'97 Caterham for sale

[Kitcat]

After 4+ years of se7en's bliss I am selling my '97 Caterham. My focus has shifted from a car that is a nice daily driver and holds its own at the track, to a pure track car.

 

SPECS:

 

'97 Caterham Supersprint , licensed and titled in Ohio. It was purchased in New Jersey where it passed that state's challenging license standards and was licensed for the street. It was built by Sevens and Elans, outside Boston.

 

Body: painted midnight blue with red nose band, long cockpit, S3 model, clams, full weather kit (high visability top, side-screens), windshield wipers, standard flat windshield (replaced cracked windshield in '10), heater. (I am keeping the Brooklands screens shown in my avatar photo). Standard Caterham cloth seats (very comfortable). It has 15" "Prisoner" wheels with 2 year old Firestone street tires (195 x 15) w/lots of tread and good grip. When weighed in '07 the car was 1225 lbs.

 

Chassis: De dion rear suspension. Disc brakes front and rear. "Narrow" front track.

 

Powertrain: Transmission 5 speed T9 w/overdrive 5th, open diff, 1700cc Kent Crossflow engine, front oil cooler, rated 135 hp by Caterham, top speed 106 mph, 0-60 in 6.5 secs per contemporary tests. Mileage approx 20-22 mpg highway, 11 mpg at the track, premium gas required. When dyno'd in '07 it made 95 hp, 93 lbs of torque. Thx to a recent tuneup, it makes a bit more now.

 

Engine: is an AX block. These Crossflows have always been (and still are) the engines used in Formula Ford racing (except FF uses 1600cc versions). Redline is 6500 rpm (valve float after that makes it hard to over-rev). Caterham modifies them by boring them out 100 cc, adding a hotter cam (this one has the 234), adding double action valve springs, stellite valves, head porting, and hardening the exhaust seats for unleaded gas.

 

Mine doesn't use much oil. I drove it on a trip to LOG 30 and after the 1500 miles round trip including a long track day, it was down less than a quart. it does puff on start up. A compression check 2 months ago showed 175-80 lbs compression all around. Leaks a bit of oil, natch.

 

Safety: 5 point Caterham belts along with 3 point standard belts. New front brake pads, rear brake light added to existing brake lights (mounted high on roll-over bar), FIA roll-over bar, emergency cut-off switch, honey comb cladding surrounding 9 gallon gas tank, extremely loud dual air horns.

 

Recent maintenance: Less than 50 miles on new oil change filter, less than 500 miles on recent complete nut/bolt check, tune up, lube, new speedo angle drive, brake fluid flush, new plugs, front brake pads, valve adjustment, alignment.

 

Stuff that has broken/been replaced sometime in 4+ years of ownership: Rear axle boots, windshield, clutch slave cylinder, diff fluid, tranny fluid, plug wires, all heater hoses and radiator hoses, upper/lower, solenoid, ignit switch, rebuilt starter, all chassis bushings, oil pump, valve gasket, fan belt, battery.

 

Stuff that the buyer also gets: a set of radiator hoses, 2 engine mounts, a throttle cable barrel (connects throttle cable to throttle and without which car does not move), 4-5 oil filters, throttle return spring. All of this is predictable maintenance and this gives the buyer a head start.

 

Price: asking $23,900. The depreciation hit has already occurred: buy it, drive it, enjoy it, sell it for about what you paid.

 

As may be obvious, this car was well loved and well cared for (always garaged). I have put about 17,000 miles on it. I believe it is in (much) better condition today than the day I bought it, due to constant, vigilant maintenance. Of course there is some road rash that wasn't there 4 years ago, the engine has more miles on it, etc.

 

I used it as a daily driver in nice weather and for the occasional "blat". It also was a track day vehicle 2-5x a year. It does better at the track than its specs wld suggest: it was fairly competitive with the 200 hp se7ens at the NJMP track day event for se7ens last June. It has a beautiful balance between power and handling and is extremely easy to drive at 10/10ths and very forgiving at 11/10ths. It also has a glorious sound.

 

Caveats: Your wife/girlfriend may not love this car as much as you. I'd request that you get their blessing before contacting me. It is a loud, hot, uncivilized car. It is not a Miata and can be a real pain in rain, heavy traffic, hot weather. It will fit folks up to about 6'1", 210 lbs. When used as intended, and where intended, it is peerless, like all se7ens.

 

Photos: Added 9/12/11-see a coupla posts below.

 

Mike Mooney

mjmooney@fuse.net

513-977-4213 days

513-646-8120 cell

Edited September 17, 2011 by Kitcat

[MHKflyer52]

Someone is going to get a great deal with this 7 as everyone that I have ever heard speak about it has always said that it is a very well maintained car and faster than they expected and well sorted.

Good luck with the sale Mike.

[MightyMike]

Good luck with the sale. I saw the pics on your other post - very nice! Mike

[yellowss7]

This is a great looking car from both the front and rear view, and as I spent plenty of time on the track with Mike, I have a lot of video that shows both views. The car does sound great and Seems to be very well set up for the track in Mike's capable hands.

 

Getting a car that's well sorted makes the se7en experience much more enjoyable. Right Mike? :smash:

 

:DTom

[Kitcat]

Thx guys! Yes, a well sorted car is a plus, as I am learning all over again w/my track spec (and basically undriveable) Birkin:). But nothing cubic $'s can't fix!

[Kitcat]

OK, folks, a few photos are (hopefully) attached: including se7en with top off, on, sidescreens only, toneau, etc.

[your uncle jim]

How hard would it be to switch out the wheel covers to ones that just cover the wheels?

[Kitcat]

YUJ:

 

The Prisoner wheels have small wheel covers that fit over the 4 bolts. They are each held in place by a single bolt (visible in the large wheel photo, above). I never use them as I prefer the look without the covers. I hand tightened the bolt onto the covers on one side of the car for a few of the above photos. I have a special tool that snugs them down.

 

Mike

Edited September 13, 2011 by Kitcat

[twobone]

I wonder if he means cycle wings?

[Kitcat]

Ahhh, the old clams vs. cycle wings debate?

 

If so, YUJ, just search "clams" for many discussions on this perennially favorite subject.

 

Basically, it is relatively easy to do, but you then have a cascade of rivet holes up both sides of the car. Those can be filled with plugs. I can say the exercise is purely aesthetic on this car as I have never experienced the dreaded front end lift (car isn't fast enough).

Edited September 14, 2011 by Kitcat

[Kitcat]

Car has generated significant interest but no one willing to part with their money yet.

 

Comments from folks who have driven it include: "It's prettier in person." And: "It's faster than I thought it would be."

 

(Not that I am bragging)

[Dave Nichols]

If I were not going through a divorce at the moment, I would own this car RIGHT NOW!

[Jim F.]

Hi, Dave;

Just read your post on the CCC site and now here on usa7.... I've been indecisive about selling my '02/'03 Caterham DeDeion Zetec Roadsport for the past year or so, but the time has come for me to face reality and realize I won't be using it like I intended to when I had it built in '02. I'll PM you and see if you may be interested....I'm here in Grants Pass and can easily arrange to meet with you and show the car. I'm not available today as we're dealing with the probable death of one of our pets over the weekend, but I'll find the time to contact you imminently.

[Dave Nichols]

Hi Jim,

I'm always sorry to hear about anyone selling their car. I know how much mine meant to me. The funny thing is that I sold my Lotus and THEN my wife decided to divorce me. I COULD HAVE KEPT MY CAR! ARG! Anyway, I can't wait to hear from you regarding your Caterham. Please e-mail me at: dnichols@easyriders.net. Thanks!

[Guest Terry]

Hi Mike How is the car registered? what year and what month?

 

Terry

[Kitcat]

The car is registered as a '98, tho kit was shipped to states in '97. I have a prospective Canadian buyer who contacted Caterham on Friday to see when the kit was manufactured.

 

Apparently, used cars can come to Canada if 15 years old? So my car is right at that point (store for winter, be good to go in spring '12). We are hoping to hear today sometime. If that doesn't work, Chris at Sevens and Elans says he stamped build date on the frame, under the roll-over bar foot. So I will take off bar and see, if Caterham doesn't come thru.

[Guest Terry]

If the car is a 98 I cannot come to Canada till 2013

[Kitcat]

Right, and if it's a '97 it can come in '12, and if '96 (wh/mite be actual year of manufacture), it can some now. Since it was shipped to US in '97 it can be imported sometime nxt year in Canada. Hence the effort to pin down when in '97 (or even '96) it was manufactured.

[Guest Terry]

Here's the problem. The year of most cars is defined by the VIN, however because your car has been registered in a year 98 that it was not manufactured in the Canadian authorities take it to be 98 car.

[Kitcat]

Thx, I will pass that info on to the potential buyer.

 

Edit: Just read Canada's law. It says if the date of vehicle's "manufacture" is not stamped on the vehicle, then buyer must get a letter from the manufacturer as to date of manufacture. The law doesn't mention date of registration, assembly, importation, etc., as being relevant.

 

So, it looks like a letter from Caterham would do the trick.

 

Mike

Edited September 26, 2011 by Kitcat