Andrew Russell

I think most of the Northern based championships insist on Full screens and so you have made the right decision there. Cut off switches, fire extinguishes etc are only recommendations as far as I recall. Some scrutineers like the battery terminals covered completely in addition to the yellow tape on the earth straps. You can get pucka plastic covers for the terminals or just cover with tank tape or similar. Mostly common sense stuff and generally in road going classes you will find a degree of lenience, if they realise that you are a 'new' entry. Scrutineers aren't to be scared of and they will always offer opinion if asked. Caterhams come as standard with a fair degree of competition preparation already done for you. Have fun! Andrew

You will need to have made up a suitable tail pipe and fittings....it may be worth going direct to the Seven Workshop, who can do all this for you, unless of course, you can arrange it all yourself. Andrew

Marius, I think you can just call him Peter on these pages..... Andrew

This topic regularly comes to the fore at this time of year when our cars are dragged out from their hibernation. Try a search on this forum and I'm sure you will find any number of methods to release your stuck clutch. Try putting it in gear with the engine not running, depress the clutch, and get someone to push the car....might be just enough to free the plate. Another is to make sure that you have plenty of space ahead of you,engage gear whilst engine off, depress clutch and then start engine but be ready to stamp on the brakes. Sounds brutal but generally the driven plate is not seriously stuck and takes little to dislodge it! Next year, start the car every couple of weeks and use the clutch and slip it a bit to keep it clean and free. Or buy a de-humidifier! Andrew

On the subject of headlights and connector blocks, has anyone else had problems with the plasic block that fits to the back of the lamp unit melting? My car started blowing fuses everytime I switched on the dipped beam and I eventually tracked the fault down to the connector block. It had softened with the heat and had allowed the brass terminals to come into contact with each other. What a bugger to find though!!! Well worth remembering if you ever develop similar symptoms. Light are Cibie Z180 but I cannot recall if the blocks were standard fittings.... Andrew

Eric Don't speak too soon, My cycle wings were initially fitted with clear silicone and I thought they were secure.......until one went flying past my left ear and landed in a grass verge! Replaced with copious amounts of Sikaflex which is horrid stuff to handle but sticks like s..t to a blanket. Hopefully!!!!! Andrew

My car originally filled direct into the tank with no outside filler cap, as descibed by Andy Murphy. Yes it filled much quicker but I found it a real chore having to unclip the boot cover every time I needed a refuel! My boot cover is a very tight fit and I soon decided to fit a proper filler! Too many broken nails.......what a Nancy!!! Andrew

Hi again Keith, I presume you have seen the cars that Caterham have on offer? Andrew

Try Caterham themselves, I bought some for my Vx not so long ago at a very reasonable price, for the main pipes and then obtained the ancillary bits from Hoses Direct? in Doncaster, via mail order. Try searching the archives for contact details of this firm who were very helpful. Andrew

John I have had a chance to look at my set up and remember now why my seats had to be 'jacked up' at the front. My chassis is an early Vauxhall race chassis which I think has extra diagonal bracing across the the floor, under the seats. This brace prevents the seat runners from lying flat on the alloy floor panel as descibed by Chris Clark. The weight of the seats is carried by the front and rear mounting and as the front bolts pass through the chassis cross member, I have experienced no problems in the passed 6 years of use. I have used large washers on either side of the fitting bolts to spread the load just in case, though. The spacers are as previously described, about 3/4" in depth and about 1" in diameter. To do a belt and braces approach I would agree that a wooden wedge might give the maximum support and spread of load, in addition to the spacers. I seem to recall that you are probably a little lighter than me, and so I will leave it to you to decide the most appropriate method. Hope this helps. Andrew

No great improvements this winter....still recovering from the unexpected 'refresh' after my oil blow out last year.....needed rather more than just a top-up with Comma Syna G !!!!! With North Yorkshire roads being so liberally coated with salt at this time of year the Seven tends to stay indoors and I let the other cars take the punishment but after a total brake failure on my run-to-work car, due to total corrosion of front discs on an 18 month old car( A Renault!!) I am now questioning that decision......maybe the Seven would last better! Looking forward to Spring or at least dry, salt free roads. Determined to get some more use out of the beast this year. Andrew

John, To be quite honest I cannot remember the exact set up and as I have not sat in my car for a little while, the old grey matter fails me. I will take a look at it tonight and post then if that is okay. What other developments with your car this winter? Andrew

I have just such a spacer fitted under the front of my seat mounts basically in the form of a very fat washer about 3/4" in thickness. Seems to do the trick for me! Could it be that you are pressing the brake pedal too hard?????? Happy New Year, John. Andrew

I will concur with Jam on this Silkaflex is well up to the job altho rather horrid stuff to get on your hands........ I used orinary silicone prior to Silkaflex and did lose a front wing when it gave up! No such problems with the new stuff! (kiss of death????) This topic has been covered before in depth and worth a search of the archives. Andrew

....and I thought I had problems with my little Renault Clio runabout....18 months old, 18000 miles....brakes a little rough feeling after being it had been laid up in my garage for three weeks over Xmas whilst away on holiday. Thought it might be surface rust on the discs but didn't clear. Took the front wheels off on Saturday to find that the discs have completely rotted away....simply no braking surface whatsoever on their inner faces. Main agents response....."to be expected sir, on a low mileage car, of that age!!!!!" I can't type what my response was to that. When I suggested that altho' out of warranty this should be considered by them, they said 'No chance' I am not going to take this lying down and will take it further, but my sympathy is extended to anyone else trying to 'claim' for duff products. Andrew

Aves, Please do tell us more! Andrew

If it helps, you can make out the design of my strut in the photos of my car on the 7 Gallery. Andrew

Now I've got my blue book... The strut must be matt black in colour and measure 254mm by 51mm. The bottom of the strut shall be no more than 200mm from the floor and the top no less than 454mm from the ground. No other part of the car may interupt these dimensions or activate the timing beam. Hope this helps.....quite straight forward to make up a strut to fit a Seven. Andrew Edited by - andrew russell on 10 Jan 2002 20:14:07

The dimensions are in the RAC Blue book as I recall, and I do not have my strut to hand, in my office, to measure for you. Any material will suffice altho' it is meant to be black in colour. I have seen a wide variety of materials used but personally made mine from a the plastic used for 'house-for-sale' signs, bolted to some aluminium angle which fastens to the grill. The plastic strut was then covered in black tank tape. Sounds a bit 'Heath Robinson' but still looks presentable after six years and does the job. I'm sure there are dimensions on this site somewhere, either under Competition/Sprinting advice, or failing that on Alex's site, somewhere. Andrew

Tony, My 11 plus was even longer ago........ Yes, I admit I should have engaged my memory/brain before posting such a simple request for advise, Blatchat is far too easy a source of enlightenment........ Apologies for wasting anyones time! Andrew

Aves, How does the cracked screen affect your oil consumption......? Andrew

Thanks chaps, my A level physics was a long time a go! I have had a 15 amp fuse in place but it has started blowing and I wasn't sure if it was up to the load for some reason. Must be another problem! Andrew

Can any advise the correct fuse rating that should be used for the dipped beam circuit on the Seven. I am using 55watt Cibie Z180's. Thanks Andrew

Graham, I don't doubt the interpretation of the DTLR site but would refer you to the entry on the 16.2.01 here when I copied word for word the relevant Con and Use Regs. Don't know which is right? No axe to grind just don't want you to get caught out, although if you quoted the DTLR info site, I'm sure you would convince any doubters. Andrew Edited by - andrew russell on 4 Dec 2001 15:31:58

Graham, You may just have been lucky, the Con and Use Regs actually say that you need both internal and external mirrors unless the internal mirror would give you no vision at all, such as a Luton type van! I recall posting a full transcipt on this subject a while back, lifting the text from Butterworth's Road Traffic Handbook. Andrew