blami

At this point, all items, including the roll bar and 8 Panasport wheels have been set aside for individuals who want to purchase them. If any of the deals fall through, I will advise anyone else who has expressed an interest in any of these items. Sorry for the late response to your query. My wife and I have just returned from a trip to Asheville NC and I was 'off-line'. Bart

UPDATE: The race ears have been SOLD. The Panosports are still available. I will be at LOG on Saturday 10/9, if anyone would like me to bring a set (4) of Panosport wheels I can do so. The price for the Panosport wheels are $100 each for the set with the older tires. $125 ea. for the set with the tires that have only been heat cycled. Bart

My car has the DiDion chassis. The ''tall" FIA bar is a direct replacement for the stock bar and the normal FIA bar and fit my car without any modifications. Tom has confirmed that he wants to purchase both the tall FIA bar and the Aeroscreens, so lets consider them SOLD. The race ears and Panosports are still available. I will be delivering Tom's items to LOG. Perhaps I will get to meet some other Seven's people there. Bart

OK Brian. If Tom is not interested you are next in line. Tom, if you could let me know in the next few days if you want the tall FIA bar and Aeroscreens I'd appreciate it. Bart blami@verizon.net 412 341 9565

Hi Tom, I paid $369.60 for the 'tall' FIA bar, not including shipping so I'm pricing that at: $185 The Aeroscreens with stanchion cost $420. These have never been mounted or used and are priced at $220. The stanchion can be used with out have to remove the wiper assembly--this is not the case with some other available stanchions. The Petty strut (the side brace for the FIA bar) cost $84 when I bought it. I will sell it for $40 OR I will throw it in for free if you buy both the FIA bar and Aeroscreens. Such a deal--- Bart

Sorry I was unclear on price: My selling price for the ears is $112, my purchase price from Sevens & Elans/Caterham was over $224. The ears are compact and can be easily shipped---I probably still have the original box that they were shipped in. I will be pulling apart the rear end of my car later this week so pictures will be available but I do know that they will fit on Bob's car. Bart

Hi Mike, My price is 1/2 the Caterham price (in 1997) $112 for the pair. Here is something important to note: looking at the invoice I see that the ears are described as: EAR 1/4 LH/RH--BigBrake. My car was ordered with "Big Brakes" when I purchased it in 1993. That included both front and rear AP racing calipers. So I'm guessing that my ears may not be suitable if you do not have the big rear brakes. If you are still interested I can pull the ears off of my car (I'll be doing that anyway when I switch to the stock 16 inch wheels) and take some pictures for you. That might help you figure out if they will work for you. Bart

Hello all, I'm in the process of converting my Caterham 'track only' vehicle into a street legal car. I will not be needing the following items: 1) Eight Panasport Street Wheels: 13 x 6, 4x108 bolt pattern, 16 o/s---these do clear my "Big Brakes" without issue by the way. Goodyear Racing Slicks (Formula Eagle) are currently mounted on these wheels. One set of 4 tires (7 x 20.5) are good for a few more track sessions. The other 4 tires (2 are 7 x 20.5, 2 are 8 x 20.3) have only been heat cycled. Mostly I'm simply selling the wheels---think of the tires as a bonus. 2) "Tall" FIA roll bar and petty strut (side brace). This bar is 50mm taller than the stock roll bar and it cannot be used with the standard top. On the plus side, this bar is taller than my helmeted head (I'm 6 1.5 and a helmet will add at least an inch to the top of your head. 3) Brooklands windscreens: complete and Brand New as received from Caterham. Includes mounting stanchion and all fittings. 4) Race Ears---what the hell are these you ask. If you are running bias-belted slicks you will discover that they need very little negative camber. The "Ears" mount to the end of the DiDion tube and your hubs and brakes are attached to these. The 'standard' ears yield about 3/4 degree of negative camber---the "race ears" are machined to give about 1/4 degree negative camber. Your bias-belted slicks with thank you with a much longer life (the tire's life that is, but it will help extend your life on the track too). These race ears are Caterham parts, not something that I had fabricated. The wheels have had about 10 (well actually more, but don't tell my wife) sets of tires mounted so they have the typical nicks and chips that the 'professional' installers leave behind as their calling card. But most important, the wheels are true and have never been curbed or needed to have any type of repair. Shipping: well yes, I can do that but it will probably be expensive and kind of a pain. As an old retired guy I don't mind delivering these items (it will help a lot if you live somewhere that I find 'interesting' or can meet me half-way). I would be happy to bring items to LOG in Gettysburg this fall and that way you can examine the items to make sure they meet you needs and expectations. My wife and I will also be heading down to Skyline drive in Sept and to the Watkins Glen area of NY. I'll be happy to answer any questions that you may have about these items. Thanks, Bart Lami, Pittsburgh PA 1993 Caterham HPC

I've been happy with the Vx engine in my 93 Caterham. It has provided me with reliable service while I was putting approx. 15,000 track miles on it. This was a very popular engine in Europe and parts are readily available----in Europe-- but not so much here. That said, I was able to replace the crankshaft sensor last year by purchasing a USA Saab part that was identical to the original GM part. In any case it's easy to get the parts and VISA is all too happy to convert dollars to euros. LEGAL? In my case the Vx was not legal in PA because it would not pass the required smog tests, BUT in 2007 PA law changed and if you drive your vehicle less that 5000 miles a year you do not have to pass the emission tests. Happy Days!, I've just decided to convert my car to street use and plan on having it titled and registered by next spring. Bart in Pittsburgh, 1993 Caterham HPC

My Caterham does not have a crossflow but it does have a Mocal oil cooler and it uses the standard Caterham hoses and mounts. It must be drained separately. I disconnect the hoses, unbolt the cooler, and turn it upside down and let it drain. Bart

Hello, I have the type 9 box in my 93 Caterham HPC. If the box is properly filled, there should be no trans. fluid in the area that you are describing. None what so ever, not even close. Since there should be no fluid in that area there should be no leaks there. I have found it best to both drain and fill the gear box by removing the top inspection cover (it's shown in the cut-a-way diagram). Remove the 10 bolts holding the cover in place--access available from the engine compartment, skinny hands help. There will be a fiber gasket between the cover and trans. top. Note how the cover fits. There is a built in vent/breather-- it looks like a 'blister' with a small pin hole in it. That is all the venting that you need---you can drill or tap a more robust bleeder and run a tube to a catch tank BUT you will pump out an amazing amount of fluid into the catch tank under race conditions (ask me how I know). Stick with the standard 'blister' vent but make sure that it is not plugged and as tempting as it may be, do not overfill. Bart

Looking at my 1993 Caterham build manuals spec's for the 1700 SuperSprint engine: Plugs: NGK 8EV Gap: 0.025 Bart

Yes, watch as you fill, a small flashlight is helpful to see the fill plug---bring fluid level to the bottom of the plug. It also helps to have your car level. I have used different Redline fluids over the years. For general road and even light track use I would suggest Redline MT-90 manual trans. lubricant. Bart

I've changed my fluid many times (I've had my Seven since 1993) and I've always simply removed the top inspection plate (10 small bolts I believe, need to be removed). Suck out the old fluid and replace with new fluid. Try not to overfill---use the drain bolt located on the side of the trans. as your 'full level" mark. There is a gasket between the inspection plate and the trans. but you should be able to reuse. If not this gasket and others are available from BAT (British American Transfer) phone # 941 355 0005. http://www.batinc.net Bart, 93 Caterham HPC

Rod, Great looking car that appears to be both well thought out and constructed. The fact that all your wing-nuts on the carb covers are lined up speaks volumes. Bart

Scott's solution (elec. pump, Chevette rack) seems to make sense for his application: autocross. But it should be noted that compared to road racing, autocrossers have "fast hands"---steering inputs are usually quick, much quicker than you will need on a road course (unless you get into trouble and correction is called for; then "fast hands fix foul form"). On track, the higher your speed the slower and lighter your steering inputs should be. I think that a manual rack will work fine. Finding the right rack is the trick. In a sense, racks have different speeds (I'm not an engineer so forgive my simplicity). Some racks are designed to be "faster" in the sense of a little steering inputs gives big results. On my Caterham I have run slicks that were up to 8 inches wide. I use the standard Caterham steering rack (they have several "faster" racks available--they make the car too sensitive, to 'twitchy' for my tastes). My steering inputs are smooth and minimal--I generally 'roll' my wrists--not having to use too much forearm or shoulders. My steering wheel is only 10 inches wide (OD). I'm not saying a different solution or opinion is wrong. I am just relaying my experiences. Have fun finding out what works for you and be safe. Bart

Just my view, but I would say if you can build this car and keep the weight at 1600 lbs or lower, then go with the manual steering----unless you intend to use a very small diam. steering wheel and do a lot of parallel parking. Keep things simple and light. Bart

Hi Andrew, It's Bart Lami. I will be instructing at BeaveRun on Friday 7/10 and I don't think that I will make it out on Saturday. I hope that the weather cooperates and that you have and everyone else has a great time. I do believe that admission will be charged on Saturday and Sunday; $15 according to the web site. Bart

My Caterham is black; fenders, nose piece, and body. Bart Lami, 93 Caterham HPC

Hi Al, I'm happy to hear that all is well with you, or as well as can be expected in the absence of a Seven in your life. Just wanted you to know that I did NOT receive any material from you. No rush to send it out though---Nancy and I are about to leave for New Mexico and we will not return to Pittsburgh until the end of March. We'll be wandering around in the Gila Wilderness--out of touch and out of sight. Bart Lami

Hi Al, Do we know if we will be running this circuit clockwise or counter-clockwise? Bart

David, The stock Facet pump in my 1993 Caterham (45 DCOE carbs) has been reliable. Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies has 6 different Facet Pumps available, 3 cube type and 3 cylindrical pumps. According to Pegasus, both type of pumps have low power requirements (about 1 amp at 12 volts). Details such as max pressure, typical flow, max flow, and fitting sizes are listed in their catalog or on their web site: www.pegasusautoracing.com Bart

Interesting problem, diagnosis, and story so far. I say 'so far' because you may have an additional problem---I think that your pump should stop clicking once pressure is built up. If it continues to click I think that you may soon have to call on your Dr. British car guy friend again. One other thing, if your pump is clicking during normal operation and you can hear it in your Seven, then your car is way too quiet. Bart

I'm sure that these wheels are NOT 13 x 4----they must be wider (the '4') refers to the number of wheels in their tire/wheels package. I can't tell from the site how wide the wheels are. You would need to find that out. If the wheels are 6 inches wide you could run a 185 size tire, no problem. To run a 205 size tire you would probably want wheels 7 inches wide. Don't trust me though. I would suggest that you go to the tire manuf. site and they will usually tell you what width wheel they recommend for a specific width tire. If you try to fit a wider tire than is recommended you end up 'pinching' the contact patch, negating the advantage of the wider tire print. Also realize that a wider wheel/tire combo will weigh more (and that extra weight is rotating mass which really affects a light weight car like a Seven). Good luck and let us know what you find out. Bart Lami, Caterham HPC

I'm glad that Mike and Andrew7 enjoyed their outing at BeaveRun and the vintage races. Guys, I enjoyed meeting both of you even though each of your Sevens attracted crowds while my new Cayman was ignored. I'll get over it. To answer the question "why was my Seven at home"---my trailer needed to be inspected and required some minor repairs. It's at the dealer today and my Caterham is in my garage. I'm preping it for a lapping day at BeaveRun this Friday--finally some tracktime. Mike/Andrew7, I would be happy to ride and instruct with you at BeaveRun, Mid-Ohio, or any of the other tracks that I get to. Regards, Bart