Baggiebird

Sold to Nick, thanks.

Hi, I have for sale a Soft Bits Re-Bag. It is in excellent close to new condition as I hope the attached photographs show. It really is hardly used. The Re-Bag was an improved version of the original E bag and attaches to the roll-bar and stays from the rear, which is easier. It can also be locked in place with a small padlock if desired. It is made from the same material as the original hoods and hood bags and lined with brushed nylon/foam to protect the contents. Further details can be found on the Soft Bits web site. The new price of this item is more than £230 and so given the condition I am looking for £140. I would post the item by negotiation if required, this will be a little expensive given the size, but it would be easier to collect if that is possible? I live in Herefordshire.

Deal agreed with Dan, thanks all for your offers

Hi, I would like to find the above (suitable for a Seven of 1995-2003 vintage ideally) Thanks All

I noticed that Caterham now list a 'race spec' strengthened de-dion tube. Is that fairly new, states 2021 anyway? Presumably will fit post 1996 cars? https://caterhamparts.co.uk/de-dion-tube/7599-de-dion-tube-s3-race.html?search_query=370R0003A&results=1

Hi, I have an EU2 engined 1.6K Supersport, registered in 1996. It has the distributor on the end of the head and a coil mounted on to the engine block under the inlet manifold. The EU3 engines, as has been said, have the individual coil packs and no distributor. I use the OE Rover NLP 100290 spark plugs, I would think they are probably manufactured by Champion but many MG Rover/X Part outlets sell them. I tried NGK equivalents but found that they were slightly longer and so the caps to the spark plug leads do not fit quite as neatly in the cylinder head. They seem to run well and don't foul up but my engine, apart from verniers and a decent exhaust, is not heavily modified. I use a spark plug removal tool (Socket) that has a rubber insert and so grips the plug. If the extension has a locking pin arrangement that makes the job easier too.

Interesting about whether these hub nuts were 'made to order'. I was quoting Caterham's parts department but the part numbers are certainly Ford.

I have a 1996 De-Dion S3. I am just finishing fitting new discs, calipers (reconditioned) and pads to the rear of the car. The driveshaft nuts that I removed are, I am almost certain the originals. The car has only done 14 000 miles. As the nuts have nyloc type inserts my standard approach, after 40 years working with various vehicles would be to replace with new. I know there are those who re-use with Loctite but I would rather not, my choice. Anyway, as well as new braided rear hoses (upgrade to the rather dubious rigid copper design), I ordered some new driveshaft nuts from Caterham. These are part numbers 6133688 (L/H and L/H thread) and 6133689 (R/H and R/H thread) The cost of the nuts is £12.90 plus vat each, I am fine with that since it is an important safety critical part. I put the new nuts in place on the driveshafts and tried to tighten with my 3/4" ratchet drive torque wrench and 41mm A/F socket. Interesting, socket does not fit the new nuts? Odd, since my previous De-Dion car used the same 6 sided Draper socket. So I gave Caterham's parts department a ring. It turns out that about 3 years ago the design was changed and they were made to order, but not 41mm. They turned out to be around 41.3mm and so need, apparently a 42mm socket. My question is, why not make the new ones to fit a 41mm A/F socket? It just seems a very strange approach. Everyone with a De-Dion car older than 3 years and who has a 41mm socket needs to be aware of this if they need to carry out work involving the rear drive shafts.

You can also, as an alternative, take the n/s engine mount bolt out and gently raise the engine (trolley jack and wood packing) to achieve enough clearance.

Lovely looking car from pics on other thread and will be tremendous fun when fully sorted. I'm thinking that Caterham's mechanical checks need improving though especially for a car near the top of the range?

Most are in 2 camps, stick with the foam or modify the sump gasket etc. I am now in the latter. I have a new genuine Caterham supplied foam section. Free as long as you pay postage (£3) and make a donation of your choice to the club charity!! Let me know here or via a BM

Most are in 2 camps, stick with the foam or modify the sump gasket etc. I am now in the latter. I have a new genuine Caterham supplied foam section. Free as long as you pay postage (£3) and make a donation of your choice to the club charity!! Let me know here or via a BM

Some interesting history on the linked page here, under the paragraph 'Proper Motor' https://www.imps4ever.info/algemeen/history.html My first car, in 1977, was a secondhand Hillman Husky which was then a small estate based on the Imp, with the rear mounted 875cc engine under a hatch in the rear floor. Had a lot of fun with that car, including changing the transaxle/gearbox and Rotoflex doughnut couplings!! That was easily done in an afternoon amazingly by Dad and I. Dad also made some reinforcing plates for the front suspension mounts and the sills were done as well as a new steering rack. I can also remember setting up the camshaft clearances using variable thickness shims. The engine never suffered with HGF either, despite the reputation. Cars were so simple then, compared to the almost state of the art we have now, though of course safety has been much improved. My first company car, in 1979, was a Chrysler Sunbeam, which had a stroked version (still under 1000cc) of the Imp Engine but installed at the front!! Nice memories.

I have just fitted FIA bar to my 1996 S3 (imperial). The hood still fits, easier when warm of course. You are likely to need a new boot cover though, I had one made by Jill Judd at SFBS as Caterham had no stock. The later metric cars' boot cover I think can fit the FIA bar as well as the later metric standard roll bar which is thicker gauge and stronger tube?

I had a 1600 cc live axled Vx as my first Caterham back in 2001. The holes for studs in the manifold were certainly not tapped. I know because I fitted some new rubber isolation rings during my ownership. Something unusual that happened to me was a loose air filter mounting nut/washer which the engine somehow managed to ingest and it led to a bent valve, new pistons and head work. I enjoyed doing it but wished that my use of threadlock and locking nuts had been more focussed! The tale (and one about a broken engine mounting bolt in France) is somewhere in the blatchat archives no doubt!

Well done to you for spotting this and spreading the word!!

I would try Redline too.

If you have a flywheel which has the position sensor it is possible to remove the sensor and put a suitably shaped piece of 16mm bar through the hole left by the sensor and into the front of the flywheel into one of the machined recesses. I made mine from stainless but mild steel would be fine. Very safe and reliable one in place.

Elliott, I would be interested in knowing more what the system comprises. Any photos?

Hi, As I said in my previous post I have had 6 ball park quotes for fabricating a 4:2:1 manifold in stainless steel. The quotes were from pretty well all the main exhaust fabricators mentioned on Blatchat. In my case the manifold will join on to the OE silencer which has a cat' built in. Important as the car needs it as factory built in 1996. I don't want the faff of a cat' by-pass either (for me personally it is not cricket!). I may have a replacement cat/silencer of 150mm dia with replaceable wadding made at the same time, not sure yet. The manifold will be built to the spec' and dimensions suggested on Dave Andrews' DVA web site to hopefully give the best output compromise. After some thought I decided to ask Simpsons to do the work, it will hopefully be in March 2021. I thought about asking if anyone was interested in a K Series group purchase but as the K Series cars have not been made for a few years I wondered what the interest would be!!

Hi, I have had a few quotes myself lately for both a 4-2-1 manifold and full system for a Rover K engined car. I contacted the suppliers well known here plus a couple of others. I don't think it is fair to list the prices on a public forum but on a like for like basis Simpsons are the most competitive so far. The highest quote was well over £2000 for a full system not including catalyst!! I don't mind paying market rate for a high quality product either.

All interesting as on my 6 speed gearbox (1996) and yes, the level and drain plugs fit a cut down section of 3/8" Allen Key. As John says take care if using a ratchet spanner. I have just filled the box with Redline MTL using a Sealey plunger operated mini pump. I was a bit sceptical how effective this would be as each stroke is about 10cc. However it worked a treat to fill approx. 1.5 litres quite quickly. The pipe comes with an alloy U bend at the end and there was just enough room to hook this into the filling hole in the narrow gap between the gearbox and tunnel.

KR, Really pleased that Caterham sorted this for you, well done.

As has been said Caterham's own 6 speed gearbox has a drain plug. Both it and the filler/level plug are 10mm allen key but the filler plug access is very tight so you either need a tool such as Tim showed above or a cut down allen key that you can work with a 10mm ratchet spanner. For the differentials you will need a suction pump if you are renewing the oil.

Hi. I have done a lot of work with asbestos issues over the years. It is highly unlikely that there are asbestos fibres present in friction materials post 2000, unless they were old stock that had been sat on a shelf. The only way to be 100% sure of course would be to have a sample of the relevant friction material analysed at a UKAS accredited laboratory.