pksurveyor

My SV with the 147 hp Zetec emmits blue smoke under the hood on very late braking full throttle hard right hand turn. I added a catch bottle at the end of the rubber hose connecting to the crankcase. I also added a hold down spring on the dip stake to keep it from coming up and venting engine oil when pushing hard. Does your blue smoke come out of the tail pipe or under the hood? My engine will misfire when the ECU gets hot.

It has the black pack but no carbon. The wife does not like the look of CF. It will also have the third brake light on top of the spare tire.

The Donk look will provide plenty of ground clearance for the Houston potholes and I can look down at the lowriders when I go cruising in the hood. The car will use the SVT engine with the Kent cam and light flywheel upgrade. The Duretec can not pass Texas emission. It will also have the 4 pot AP brake, LSD, and 15 inch Avon CR500. Jeff Sloan built my current SV and I will defer the assembly of the new car to his expertise. Last week's discussion on cockpit heat abatment has provided some excellent idea on keeping my feet cool.

The car finally makes it across the pond. It is at the dealership waiting to be assembled. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/316928621_Paul & Kit Kwan Caterham SV 2009 004.jpg

Thank you for sharing your success in reducing the oven effect in a 7. You have given me many ideas for my soon to be built 2008 Caterham (when it finishes the trip across the pond).

Putting the ECU under the seat certainly makes it a lot easier for access. It is a chore to crawl inside the footwell. I have installed a heat shield on the bulkhead and added insulation inside the passenger footwell. I am going to take a test drive this weekend.

My dealer built 2003 SV came with the Avon ZV1 205/45-16. I have no problem with tracking straight using 18 psi. The car does oversteer on spirit driving and at track days but it can be controlled with the throttle. The problem I had is dry cracking of the rubber. I replaced them at 8,000 miles with Hankook Z212.

I ordered a stick on reflective heat barrier plus a sheet of insulation pad with foil backing from JC Whitney. Hopefully this will resolve the problem.

Good idea. Heat shielding appears to be the most easy approach.

It is located inside at the end of the passenger side footwell. The ECU is bolted directly to the bulkhead. I think the heat comes from the engine compartment through the bulkhead. I have not figured out a way to vent the heat. If I open a hole near the bulkhead, more heat may come in.

In this 95 degree Texas heat, the ECU on my 147 hp Zetec is overheating. The engine will not rev over 4,000 rpm when the ECU gets too hot. At last Saturday's track day, I wrapped ice pack under the ECU with bungee cord per Jeff Sloan's suggestion. It worked well but it is a pain to carry an ice cooler around. Any suggestions??

Jeff Sloan told me that the Caterham USA supplied Duratec engine package can not pass emission (at least here in Texas). He also said that my 2008 SV is still being made by Arch.

I ordered a 2008 Caterham SV from Jeff Sloan. He is going to build the car, hopefully next month when it crosses the pond. The Duratec motors are not street legal because they can not comply to emission requirement. I bought a Ford SVT engine package from Caterham USA.

Martin: very nice looking glass back Esprit.

I use 205/45-16 Hankook Z212 to replace the original Avon on the Caterham. I am happy with the tire especially the price.

Welcome abroad to the land of Seven. Besides my Caterham, I also own a Lotus Esprit V8. I enjoy driving both cars on the road and the track, but for pure fun, the Seven gets the thumb up.

My Caterham uses Purolator L17603 on the 147 hp Zetec. The oil filer is for Renault R4, R5, R9, and R11. It is less than 2-1/2 inch tall.

I bought a SV in 2004 because of the extra room and the wide track suspension. The weight difference between the wide body and standard is only 25 kg. You will not notice the difference unless the two cars are side by side. I have driven both versions and it is not that much difference in handling on the road. If you push it hard on the track, you will notice the agility advantage of the standard version. The CSR are SV only.

Winston: I remember now - you were also looking for an Elan+2. I lived in west Houston near Bear Creek Park. Call me at 713-861-7068.

Winston - where in Houston are you located? You are welcome to stop by and take a look at my Caterham as a go by.

My 147 hp Zetec is 4 quarts. I have a problem with the dip stick working its way loose from the holder. It will stick up about one inch. I added a spring hold down to keep the top of the dip stick to the holder.

Another place to buy: http://www.britishcycles.com/homepage.html

Caterham has two cycle wing sizes. One for 13/14 inch tires and the other for 15/16 inch tires.

I have recently ordered a 2008 Caterham SV with the same engine to be delivered in early summer. By the time the car is built and delivered by the dealer, the cost is about $ 70,000. The currency exchange rate and raising shipping charge (i.e. price of fuel) have a big effect on the price increase.

I replaced my Avon with Hankook Z212 on the Caterham. I think it is a good compromise tire for the road and track.