New 7 Owner Initial Questions

[theDreamer]

Randy, the driver who delivered my car was a big lad who had to remove his shoes to drive it. He said it was not pleasant as my car requires a lot of effort to depress the clutch pedal.

I suggest while you wait for those fancy shoes to arrive go to your local shoe shop or outlet store and get a pair of plain old canvas deck shoes. When I was with the Bridgestone Race School F2000 series we let the drivers use these with their Nomex socks in the rain so as not to damage their high priced racing shoes. I can tell you from firsthand experience they do they trick.

[Croc]

8 hours ago, theDreamer said:

...the driver who delivered my car was a big lad who had to remove his shoes to drive it. He said it was not pleasant as my car requires a lot of effort to depress the clutch pedal.

 

Pussy. 

[IamScotticus]

On 6/9/2024 at 8:06 PM, theDreamer said:

 

McGooham wore these in blue on the Prisoner.

Get your boating Blazer.

[jimmylukeii]

It looks like you have adjustable suspension.  It is super easy and fast to change ride height.  Get some c clamps and experiment a bit.  I just raised my 310R to 140mm (front chassis rail behind the lower wishbone) and about 155mm (back chassis rail in front of the a frame; where the rivets are on my lowered floor car).

 

Remember to measure with you or your weight in the driver's seat.  And get an alignment afterwards.

 

Edit: it just hit me.  C spanners, not c clamps!  Sorry for any confusion.

Edited June 14 by jimmylukeii

[Randy Flowers]

Now that I have the car, some new questions have come up.

1) I will sometimes not be able to drive it for a week or so.  I have been told by Josh at Rocky Mountain to get a battery charger that will not overcharge the battery and leave that on in the car when not driving it. 

 

What kind of battery charger do yall use and how does the battery charger hook up so that you don't have to take the bonnet off each time?

 

2) If I can't start the car, do you jump a 2020 Caterham's small battery the same way you would a normal battery, and would you use the same set of jumpers as a normal battery?

 

3) What do yall take with you in the 7 to hold insurance papers and a few other small items? 

Thanks!
Randy

[Vovchandr]

21 minutes ago, Randy Flowers said:

Now that I have the car, some new questions have come up.

1) I will sometimes not be able to drive it for a week or so.  I have been told by Josh at Rocky Mountain to get a battery charger that will not overcharge the battery and leave that on in the car when not driving it. 

 

What kind of battery charger do yall use and how does the battery charger hook up so that you don't have to take the bonnet off each time?

 

2) If I can't start the car, do you jump a 2020 Caterham's small battery the same way you would a normal battery, and would you use the same set of jumpers as a normal battery?

 

3) What do yall take with you in the 7 to hold insurance papers and a few other small items? 

Thanks!
Randy

 

Re: insurance. I keep stuff in the trunk.  Makes it a little more sympathetic when I get pulled over when I tell the cops I have to get out to get paperwork. Alternatively get tunnel pockets. 

 

For battery I recommend lithium ion battery. Solves a lot of problems. Also for hood removal I recommend making a hood mount on wall to make it less of a chore. Hood is off often and always a problem of where to put it 

[IamScotticus]

Know what kind of battery you have.  If it's an AGM type, not MUST use an AGM charger or one with an AGM function. Use the correct charger for the battery you have.  The days of lead acid battery and one charger are over.

A good smart charger is the NOCO Genius series.

 

Next, if a battery becomes fully discharged,  you can't simply jump it and run.  It needs a full deep charge.

 

Have a battery cut-off installed to fully isolate the battery from everything except a charger.  Since you have an engine with electronic management,  you might have some memory power requirements to consider with a cut-off installation.

 

For me personally, I would install a 12V accessory port under the scuttle for a charging port.  It can double as accessory power if needed.

Edited June 15 by IamScotticus

[das76]

1 week is totally fine for a car to sit. Just think of all the people who leave their cars for 1-3 weeks at an airport!

I've left my car for several weeks and it was fine.

 

I have the Odyssey AGM16L battery.

 

I use a NOCO Genius charger for extended times the car isn't in use. I take the bonnet off. No other practical way to do it.

 

I also take a NOCO Boost Plus GB40 with me when I'm out driving. Much better than booster cable as it has enough juice to jump the car if needed so you don't need another car around. The bonus is that is has a USB out so you can charge a phone so you don't need to install a 12V port . https://no.co/products/power

I use stick on velcro and have it mounted next to the fuse panel - it fits perfectly.

 

I also have the Caterham tunnel bag like below. I put my phone in it, keep my ear plugs in it, and i tuck my insurance papers underneath it. (not in the mesh, but between the tunnel bag and the top of the tunnel. Works like a charm

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 15 by das76

[MV8]

6 hours ago, Randy Flowers said:

Now that I have the car, some new questions have come up.

1) I will sometimes not be able to drive it for a week or so.  I have been told by Josh at Rocky Mountain to get a battery charger that will not overcharge the battery and leave that on in the car when not driving it. 

 

What kind of battery charger do yall use and how does the battery charger hook up so that you don't have to take the bonnet off each time?

 

2) If I can't start the car, do you jump a 2020 Caterham's small battery the same way you would a normal battery, and would you use the same set of jumpers as a normal battery?

 

3) What do yall take with you in the 7 to hold insurance papers and a few other small items? 

Thanks!
Randy

1&2) Batteries are a huge subject. Your cat should have originally come with a traditional, lead acid battery. They either had a small battery center mounted over the transmission with a 30 amp-hour capacity or side mounted relatively small battery with 47 amp-hour capacity. Replacements should have similar capacity to avoid jump starts which are not good for the battery or the alternator. 350+ CCA (not "hot" CA) is a good spec to compare. The more it has, the longer it will last/be adequate, apples to apples. A well maintained and regular use, fair-weather car may get away with a battery with less capacity.

Agm batteries are a good upgrade if the capacity is the same or better. Lithium has serious fire hazards, fire extinguishing and environmental disposal issues to consider but they are light and compact.

For lead acid and agm, a standard charger (i.e. analog with 2a/6a settings) can be used on the 2 amp setting if monitored. There are "smart" chargers that work well but in general, any charger should not be left on/connected for more than a day or so and at the minimum amp rate.

To maintain the battery, a high quality "conditioner"/trickle charger should be used. Look at the motorcycle market for good choices. They usually come with a short wiring harness that attaches to the battery terminals with eyelets and an insulated, quick connect end that hangs outside or down in the footwell enough to connect when stored for months.

The immobilizer is a small drain on the battery but an adequately sized battery without a "conditioner"/maintainer/trickle charger should not need a jump start after sitting a few weeks.

A lithium jump starter should not be used to jump a low lithium battery. A completely dead battery should be charged and not jump started, which can damage it.

3) You can find small, plastic "dry box" or "ammo box" containers that can be mounted a number of ways and protect the contents from moisture. Screws through the inside with "fender" washers and a small pad lock make it relatively secure. I've seen a seven with one mounted under the bonnet on the footwell shelf.

Edited June 15 by MV8

[CBuff]

I also got a noco. https://a.co/d/508q1N6
 

And this

https://a.co/d/5ieIE1O

 

plugs into 12v under dash. 
 

and tunnel bag from soft bits

https://www.softbitsshop.co.uk/the-touring-tunnel-bag-x28vinylx29-80-p.asp

 

it’s been great.  But like @IamScotticus

Idea of sliding insurance and reg underneath it. 
 

 

I also got the half hood from soft bits with ez in zips. Haven’t needed to use it yet but I like that it’s in the boot and quickly deployable. 
 

[JohnCh]

If you are comfortable with simple fabrication, you can build a small glovebox to fit over the transmission tunnel ahead of the gear lever.  I've done this for both the Westfield (sheet aluminum) and Caterham (3D printed).  It makes it very convenient to store paperwork, ear plugs, and other small items and is relatively hidden so not a magnet for casual thieves.  

 

 

 

 

As for batteries, I like Lithium, but understand not everyone is a fan.  Antigravity offers a built-in jump-starting feature, that shuts down the battery while there is still enough juice to start the car and allows you to access this with a push of a button.  No need for jumper cables.  Speaking of which, when I have carried those, I've carried a set designed for a motorcycle which are far smaller and lighter and have done the job when I've jumped other se7ens on tours.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UKD6II

 

-John

[slowdude]

Regarding maintenance: I'm coming up on close to 3000 miles on the car since the engine rebuild in November. In the northeast.

 

When I drove the car in winter, I washed the undercarriage and made sure it wasn't when there was salt on the road. Car was POR15/ Eastwood encapsulated before I went out.

 

No issues with keeping it looking nice. I wash the car once every 2 weeks or after a 500 mile trip. Simple harbor freight spray gun with meguirs wash and wax. Nothing fancy.

 

These cars are surprisingly robust and if you have a ford engine, it makes life a lot easier. 

 

Drive it, modify it any way you see fit, smile. They're best when driven. 

 

It's ok if they sit. Like others have mentioned, noco genius is the way to go. Simple to attach and will make life easier.

 

If you don't drive it for a few months (in winter), put some fuel stabilizer in it. Other than that they're fine, even with my temperamental K series.

 

 

Edited June 15 by slowdude

[wdb]

I'm a big fan of CTEK chargers. They handle a variety of battery types and, given enough time, they can also "recover" a poorly maintained battery. I used that feature on our E93 and got 5 extra years out of the original battery. Of course they do all the normal stuff too. Very well.

[Randy Flowers]

I found the email where Josh told me the exact battery type.  Josh said this in regards to questions about the battery:

 

'I put a brand new Odyssey PC680 in on Monday. These are sealed modern gel batteries that I use to replace the lead acid ones the kits come with... so no worries about maintenance or topping up acid or any of that. You can charge this just as you would a standard car battery, and you should look for >12.5v for normal use.'

 

So, now that I know it is a new Odyssey PC680 (or AGM16L) battery for the specific battery type:

 

1) What kind of charger to use for that battery type?  So, get the NOCO Genius charger, right?

2) What kind of jump starter for that battery type?  So, get the NOCO Boost Plus GB40, right?  Could I just get a set of jumper cables designed for a motorcycle as mentioned above?

3) If that battery type is dead, do I need to fully recharge and not jump start it? 

4) When is it OK to jump start that battery type?  If I am not near my garage (or my charger) and do something that drains the battery such that it won't start, can I jump it in that situation?

 

In my Miatas, I always just got regular jumper cables, never charged it in between and never worried about jumping it, so this is all new to me.

 

Thanks

Randy

 

 

 

Edited June 16 by Randy Flowers

[slowdude]

Its a normal battery. I have a banner AGM. The Noco/ctek is smart enough to recognize it is an AGM and it adjusts accordingly.

 

My battery is 3 years old and it has been on a noco genius the entire time. When the car was having open heart surgery, it died. Put it on the noco and a day later it was good.

 

My coil recently died and I thought it was battery related. Brought it to advance auto for them to test it. Was at 99%.

 

The smart chargers will be fine. If it was a lithium battery, sure proceed with more caution, but AGM is fine 🙂 

[SENC]

You're overthinking it, Randy (imo) - treat it like your Miatas.  It really isn't any different.

 

I think the only thing to watch out for is the old battery chargers - most of the ones available now handle agm and traditional batteries just fine.

 

Though I have a high end charger/maintainer - for the purpose you're describing I have an inexpensive battery tender maintainer.  I rotate it between my Seven, Elan, and 560SL, switching every couple weeks if I for some reason I'm not driving one or the other.

[Bucknekked]

These shoes have worked well for me.

https://www.motor-spot.com/jim-clark-formula-driving-shoes.html

[IamScotticus]

23 minutes ago, Bucknekked said:

These shoes have worked well for me.

https://www.motor-spot.com/jim-clark-formula-driving-shoes.html

Hay! That's not Jimmy!

 

[IamScotticus]

AGM has specific maintenance cycle requirements.  Most smart chargers (should) have that function.

https://lifelinebatteries.com/blog/4-effective-ways-to-maintain-your-agm-battery-and-keep-it-durable/

 

Edited June 16 by IamScotticus

[SENC]

58 minutes ago, IamScotticus said:

AGM has specific maintenance cycle requirements.  Most smart chargers (should) have that function.

Yep that's the main point.  There was a time when you needed special chargers for each battery type, but these days they're almost all "smart" and capable of charging flooded, agm, and gel alike (theyre all lead acid) - and a growing number also handle lithium.  

 

It's easy to get a lot invested in ancillary stuff like this that adds little value.  Inexpensive maintainers are readily available (deltran, noko, ctek, etc) and perfect for keeping multiple battery types of multiple low use cars in good shape.  IMO, unnecessary for cars that are actually used every few weeks (unless that usage is limited to short, in-town type trips) - but cheap insurance if a vehicle goes unused for a long period or is only used for short drives.  Keep them topped up and healthy and you prolong their life and never really need a jump/booster or a true charger.

Edited June 16 by SENC