michaelw

I haven't replied before now because I have sold my car so can't check. But I did have to cut the corner off the lowered floor when I fitted it to my old VX race chassis but I think that was because of the suspension mount rather than a SIB which I did have as well. I ended up cutting slots into the corner, folding it in on itself and gluing it all together with that 2 part liquid metal stuff. Welding it would have been better and I always meant to get it welded but it was fine for the 9 or so years I had it like that, including on track. As I say though the bolt was still outside the floor. I can try and find a picture but may not have one. Michael.

Andy, As others have said you don't do much damage to the fronts or at least I didn't at the 2 supercar events I did. But I do think you need either matched tyres or grippier on the front for obvious reasons. I have a pair of 205/60/13 048's which I put aside for last years Supercar day which you or anyone else are welcome to but again they are rears. I'm near Chichester. Michael.

I flashed (my lights) from a black Exige. Michael

I had a 2.0vx and the Caterham pump I had was mounted on the drivers side under the front of the throttle bodies. I also had a tank made to fit in front of the engine which took some the heat away from the cockpit and as you say meant I could keep the passenger footwell extension. But it did move some weight forward although I couldn't tell any difference in handling if I am honest. The car has gone now ☹️ but I have some pictures, bm me if you would like me to send them over. They are only whole shots of the engine bay but will give you an idea. Michael.

I flashed a waved from a dark green M5 Michael.

Boing because I don't know how to BTTT when editing the post Michael.

BTTT.

+1 for the TorX bit, normally works well. Michael.

I need to sell the car now ☹️ Well after 11 years its time to sell my 7 as I have moved to the darkside and bought an Exige but the Caterham will be a hard act to follow. It is a 2.0 Vauxhall engined car built as a sprint car on a Vauxhall chassis around 1990 I think - I checked with Caterham when I first bought it but can't remember what they said, sorry. It was road registered in 1999 and I have been on a continous series of upgradeitis since I bought it. The spec is: Red with a white stripe and nose 2.0 litre Vauxhall built by SBD Upgraded to SBD 208 bhp kit - I had it rolling roaded at 195bhp 48mm taper throttle bodies with MBE engine management Raceco repackable silencer Caterham dry sump with custom made oil tank (I have got the bellhousing tank but fed up with replacing the clutch slave cylinders) BGH "Sporting Close" close ratio 5 speed gearbox -rebuilt 2 or 3 years ago LSD rebuilt with the gearbox - Quaife I think AP big brake kit Roll cage painted (badly) in red modified from a Safety devices cage to look like a Caged one- I also have an FIA bar Driver and passenger side impact bars -I had the passenger one made It has honeycombe crash protection as per the Vauxhall race cars with extra chassis tubes in the footwell Lowered drivers floor - I am 6' 3" Black minilite type wheels with a silver rim - with 021r's Spare set of minilite type wheels with very worn 048's but a new pair of front 048's 55 litre bag tank - this does mean you can go for miles between filling up but there is no boot to speak of. I do have an aluminium fuel tank as well Stack dashboard which doesn't have a milometer so I don't know how many miles it has done but would guess at 40k Caterham Aeroscreen Caterham half doors Full sidescreens Union Jack Soft bits half hood Tonneau Full hood I rewired the whole car 2 years ago while the gearbox and diff were being rebuilt There are some photos here I have done a fair few track days and the car is set up brilliantly for sideways driving - maybe all 7's are like this I will be very sad to see it go. I am now looking for £10, 995 ono. If you have any questions please call me on 07801 299662, I am near Chichester in Sussex. Michael. Edited to reduce the price again ☹️ Edited by - michaelw on 23 Aug 2013 21:06:22

I had a similar thing on my VX which has throttle bodies but I suspect uses the same crank sensor which turned out to be the issue. SBD say that the crank sensor fails fairly regularly and sell an unrated one. I think it is probably due to the cable vibrating as the engine moves and because it is next to the exhaust. Trying another sensor is the easiest way to eliminate this but it does need to do it consistently to make sure. The other thing that failed on my car is the sensor wheel itself which is a pressed wheel with teeth in it which cracks and as the revs increase the crack opens, the sensor see's it as another tooth and the engine appears to missfire. This felt like a rev limiter on mine that started at about 6500 and slowly over a few weeks dropped to about 5000 when we found what the problem was but was consistently at the same revs on each journey; you couldn't rev through it. It is reasonably easy to check by taking the sensor out and turning the engine over slowly checking each tooth in turn and checking for a crack. I would check the above - plugs, leads etc - first though. Michael.

I'm with Nigel, I got fed up with crimps failing and completely re-wired my car with crimped and then soldered terminals, all heat shrunk and all inside trunking. It took ages and so far all has been OK, I will report back if they all start failing I haven't done enough mileage yet, but this post worried/worries me a bit! Michael.

Not sure any of these are helpful or true as I am no engineer. But I have wondered whether when I grease the wheel nuts (and I think I probbaly use too much) the build up in the blind nut could eventually hydraulic and tighten against a wall of grease. I can't think of a better way of describing that. Some years ago my Metro wheel nuts came loose while my Dad was driving it to be dropped off at the garage. I got a lecture about being more careful etc (quite rightly) and then on the way home it happened again after he had tightened them. We came to the conclusion I had stretched the studs by overtightening them so replaced the lot and it never happened again - the garage had seen this before apparently. I always shake the wheel as I tighten each wheel nut (as I'm sure everyone else does)as the nut can tighten without fully seating in the taper. Presumably hitting a bump could then loosen the wheel as it seats properly. Michael.

Tam, I still use the hood with Roadsport cage but my hoodsticks don't fit with so I have had to make a wooden contraption that is far from ideal - more my DIY skills than anything else though I am pretty sure the SLR cage won't fit inside the standard hood but have seen a half hood on one. Not sure whether there is a tall hood for a tall cage. Michael.

Exactly my thoughts in about 1/50th of the words

I run a roadsport cage with the thick foam padding covered in tape and a lowered floor and am 6' 3" so I'm still pretty close to the cage. With a helmet on the top grazes the foam on the side bar if I tilt my head to the side but is a fair distance from the top bar. I have had the cage modified to look like a caged cage because the original side bar I thought was far too low and it is now curved away and mounted higher. I don't wear a helmet on the road and don't want to but these discussions do worry me. The main reason I fitted the cage was the wire barriers they now have on motorways and hitting animals and other stuff that would flatten the screen. I know the cage won't stop everything but think it may well help. I am very aware of the dangers of driving a 7 and have side impact bars and a bag tank but as had been said many times we know the risks and drive accordingly. I always make sure I have the belts (6-point) done up as tight as I can and always use the crutch strap. It all depends on the type of shunt but I would say that I spun on track with my son in the car and we both had helmets on and did bang heads, not very hard but just from a spin! I may well be wrong but surely there is loads of nasty stuff to hit in any car - unless you have airbags - and I know it is more of a point loading than say a window but a padded cage seems better to me than nothing at all. All IMHO of course. Michael.