New 7 Owner Initial Questions

[Silber]

FWIW, I didn't put a charger on my battery this last winter, nor any fuel stabilizer in the gas tank. I think I pulled the car out to start and idle in the driveway once over the winter, but it probably sat 1.5-2 months at a time. I didn't have any problems with the car starting and running. Battery type is a standard flooded lead-acid.

 

My experience may be the exception, but I agree with the sentiment above to just treat it like any other car and not overthink it.

[MV8]

So many different ways. How about a lead-acid, 28 ah, 380 cca, 21.6 lbs, and $90? Two Walmart 14LA2 bike batteries in parallel. The thing about multiple batteries is that both should be the same model and in the same condition/age.

 

There are always recommendations for best care of any battery type. 

[IamScotticus]

These 7s built like aircraft and aluminum boats.  Actually,  they're  built worse than planes and boats.  There is very little built-in corrosion abatement.  They are susceptible to electrolysys and corrosion .  For long term care, and to ensure you're not chasing down electrical problems in a few years, understand why battery isolation, when not using the car, is a good practice.

https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/faq-what-is-galvanic-corrosion-and-how-can-it-be-avoided

 

Edited June 17 by IamScotticus

[slowdude]

2 hours ago, IamScotticus said:

These 7s built like aircraft and aluminum boats.  Actually,  they're  built worse than planes and boats.  There is very little built-in corrosion abatement.  They are susceptible to electrolysys and corrosion .  For long term care, and to ensure you're not chasing down electrical problems in a few years, understand why battery isolation, when not using the car, is a good practice.

https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/faq-what-is-galvanic-corrosion-and-how-can-it-be-avoided

 

Yes but isn't this in more of a suspended in a salt situation? For example, my lead keel sailboat has a sacrificial zinc anode which solves the problem.

[IamScotticus]

There have been many examples of 7 skins eroding at the frame rails. It took several decades.  Im not going to insist thst any of us will see our Cats falling apart during our ownerships, but these things are just good practices whenever aluminum is attached to steel and a current is introduced.

These cars tend to sit for months, years.  Just disconnect the battery for storage. Especially for the coolant and pump.  Aluminum pumps can corrode because the coolant is a conductor.

Edited June 18 by IamScotticus

[Randy Flowers]

Thanks for all the advice regarding batteries

I am keeping this thread going as I go through more initial questions now that I am driving the car and getting used to it. 

 

We were able to get it titled and licensed in Oregon a few days ago, and I finally drove it for an extended time when I took it to the DMV.  It has a license plate on it now, Yay!

First off, what a ride, sheesh, I feel like I am driving Fangio's 55 Maserati.  It feels like a 50s race car, so raw in every way being inches from the ground and the exhaust note and the acceleration/handling and the pebbles/dust being thrown at you and the various noises and engine heat and tiny cabin etc.  Just nothing else like it and yes, I did have a shit eating grin, and I am just scratching the surface of its abilities at this point.  What an attention grabber it is, everyone has thumbs up, big grins and lots of questions.  In Gulf Blue with the orange stripe and nose ring, it is a stunner.  Looks very retro.

I am taking it to a local car show this weekend and it is being entered as a contestant with about 40 other cars, so that will be fun sharing it with everyone for the first time

 

So, that's the fun stuff, now I am in the adjustment phase and driving it for even 50 miles brought up a couple of points.

1) The pedals are just too close for me unless I use my bare feet.  I bought some Piloti Shift shoes and I tried them with the 7.  If I press to any decent degree on the brake, the Piloti shoes were hitting the throttle and brake simultaneously.  Piloti Shift shoes were a suggestion here but I don't understand how he was able to use them.  I am unable to get any Puma Speedcats currently in my size.  I need something that fits me like a glove.  My Vibram 5 fingered shoes fit me like that, but they don't work due to the fingers catching on the pedals.  I need something very thin like Vibram's.  A real Indian moccasin fits like that, just pliable leather around your foot with very thin sole.  I am planning on calling some of the racing boot stores and ask them their opinion for something super thin that was just barely bigger than your bare feet.  I am guessing they will point me to a $350 light weight racing boot, and I was not wanting to spend that kind of money.  Driving with my bare feet is not ideal though so I need to figure something out.   I did checkout the Jim Clark shoes suggested above, but guessing they would be too wide as well.  I will no doubt get much better at footwork with tight pedals like this car has, but I am not sure what I would ever do differently to make those Piloti Shift shoes work, they were just too wide for the current pedal placement.  

 

What lightweight thin skin and fits like a glove shoes would yall suggest?

 

What about adjusting the throttle pedal to be a little farther from the brake pedal? 

2) I already bought some motorcycle glasses (not goggles) that will protect my eyes.  In the trek across town, a good bit of crud got into my eyes. 

 

Do yall wear something like motorcycle glasses to protect your eyes from flying dust/pebbles/etc even with the windscreen and side curtains on?

 

3) What do yall do for covering the cockpit when leaving the car for awhile out in public?  For example, I don't want to leave the car in the parking lot while I go hiking for an hour when it is possible that it may rain while I am gone, plus I don't want to not leave the cockpit exposed.  I always put a tonneau cover on the sports cars I have owned any time I was going to leave them for a little while.  If you use a tonneau cover on a Caterham, you would have to take off the side curtains every time you put it on.  I would think you would just fold the side curtains and put them in the seats under the tonneau.  I do have a half top and could use that to cover the car as well but that has an opening in the back.  A tonneau would work for washing the car too I would guess, however the windscreen inside would then be exposed vs having the full top on. 

Do yall use a tonneau cover to cover your car when leaving it outside or in public?  Do yall just use the half top to cover the car instead (or just leave it exposed regularly)?

 

Thanks again, fun sharing this adventure with old hands at it

 

Randy

Edited June 20 by Randy Flowers

[wdb]

Even with size 9-1/2 feet and skinny shoes, I still overlap pedals. One trick the previous owner taught me is to depress the clutch first, which leaves more room on that side for my braking foot. I'm also going to play around with moving the throttle pedal to the right.

 

I have a full windshield and haven't had any nasty things hit my face (yet?). But I also always wear close-fitting protective lenses of some sort.

 

I have no cover of any kind for my Caterham. I would suggest a tonneau if you're bothered by leaving it open.

[CBuff]

For roof coverage. I just have my half hood on me. If I went for a multi day journey were rain might happen I would take my full hood.  People like the tonneau but you might have to install additional poppers if it wasn’t outfitted with them before.  Some folks use the shower cap

https://www.softbitsshop.co.uk/long-nose-shower-cap-upgraded-979-p.asp

 

I have an sv chassis so more footwell space.  I still need to wear very slim shoes. 
 

there are some forum postings on peddle adjustment. And some folks bend the throttle pedal. Luckily my gas and brake spacing was pretty good right out of the box.  
 

https://caterham420detailedbuildblog.co.uk/2020/05/23/pedal-adjustment/

 

 

[JohnCh]

7 hours ago, Randy Flowers said:

My Vibram 5 fingered shoes fit me like that, but they don't work due to the fingers catching on the pedals.

That category of shoe is called Barefoot, and quite a few have a normal toe box rather than the individual toe set up.  I use Merrell's from their Glove line but do a search on Barefoot shoes to find plenty of other options. 

[Silber]

Regarding shoes, I believe it was already mentioned earlier in this thread, but you should consider some wrestling boots from your local sporting-goods store. They are built very similarly to a racing boot, just without any of the fire protection. Bring you Pilotis along and compare the two in-store.

 

Regarding covering the car when parked, I just use the tonneau cover. I don't have/use side curtains, so I just keep the tonneau in the "trunk" and put in on when parked in public for an extended period.

[KnifeySpoony]

Most racing boot companies have reasonably affordable shoes;

 

https://www.sparcousa.com/product/slalom-suede

 

https://www.sparcousa.com/product/race-2-2

 

These will be a lot narrower than those pilotis. 

[bball7754]

Another shoe option, and in a similar vein to the wrestling shoes, are the original canvas Chuck Taylor All-Stars.  Easy to find.

[sltous]

I have had good luck with rock climbing shoes.  They have a relatively stiff sole with good feel and are very narrow.

[theDreamer]

If you are hitting both the throttle and the clutch pedal when you apply the brakes than you’re doing it wrong. Your pedal problem is more about technique than shoe style. Do you blip the throttle on down shifts? I wager you do not. The technique used by most is to use the left side of the ball of the foot, (large hard area below the big toe) to apply pressure to the brake pedal and then rotate the ankle so the right side, (area below the last two toes) contacts the throttle pedal with a quick motion to “blip” the throttle as you shift down a gear. What you want to do when applying just a little brake to scrub off speed is to do the same without the “blip”. If you are needing to make a panic stop that’s when you may want to use the center of your foot but, as stated already, clutch in first.

In the last 40+ years I’ve driven dozens of Sevens and the pedals were all different. I’ve included two photos of pedal placement. The first is of a 1992 Zeta (Zetec) powered Caterham with a hydraulic clutch. Pedals are oriented to the right with a nice gap left of the clutch to sneak one’s foot past to rest. The second is my HPC with cable clutch. Greater space between throttle and brake which means I have to point my left foot down to get under the clutch to rest it. I’ll bet if everyone here posted a photo of their cars pedals you would see very few if any that were exactly the same.

I will again mention that a trip to a large shoe shop, sports or outlet store will yield you results. I have a short, wide foot. I often have to get shoes a half size larger because of this. The Deck shoes I mentioned fit very snug with enough give that I did not have to go up in size. I have several pairs of leather dress shoes and one pair of faux leather that work well also. My wife packed up all my racing gear two decades ago and can’t find that box now that I want those shoes.

As for leaving the car unattended, mine came with two sets of tonneau covers. One set of factory black covers which fit over the headrests and a set of custom made grey vinyl that require the headrests be removed. This past weekend we, for the first time, tucked the grey set behind the seats for our trip up to Mosport. We used them while we walked about at the Field of Dreams Car Show held during the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix at Mosport, (OK, it’s really called Canadian Tire Motorsports Park).

I didn’t get a photo of them both on but have included one shot with the passenger side in place and the doors still on. Everything fit nicely into the foot wells and boot including the steering wheel.

I wear glasses almost all the time now and have clip on sun glasses that fit over my regular glasses. With the doors on, a cap and my glasses I have yet to have any problem. My car does have one thing your car does not, full fenders. After every trip the wife goes around with tweezers and picks out all the little stones and stuff that gets lodged between the fenders and the body. Also, stuff that gets under the windshield seal and into that hard to get at little area at the base of the stanchions and the windshield frame.

[panamericano]

Get good quality Safety glasses, clear and tinted.  Not the $3 throw aways.  If you use a prescription, Sam's is quite reasonable.  I've never gotten anything in my eyes with them.

 

If you're going far on the highway, nothing beats a full face helmet.  I feels like you're in a limo.  But of course one looks dorky as hell.

[mel kuipers]

On 5/31/2024 at 8:50 PM, Randy Flowers said:

 

I started a thread a few weeks back when I was deciding whether to buy a 7.  I did buy it and I received the title of my 7 today!   See the thread from a few weeks ago here (with pics and specs of the car)

 

 

Shipping is being arranged at the moment.  I will no doubt have more questions once I get some seat time but I do have some questions right now as well.  Thanks ahead of time for the advice! 

 

1) Shoes:  I wanted to try the Puma/Sparco Speedcats, but they don't have my size/color right now (maybe I can find them somewhere other than from Puma?).  I suppose I will have to use my bare feet until I can find some shoes that will work.  I am wanting a shoe that feels very soft like a moccasin but firm enough for the pedals, not something that feels clunky or hard like a boot.  Note that I do have somewhat wide feet.

 

What shoes would yall recommend given my description of what I am wanting?   What do yall use?

 

2) Ground clearance:  I have heard of 7 drivers hitting potholes or even going slowly over a speed bump and breaking something underneath. 

 

How do yall avoid hitting anything underneath and what should I watch for/be aware of about the clearance?

 

3) Safety:  I will drive it like a motorcycle, staying out of blind spots, assuming no one sees me with my hand on the horn button when passing vehicles and slowing down and looking both ways when crossing 4 ways.  I was even thinking of taking a right turn and then a U-turn and another right turn at the bigger 4 ways.  I will keep it on country roads near Eugene Oregon most of the time as it is far less likely that I will be hit on the side or the rear on those kinds of roads (plus way more fun and beautiful!).  If I get hit from the front on a 2 lane road by a car coming the other way, it won't matter whether I was in the Miata or the 7 I would guess.  The bigger concern on the country roads is a deer popping out suddenly before I can slow down. 

 

Any advice for how yall drive the 7 to be as safe as possible?  

 

4) Theft:  When leaving the car in any public place I am wanting to fold the side curtains up and put them into the boot.  I will eventually get a tonneau cover and then I am wanting to put on the tonneau and also leave the side curtains in the boot when leaving it outside or in a public place.  However, with the side curtains being so easy to take I am wary of leaving the car someplace like a trail head where they know you are gone for a bit, or in a parking garage in downtown Eugene, etc.  They wouldn’t be able to sell the tonneau for anything and they wouldn’t know what to do with the side curtains either, but it still concerns me.  No one ever messed with my tonneau cover when I had my 1960s English sport cars and I left them lots of places, so wondering if I am overthinking it.

 

You can fold the side curtains and put them into the boot, right?  If you did that, I am assuming that would leave no room for anything else in the boot though, right?

 

What do yall do about leaving your car in public places and the security of things like the side curtains and the tonneau cover?

 

How hard is it to get a new set of side curtains if you suddenly needed a new set and how much does a new set of side curtains cost?

 

5) Headlights:  I have heard that the standard headlights are pretty terrible at night, and Josh said this one has standard headlights. I will definitely be driving some at night.

 

Do you even need to improve the standard headlights?

 

Wondering what are some simple and not expensive ways to improve the headlights?

 

6) Preventing muffler burns:  Sometimes I will drive my autistic daughter in it.  When driving with her, I will always keep the side curtain in place so she can't touch the exhaust, I will give her earplugs and I will help her in and out to get over the exhaust.

 

Is there anything that I could drape over a hot muffler while someone is getting in or out?  Some sort of cloth that won't burn up or cause any issues with the muffler itself but that will prevent someone from being burned?

 

7) Cleaning: Due to some unique things like aluminum, the exposed front suspension, etc, I am wondering about cleaning methods yall use.

 

How do yall keep the outside, engine bay and especially the exposed front suspension looking great when driving the car 3000 miles per year? 

 

8) Any other things a new owner of a 7 should keep in mind as we are getting the car ready to drive (after shipment) and learning how to drive the car?

 

Thanks!
Randy

 

On 6/9/2024 at 3:32 PM, Randy Flowers said:

Just thought I would update yall.  The 7 has arrived!  Now the adventure officially begins!  Picture of me with it here:

Randy First time with Caterham 7_1.heic

Still have barely driven it, since we need to go to the DMV to get it licensed and the title transferred.  The 1 mile I did drive it reminded me of the times I have driven a 7 before. 

 

I quickly learned that my tenny shoes will NOT work (gas and brake at the same time, yikes!).  I ended up using bare feet for now since my first stab at a shoe (Piloti Shift shoes) hasn't arrived yet.  I wonder how often people use just their bare feet to drive these?

 

About 6 cars passed us on our street when we had just unloaded the car and every single one didn't just look at it, but literally stopped in the road to ask questions about it.  So, the gawking and questions about it have officially begun   In Gulf blue with an orange nose/stripe, it is a stunner in person for sure!

 

Yesterday, on a country road getting into the city of Eugene I barely scrapped the bottom of my Miata on an unexpected bump/depression and it definitely got my attention as to what would have happened in the 7 in that same incident.  Note that my Miata is also lowered from factory and is quite low itself.  I am driving the Miata as if I am driving the 7 lately and I was for sure looking for upcoming road hazards, but it was around a corner and I didn't see it until it happened.  Right now, I think ground clearance and messing something up underneath the car on a country road is my main concern. 

 

Some good advice above and thanks everyone for the advice the last month or so.

 

Randy

 

[mel kuipers]

Just now, mel kuipers said:

I bought a pair of wrestling shoes at Dick's Sporting goods.  They are narrow, and give a strong feel for the pedals.  They are not comfortable when working the course shagging cones, so I only wear them when I am driving.  I have wide feet, so two pedal hits were common with regular sneakers.  That has never been a problem with the wrestling shoes.

 

 

[KnifeySpoony]

2 hours ago, theDreamer said:

If you are hitting both the throttle and the clutch pedal when you apply the brakes than you’re doing it wrong. Your pedal problem is more about technique than shoe style. Do you blip the throttle on down shifts? I wager you do not. The technique used by most is to use the left side of the ball of the foot, (large hard area below the big toe) to apply pressure to the brake pedal and then rotate the ankle so the right side, (area below the last two toes) contacts the throttle pedal with a quick motion to “blip” the throttle as you shift down a gear. What you want to do when applying just a little brake to scrub off speed is to do the same without the “blip”. If you are needing to make a panic stop that’s when you may want to use the center of your foot but, as stated already, clutch in first.

 

 

 

 

Given that you aren't in his car with his feet/shoes, I wouldn't be so quick to chastise re: technique. Especially since you have small feet. I can assure you on my newer 420R, pedal spacing is a serious issue for me with my size 12 feet, even with full on racing booties. 

[MV8]

Why not make a new clutch pedal identical from the pivot-up, but with two 5/16 holes below for a bolt-on pedal that can be adjusted laterally with a bolt-on pad that can be moved around and narrowed easily?

[Randy Flowers]

I have been heel and toeing for decades, almost always blip the throttle in my modded Miata downshifting, even when it is non-necessary, its fun and smoother usually.  I will definitely be blipping even more in the 7, although I am so far struggling with that in bare feet.  I will definitely get better with the pedals and I am listening to the comments, like pressing the clutch before hard pressing the brake.

 

I'll go to some sports stores here in Eugene like Dick's to try wrestling or rock climbing shoes.  Maybe that is all I need. 

I called several racing gear stores today to ask their opinion on the best shoe for what I am wanting (super thin and pliable and not more than $250).  One of them was very helpful and he suggested OMP Tecnica shoes.  I will call some more places and get more opinions to compare.

I already ordered motorcycle glasses and that should work well.  I am wanting a clear lens pair and a sunglasses pair to switch out as needed.  I got these from Amazon:
 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085LTFJ54?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
 

 

Edited June 21 by Randy Flowers