caterham with the 147 hp Zetec is easier to drive on the street and it is plenty fast on the track. My green Caterham with 205 hp SVT is faster but it requires a little more fitness around town to be smooth.

The difference is around $ 16,000 to $ 18,000 between the UK and USA pricing. The additional cost comes from oversea freight, custom duty, packing expense, dollar vs. pound, and engine choice. My 2009 Caterham SV is near $ 70,000 by the time all the numbers are added up.