AntonyH

Thought I'd post an update on behalf of anyone searching for the same issue in future and happening across this thread... - A couple of weeks ago I replaced the speedo sensor quill on the advice of our local 7-friendly garage, put everything back together, and it had made no difference - still bouncing around whilst driving. Hmm. So, I had the car on stands again at the weekend. - Unplugged the speedo (and the extension cable that feeds it, as it appears the current speedo is a different model to the original, with a different socket) and checked the earths were solid - yes: constant 0.1 Ohms between the speedo earths and the foot well floor. - Unscrewed the speedo sensor from the bottom of the gearbox, pulled all the cables down out of the transmission tunnel, unplugged the sensor and checked the voltage there - all good, constant 12.2V with the ignition on. - Re-plugged all the electrics, put the speedo sensor quill into a power drill and spun it up - speedo reading was rock solid at any speed. - Re-attached the sensor unit and stuffed all the cables back up into the tunnel and went out for a test drive. Now it's all fine and reads perfectly again... I can only assume therefore that I had some pin corrosion or other dodgy contact in one or other of the electrical plugs, or there's some other dicky connection or wire, and all the re-plugging and/or jiggling of wires has scraped the contacts clean or the like. Hazard switch entirely unrelated and coincident.

...as for the lights, as others have suggested, I just run with dipped headlights on at all times. For the rear, as also elsewise pointed out, the rear lights are shockingly bad and I did a wholesale replacement last year: http://www.lotus7.club/blogs/better-rear-lights-project I've recently added a high-level brake light too, although not given it a road test yet.

Re. the reflective tape, I have used the black reflective stuff before, I used to have strips on the leading edges of the front wings. It was very visible in flash photography but I never tested it by e.g. sitting in another car 100 yards away in the dark and seeing how visible or not the strips were compared to the Seven's headlights. Note you can also get reflective adhesive vinyl in other colours including red, should you be wanting to add it to the rear of your car. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300772011310?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&var=600055717718&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT ​Previously I have used this type of vinyl in small pieces on a bicycle, although again I never rode behind my own bike to see how visible it was in small flashes.

+1 for Ultimate Carbon front wings. Not the best company at replying to emails in a particularly timely manner, and they're made to order so it's about a 4-week delivery (or mine was, this time last year), but the wings are great.

Thanks. There is definitely no clearance adjustment on the sensor, it just screws on to the part that's captive in the gearbox. The sensor itself is sealed.

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My speedo is still dicky... after many years of being rock solid, the needle recently started occasionally bouncing up to the 80mph mark, when actually travelling at, well, any speed really. Even, sometimes, when parked with the engine running. The speedo sensor is in the bottom of the gearbox (K-series, 6-speed) not at the wheel. On the advice of our local 7-friendly garage I replaced the quill as a first attempt and that made mostly no difference, other than occasionally now the speedo doesn't read at all. Hmm. I'm guessing the problem is the sensor unit as a whole, or maybe the cables to it. Question: How does the sensor work, in an electrical sense? Does the turning of the quill generate a voltage, or does it adjust an impedance? Just trying to figure out how to trace the problem so I don't buy a replacement unnecessarily if the problem is elsewhere in the loom (or is the dial itself).

Holy thread resurrection... After watching *a recent repeat of* Wheeler Dealers with the Cobra, and Ed fitting a Vortex Exhaust, I am also wondering whether anyone had any experience with them, on any car at all but particularly a Caterham? Googling for reviews I can find a small number of people on various car forums who say they've had them fitted and "can't believe" the improvements in response, performance and economy, and a much larger number of people who *haven't* had them fitted and can't believe the claimed improvements in response, performance and economy. Certainly, massive improvements just from fitting an exhaust with some funny shapes in a box seems improbable, especially on a car like a Caterham with a fairly limited amount of silencing to start with, but what would I know? I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who'd actually got hard data having fitted such a system, as opposed to people who can look at the claims and doubt them - I can do that bit myself! http://www.vortexexhausttechnology.com

I let the tester complete his work and issue the certificate before mentioning to his colleague that the speedo sometimes misbehaved... I should also point out that I am now working on fixing it!

Thanks all. The pictures Stuart sent were enough to pretty much put me off the idea as a DIY job (he did a great job on his, I should say!); Nick's mention of "back breaking work" in a "tiny garage" has definitely sealed the decision that I'd pay someone else to do it - my garage also isn't huge and my back is dodgy enough at the best of times.

Hmm. No, I think you're stuck with that one!

I followed Esslll's route with my GoPro, to be able to feed it external power. It involved cutting a hole in the side of the waterproof case, which I kept as close as possible to the size of the USB plug, and trimming the camera's port cover to expose the USB socket whilst still covering the HDMI socket and memory card slot. It's fine in light damp and when it gets properly wet, the half-hood goes on and then you can't leave the camera on the top of the roll bar anyway, so it goes in the boot or lower down where the hood offers some protection.

If I were to be contemplating swapping my standard single-tube-primary K-series exhaust for a 4-2-1 system, and therefore would need a bigger hole in the side skin, how difficult is it to enlarge that hole neatly, and without trashing the shiny paint work? Is it the sort of thing that a ham-fisted cludger can do with a suitable tool, or something you'd only entrust to a seasoned professional?

Indeed - good luck with the sales.

Well, DVLA will flog you any currently unclaimed K16xxx plate for £250 (and there's more than 1,000 of them to pick from), so unless a prospective buyer's initials were SEV, and they desperately wanted it, £450 sounds optimistic. C7xxx plates (also more than 1,000 available) are listed at £399. http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/

Spotted on the wall of previous work in John Bee Ltd (bodyshop / painter on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield). A fair few years old as a picture I think, black S3, full cage, stickered up to the nines so probably a race car. Other than that, it's a fascinating wall of work, including older vehicles (MG TC), Cobras (probably replicas), Triumphs, Lancias, all sorts. Dozens upon dozens of classics and exoctica.

Value wise, all currently available (more than 1,000 from the DVLA) R300... registrations are £250. http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/search/prefix-number-plates.html?prefix=R&numbers=300&action=prefix&prefixmatches=361&searched=true&openoption=yes Good luck with the sale.

BTTT, edited as the cracked one is no longer available.

Edited to say "or make me an offer".

*EDIT 2* Dented wheel also now requested by a member so no longer available. *EDIT* The formerly-listed cracked one has now been given to the powder coater, for them to paint a pretty colour of their choice as a sample. I had two 15" / 10-spoke anthracite wheels available, as per: http://caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=6 Before you get too excited, neither are in perfect condition. GONE: One has a partial (i.e. not all the way through) crack in one spoke, as discovered by Metal Magic after they'd stripped the anthracite off in readiness for a new powder coat. Therefore it'll need a welding repair, and a new powder coat. ALSO GONE: The other still has all its original anthracite coating attached, however thanks to a South Yorkshire pothole the inner rim is dented. While in use this never caused the tyre to lose any air, but the rim really needs reshaping to return it to a state of roundness. These are spare because I preferred to buy replacement wheels rather than having them repaired; if your preferences differ and you're happy to get them repaired these might be just what you're after. New these are nominally £151 per wheel, but Caterham claim zero stock (and have done for some time) and I just bought the only one Redline had. There may be more in future, who knows? £50 + delivery for the slightly bent one. *EDIT* Or, make me an offer you consider to be more reasonable. The worst that can happen is I'll say no... I can add pictures if anyone's interested enough to ask. Thanks for looking.

Dibs please! PM on the way.

Hi Ed, Unfortunately already arranged to be transported to Jonathan. Although... as you're local to me, and they're not going until the 28th, you could message Jonathan and ask if he'd mind them having had some additional wrapping practice done on them. He may even be planning on doing the same and might welcome the work / stand your costs for a particular colour.

Thanks Jonathan

Taken from a 2005 (imperial) SV, although I think that's mostly irrelevant. GRP rear arches, asymmetric for K-series exhaust. Arches are currently Ferrari Grigio, aka Tarmac Grey. Plenty of scuffs, scratches, surface cracks and a couple of chips in the GRP, plus holes for standard Caterham lights and others (original light fixing holes plugged but could be re-drilled). Would best suit a racer looking for cheap, temporary items in anticipation of the next wheel-to-wheel contact and inevitable loss / destruction. NOTE: The carbon stone guards in the pictures have long since been sold and are not included with the arches. Removing these has revealed the arches have been through four fittings of guards, i.e. there's four sets of rivet holes. These arches really would be best suited to a racer who was going to wrap them. Mud spatter probably included. Plenty more on the undersides too, although I'll do my best to knock the worst off... Free to a good home if you collect from Sheffield, seeing as no-one seemed to want to part with any cash for them.

That's easy then, the steering rack and radiator must be at least 5kg. More when you add coolant to the rad. Whip them out and feel the improved acceleration!