Matty7 Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Evening,Perhaps I'm missing someting obvious but is there an easy way to tell which chassis I have? I recently picked up an almost bare chassis, provided by CC in 2006/2007 as a "starter kit" but I can't work out it's age, if it's metric, Arch etc or not. Is there something on the VIN that's a giveaway?Unfortunately CC have been on answerphone for 2 weeks so no joy there...Matty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Line Components Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 This is covered in the 'Guides' section http://www.lotus7.club/guides/frequently-asked-questions/chassis-numbers-what-do-they-mean Good luck :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpa Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 There are codes on the post next to the drivers right shoulder (just in front of the roll cage).These show the year and type of chassis. The VIN (along with the guide above) will show what the car was originally when registered. The chassis code is more accurate, tho'. Post it here or call Arch Motors for what it means :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesElliott Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Given the year (the change was in 2007), your chassis is almost certainly Arch made and imperial. The easy way to recognise metric vs imperial is to look at the lower horizontal chassis tube in the rear wheel arch, the one that the rear ARB is bolted to. If it's round for the full length, it's imperial, if it's square halfway, then changes to round, it's metric.Assuming your chassis is imperial, it will have AMXX stamped on the seatbelt mounting boss, where AM is Arch Motors and XX is the jig number used (bet it is 02). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_h Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Or in the engine bay.Arch chassis have the tube from tunnel to front corner of engine bay.Metric have 4 small tubes cutting each corner of the engine bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty7 Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thanks all, hadn't spotted the FAQ guide!It works out that I have a RHD, DeDion chassis, Kit build, Alternative chassis supplied without engine or gearbox in 2001 as a starter kit made by Arch Motors jig number 02 and it's imperial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpa Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Hmm - what are you hoping to use it for?Does it have a registration number associated with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty7 Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 No registration number, no anything in fact - inc keys, documents etc. Did find several reciepts for bits from Caterham though so know it's all legit.To be honest as to what I'm going to do with it is up in the air. It was a real spur of the moment impusle purchase as I had actually gone along to see an old Porsche that was advertised as a restoration project. I spotted the 7 chassis and some boxes of bits in a dark corner of a barn and made an offer that was fankly a bit cheeky but the lady seller just wanted everything gone from her barn asap so she said yes.The boxes needed transporting and only got here this weekend. One suprise is that the box of new bits included a carbon dash, stack unit, tunnel top and weather gear - all things I'd not spotted. Most of that covers my risk so I'm happy.Bigger suprise was a shite covered engine and gearbox. Handn't expected them! All I can tell from the engine at the moment is that it's a K-series with a dry sump, but so covered in animal s**t (litterally a barn find!) that I'm not doing any closer investigation until it's steam cleaned and disinfected! Could be 1.4, 1.6 or 1.8 - anyones guess. Got two inlet manifolds with it and most parts from what I can work out, inc ecu.Gearbox i can tell from pictures seems to be a Caterham 6-speed with drysump bell housing but the swirl tower is missing - i'll be putting a call into Caterham parts about that once I know the box and engine are still viable. Caterham 7 - the bird s**t model! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpa Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 That's potentially quite a result!Is there a number on the pedal box housing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty7 Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Actually yes there is, it looks to be the same as the VIN number though the middle 4/5 digits of the series are barely visable due to this being one of only 3 areas (other being the DeDion tube and rear anti-roll bar) that rust has got at, I assume because the number must be punched on after the powder coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_h Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Engine looks interesting. 6 speed and caterham motorsport plug cover it looks like with dry sump. Could be quite a nice engine if it's insides are the sort of spec that those bits often go with. What inlets did you get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty7 Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 There were 2 inlets (throttle bodies?) in the box and both have "Rover" stamped on them. From what I can tell they are exactly the same. 1 has injectors etc on it, and the other an ING filter. Both have another rail with a smaller (2 inch or so) round filter on them - not sure what that is, some sort of breather perhaps. I think a fair amount of aftermarket work must have been done on the engine at some point.Pic of the box of engine bits below: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_h Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Cool. Looks very similar to the spec of bits fitted to an SLR or early R400 to me.Would be a result if it is.I'll take it off your hands if you dont want it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpa Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 That is even more of a result!You have 2 sets of Rover VHPD throttle bodies, plus an Emerald ECU, which makes it very likely that it is SLR spec. or similar. If you need help checking out the engine/'box or rest of the drivetrain, feel free to get in touch. Off-topic, if you decide to sell on one of the sets of bodies, I am looking for a set for my car... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty7 Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Well it looks like I've got doubles of quite a bit of kit so the very limited garage space I have means there will be a sale going on sometime soon! I'll give you a heads up on the TB's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Wasnt it the VHPD engines that came with the gold spark plug cover/ insert?! It could be a a VVC, but Supersports had a red cover so its not one of them. Looking at the that suggests to me you have a 1.8VVC or VHPD, 6 speed dry sumped engine. So providing its not a seized mass of rust, you got quite a package there - potentially. Its probably worth you taking the cover of the gearbox and engine to check whether they are useable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Ive got those TB on my engine, they are the SLR type. They are Rover KV7 throttle bodies on a custom inlet manifold. Youve also got a programmable Emerald ECU. Id bet youve found a SLR in a shed! What an amazing find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpa Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 It's not a VVC (cam cover is different).They used the gold MOTORSPORT insert on R500 and possibly SLR/VHPD. Rover throttle bodies were used on SLR (R500 used roller barrels).Sooo.. Could be pukka SLR or more likely to be a breathed on 1.8K If the chassis was bought as an engine-less kit, then probably not a 'standard' VHPD engine. However... There is a VERY good chance that the ECU would have been mapped by Emerald - in which case, they normally put a list of comments on the map to indicate the engine spec and output.It's not too difficult to look at the map on the Emerald. I (or many people runing and Emerald) could check it out for you.Cheers - Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Has the seller got any other outbuildings with nice bits of car in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty7 Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Well finally spoke to someone at CC (been trying for a while) and if the engine does not have a number on the exteriour of it, and vast majority of K-series of this assumed era do not due to the starter location, then the only way of identifying it from the outside is by engine number on VIN which we already know isn't going to happen as my chassis was supplies seperate to any running gear at all. From the description he agreed with the assesment that it's either a factory supplied VHPD from pre-R400 car or it's work being done aftermarket with Caterham supplied parts. Unfortunately no customer references etc to check over old orders and they could/would not do that anyway because of data protection etc.Once it's opened up, which I'm going to commit to as at very least needs proper inspection, then if it's a factory VHPD will become clear. One thing is for sure at this stage is that IF it's a factory supplied VHPD then it is a very early one, last millenium in fact, as the scavenger pump is purple in colour. Apparently these changed to a better gold one later on. The early ones also came without swirl towers that I see in the pictures I've been researching so explains that. Hopefully this doesn't mean it was abandoned due to very high mileage!All in all pointing towards one of the first official VHPD engines. I like that for if not anything else other than the fact they named an engine Very High Performance Derivative. For a newbie like me that's a seriously cool name for an engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty7 Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Sadly no more Caterham related parts or cars, I was in right place at right time for that.Quite a few nice old Porsche were there complete with what felt like hundereds of people from all over Europe looking at them. 1x 911 SC, 1 pre-73 911 (very very very nice and expensive), 1x 912 and one engineless 914. All sold already within 2 weeks of coming onto the market.The lady seller wanted them all gone as they clearly gave bad memories of her departed (never found out what sort of departed but assuming passing) husband, and unfortunately she's not interested in discussing anything about any of the cars so no info on my boxes of bits to come. What I found out on the day was originally there were 2 7's that the boxes of bits I have were spares for. I think he was going to build up a track car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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