BruceBe

I'll echo Croc's comments about S3 vs SV vs CSR. On the same day at the same race-track in competition, a CSR is far more composed than an R500 Duratec, at similar lap-times. I believe that the SV and CSR are "faster" than the S3 chassis due to this composure - it's just more difficult to click off consistent fast laps, in race traffic, when all that "milking the cow" is going on through the corners. The SV benefits from the slightly increased wheelbase and wider-track - once it hits the limit, the dynamics are similar to the S3 - the limit is just a bit higher. The CSR is a different beast - it feels like a more modern car. Once a CSR takes a "set" in the corner, it's easier to maintain composure, apply power, and keep mechanical grip. Indeed - aero/download cars are a different beast. They are often over-sprung when not "in the air". As a result, they can get a bit twitchy and/or wash-out in slow-speed, tight corners. However, well-designed download cars are an experience from another world, once the aerodynamics are functional. It *is* a driver challenge to become confident, competent, and fast in a download car. Lovely stuff, if you can invest the time and get comfortable with the very dynamic handling characteristics. -Bruce

Hello everyone, The title says it all - Caterham UK is now shut-down until at least April 14th. As everyone is hunkered down, whittling away on their Sevens, know that we still have the lights on. Cheers, -Bruce

Thanks everyone! We'll continue to add items to the store, almost on a daily basis. And as store activity and budget allows, we will continue to grow our parts inventory here. Nonetheless, even if we must go to the UK for in-stock items, batching multiple client orders together will almost always yield a shipping savings, which will be passed along. Cheers, -Bruce

Hello all, After many months of preparation and investment, we are proud to announce the first online Caterham parts store in the USA. Organized by category and vehicle system, the online store will continually grow to encompass virtually anything that is part of a Caterham Seven. In addition to factory parts, the online store will also feature upgrade parts to enhance the performance, reliability, appearance, and overall Caterham Seven ownership experience. All performance upgrade parts have been tested and proven by Beachman Racing, under racing conditions. We have been steadily investing in our parts inventory for some time, and will continue to do so, to better service USA owners. As a result, we have rather large and/or heavy parts in-stock and ready to ship. Examples include front/rear wings, fuel tanks, wheel axle-shafts, nosecones, windscreens (every model/finish), wheels - the list goes on. We’ve also focused on maintaining a stock of consumables (wheel bearings, brake pads/discs, wiper blades, etc), as it’s always the week before the track-day, race, or weekend excursion when parts are needed most. While we continue to build-out the store, some of our parts are not yet online - so please send us an email if you can’t find it, we probably have it. As a full-service online store, credit cards are accepted, and two shipping couriers are currently offered (USPS and UPS). Depending on activity and demand, we will grow the payment and courier options moving forward. This is an exciting next-step for Caterham support in the USA, and we hope the community embraces the utility and convenience it offers. This will allow us to further invest, to ensure that the vast majority of available parts are a click away, priced in US dollars, and immune to the unpredictability of Customs clearance. You can find the Beachman Racing Caterham store at www.beachmanracing.com/store. For enquiries regarding parts not yet placed in the online store, please contact us at info@beachmanracing.com Cheers, -Bruce

That would seem to be a very unique combination of cars. Unbelievably, I know someone else who owns a Samurai, an M400, and an S1. Cheers, -Bruce

6 of 9 remain available, prepped and ready to go at $35K. Pick a color :-) Cheers, -Bruce

Ok Greg - it's been a long rainy weekend. Perfect weather for some build progress...let's see it :-) Cheers, -Bruce

Toe is not the problem. With MikeM's car, it involves caster, and the fact that he has an "Autocross" steering rack fitted. It is a super-quick ratio, so mechanical advantage is much lower. I've always thought that car could be faster at the limit with a less aggressive steering ratio, since the effort would be lower to maintain just the right amount of slip-angle with steering corrections. Cheers, -Bruce

Some of that hose will be used for oil-breather routing in dry sump applications. It will become obvious once you get into it. Cheers, -Bruce

Hey Paddy! We do tend to bring in the roller-barrel upgrade without the cams (R400 upgrade), but alas, we did not bring that kit (or the R300 upgrade) in with this last container. We already have a new parts order being built now... Cheers, -Bruce P.S. Paddy may hold a world record for the quickest kit assembly. I don't recall exactly, but he seemed to knock it out in a blink of an eye.

Yes - the famous "shortages" box. In some cases, it's more than one. If you can't find it in the appropriate box - immediately go to the shortages box(es). Generally, these are items that were OOS during the first pick for the kit. Also - for US-spec cars, ignore all references to "IVA" in the assembly guide - you won't have the parts anyway. Cheers, -Bruce

The engines are purchased and imported separately, but associated with the kit - not individually available. If you are looking for a new Duratec build, we'd be happy to help. Cheers, -Bruce

You didn't waste any time! To others: note that Caterham now fit the windscreen and the full weather-gear as standard with kits. This is a somewhat good idea, since the gasket for the base of the windscreen requires patience to correctly fit (heat is involved, and to avoid paint damage, a second set of hands is a requirement), and correctly locating the side-screen hinges so that everything indexes and seals to a nicely-stretched top is another task requiring care, as it is all VERY visible. Greg - this is a great community of owners. Welcome aboard! Cheers, -Bruce

Hello all, This *KIT* is now on the ground, and remains available. Embarrassingly, the original documentation on this order erroneously referred to it as a "roller", hence the confusion. This is an incomplete vehicle KIT. The original post has once again been corrected. Cheers, -Bruce

All good points. I mentioned this forum to him a couple of times. I'll go ahead an email him a link :-) -Bruce

Glad you made it out for the party! And I can say with confidence that the owner group out here was impressed that you made the trip, and demonstrated your 8th-degree black-belt in everything Caterham :-) Cheers, -Bruce

John - thanks for the kind words. In motorsport, the details can and do separate first-place from the first loser. Both the triumphant and painful experiences in racing over the years have created a rigorous approach difficult to turn off. Two of the three kits are definitely staying in the PNW, and are relatively local to you (Kirkland; Woodinville). Both are self-builds. The third kit is the Ballistic Orange 310S advertised in the for-sale sub-forum, and I can now say with confidence that it is here :-) Cheers, -Bruce

Thought I would share what it looks like when a container of Caterham Sevens and parts arrives at our shop. Hidden in those crates are two 310S's and a 420S, along with a full stock of parts to put on our shelves for Caterham owners. Of course, Seattle lived up to its reputation today with a torrential downpour during the 3-hour container offload. Cheers, -Bruce

For importing a race car, you are given an EPA exemption. Therefore, there are no emissions requirements per-se. We have done this (check out the Caterham G7 race cars we have for sale in the sub-forum) - it was an arduous, difficult process requiring a lot of documentation. And in the end, it is all approved by one individual, who is *very* predisposed to say "no". When importing a race-car, one must present signed documentation on the manufacturer's letterhead, stating that the *specific* vehicle with the *specific* VIN was originally produced for the purpose of racing. This provision is intended to dissuade folks who want to bring in production cars by slapping numbers on the side. As Croc mentioned, the importer is also required to provide race license credentials, along with the sanctioning bodies and classes that the car is legal to compete in. The importer is also required to sign an affidavit stating the vehicle(s) will not be titled/registered for street use, and if sold, this restriction must be documented with the buyer. Upon sale, the importer is also required to notify the USDOT of the buyer's name and address. Fun stuff. -Bruce

Given the production lead-times, I'm sure that sales have been double-counted on occasion - e.g. credit the sale in year X, and credit it again in year X+1 when the vehicle arrives. Sam exercised some poetic license with a few details in that article. In our experience, as a dealer for 8+ years, production lead times have been the #1 sales inhibitor, putting aside a particular period of time when retail pricing became insane. Cheers, -Bruce

It's called a saddle bushing, and they do crack/deteriorate over time. We stock spares. Cheers, -Bruce

With the cams of the 310, 152HP is healthy for a NA 1.6L. The 310 makes a great spirited touring car, and would be a lot of fun on the track in a spec-class format. However, in open track days with prepared Sevens, one would probably yearn for a bit more, depending on their appetite and track experience. We do think that this 310 is being offered at a good value, and thanks to UK politics, that value just went up, since a new order will necessarily accommodate a less favorable exchange rate. Cheers, -Bruce

Hi Mike - totally turn-key, about $43.5K, ready to rumble. Cheers, -Bruce

For those doing power upgrades to their existing Caterham Sevens with MBE controllers, the easiest path is an aftermarket MBE 9A4, which is pin-compatible with the "locked" factory MBE's. For those wishing to upgrade *exactly* along the Caterham specification curve (e.g. R300->R400->R500), we might have a very cost-effective solution for you. PM/email for details. Cheers, -Bruce

As a Caterham dealer, we can source the assembly. Ferrino is on the right track. -Bruce