spiderlane

A nice idea but I don't think it'd work since we're going to be working on our builds together. As it happens I'm more interested in it after the build for servicing, oil changes, fettling under the car etc - there were lots of little jobs I put of doing on the previous car because of the difficulty of access.. Being able to drive the car over the lift and then raise it up to chest height sounds very attractive. Martyn are you easily able to line up your car over the sled to lift it when needed?

I'd love to see some more pics - sorry to keep asking you about this Martyn, but I'm really impressed with it.

Hi Martyn How did you find the access under the car when fitting gearbox, prop, diff etc? Did the lift get in the way at all? Thanks Mark

Garth Dug out some pictures of my old build here -> http://www.octimer.com/pictures/caterham/ (including obligatory photos of being an idiot with the steering wheel). When your kit arrives you should set about finding the steering wheel straightaway so that you can play at being a racing driver in the garden, at the dinner table, in bed etc...) Edited to make the link clickable Edited by - spiderlane on 16 Jan 2010 17:13:33

@Martyn Nice job - thanks for the info. Got me thinking now... :)

I second johnnyh's recommendation about a tap and die set - I bought an imperial set and think I'm going to need a metric set now. But yes, clean out all the threads of any powdercoat or other associated crud. I used some lard to lubricate the tap and started it with my fingers only to ensure that it had found the existing thread (rather than tapping a new one!). Then copper grease on the threads makes for a nice fit. A bit more time consuming so you need to resist the temptation to simply whack the bolts straight in, bit very worthwhile.

Really nice Martyn - does the wooden sled only touch the chassis at each end? Do you find that the sled flexes at all? Presumably it's all nice and stable and you can lower the lift and drive the car off? Finally can I ask where you got the lift from? Cheers Mark

Martyn - that's interesting about the scissor lift. Do you have any pictures of it?

Yep, agree with Martin completely. Our first car was a Roadsport - built it, toured it, tracked it, got to know it, loved it. Sold it when we had our 2nd child. Now doing it all over again with the R400 :)

Garth My R400 kit arrived yesterday. I have built a Roadsport before so can offer a few tips in addition to the others provided... * The build manual is not always complete and accurate. Take time to think about what might not be being said, search Blatchat and look at build diaries to see how others have done it. * When the frustration builds up, walk away and come back later (as mentioned) * Consider using big head fasteners to attach front wings instead of drilling them * Keep updating Blatchat with your progress; lot' of people (me included) love to follow builds and there will be plenty of people happy to answer questions. * You'll need 4 axle stands to take delivery of the chassis. Recommend some rubber or foam covering on the top of these to prevent chafing of the powedercoat * Lots and lots of dinitrol/waxoyl on the underside. * Take your time and enjoy it. I'm blogging about my build here and will be updating it with photos and progress as I go along. Good luck.

Hanns Did you have to cut a hole in your bonnet for the air filter once you installed the new roller barrel throttle? Mark Edited by - spiderlane on 30 Dec 2009 21:53:19

Hi Andrew, Just came across this post from a search. What did you opt for in the end? Did you get this kit from Caterham or something from somewhere else? Be interested to know as I'm expecting my R400 kit in January (with plenum) and just thinking forward about upgrade options in the future and would like to hear other R400 owners' experiences Cheers Mark Edited by - spiderlane on 30 Dec 2009 09:33:59