Mike Bees

Anyone else had this problem? What was different about factory cars shipped with 8.5" MB rear rims & ACB10s to prevent this problem (compared to my '97 Superlight)? I guess I'll have to get some wheel spacers, but I'm sure these aren't standard fitment. Also, while we're on MB rims, does everyone have a special super-thin socket to do the wheelnuts or do you all accept that the paint just falls off the centres as soon as you touch it? Mike

There's a brand-new JPE aeroscreen (smoked perspex type) on Ebay at the mo', was at £50 when I spotted it earlier. Mike

If passengers aren't a consideration then I'd get a single dinky little perspex race one. A full width aeroscreen can obscure your view of the nearside wheel if you're hunkered down behind it, which makes the car a little harder to place accurately in left hand bends (IME). Mike

Performance Braking do their own fluid which is AP600-compatible and half the price... Mike

The 6-speed has been far more robust in the various Caterham race series which use it (compared to the 5-speed). Absolutely agree with Brent on the choice thing. Mike

Strictly speaking this rule doesn't apply if you're running in a roadgoing class (or is it if the car is in roadgoing condition?) since a rollover bar isn't mandated (only recommended) by the Blue Book for roadgoing cars/classes. You'd be daft not to abide by the rule though. Mike

A hot engine has much better compression than a cold engine. The symptoms you describe aren't uncommon for the Magnetti Marelli-type starter on a hot tweaked engine. This is why Caterham originally changed to a geared starter (Magnetron) because the stock one struggled to turn over a hot VHPD engine. The battery drops to <9v because the stationary starter draws a huge current. Mike

I've run 720s for track/sprinting in 15" guise, and found that around 23psi definitely gives more grip than 18-20psi, although it's less progressive when it starts to slip. Found the same for 13" A510s many years ago... Mike

I thought the Freestyle inboard suspension ARB was internal? OTOH Freestyle front springs are quite stiff, which reduces the need for an ARB to some extent. Mike

It'd be a shame to break a 'real' Blackbird. Wouldn't it be cheaper to sell it and buy a lesser (cheaper) engined car to convert? Remember that you'll need to buy a gearbox, change the diff, probably change the (rear) wheels etc. There won't be that much left... Mike

If you're only looking at 3000 miles road use duration and then Yoko A021R is a good all-round choice. Graham Perry had a nearly-new set of these for sale recently at a very good price. Mike

4.1 and 4.4 can be had (not cheaply though). SBD supply a 4.7. Mike

Have you tried a new cap on the expansion tank? It's not unheard of for them to go wrong (not hold pressure). Mike

Although it does put the dampers a long way up off the ground... Whatever, I'd like to have it! Mike

I'm with MikeE on this... 'Unsprung' mass is mass which is moved directly by the motion of the wheel (or more accurately the motion of the surface of the tyre on the road) without being transferred by a spring. So the pushrods, bellcrank (tho' not necessarily the whole mass of the bellcrank since it converts linear motion into a rotational motion, hmm...) and the end of the damper which moves are always 'unsprung'. Mike

How does an alternative damper location eliminate the need for an anti-rollbar Does it provide anti-roll properties? Mike

205x50/15 fit under my 13" wingstays no problem... IME the car feels much more alive & agile on 13" wheels. The ride is also better (due to higher profile tyres). So 13" much nicer for road as well as track. Mike

Yep, that's the one Brent. It's been about for a few years. Be interesting to see it demonstrated in extremis (wheels off ground and no springs fitted). Mike

The Prisoner wheels aren't a bad weight as 15" wheels go (much lighter than your high street aftermarket jobs). 185x60/13 will be fine, especially if you choose a reasonably soft tyre (e.g. Yoko A021R or A048R). Ride height? A lot of people run 185x60/13 on stock unadjustable dampers. It depends on your local terrain. Your ride height will be reduced by 0.5" if you make this change. An alternative is to go 185x70/13, this will increase your ride height over the current by about 0.2". Yoko A021R in 185x70/13 are £34+VAT each from George Polley, superb value. I guess you have the 15/16" wrap-around style wings at the moment? If they're bolted on then it's an easy change. If they're bonded on then not so easy. I'm not sure about the range of wingstays. If you're only looking at 3000 mile duration then go for a softer tyre, Yoko A021R is a good all-round choice. Graham Perry had a nearly-new set of these for sale recently at a very good price. Mike Edited by - Mike Bees on 8 Jun 2005 10:29:30

I'd be very pleased to buy a bottle of AP600 from you, and buy you a bacon butty and a cup of tea. I am sprinting. Got the car MOT'ed & taxed yesterday for the first time since 2003. I'm #49 (was 8th reserve but scraped in at the last minute). See you there! Cheers, Mike

I don't think the RS15's are available for the old style AP fronts either They are according to Fluke's website, if I understand it correctly (pre 2002 Caterham AP front). Mike

I know this subject has been pretty much done to death, but... Pagid friction levels: RS4-2 blue: 0.40u cold. RS14 black: 0.44u cold. RS15 grey: 0.50u cold. The incremental cost between the above isn't great (compared to the total cost). So why do blues seem to be the 'preferred' choice (from searching Blatchat)? I'd prefer to reduce the pedal effort if possible, so why not go straight for the RS15 grey (apart from the fact that it's apparently not available for the stock rear caliper)? Mike Edited by - Mike Bees on 8 Jun 2005 09:59:53

Hi James, By "extra large master cylinder" do you mean the stock Caterham big-bore job? If so then there are no 'tricks' to bleeding it that I'm aware of, I've done mine from empty a number of times. When you say you can't get a pedal, how bad is it - just a bit spongy? The rears can be a bit of a pig - it helps to yank the handbrake on & off as you bleed them. Off at a bit of a tangent - do you use AP600? Do you have a stock? Could you sell me a 500ml bottle at Abingdon on Saturday? Just a long shot! I've used up my supply and the pedal's still a bit on the soft side. Cheers, Mike

Also (whilst the springs are off) check that the wishbones don't make contact with the cutouts in the ali skin at full bump. I would have thought that the bumpstop would be considered a (very variable rate) spring rather than having much in the way of damping properties. Mike

Similar effect by a different route - widetrack cars have a spacer fitted to the end of the damper (just makes the whole damper unit longer) to account for the wider track. However it's quite common to remove the spacer to reduce the likelihood of running on the bump stop. It sounds as though your dampers are too long. Or your ride height is a lot lower than expected by whoever specced the damper length. Mike