Caterham R500 build - a month on

[Simon.Rogers1]

Daniel you have mail.

[Simon.Rogers1]

Dan

 

I have a brand new one in a box you can have. Sorry forgot it was there and then re reading the sorry tale made me go and look.

 

Its now on my desk waiting for an address to ship it to.

 

Preferably not Caterham so that it doesn't get lost!

[Guest]

So I've heard back from Dean...

 

Apparently the fuel pump is being delivered to the Midlands today (Friday) and they are aiming to have the car IVA ready next week.

 

I really hope so - and they are going to keep me posted on this target.

[evotell]

They say that "Hope deferred makes the heart grow sad"

 

Give them a call at the end of today Daniel and if the pump isn't in as they said it would be I would suggest you through in the towel. 😳

[6speedmanual]

Did they deliver?

 

Peter

[John Vine]

Quoting 6speedmanual: 

Did they deliver?

 

Peter

And did they keep you informed, one way or the other? We're on the edge of our seats here....

 

JV

[Guest]

No idea - Dean is away until Monday. I trust he's not telling me porkies based on the conversations I've had with him to date, so I'll leave it in his capable hands.

 

If the fuel pump has now not arrived and Dean has started to delay me by telling me porkies, then there will be trouble

[Ozzy]

Sounds like more bull**** to me!

 

Surely, if the pump had arrived, and the bloke had it in his hands, he'd have been straight on the blower to you after all the trouble!

 

 

[evotell]

So what the action plan on Monday Dan if the pump hasn't arrived?

 

In my experience of dealing with Caterham since 1975 is they are MASTERS of delaying tactics played out through silence.

 

It must be getting close to drawing lines in the ground and taking control of this nasty situation.

[Guest]

Quoting evotell: 

So what the action plan on Monday Dan if the pump hasn't arrived?

I'll cross that bridge if (or when) it comes to it.

Quoting evotell: 

It must be getting close to drawing lines in the ground and taking control of this nasty situation.

I have tried everything possible to take control of it, but without CC buying a fuel pump in a third of a year it leaves my hands tied. That is aside from asking for all my money back (which I've already done at one point), but this would mean the build and blog were as advertised "character building" but otherwise pointless.

[bluenose]

Like most things it will get sorted eventually, and then you will hopefully have most of the summer to enjoy it. Lesson learnt, don't buy a kit from Caterham, but you have probably already decided that anyway. Sad that Caterham is operating in this way

 

It seems that all the independent Seven places are picking up plenty of work as they all seem to offer the service Caterham can't. Had a fantastic morning at Boss Racing with lots of other 7 owners, brilliant service, loads of knowledge and detailed expertise. Once you have got the car up and running then there is a great deal of choice in the south and really once out of warranty you should never need to deal with them again:

 

Boss Racing

Automotive Engineering

Redline

Atree Autos

PGM

James Whiting

Tech 7

Ratrace

 

To name a few. Please don't ask for your money back, you deserve this great car, although Caterham do not deserve any more of your custom.

 

Nick

 

[Guest]

Quoting bluenose: 

Like most things it will get sorted eventually, and then you will hopefully have most of the summer to enjoy it. Lesson learnt, don't buy a kit from Caterham, but you have probably already decided that anyway. Sad that Caterham is operating in this way

The main issue right now is the fuel pump isn't in stock and this is specific to R500's regardless of kit or factory build... However, I ordered my car (kit) in Sept 13 and it was delivered on 3rd Feb 14.

 

I cannot believe that all R500 customers have been patiently waiting since first week of January 2014 for their cars due to the fuel pump being out of stock. And I'd love to know if anyone has had a new R500 delivered this year...

 

Edited by - Roadracer1977 on 26 Apr 2014 16:55:21

[Martin J]

Lesson learnt, don't buy a kit from Caterham, but you have probably already decided that anyway. Sad that Caterham is operating in this way

 

I would agree with that Nick. I think Daniel's blog will put people off building a caterham from a kit. I have done it once & enjoyed it but would not do it again. It isn't worth the extra trouble & when all costs are taken into account I don't think it saves you any money.

When this pump finally turns up Daniel & is fitted you will be on the home stretch & you can look forward to the 7 in your garage.

Will it have a cherished reg no?

[Guest]

Quoting Martin Jeffrey: 

& when all costs are taken into account I don't think it saves you any money.

It was more of "it's something to do over the winter" than money saving which made me decide on a kit... However, now I want to drive the darn thing! 😔

 

Quoting Martin Jeffrey: 

Will it have a cherished reg no?

Yes - R500 WOT (wide open throttle)

 

Edited by - Roadracer1977 on 26 Apr 2014 17:59:19

[colindavies56]

luv it

[Grubbster]

Do they have the seats yet?

[John Vine]

Quoting Roadracer1977: 

I cannot believe that all R500 customers have been patiently waiting since first week of January 2014 for their cars due to the fuel pump being out of stock.

Well, either that or RBs...

 

It might be worth asking Jon Vicker when the R500 that Mark W spotted was made.

 

JV

 

 

[Guest]

Quoting Grubbster: 

Do they have the seats yet?

I'd agreed prior to delivery with Tony Mills (parts) that he would remove the carbon kevlar seats and supply the 620R seats and I would pay the difference.

 

The 620R seats were delivered but they had 'wright' and an order number on the outer packaging. Tony called me to advise the seats I'd received were actually pre-production prototypes, and they needed them back immediately. I was reluctant to let them take them back, but Tony became very aggressive and assured me they were definitely pre-production prototypes. He also assured me I would get a set of seats by end of February, so I agreed to allow them to collect, and the seats were subsequently collected within four hours - this was the fastest response I've had to any missing part or other dealing I've had with Caterham... Which really made me wonder if they were 'pre-production prototypes'... So I rang Steve Tillet (I've dealt with him before about karting seat inserts) he told me Caterham had received a delivery of production ready 620R seats the day before my kit would've been packed onto the delivery van..!

 

This really cheesed me off, as not only was I short of parts - they also had the cheek to take parts back too. To say this took a shine off the delivery would be a massive understatement.

 

Anyway, throughout the build I chased my replacement 620R seats probably 30 times, always getting a no we haven't got them or the 620R cars are taking priority over your seats.

 

At PBC stage James Gibson told me I couldn't have them as they were 620R specific and there was no chance in hell I'd get them. This is where I saw red and the sh1t hit the fan...

 

On the smooth over call from Dean Francis, he tried to get me to agree to not having the 620R seats. At which point I told him if I don't get the seats, I don't want the car... He said he'd get back to me about this issue as to quote him "they don't want to sell you these seats Daniel".

 

He eventually did come back to me, and CC have agreed to "let me buy" the seats from them! Thanks (sarcastic)! I believe this is a pure one off and they will not be allowing other customers to purchase 620R seats / harnesses etc etc as they want to keep these sort of bits specific to the 620R.

 

And in answer to your question Steve I don't know if they have them!

 

Edited by - Roadracer1977 on 26 Apr 2014 18:34:52

[Martin J]

Good grief, caterham have dug themselves into a right hole with your R500.

Unbelievable.

 

[DJ.]

If I were you, I'd get hold of Simon Roger's fuel pump, and get Caterham to put some standard Tillets in the car to get it through IVA and start driving it. It is hard to see how they can refuse to pay for the pump as you've been offered it through Blatchat, and the glass fibre bog standard Tillets are quite comfortable enough to use for a few months until you get the right seats.

 

It is outrageous how they are treating you, but par for the course. In 1990 I tried to but a Seven and the salesman was such an a**e that I bought a Westfield. Unfortunately, the Caterham is (when build properly and all the parts supplied), a very good car and what I allways wanted, so 3 years ago I went back to them. I was lucky just a noisy diff, leaking damper, dud rear brake caliper and ungreased front wheel bearings

 

Now I'm out of warranty, I'm enjoying the car a lot, and I'm sure you will eventually

 

Duncan

 

Edited by - DJ. on 26 Apr 2014 19:55:32

 

Edited by - DJ. on 26 Apr 2014 19:56:16

[BigCol]

as the yoof of today say OMG WTF...

 

Daniel, I have commented before that the part shortages, poor instructions etc are things you look back at as part of the rite of passage of building a 7 but what you've gone through is absolutely ridiculous.

 

Your tolerance is astonishing and the manner in which you have been treated - with at best disingenuous comments to stall you, at worst bare-faced lies - having spanked well over 40 big ones is an abolsulte disgrace.

 

The car I hope you will be enjoying soon should be sufficient to make the memory of the grief disappear rapidly but if it isn't sorted very, very soon, you must be totally justified in telling Caterham to foxtrot oscar and give you your money back.

 

Best of luck!

 

[John Vine]

Quoting Martin Jeffrey: 

I think Daniel's blog will put people off building a caterham from a kit.

That's a very apposite comment. I'm beginning to wonder whether CC see the kit-car side of their business as nothing more than a pain in the 🙆🏻. It wouldn't be a first, of course -- Colin Chapman felt the same way about the 7, even though it kept his company afloat while he moved upmarket with the racing stuff. I'm also left wondering whether CC are attempting to grow too fast. F1 team, yes, but basic supply-chain management, NO. I've built two 7s in my time, and would happily do a third (in principle), but Daniel's experience is all too sobering.

 

JV

[6speedmanual]

The mere suggestion that they want to reserve some parts for exclusive use on 620R fills me with a sense of disquiet.

The following thoughts rattle around:

#The supply chain for these seats and harnesess is not well estanlished and they are basically a one-off or small batch.

# Reserved goodies for top of range cars to make people have to buy the car when actually it's an unrealistic excess for most.

# Failure to add profit to the business by making lucrative upgrades available across all models.

# Fundamental inability to let new and used buyers specify their car.

It used to be possible if one wanted to fit R500 carbon kevlar seats in an R300. Why not? Customer pays, CC make more profit, customer gets car to spec of his dreams. Everyone happy.

Now a R500 buyer wants to SPEND MORE MONEY on seats - told he can't have them or at least if supplied only grudgingly! What a lot of cox they are to have this 80110X attitude.

If they took their blinkers off they could do much better.

 

I can't help but think if you did reject the car it would pretty quickly appear in their used stock at full list price with, guess what, fuel pump.... after all they wouldn't want that money tied up in non-saleable stock.

 

I don't write this stuff to take chip at CC. It's more because of a sense of despair at some of their antics.

 

Peter

 

[Mark w]

Quoting Roadracer1977: 

And I'd love to know if anyone has had a new R500 delivered this year...

 

Edited by - Roadracer1977 on 26 Apr 2014 16:55:21

 

Daniel

As I have said before , I believe you have the last R500 , the 620R has replaced orders at the top of the spec list . CC told me they haven't taken any R500 orders since shortly after the 620 was announced .

[Guest]

Quoting Mark W: 

I believe you have the last R500 , the 620R has replaced orders at the top of the spec list . CC told me they haven't taken any R500 orders since shortly after the 620 was announced .

well I've heard that they hadn't even taken 10 orders of the 620R up to a couple of weeks ago (however I can't validate that figure).

 

And if mine is the last R500 then that would surprise me as they are still advertising it on their website and on the current price list. Even if it is, they've certainly let it go with a bang 😬