Christmas Gifts to Our Cars

[Croc]

 

Its that time of year when you think about stuffing - in this case a Christmas stocking of gifts to ourselves that we want to generously add to our cars.

 

In that mindset, I came across the following website site, which had many little Christmas gift ideas that will fit in a stocking, on a se7en...

 

https://uberniche.co.uk/

 

 

With this in mind, what "presents" or upgrades are you getting for your car(s) this Christmas?

 

 

 

@JohnCh Why haven't you done these on your sexy new 3D printer?

[CBuff]

I had checked that website.  It’s minor but was toying with the idea of the heater knob extension (yes yes. I have a heater). 
 

I think my “big” gift I was toying with was a transport lsd.  I have been getting some wheel spin (?) during hard acceleration under hard cornering. Was going to check my preloads next time the car was up in the air to try and confirm is the lsd. 
 

since my mechanical skills are limited. Was going to go the @BlakeJ route and have Steve perks source a new diff from caterham and drop the transport into it and ship the whole unit to me.  And try to install myself ?  Likely with panicked calls to you all to get it installed. Roughly £3,000 plus shipping. For the lsd, diff and install) As suggested maybe have him tap a dif drain plug for future service.  
https://www.tracsport.com/lsds

I didn’t like the idea of trying to find a transmission person who would know what to do with this thing. As well as have her off the road for extended persons of time with the diff out.  
 

not 100% committed. Want to check the preloads and confirm it’s the lsd first but seems to make sense. 

 

[Croc]

@CBuffWhich diff do you have?  Sierra Ford 7 inch or 2010 BMW 1 Series with Titan internals?  Your car’s age plus the fact the LSD failed so early leads me to think you have a BMW diff, which is different to Blake.  You may have a warranty claim too - the Titan internals have been well known for failing early.  

 

Different diffs mean different driveshafts.   
 

Have not heard of a Tracsport diff going into a BMW housing but I’m sure it’s possible.  Also you would want to check what final drive you want as this is a good opportunity to make a change. 
 

It is possible to do Wrexler and Wavetrac internals into the Caterham BMW diff plus take the final drive ratio from 3.9 to 3.6. 

[CBuff]

I told Steve it was a bmw 3.91 unit. And he didn’t mention any issues. The 3.6 would give me higher rpms correct ?  I am already ripping at 4100 rpm at 80.  Hate to bump that higher even if it puts me in a better power band on track. 
 

I mentioned the diff situation to Greg @time machine. He was surprised it happened so quickly (12 track days 9900 miles).  
 

i want to get it up on stands and check preloads and try and confirm it’s actually the lsd that’s the cause of the issue.  It’s certainly still drivable so won’t rush to take it off the road.  But will flush out my options. 

[Croc]

3 minutes ago, CBuff said:

I told Steve it was a bmw 3.91 unit. And he didn’t mention any issues. The 3.6 would give me higher rpms correct ?  I am already ripping at 4100 rpm at 80.  Hate to bump that higher even if it puts me in a better power band on track. 
 

I mentioned the diff situation to Greg @time machine. He was surprised it happened so quickly (12 track days 9900 miles).  
 

i want to get it up on stands and check preloads and try and confirm it’s actually the lsd that’s the cause of the issue.  It’s certainly still drivable so won’t rush to take it off the road.  But will flush out my options. 

A 3.6 will lower revs. If it were me I would drop from 3.9 but check road speeds via a gear calc spreadsheet.  I can attach one here if you need. 
 

I’m not surprised it failed.  10-12K is all you can expect from the Titan internals on average. They are poor quality.  I have a BMW/Titan diff on the workbench that failed at 4400 miles.  Explore the warranty with Greg but your mileage probably eliminates that option.  
 

Look to buy a whole new unit and then replace your existing.  You can then rebuild what you have and sell to offset cost. 
 

[BlakeJ]

I too, have the 3.91 BMW diff, which had the Titan internals. Now have a BMW diff with tracsport lsd. Happy with it for the past few seasons. 

[CBuff]

I would be interested in dropping the rpms. Not only my high speed cruising. But on track I am often hitting the limiter in 4th. And sometimes end up going to 5th very briefly but I think the extra shift negates any time advantage.  

[MV8]

I expect the rpm would drop about 300 or you'll be going 6 mph faster at 4100.

[Kitcat]

I recall an ancient comment (urban legend?) to the effect that inside wheel spin can help the car rotate better in turns?

 

At least on mildly powered cars. My Xflow had 96 hp and occasional inside wheel spin at track days, with wide, sticky track tires. It seemed to suit the car’s softer street set up and did not hurt lap times. And it added lightness….

[Croc]

2 hours ago, Kitcat said:

I recall an ancient comment (urban legend?) to the effect that inside wheel spin can help the car rotate better in turns?

 

At least on mildly powered cars. My Xflow had 96 hp and occasional inside wheel spin at track days, with wide, sticky track tires. It seemed to suit the car’s softer street set up and did not hurt lap times. And it added lightness….

Yes there is some truth to that.  Requires more of a ‘V’ shape cornering shape than the usual arc.  
 

The other trick was to use a spool diff and make the front soft and rear stiff so that the inside rear would lift up on hard cornering allowing the car to rotate quicker as you only had one wheel touching track surface.  The spool would then help traction out of the corner once both wheels were back on tarmac.  Again a V shape cornering shape works best. Spools are normally found on a drag strip.  

[Marek]

On 12/1/2025 at 8:41 AM, Kitcat said:

I recall an ancient comment (urban legend?) to the effect that inside wheel spin can help the car rotate better in turns?

 

 

On 12/1/2025 at 11:04 AM, Croc said:

Yes there is some truth to that.  Requires more of a ‘V’ shape cornering shape than the usual arc.  

 

From my years in direct-drive karts, I can tell you they only turn by unloading the inside rear wheel.  The rear grip is high enough to over-power the front, causing the kart to push.  But the engines are rarely at a rev range where there is enough on-demand torque to rotate the kart with the loud pedal.  If you don't unload the inside rear, you will scrub the fronts into the corner and find yourself braking far sooner than everyone lapping faster than you.  Doing this successfully requires both a setup and line as @Croc suggests.

 

I have never attempted this on a conventionally sprung vehicle.  I'd expect doing it consistently in differing corners would be very difficult.

Edited December 3, 2025 by Marek

[NSXguy]

No solid plans, but i may get tempted to efi the old trusty xflow before spring time... We'll see. 

[Croc]

1 hour ago, NSXguy said:

No solid plans, but i may get tempted to efi the old trusty xflow before spring time... We'll see. 

 

What is your short list of products for this?  Any target goal for incremental hp?

[wdb]

8 hours ago, NSXguy said:

No solid plans, but i may get tempted to efi the old trusty xflow before spring time... We'll see. 

 

There's a fellow on the Elan forum who decided to try this because his Webers were acting up. He quickly became overwhelmed. It's doable, but it is not as simple as bolting on throttle bodies. Which is what I think the other fellow may have had in mind when he chose the path! Fuel system changes, sensors for control, an ECU, wiring... it adds up.

 

That said, I believe there are kits that can get you pretty much everything you need,  and I would love to follow along if you decide to take the plunge.

Edited December 3, 2025 by wdb

[NSXguy]

3 hours ago, wdb said:

 

There's a fellow on the Elan forum who decided to try this because his Webers were acting up. He quickly became overwhelmed. It's doable, but it is not as simple as bolting on throttle bodies. Which is what I think the other fellow may have had in mind when he chose the path! Fuel system changes, sensors for control, an ECU, wiring... it adds up.

 

That said, I believe there are kits that can get you pretty much everything you need,  and I would love to follow along if you decide to take the plunge.

 

I don't have any problems with my Dcoes and efi conversion is not difficult for me other than allocating the time. I will happily buy the bits from the overwhelmed fellow to potentially save some costs :-)

[NSXguy]

10 hours ago, Croc said:

 

What is your short list of products for this?  Any target goal for incremental hp?

 

Not a short list i admit, but...

-Fuel swirl pot (major considering would be where to place the fuel swirl pot (in the rear or reluctantly but more convenient in the engine bay)

-low pressure lift pump

-high pressure fuel pump

-fuel filter

-high pressure rated fuel lines supply and return (thankfully i already ran hard lines when i refreshed my 7)

-fuel pressure regulator

-Fuel injectors

 

Ignition (distributorless wasted spark or modify spare dizzys for cam signal to do sequential spark and fuel)

- Crank trigger kit (either DIY or order online)

- Ford VR crank sensor

- Ford coilpacks

 

Air intake

-DCOE style induction units with TPS (although i've considered a custom plenum and single TB... will try not to get carried away)

-Throttle cable mounting (unless DBW is utilitized, then just wiring to TPS and PPS)

 

Hardware & wiring

-New wiring harness, fuses, relays and sensors (IAT, water, TPS, 2x map if doing plenum with TMF)

-Related - Driveline considerations; Gearbox is rebuilt so should be good and clutch is newer so should handle load just fine

-other bits and bobs, misc hardware to make everything fit. 

 

Engine management

- Multiple options(lots inexpensive or even good second hand), but will likely wire to accept emtron SL4 as thats what i have running the cossie and it's a solid package( probably overkill but i already have the ecu)

 

If i do a plenum and single throttle body, i can then set it up for DBW with emtron's proprietory TMF air flow modelling strategy (which i'm using on the cossie) for oem level performance such as cold start/idle/part throttle driveability as well as increased flexibility on torque modeling/delivery... again depends on how carried away i want to get.  ITBs would probably be the quickest solution to launch with and then next winter if i wanted to play around with plenum/DBW, can do that. 

 

Plan would be to keep power and loading in a way that doesn't overwhelm the standard rear end. I would think a reliable 150/160 is feasible on a 16XX the race spec Xflow. 

 

 

[demoray]

I'll be replacing the oil catch can with a unit I bought from Mocal, but I have to fabricate a new bracket to mount it.

 

Investigating replacing my harnesses is on the short list as well, such that I will be ready for the usa7s outing at NJMP.

[Croc]

32 minutes ago, NSXguy said:

 

Plan would be to keep power and loading in a way that doesn't overwhelm the standard rear end. I would think a reliable 150/160 is feasible on a 16XX the race spec Xflow. 

 

 

 

Thats the type of comprehensive thinking to develop a well-thought out work plan that some many on here could readily learn from - nicely done!

 

[desr]

Ordered the LED rear tail lamp kit from Just Add Lightness, https://justaddlightness.co.uk/product/caterham-7-rear-light-cluster-led-upgrade-kit/ , considering upgrade to CF dash as previous owner attached an ownership plaque to the dash and after it was removed the faded dash highlights the rectangular area where the plaque was. Haven't considered any power upgrades as the car was modified when i purchased it and move very quickly and responsively.

[CBuff]

3 hours ago, NSXguy said:

 

Not a short list i admit, but...

-Fuel swirl pot (major considering would be where to place the fuel swirl pot (in the rear or reluctantly but more convenient in the engine bay)

-low pressure lift pump

-high pressure fuel pump

-fuel filter

-high pressure rated fuel lines supply and return (thankfully i already ran hard lines when i refreshed my 7)

-fuel pressure regulator

-Fuel injectors

 

Ignition (distributorless wasted spark or modify spare dizzys for cam signal to do sequential spark and fuel)

- Crank trigger kit (either DIY or order online)

- Ford VR crank sensor

- Ford coilpacks

 

Air intake

-DCOE style induction units with TPS (although i've considered a custom plenum and single TB... will try not to get carried away)

-Throttle cable mounting (unless DBW is utilitized, then just wiring to TPS and PPS)

 

Hardware & wiring

-New wiring harness, fuses, relays and sensors (IAT, water, TPS, 2x map if doing plenum with TMF)

-Related - Driveline considerations; Gearbox is rebuilt so should be good and clutch is newer so should handle load just fine

-other bits and bobs, misc hardware to make everything fit. 

 

Engine management

- Multiple options(lots inexpensive or even good second hand), but will likely wire to accept emtron SL4 as thats what i have running the cossie and it's a solid package( probably overkill but i already have the ecu)

 

If i do a plenum and single throttle body, i can then set it up for DBW with emtron's proprietory TMF air flow modelling strategy (which i'm using on the cossie) for oem level performance such as cold start/idle/part throttle driveability as well as increased flexibility on torque modeling/delivery... again depends on how carried away i want to get.  ITBs would probably be the quickest solution to launch with and then next winter if i wanted to play around with plenum/DBW, can do that. 

 

Plan would be to keep power and loading in a way that doesn't overwhelm the standard rear end. I would think a reliable 150/160 is feasible on a 16XX the race spec Xflow. 

 

 

Skid plates and knobby tires ? (Is this joke running out of steam?).

 

I will stay quiet, with these upgrades and you making it more to the track, I’ll be at the back of the pack soon enough.