480rider

I had the pleasure of meeting Woody during a race weekend in 2010. His was the only other Caterham in our EP class that weekend, so I made a point of introducing myself. He was just getting out of his car after a practice session, and upon seeing me approaching (while talking), he graciously stopped me, removed his earplugs, inserted his hearing aids, then was ready to talk. He started off by asking if I knew who he was, suggesting he was somewhat famous at that track. (Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.) As it was my first race season, I had to admit that I did not. He chuckled and went on to explain that he had the honor of being the only person to have died at that track! As I heard the story, a few years prior to that he had a heart attack while on track. His car went off, hit a wall, and the impact somehow managed to re-start his heart. Great story. He has a great race history, and is the only SCCA member I've ever met who has a 2-digit member number. (For reference, mine is in the mid six figures.) As of a few years ago, this was a good, solid car. The price is very reasonable.

Thanks for the advice. The only answer I have for why I'm using two is that I didn't know any better! I realize each is typically used on different sides of a cat, but I assumed there was still a reason to have one downstream of the muffler.

I bought my car from a great seller in Houston, and I know there are several in that area. TX seems to be one of the better locations for numerous Caterham owners, so you chose the right spot. As for women, it seems you are on the right track. I've been married twice. After years of dreaming/talking about race driving, my first wife gave me a three day open wheel school (Jim Russell) as a birthday gift. I thought that was the greatest gift ever, and that she really understood me. Until I got home. I was, of course, more excited than ever to race, and all she could say was "now that you've done it, I hope you're over that whole car racing thing." Ouch. In contrast, my second wife comes to the track with me and provides crew and team support, agrees with any car buying decision I make, and is glad that racing makes me so happy. I knew I'd met the right one when she agreed to spend our honeymoon at an F1 race. Best of luck with your car search, and with the marriage. Sounds like she "gets" it.

Thanks for the replies -- I managed to solve it this morning, and the car ran great through the day. Kitcat wins for the right diagnosis. While investigating the O2 sensors, I traced the wiring from the loom to the rear sensor. It was originally affixed to the top (underside) of the tunnel, but apparently a zip tie broke, and left the wires dangling down, where they had become lodged between the transmission housing and a frame rail. The rubbing resulted in the outer sheath being worn through, and one of the wires (the 12v heater feed, I believe) also being worn through. The wire was still intact, but with the outer coating worn through, it was able to contact the frame rail and short. Now for the interesting part. Because it wasn't touching all the time, I was unable to cause the failure by gentle driving or just idling in place. And I realized the failures were occurring during high-G right turns. Aha! The forces and flexing allowed the transmission to move just enough to pinch the wires, thus causing the short and failure. I'm a lot happier today than I was yesterday. I was getting very tired of this!

No. MSD. And a brand new coil pack at that. When it runs, the car runs strong and well. This seems to be some sort of progressive electrical failure (coil pack seemed like a good possibility), which has gone from relatively mild and intermittent, to quick and fatal. I failed to mention in my first post that when this began, the car would stumble and cut out, then full power would quickly return (w/in a few seconds) and the car would generally run fine for the rest of the session. After a while of that (and sometimes with no problems at all), the cut-out duration got longer, happened sooner and sooner after starting out, then the fuses started blowing.

Thanks for the response. I am running the stock motor with Ford starter. I will check on the starter and its wiring.

I'm baffled by an ongoing problem I'm having, and I'm hoping to get some ideas on how I might track down the culprit. I have a 2002 Caterham with a Zetec and 5 speed. The car is set up for track only, so the only functioning lights are the brake lights. (It has no headlights or signals, no horn, no heater or defroster.) Starting last season, the car would suddenly cough and sputter while on track, then cut out entirely. It started happening after a few sessions, usually later in the day. Over time, the problem has started to occur earlier and earlier, and with more dramatic results. That is to say, the car no longer gives any indication a problem is about to occur (no cough or sputter), but just cuts out entirely. The engine will turn over, but not fire. At first, no fuses would blow, and I could re-start the car after letting it sit for a short time. More recently, though, the cut-out happens simultaneously with the blowing of a 20A fuse in the ignition circuit. (More on this below.) So...I started last year searching for fuel delivery problems, and found all was in order. Now, of course, it's obviously an electrical problem, but I haven't managed to source it. I have found no bare or loose wires which could be causing an obvious short. I've replaced the coil pack. I've checked the O2 sensors, and they seem to be functioning fine. I've replaced the kill switch, ignition switch, and rewired the starter button. The car will fire right away after I replace the fuse, and will run fine while sitting in the paddock. It ONLY cuts out while on track -- but today it took just one lap (in the first session, on a cool morning) to cut out and blow the fuse. I replaced the fuse, and ran it for about 40 minutes in the paddock with no issues. I'm completely flummoxed by this! Ben and others have said it is very unlikely the ECU, but I'm wondering if I should replace that next. Any ideas? Is there a chance this type of "progressive" failure could be an ECU issue, or is there perhaps some other part of the ignition system (or related system) I could check? Thanks for any and all help or suggestions.

Great list. Thanks for sharing. My #1 dream car from that list would be the '55 AH 100-4. Too bad the collectors/speculators have driven prices for them through the roof. But back on the original topic...I drove a '77 911 (last year before the SC) which was very engaging and enjoyable. Now I have a Honda S2000, which I'd highly recommend as a daily driver. It's simple, reliable, cheap to maintain, and entertaining to drive. The high-revving engine and top-notch gearbox are the real plusses. The only minus is the lack of low-end torque. It can be a bit boring to drive at low RPM, but really comes alive when kept near redline on the track.

I'll bet I"m not the only one who would like to see the detail list (year, make, model) of all 341 and 16! Very cool.

I was lucky to catch the documentary "Senna" at Sundance about two weeks ago. It's a great film. A member of the audience asked the director how we could help assure a U.S. cinematic release. He replied that letters to the producer would be the best way. (It's a Universal/Working Title production.) Regardless of any potential cinematic release, the movie will be available on Blu Ray, but probably not until later this year. They still have to get through the rest of the openings in other countries. Anyway, the in-car video scenes are phenomenal. It's far more raw and engaging than any of the current in-car videos, and really shows off Senna's driving talents. I'd highly recommend this film to anyone.

My car came with a setup for running Hoosier bias-ply slicks. When on the slicks, I run 7" in front and 8" in back, on 13x6 wheels all around. I've also run the car on Hoosier R6 DOT track tires, 185 in the front and 205s in the rear. The guy who mounts my tires had no issues whatsoever with the 205s, and to my eye they look to be a much better fit than the 8" slicks. (I do, however, notice a substantial difference in handling. My scale shows that the DOT tires add about 7 pounds per corner, and that added weight dramatically changes how the car feels on track. The car goes from feeling "squirty" to "sluggish.")

"glentwincam's apology to the calmly stated rules, along with Vogue's calmly worded replies once again shows what a fine group of gentlemen populate this forum." I've only had my 7 for a year, and ran it hard on the race track last year. After problems with the radiator, transmission, fuel system, stack, brakes, and a mysterious electrical demon which continues to frustrate me, I seriously considered selling it and racing my Honda S2000 instead. Even with all the issues, I've decided to keep the 7 and sell the Honda. A major reason is the high level of courtesy in this and other 7-related forums. It truly is a pleasure to read the posts, and learn from those with positive attitudes and genuine respect for the opinions of others. Troy

Condition/price on the T9?

What a sweet ride! I'm orange with envy. Now, I'm sure the car would hate to sit inside for the winter. Maybe you should consider shipping it to an nice, dry western state (like mine) where it can get regular exercise until next spring! Enjoy! And, as others have asked, please bring on the pics!

I paid about $25k earlier this year for my 2002 DeDion Zetec Caterham. It's the "7 America" model, built for SCCA club racing, but it has a VIN and title, and many of the parts needed to license it for the street. (So it's a track car that could also be a road car.) It came with an extra engine, 16 wheels and 18 tires, and many other spares. I thought the price was fair, and when it's time to sell (maybe as soon as this winter, unfortunately), I can probably get what I paid for it. It seems Caterhams tend to hold their value, so as long as you find one that doesn't need a lot of work, it can be considered a good investment, especially given the fun you'll have driving it.