Hunting For First Car

[JosephClarke]

Hi, looking for a first Caterham, I am based near Norwich UK.

I have a budget of 11,000 but can stretch for the right car.

 

Below in order of importance

De-Dion

120bhp+

Heater

Seats with headrests

Long cockpit

Not red, black or blue

Less than 30k miles.

Green with yellow nose cone and wings.

or Bare aluminum

96 or newer

Cycle Wings

Factory Built

 

 

 

 

 

[Stridey]

I wouldn't worry about factory built, at that price and age it shouldn't make an appreciable difference.

You can convert to cycle wings, mine has been and doesn't have any signs of the five rivet holes down the side as it was resprayed and filled nicely.

i found when I was looking every car in my price range seemed to have cloth seats, I bought leather seats for £150, so don't let your (nice) wish list blinker you too much.

i had a similar budget but ended up paying slightly more for a dealer sourced 7 with fresh respray to my spec, cycle wings and seats fitted. The car was supplied as a kit originally, but delivered to a seven garage who built it.

 Good luck with your search.

[JosephClarke]

Thanks for the Advice, I need to research the kit built vs factory built pro's and con's more I think.

 

[Dorset7]

Factory built or kit built doesn't really matter much, with the age of car you're looking at within your price point if there had been issues with the build they'd probably have come to light already and rectified. 

Don't discount an ex Academy car, I've had three now and they've all been faultless. Just because a car isn't an ex race car doesn't mean it hasn't been abused on track days or on the road. Buy on condition then consider it's age and mileage.

The ex Academy route is cheaper initially and you have the opportunity to make the car as you want it to be over time - view it as a blank canvas. 

 

[shn7]

Joseph,

All good advice above.  Condition is the most important aspect to consider bearing in mind how happy you are to put time and further money in to make it right for you. Every Seven is different and every Seven can updated/modified to meet your requirements.

I'm looking for what will be my 4th Seven at the moment though at a slightly higher budget than you.  While I want more power than I've had before condition is still the most important aspect for me - not that I'm looking for a concourse entry just something that I don't need to strip and rebuild within the first year or three.

[paul jacobs]

Probably not exactly what you want Joseph, but may be worth considering?  I'm thinking of selling my 1992 Vauxhall HPC 16v, with a tad over 30000 miles on the clock.

This is a bit of a special car, as it has the full leather interior, not only 'S' seats, but leather transmission tunnel, dashboard and side panels, it has fully colour coded hood, sidescreens and full tonneau, what look like fairly new HPC wheels and tyres, adjustable AVO shock absorbers front and rear, wide track front end, adjustable Freestyle anti roll bar, big brakes with a competition master cylinder, Aluminium radiator, etc etc.  It is a really nice and very smart car.

I'm looking for offers around £15,250.  I think the general consensus is that good HPC's are begining to increase in value now, and even if they don't , I doubt they will drop any more if kept in good condition, simply because of the bhp per £ they afford.  They were rated at 175bhp when new, though I've never had this on rollers so couldn't say what it actually is.

As I said not quite what you are looking for, but may be worth considering.  I'm afraid I'm a long way from you though, down in Somerset.

If you are interested, bm me with your email address and I'll send some pictures across, same goes, if anyone else is interested, as it isn't the car shown in my avatar.

[JosephClarke]

Thanks for the advice all I will expand my search accordingly, as mentioned I think for me condition is the most important thing in the short term as I want something I can enjoy without having to do loads of work for this summer period. (I am mechanically inclined, have changed clutches head gaskets etc on Eunos Roadster) but really want to just enjoy the car this year.

The HPC sounds lovely but is slightly out of my budget, 12k is my top end.

I am 6 ft 3 tall, I am going to pop to Sevens and classics soon to try the difference between a long cockpit and a standard car as well.

 

Thanks

[paul jacobs]

6'3" could be OK in a standard car, though it depends if you're beamy or not, and whether your height is in your legs or your back.  Let us know how you get on.

[JosephClarke]

Thanks, I am fairly slim build (although not as slim as I used to be.

Still looking for the car, budget of 11k now but as above could stretch for something spot on. I have revised my wish list in priority order.

De-Dion

120bhp+

Heater

Seats with headrests

Long cockpit

Not red, black or blue

Less than 30k miles.

Green with yellow nose cone and wings.

or Bare aluminum

96 or newer

Cycle Wings

Factory Built

[shn7]

Joseph,

Just one point in your revised wish list.  Why Factory Built?  Any car of the age you'll get in your budget will have had any build issues sorted long ago.  It'll make no difference to the value.

Also, if you get a pre-SVA (July 1998) car that was kit built then you will never have to worry about emissions checks at MOT time if it was kit built.  If it was Factory Built then emissions (catalyst) testing will be required if post '94 (from memory)

[JosephClarke]

Ok understood, thanks. Factory built is just a nice to have but by no means essential. The emissions check points are interesting as well.

Cheers

[shn7]

Good luck in your search.

[Ian B]

Good luck with the search, but why limit it to less than 30k miles?

There are some sevens that do very few miles a year, or are SORN'd for several years. Although those have low mileage they may develop other problems due to lack of use.

Equally there are high mileage cars that have been rebuilt (possibly several times), possibly with new chassis parts or panels, and upgraded or replaced mechanicals. In reality there are very few components on a normal seven that are stressed or would wear at anything like the rate that they would in the vehicle they were originally designed to be used in. And, as the cars as so light, even the custom designed parts are under less load than a 'normal' car.

I have had a caterham since new that's now done over 70k, but been re-pannelled and had a new chassis as well as other bits, and apart from the mileometer reading I don't think there's anything to give away the mileage vs a car that's done say 30k and been treated similarly (I'm not a polisher!).

Just thought it worth mentioning in case you dismiss a perfectly good car based on the mileage reading.

[DJ.]

I was going to say the same as Ian, I would prefer a higher mileage newer car to a very low mileage older one.

I would also prefer a home built Seven. The people who build them at home spend a lot more time and take more care than at the factory. Also remember, if an idiot did build it, the free(ish) Post Build Check will correct any errors. So, buy a kit built car with confidence as long as the handbook is stamped showing Caterham did the PBC

One thing missing from your list is the gearbox. If you're considering doing any touring, I would go for the 5 speed over 4 or 6 speed as top gear in those boxes is 1:1 like fourth in the 5 speed.

[SM25T]

.... and 5th is an overdrive 0.82

[Wodybode]

I've recently bought a seven after owning one in the 80's and 90's and also thought I knew exactly what I wanted and had my 'list'. My advice (for what it's worth) is to look at lots of cars, even those not necessarily 'on your list' and talk to as many people as possible. The seven world is very small and dealers survive on their reputation so it's not necessarily like buying a normal car. 

I hope you find something. 

 

[martyn]

I agree with the above.  I thought I was an informed buyer, but after owning a Caterham for a little over a year my perception has changed so much.  I now understand what Caterham ownership is all about and my usage pattern doesn't match what I expected.  Options that I thought were essential I now realise are worthless. And I've also swapped or added many other options that I later discovered I wanted.

For your first car, don't worry so much about the 'must haves'.  You'll end up chopping and changing to get it to the exact spec you want anyway.  With your budget, you'll be waiting many many years before a car comes along that ticks all your boxes.  I suppose you need to decide if you happy to sit and wait, or just jump in and make a car your own.

Also, because resale values are so strong, you can swap the entire car at a later date when a better spec comes along for very little depreciation loss anyway.

One other point on wanting a factory built car..  A 1996 era car, will likely have been stripped and rebuilt (maybe more than once) by now.  This makes the fact that it was first built in the factory largely redundant.  However I can understand the attraction of a factory car (mine is).

[JosephClarke]

Thanks all really appreciated, here is my current list and current thoughts

http://www.sevensandclassics.com/showroom/caterham-7-classic-crossflow/#image-4

Main concern here is the 4 speed and live axle but really like it other than that.

http://www.sevensandclassics.com/showroom/caterham-7-1700-supersprint-2/#image-2

To my eyes perfect but out of budget, if it were 11k would jump on it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272134867352?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I am going to go and look at this car as it is really near me, the millage put me off, not from mechanical perspective but from a resale value, the only slight mechanical concern I would have woud be chassis health. Does the price seem fair at that millage?

Thanks as ever

[DJ.]

I prefer the one you like

Have you tried making them a slightly lower offer for it?

I know it is possible to sell a Seven on without losing much, but if you really like that one, you'll regret buying the others. I would either try to find the extra now, and buy the one you want or wait until a cheaper private car with similar spec turns up.

[JosephClarke]

Are you referring to this one?

http://www.sevensandclassics.com/showroom/caterham-7-1700-supersprint-2/#image-2
 

[DJ.]

Yes, I'd prefer smaller wheels but otherwise the spec looks good and it's a nice looking car

[JosephClarke]

Going to view it tomorrow along with the Classic they have for sale.

Thanks

[simonpa]

Hmm - you are looking at some ooold stuff.
However, a xflow on twin 40s does sound fantastic!

I see the ebay car has completed - did you look at it?
Again, it's pretty old and lower spec than your wants by a long way.

I happen to be in the middle of a refurb of a Y2000 1.6 K-series, if you are interested?

It's amazingly clean, especially the chassis and underside, which has been waxoyled since new.
68k miles, but with new shocks, bearings and brakes, it will ride/handle like new.
Engine is very strong and has had 285H cams and verniers fitted by DVA - power is 150ish.
Powerspeed 4:2:1 exhaust sounds great and would help release another 15-20 horses with throttle bodies.  Emerald programmable ECU and modified EU3 loom means further upgrades would be straightforward.
I'm just about to fit new plastics all round, but if you were interested in carbon or different interior/exterior specs, then this could be arranged.

Current spec. would cost under £12k, but I need a week or so to finish up..

PM me if you wanted to chat.

Cheers - Simon

 

[Martym]

http://img.pistonheads.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/LargeSize/caterham/all-models/caterham-all-models-S2258274-1.jpgHi,

I have a 13reg 1.4 Classic with 1500 miles covered. Its reflex blue & its mint condition.

Advert link.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/caterham/all-models/caterham-7-classic-1-4/5375558?v=b

[simonpa]

That's very pretty - and great value IMO!