Newbie Already Needing Parts & Repairs

[AveryCloseCall]

Hi all, I'm a recent and very happy owner of a 1999 Caterham. I'm super-thrilled to have this fun car here in Southern California, and already have all the ridiculous CA DMV paperwork taken care of! That said, I got hit by idiot parallel parkers... twice. Insurance will cover some but not all of my costs. I'd love to get the input of some more experienced Seven owners as to how to proceed, if you don't mind sharing your experience. The nosecone, radiator and left rear wing took damage from hits. I've also got a few other issues to sort on the vehicle.

 

Link to Photos: (https://goo.gl/photos/uRRpr9uWGZAt327y8)

 

So, my car is now in a auto body shop that will do the work, but I need to order parts from Caterham myself and hope the shipping doesn't brutalize me too much. However, as soon as I started down the rabbit hole of figuring out what parts to order, I found a long series of decisions to make about what to order.

 

 

• Nosecone (1994DD, 76904): This one is supposedly easy, I guess I can order the new one and it'll fit backwards compatible on my car just fine.
  
• Rear Left Wing (30P201A): This one is a pain, because Caterham no longer stocks the style I have. The new ones are symmetrical with the right and don't allow for a rear exhaust to go under them.
  
• Wing Protectors (WS04K): If I get a new L wing then the old rock guard won't fit anymore and I'll need a new rock guard. The new one is a different height, so the R wing rock guard won't match, so I need a new one of those too.
  
• Fasteners (76012, 76013): To be safe, I guess I should order some of these.
  
• Fuel Cap (30T066A or 73059): Since I'm ordering parts anyway, I'm tempted to replace the crappy Rover tank cap. Also, fueling in California is a pain because the fueling nozzle at gas stations doesn't fit into the tank, I have to fumble with a funnel, pull back on the nozzle's fume collet, and very slowly dribble gasoline into the tank. Not sure which (if either) of these parts would work on my car. Update Mar 6 2017: Still don't know which if either would fit, but Darren at Caterham parts said "The INJ one"
  

 

Questions:

1. Any advice on which radiator I should order? There are pictures of the old radiator in that shared folder, but I'm not sure which is most compatible. Update Mar 6 2017: 77316 (Ford Crossflow aluminium) was recommended by Darren at Caterham Parts and by my body shop
   
2. How hard or expensive is it to convert my car to side-exhaust? Can I just get a muffler shop to cut the pipe and bend it right after the can, or would I need to buy new exhaust components? I like the look of the side exhaust more, and think I could deal with the noise increase. Update Mar 6 2017: Not really sure if this is true, but my body shop suspects it's only about $200 and easy to do.
   
3. If I don't convert to side exhaust, how hard will my body shop find it to be to modify a new L Rear Wing and rock guard? Or, should I just have the body shop remove, fix and paint it?
   
4. The steering column is intermittently buzzing lightly against the exhaust manifold, what do you think I should do to fix that? Have a muffler shop heat it up and bend it slightly?
   
5. The battery is leaking but from what I gather it shouldn't be... what battery do you recommend that'll fit well to replace it?Update Mar 6 2017: Ordered an Odyssey 690 and hoping it fits.
   
6. What's my best way to make refueling the car with a California fuel pump less annoying, and ideally replace the Rover fueling cap?
   
7. What's your recommendation for lining the underside of front and rear wings so they don't get rock chips? Line-X is pretty heavy and expensive.
   

 

Thanks in advance for your help, I really appreciate it.

-avery

Edited March 6, 2017 by AveryCloseCall

[yellowss7]

Shipping from England for body parts is going to be expensive. You may want to give Bruce Beachman a call as he's a Caterham dealer and probably gets routine shipment that might save you a bit. Also he's a good source for helping spec the correct parts.

 

As for your wings, If not cracked horribly, you can fiberglass and paint them. Just do the math, labor vs. New part cost.

 

The Odyssey 690 battery is a good replacement option. Might need a new tie down bracket though.

[Kitcat]

Sevens and Elans (978-772-3777), now in FL, is a longtime Caterham dealer and often has parts in stock, assuming Beachman Racing (206-774-0852), noted above, does not.

The troublesome fueling is part of the fun-just like the gas shooting out after you overfill it:). I have never had to use a funnel tho, so the current standard Caterham replacement part may be an improvement?

Not sure how hard it is to convert to side exhaust but, having had both, I can say the side exhaust is MUCH louder.

Edited February 27, 2017 by Kitcat

[DavidL]

Agreed that fiberglass repair may be a reasonable option. Re fueling, I fuel my 1990 Caterham (also in California) by holding the gun essentially upside down. It usually dribbles some at the end, but I don't use a funnel. Good luck, and very pretty car!

[JohnCh]

Regarding the steering column's contact with the exhaust manifold, have you checked the engine mounts? One might be collapsed or broken.

 

-John

[Taber10]

Wow--months short of 10 years with my car, and I had never noticed that the two rear wings were not symmetrical! Andy Steinman just posted pictures of his white Caterham with side exit exhaust, and his left rear wing is also "cut short." Now, his was converted from clamshells apparently at some point, so maybe the exhaust was changed from rear exit to side exit also?

[Croc]

Nope. Sorry Taber. Caterham had such massive stocks of the cut short left wing that they used them on all cars irrespective of exhaust type. I have the non-symmetrical wings on my car and it has only ever had side exit.

[AveryCloseCall]

Hi guys, thank you so much for the input. Although I waited until I had some info to reply, I've been checking this thread every day. I'm also editing the original post with updates.

 

Shipping from England for body parts is going to be expensive. You may want to give Bruce Beachman a call as he's a Caterham dealer and probably gets routine shipment that might save you a bit. Also he's a good source for helping spec the correct parts. As for your wings, If not cracked horribly, you can fiberglass and paint them. Just do the math, labor vs. New part cost. The Odyssey 690 battery is a good replacement option. Might need a new tie down bracket though.

 

First, thanks for the tip. I just ordered that battery off Amazon for $100 and will try installing it. Second, the only reason I'm looking to buy a wing or two is that I may be able to get insurance to cover the shipping on the overall order, then the wings are only

£

110 GBP (pretty cheap). As far as Beachman Racing goes, Bruce is awesome. He's already helped me out with some info and the only real question I have is around who I should order through. Darren at Caterham originally said order direct - but I can't get a quote due to some parts that are incorrectly marked out of stock. Shipping from Beachman down to SoCal may save some money. Finally, Superformance/Hillbank is local so it may be cheaper for me to order through them and pick up. I honestly don't know - but now that I'm narrowing in on my parts list I'm hoping to find out.

 

Sevens and Elans (978-772-3777), now in FL, is a longtime Caterham dealer and often has parts in stock, assuming Beachman Racing (206-774-0852), noted above, does not. The troublesome fueling is part of the fun-just like the gas shooting out after you overfill it:). I have never had to use a funnel tho, so the current standard Caterham replacement part may be an improvement? Not sure how hard it is to convert to side exhaust but, having had both, I can say the side exhaust is MUCH louder.

 

Great tips! I've called Sevens & Elans to leave a message. Also, I'm hoping that the increased volume is tolerable, as I already consider driving my 7 to be like climbing on my bike - a full sensory experience that precludes any other communication. My fuel cap right now is annoying that requires another key, and the hole into the fuel system is simply too small to fit a gas nozzle. I wonder if the ones in the UK are simply much smaller.

 

Agreed that fiberglass repair may be a reasonable option. Re fueling, I fuel my 1990 Caterham (also in California) by holding the gun essentially upside down. It usually dribbles some at the end, but I don't use a funnel. Good luck, and very pretty car!

 

Great tip! I'll try fueling that way.

 

Regarding the steering column's contact with the exhaust manifold, have you checked the engine mounts? One might be collapsed or broken. -John

 

Uh oh, I'll ask the body shop to check that!