stuart-j-w

Hello Mark mine is a similar story i wanted a caterham since I was 15 i finally got one from James at Caterham Crawley last August when I was 43 i still can’t really get my head around the fact that I’ve actually got one (very surreal)

I must admit my wife never really got why I wanted a caterham before I got one but she does now

When I went to the caterham show room it was full of amazing caterhams, from the fastest to the slowest, plus a 21 a f1 car a clay model of the caterham/alpine car plus track cars i tried not to look at the faster cars as I knew I had a very limited budget the salesmen (James Wilson) came over and after a discussion explaining my situation he showed the one in my budget. He did try to get me to spend more, with the 3 next cheapest cars, but i stuck to my guns, telling myself just to be happy that your getting a caterham at all. James did say that the car won't go down in value any more and that if anything the value will go up , but I took that as salesman talk and guaranteed if I needed to sell it I would get far less for it So the one I chose was a 1999 k-series 1.6 roadsport 120 with 35000 on the clock, which was standard except for a track day rear roll bar (with a added diagonal bar) and a removable steering wheel I was like a kid at Christmas, I was so excited, but I did have in the back of my mind it might be not as fast as I hoped. I did hire a caterham roadsport 140 about 20years ago and that was just about the minimum right speed I wanted, so I was concerned a 120 roadsport would be to slow. i agreed to buy the car on the proviso that when I came to collect it I could test drive it first to see if it was fast enough. So I paid a deposit. James said it would take a week to service, mot, and check the car over. In that week I had an email from James saying it was all done, they had to replace the Dion tube as there was a hairline crack. So I rolled up one Saturday later, James sat me in the car , explained all the controls and we went for a test drive. I had forgotten how amazing just driving a caterham is. I couldn't stop smiling and the speed thing didn't seem to matter anymore. I did give it a couple of boots down the dual carriageways and though while it's not tear your face off fast it was scare my wife fast, which I thought will do. so we got back, I agreed to buy it, I paid the money, James taxed the car online, I had already insured the car in the week with the caterham recommended one £235 ( including 5 track days). James gave me the history, service book etc. Plus a £150 vouch for a track day, plus membership of the lotus7 club It was then mine. It was a bucket list moment, very surreal, it didn't feel right, things like this don't happen to me - this must be the feeling you get when you win the lottery

I first fell in love with caterham when I was 13 years old at a super car test day at castle combe track for my 13th birthday party with a few friends and my dad (I'm now 43) while I was amazed by de tomasos, countachs, dinos and much more, i strangely liked the smallest (and probably cheapest) car there Since then I've I've always wanted to get one but I could never afford to buy one. my wife and I never had much money, and all money went on the mortgage and then children but all my patience waiting has paid off, as for once we have some spare cash, and more importantly my long suffering wife has finally given in to my ongoing pleading So after agreement (and shock) I was straight onto the internet. I found a few places, but in my heart I wanted to buy a pre owned one from caterham ​so we all went to caterham in Crawley and the cheapest one was a little over my budget, but we brought it anyway