The Last Crate Out of Dartford

[Squeegee]

It's not quite as dramatic as "The Last Lifeboat Off The Titanic" or "The Last Chopper Out Of Saigon" but I just got word that my 310S SV kit was in the last shipment of four Caterhams to leave the factory before COVID-19 caused them to shut down. Josh Robbins tells me that two of the four were for the UK market and two (including mine) are coming to Rocky Mountain Caterham. I'm chuffed.

[kayentaskier]

Hi Squeegee,

I received the same info from Josh today, my kit is a 420R. Josh will be building mine with a planned finish in September.

 

I had to google "chuffed", but now I can agree to being chufffed also.

Jim

[Kitcat]

Squeegee: Not of Titanic proportions, but not bad for a first post:)! Congrats to you and kayentaskier! We expect photos, stories etc. Let's keep the chuffing going!

[Croc]

Excellent bit of good news for Squeegee and Jim - congratulations to you both!

 

What spec did you both end up deciding on? Are these kits or rollers?

 

 

Also, welcome to the USA7s forum Squeege!

[kayentaskier]

Aloha Mike,

My spec, from the Caterham configurator, is below. Mine is a kit and Josh will assemble to for me.

 

 

https://www.caterhamcars.com/en/configurator?pagemode=web&configuration=%2B420%2BCLB%2BBPTPBGN%2BW7I%2BIC7PCWP%2BTRI%2BDCLPWBC%2BPN0%2BLETPBLK%2BRBCPGBS%2BSZV%2BFLR%2BRPC%2BGS5%2BLSD%2BLFW%2BDSO%2BSSP%2BRAB%2BBST%2BORC%2BAOYPGRE%2BSML%2BMCP%2BINTPINM%2BDSHPDSC%2BMAP%2BCST%2BLRSPLLS%2B4PH%2BMOMPMOS%2BQRL%2BNHT%2BSSF%2BNIR%2BONC%2BOFW%2BORW%2BPIPPBLK%2BAFCPBKP%2BCPCPBKP%2BSSS%2BHHL%2BLPC%2BINPPOAW%2BESE%2BMBC%2BTRB%2BWAR%2BASNPOAW%2BHDOPITV%2BNAU%2BNRM%2BNHO%2BNBG%2BBOOPITV%2BKBT%2BNDR%2BNTK&width=1920&height=1080#

 

Jim

[Squeegee]

Croc,

 

Here's the spec I decided on. I plan to assemble it myself. The factory literature says that it can be put together by a "diligent amateur." I am confident that what I may lack in diligence, I more than make up for in amateurishness.

 

Squeegee

 

https://www.caterhamcars.com/en/configurator?pagemode=web&configuration=%2B310%2BCLB%2BBPTPVGS%2BIC7PP7I%2BNBS%2BPNBPPSM%2BRBCPGBS%2BSZV%2BFST%2BSPC%2BGS5%2BNSD%2BNFW%2BNSO%2BSRD%2BNAB%2BBST%2BMIN%2BCAOPSLV%2BCAIPSLV%2BSML%2BNCP%2BINTPINC%2BDSHPDSS%2BITTPITV%2BMAP%2BCST%2BLRSPLLS%2BISB%2BMOMPMOL%2BMOMPMOL%2BQRL%2BHTR%2BSSF%2BNIR%2BONC%2BOFW%2BORW%2BPIPPBLK%2BAFCPBKP%2BCPCPBKP%2BSWL%2BHHL%2BLPO%2BINPPOAW%2BESE%2BMBF%2BTRB%2BWST%2BHDOPITC%2BEAU%2BTONPITV%2BARM%2BHHO%2BHBG%2BBOOPITV%2BKBT%2BNDR%2BNTK&width=1920&height=1080

[Sean]

Croc,

 

Here's the spec I decided on. I plan to assemble it myself. The factory literature says that it can be put together by a "diligent amateur." I am confident that what I may lack in diligence, I more than make up for in amateurishness.

 

Squeegee

 

Looks good, but... Many on here have bemoaned the lack of available tire options for a 14" wheel. Either 13" or 15" offers more choices for tires. Personally, I prefer 13" because they're lighter, but others may differ.

Looks good! :drool:

 

edit -- Oh yeah, congratulations to you both!

[Croc]

I like them both. Something about green seems to suit the shape of a seven - whether it be the bold lime green or the classic darker British Racing Green - it just always works.

 

And you both bought in the sweet spot of the range. 310/420 is a perfect spec for road driving without being too overpowered but can still enjoy a good track day when required.

 

Very nice - congratulations to you both.

 

So let me guess - it was agony choosing a spec with the multitude of options and selections available?

[Lucky-7]

Both are awesome looking cars. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Keep us posted on your progress!

[Squeegee]

I agree that there are way too many possibilities, but once I decided on the 310, everything else fell into place. The only thing I even came close to agonizing over was the paint. I came very close to going with green with an orange nose stripe and a matching orange roll bar, but orange is a little flashy for me. Same with the wheels. The 14" minilite looking wheels are just a little more conservative and more to my taste. If I start doing track night and autocross, I can always get Dunlop Direzza ZIII in that size. The other argument for 14" is the fact that I will be doing a lot of driving through the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests (Highway 7, "The Pig Trail", etc.) Great roads, but often your final destination at a lodge or fishing resort is 2-3 miles down a gravel road. In a case like that every extra millimeter of clearance will be appreciated. I have just retired after over 30 years in the State Department Foreign Service (mostly Africa) so ANY Seven will be the highest performance car I have driven in a long time.

[I B Sevener]

Didn't the Monkees record a song about that?

 

Take the last crate from Dartford

And I'll meet you at the station

You should be there with a forklift

To pick up your new katrum, don't be slow

Oh, no, no, no

Oh, no, no, no

 

'Cause it carries such a promise

For you feeling chuffed again

You'll have lots of time together

Till the kit is finished and you’ll hit the road

Oh, go, go, go

Oh, go, go, go

 

And I don't know if you’re ever coming home

 

Take the last turn from Golden

Now I must hang up the phone

I can't hear you with your noisy car just hooning down the road

I'm feeling low

Nowhere to go

Oh, no, no, no

 

And I don't know if you’re ever coming home

Edited April 18, 2020 by I B Sevener

[xcarguy]

Somebody is at home...putting the to music.

[coffee break]

I can always get Dunlop Direzza ZIII in that size.

 

I'll give you a +1 on tire choice. I've got a set of these on my 7 and they are completely different experience from the all-season tires that were on the car when I purchased it.

It's like going from bowling shoes to track shoes.

[11Budlite]

Good stuff guys, congrats to you both!

[kayentaskier]

A little update on my car’s progress ...

 

I flew to Denver today for suspension tuning, as the car is nearing completion. I am very fortunate that Josh is able to use Nathan Down to set up the suspension for customers. For those that don’t know, Nathan is a former Caterham Engineer, in fact he drove the chassis and suspension development for the SV chassis, along with a bunch of other important engineering programs. Since my car is an SV, who better to dial it in. My car is a 420R, with only an aero screen, lowered floors, leather seats, no heater and wiper motor delete. For those who are interested, with 5 gallons of gas, it weighs 1280 lbs.

 

I’ll try to figure out how to include pics by hthe time Josh delivers the car in about two weeks.

[Taber10]

I agree that Nathan is an irreplaceable asset in the Caterham world. He was instrumental in assembling my SV in 2007. As a side note, in addition to the "bunch of important engineering programs" mentioned in the previous post, he was allegedly responsible for the TOTALLY OBNOXIOUS turn signal "bleeping" on my car, which is NON-CANCELLING. I just wish he had been closer for follow on questions...

Taber

Edited September 13, 2020 by Taber10

[Ferrino]

I feel the need to warn you lot that there are very different meanings to the adjective (to be chuffed), the verb (to chuff) and the noun (chuff). With very little margin for error, we have covered pleasure, flatulence and the female genitalia :smilielol5:

[Croc]

I feel the need to warn you lot that there are very different meanings to the adjective (to be chuffed), the verb (to chuff) and the noun (chuff). With very little margin for error, we have covered pleasure, flatulence and the female genitalia :smilielol5:

 

 

Ferrino wins post of the year for this one! :rofl:

[scannon]

Nathan is a great guy, he did the first alignment on my Caterham and then took me for a chilling ride through the streets of Denver at very extreme speeds. Showed me what the car was capable off. He is the source for Caterham knowledge and willing to share it.

 

The shop he works for moved from Boulder to Lafayette, much closer to where I live and I drop by occasionally to chat and see what great old sports cars they are working on.