trough doctor Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Here are a couple of pics of my 1976 Caterham powered by lotus twin cam purchased in fall 2010. I posted pics of the car last fall but the car was dirty and appeared red in the photos. Ive used a polishing compound and swirl removal on the body. The wheels were sanded ( by hand) and painted. The rear fender guards were very grainy and were sanded (by hand). Decided not to go with a mirror finish as it did not seem to blend well with the rest of the car. I have changed the front and rear shocks with new caterham units. Will be looking for new rubber soon. If I go with dot r compounds(r888's) will the clam shells reduce or eliminate gravel in the cockpit? I am strongly considering the sumitomo htr 200 as they are around half the price and 2 pounds lighter. I would assume almost no sand blasting of fenders and cockpit form these tires? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 If I go with dot r compounds(r888's) will the clam shells reduce or eliminate gravel in the cockpit? I am strongly considering the sumitomo htr 200 as they are around half the price and 2 pounds lighter. I would assume almost no sand blasting of fenders and cockpit form these tires? Nice looking car. I like the black panasport wheel look with the silver rim. I have sumitomos on my yellow zetec seven currently. I have cycle wings but they definitely do not kick up much gravel compared to a stickier set of tires. They are good solid performers for touring - transmit what they are doing nice and early and very progressive when breaking away at the limit. Despite this I probably would not have them again - rubber compound is a little too hard for my liking on a seven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowss7 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 (edited) I run clamshells, with the R888's, (although I do have the wide track, front suspension) and I can tell you that I still pick up a load of gravel every time out. Obviously it's much worse when I run the 10 inch slicks, but on the street I get a pretty fair pounding from all the gravel being thrown back into the cockpit. Tom Edited April 15, 2011 by yellowss7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobone Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I struggle with the same question as I need new rubber as well. I think I'm going to go with Toyo RA1 tires as feedback from this group is that they have a softer sidewall than the R888. I'm going to try 205/60/13 rear and 185/60/13 front. I've been running a 185/70 series tire and if I go with 185/60 at the rear, its going to change the rotation/revs ratio quite a bit. This is an outfit in Mississauga that I have used that brings tires up from the states. I think they will do it for 800-900 taxes and instillation included. Whats the price on the Sumitomos? What is the aspect ratio? PS. Your car looks fantastic!. How about pic from under the hood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnyG Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I run Sumitomo HTR 200's for the street on my locost. The sidewalls are very soft, and it is NOT a performance tire. It's a decent driving tire, but not a performance tire at all. They are, indeed, super cheap. I would not buy them again either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11Budlite Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I have to agree with the above comments. I run the HTR 200's on my '64 MGB but I wouldn't use them on the Seven. They're a decent tire but to me it'd be a waste of the Seven's capabilities. From what I understand the HTR 200 has been discontinued so they won't be available for long... PS: Nice looking car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoBoost Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Very nice! From one TC owner to another, engine bay photos would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trough doctor Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 Thanks for the kind words. Although this car is not as fast as my other 7 replica(being put up for sale soon), it handles better, has a nicer ride and makes a great sound. Not to mention rain gear and a windshield. I think the nieghbors like this one better too. I have some tiding up of the engine bay to do. Stay tuned for under bonnet pics. Even though I dont want a steady diet of sand and gravel, i think anything short of a dot r compound will be a disappointment. Is a 205 tire too much for the front of the car? what will i be giving up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trough doctor Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) Sorry twobone, a local shop quoted me $125 plus taxes installed each. He also wasnt sure if he would still be able to get them. It seems you could probably save close to $100 on a set after installation if purchased online. I was looking at the 185 60's. I wanted to keep the same size on all four to allow me to rotate back to front. I am feerful a 205 tire will make the steering feel heavy and dull the overall quickness of the car. Edited April 17, 2011 by trough doctor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I run RA1 205's all around. Steering is very heavy when parking, at speed it is fine. I have the maximum caster as well wh/also makes the steering heavier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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