wanted caterham!!!!

[tarheelturbo]

i am looking for a caterham superlight R or SV superlight R400... but am open to other options. i'm trying to find out whats out there. and looking to get my hands dirty and see what this crazy car is all about. i know you guys are a tight nit community. i just spoke with ben up at caterham usa today and he referred me to your website to inquire. so i'm looking for some help as well as guidance.

i also have a 1998 supercharged corvette.. 618whp mint condition.. that i am looking to sell or trade towards a caterham. didn't know if anyone would be interested in that. but i thought i would mention it

[sdca7]

Welcome, and good luck! I also went from a C5 vette to a caterham. I do miss the power, but the overall driving experience is so much better! Take your time finding one, and ask lots of questions. As I'm sure you know with your vette, the cost of restoring/upgrading to what you're satisfied with can be more than the initial investment, so find out what you want before you buy.

 

Justin

 

 

[slngsht]

heh, fellow vette owner! there are a few of us here. I kept my C5 and bought an off brand se7en. and just to make sure I don't miss the power when I'm not driving the vette, dropped a LS1 in my seven :thumbs: hmmm... i wonder if your supercharger will fit on my seven :leaving:

 

SteveT's old Caterham is for sale... it's not a superlight I don't think but it's a very nice car.

 

Good luck with the search.

[Avery Waterman]

SteveT's old Caterham for sale is not a superlight. But it's a very nice car! Sandy

[tarheelturbo]

thank you guys for the warm welcome and the immediate response.. i really appreciate that!

well questions..

if i were to go to an off brand whats out there? whats forsale? and whats the best? i am looking for a more extreme ride if possible.. 400bhp per ton plus.. my ideal car would be a sc chassis car with r500 power to weight.. haha.. or a superlight r500... but like i said i'm willing to consider other options.. so one of you mentioned doing an off brand so some information would be great! and what type of power options are you seeing out there??

 

and 2 of you mention steve t's car.. whats the info on that car? year? model? specs? location?

[slngsht]

There are many good options... before I start, "off brand" was my way of putting down my own car - as it has been hacked extensively .

 

The other brands have many strong points of their own with a wide range of powertrains.

 

Here are the most popular ones in the US in alphabetical order:

 

Birkin: Someone more familiar with it can chime in... I'm not sure if they are sold new in the US??? Birking and Westfield are more traditional sevens.

 

Stalker: GM 3800 based powertrain... SuperStalkers use the S/C version. Very simple and very fast.

 

WCM Ultralite: Mainly Honda S2000 package. contact forum member 7evin or WestTexasS2K about those. They ran a supercharged version in One Lap of America this year and finished 3rd! To give you an idea what 385 rwhp does in a seven, Kevin recorded 166MPH at the back straight at VIR. I know an instructor with a 450 RWHP head/cam C5 Z who told me he does about 140 at that point.

 

Westfield: long history of making quality sevens. partnership with flying miata. performance options there are the turbo miata package, or if you want to get adventurous, I think you can get them with busa motors.

 

There are quite a few more and hopefully members will chime in with more info...

 

DEALERS AND MANUFACTURERS: If you want to chime in here about your products, please identify yourselves regarding what you sell...

 

My advice to you... sit in a few to make sure you fit and you like the general car.

 

It is EASY to make these cars go STUPID FAST - but not as easy if there is not enough pedal room, etc...

[Al N.]

tarheel-

 

Going the Superlight route as your first Se7en is definitely "diving in with both feet". But it's been done...

 

I think most people would suggest getting into a Se7en of lower tune as your first car, but you might be used to the thrust of your Vette...remember there is always the motor swap route (cue Mazda...).

 

 

 

[tarheelturbo]

thank you guys again for all the information. i have been looking through some of the available manufacterers.. and i feel like there is soo much to choose from! haha.. now looking at that, i would be open to a ultralite s2k, or the ultralite xr7 they both seem like amazing cars and i like the idea of that motor! also a westfielg aerosport or megabusa seems like a really awesome way to go. so i'm open to any of that. i was looking through what birkin has to offer, and i'm not sure what is offered in the states. they seem like awesome cars though!

please keep the info coming and any more information on available cars. thank you guys .. i appreiciate you welcoming me into your community!

 

brad

[JohnCh]

If you want big power, you might want to consider the Westfield Miata Doug is selling here. The Flyin Miata boys are running one of their turbo kits on their Westfield Miata and it is reportedly stupid fast.

 

-John

[powderbrake]

Welcome tarheelturbo. I also have a 98 Vette convertible, no supercharger though, and I love my seven.

 

There are lots of choices out there. as slngsht said "it is easy to make these cars go stupid fast" They can get you in trouble quickly if you are not careful.

 

The design and weight give them the handling, the motor makes them go faster than stink, but it's the tires that get you around the corner and off the line quickly.

 

Even the mildest engined seven can benefit greatly from a set of slicks, and the monster engined sevens can't use it all even with slicks.

 

So, you need to think what you want it for. Track duty only, cruising the twisties, or a combo of both. Lurk around the site, read the for sale section, and get to know the folks here. See if someone in your area will give you a ride in a seven. You need to see if you can fit in it OK.

[slngsht]

Also, the seven is not a substitute for your vette - COMPLETELY different. After a long drive in the seven, I cruise in a vette, and I really appreciate how smooth the vette is.

 

On the other hand, on the same road, same corner, where I feel like the vette is a handling machine, and glued to the road, I go in the seven, and it feels pretty uneventful. Then I look at the speedo, and I was actually going faster.

 

 

[tarheelturbo]

i just wanted to thank you guys again for all your help and information. it really has given me alot to look at. i've narrowed my search down a little bit. and i know that some of you dissagree on getting such a powerful car as my first 7 but.. lets face it i like stupid fast, and i'm stubborn! hahaha

so i think its between a caterham superlight R 400 or 500 if i could find a deal on the 500

or a westfield aerosport or megabusa.. i would be open to the idea of both

and finally i think the best bang for buck i've found is the wcm ultralite s2k which at the moment i'm leaning towards the hardest

 

i'm really looking for some feedback on these cars, based on any knowledge you guys have. and personal experience. if you've owned any of them. i want to know as much real world information as i can about them. i have an appoiuntment to see doug's westfield mazda this weekend. i think that will help me know if i want a westfield or not. and as far as the others. i'm working on it. if anyone has a car in the NC area i would love to see it. and also i'm looking for anyone thats considering selling any of these 3 cars.

thanks again! i can't wait to get behind the wheel of one of these scream machines

[slngsht]

Make sure you talk to the bike guys about the reverse setup, as most don't come with a stock solution - you either have to carry the trunk monkey to push you back, or get the quaiffe box, or some other rigged solution.

 

bike engined sevens can be fast, and I'm sure (no first hand experience - none of those guys would ever let me drive their car :lol: ) a hoot to drive fast, but make sure you talk to those guys about what it's like cruising on the highway if you are going blating (our term for cruises).

 

How far is VIR from you? Try contacting forum member R1 Seven. His car is a track-only car, powered by a Yamaha R1, and very well built. He has also posted quite a few videos of his track sessions.

[JohnCh]

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the brands you mentioned. Just go with the one that moves you the most and that doesn’t completely demolish your budget. You always need to leave a little available for upgrades – even if you go with a new build

 

If you plan to use the car a lot on the street, then do your best to try a bike-engined car before you buy. In addition to the points Mazda raised, the clutch engagement is supposed to be a lot touchier than a car-engined setup. Some people are fine with this around town and others hate it. Definitely down to personal preference, so it’s good to know yours before you commit your money.

 

-John

 

[JBH]

I gotta ask - where in NC are you?

 

If you are anywhere near Raleigh, send me a PM and I'll take you for a ride in my Superlight R - I can let you experience it at speed on the track at VIR. That should give you a pretty good sense of what the car can do.

 

Going the Superlight route as your first Se7en is definitely "diving in with both feet". But it's been done...

 

LOL - by me for one. Despite having a lot of experience on the track with everything from a Porsche turbo to a vintage Formula Ford, I didn't really know what to expect with the SLR. From the first lap I was amazed by how capable and predictable the car is. It's not until I start passing the M3s, Vettes, Mustangs and Porsches that people start to understand how fast the Seven can be. I think the big difference is the Seven was built as a race car that could be used on the street while these cars were built for the street and converted for track and race.

 

I also suggest you look at and drive Doug's Westfield - he's in Raleigh

[tarheelturbo]

JBH

 

thanks man! i really appreciate that!! i live in greensboro.. or more specifically kernersville. i would love to come see your superlight and take a ride that would be a blast! i have plans to visit doug and see and drive the mazda sport of his this sunday when i'm gonna be in durham meeting my nutritionist. but you let me know whats good for you on the weekend and i will do my best to work around it! if you don't mind me asking what motr tranny setup are you running? anyways.. feel free to give me a call anytime.. its 336 624 0775 and my name is brad! thanks !

[JBH]

Brad:

 

This weekend is busy. but the one after should work. If you want to go to VIR, I'll be there Aug. 23 and 24. The track is about an hour and twenty minutes from you. We are very lucky to have such a great track and excellent facility so close by.

 

The motor is the 2.0 liter Zetec with individual throttle bodies, higher compression, EFI and I think a more aggressive cam. The transmission is a Caterham close ratio 6 speed. My car is a late 2002 that was built by Caterham USA as a journalist test car - one article appearing in a February 2003 Autoweek edition. I have owned the car almost exactly one year - it has been (knock on wood) trouble free and very reliable.

 

 

[tarheelturbo]

ok... that sounds good to me.. i have to be back down in durham again next sunday. so we can work something out. give me a call when you get a chance.

well the car sounds really awesome!! i can't wait to see it! i don't know though. i think seeing all these cars in person is going to either make the decision very very hard or very easy! haha ..