neilg

Presume from registration that it is a converted car as registration 2002 seems abit late for the original factory built Caterhams. No engine details i see, carb or injection? Looks nice though.

Ally, i'm running a pipercross foamy. Sounds like you need to get it rolling roaded and get it set up correctly. Mine needed quite alot of giggery pokery to get it running right. Worth it though. Reckon on 200-300 quid though by the time you've had a dynajet kit and at least three hours plus dreaded. As they've only just done mine TTS will have the info stored in their heads as to first plan of attack for yours if you decide to use them. The carbs are very difficult to set up at bottom end without cocking up top end. Good luck Neil

Sorry, forgot about coils and plugs. I hve a spare set of coils and plug leads which i got from Cheshire Salvage 01625 502372. Ask for Andy. If you have a problem getting some give me a shout and you can buy my spare ones. Don't know what plugs are as i've never taken them out!! . I'll have a look in my manual later. Oiling up is problably a result of running rich at bottom end methinks. What airbox are u running.

Ally, yep as mike says we recently had a tune up/ rolling road session at TTS Motorsport at Silverstone. My engine is carb blackbird , Wills fuel injection. Mine took about three hours as the carbs have to come on and off to change jets etc. It was a useful trip because it highlighted the fact that my engine was running lean at topend and rich at the bottom. It still runs abit carp below 6000 rpm ( bit of a flat spot) but top end is fine now. Piccies here TTS website here Count on £ 60-00 per hour ish. Dynajet kit which will probably be required is approx £ 100-00. Speak to Richard and make sure he has Dynajet kit and appropriate software before you go. Any questions give me a ring 07766912648. Cheers Neil

They do look abit wrong i admit but no probs.....if you don't like the look though get some 245/45-13 ACB10's for that Carlos Fandango effect....i've got some and i reckon they're cool for cats... Rear view piccy here Neil

I've got some CR500's , 205/55-13 on SLR rims with the rolled edges and they too curve inwards. It's a common thread and i think everything is ok. Mine seem fine . Neil

For what it's worth i would try and get some adjustable platforms if you can . Try ebay or pistonheads etc etc as they are always coming up for sale. 70 series A021Rs are ok but methinks you might want something more sporty like Toyos R888 185/60 13's or similar. Then again if you don't track it the A021'rs are a good road tyre. Did i see some recent post suggesting they are becoming hard to get or am i mistaken ? Cheers Neil

Right i gave it a good ol' blast around Cadwell the other day and the car handles fantastically. Turn in is sharp with the rear as playfull as you want it to be which i like. Loads more oversteery than my roadsport which had smaller rear tyres. I think the rear end is pretty stiff allowing a good bit of opposite lockery. All in all i needn't have worried about the understeer cos there wasn't much at all.

Chris, when are we going to see your Blackbird then matey. I was looking at it the other day on the Reverie web site. Once i get busy , in about a weeks time I'm not going to get so much time to use it as it's not so much cop at towing bowsers or escorting combines around leicestershire!! You've really gotta start thinking of some excuses to go out in it....take it to work, go shopping in it , that sort of thing. I've done about 1000 miles in it so far in a couple of months and love mine....well i do at moment, we'll have to see what i think of it at Cadders tomorrow. Have fun camping in France..... Neil

I'd have thought a full propshaft from engine right back to back axle would be abit long and prone to whip. Only a suggestion and based on nothing but a hunch. A centre bearing would give good support I presume. Can't weigh much, a kg or so. Don't know much about Blades though. Certainly my Nova reverse, although it works well crunchs and bangs like a goodun.

Nick, does it appear i do no work. *eek* I'm just about to start harvest and then it'll be 24/7 till end of November....no summer for me . I'm gonna get this trackday in and then free time will be at a premium. I'm not Will y'know 😬 😬 😬 I've chickened out and put my airbox on. I've checked and no drive by. Right where's my squash racket.......... gotta get fit for summer work Cheers Neil

Do people think i will have trouble at Cadders tomorrow with just the foamy air filter on instead of sexy Caterham airbox do da . I think it's 105 db tomorrow. It is bloody noisy, do they have drive by at Cadders as well as static. Neil

In your dreams.....ram air......cue Catherine Tates ol Grandma " What a load of ol' ****e!!!" 😬 😬 Can i do some work now too please

is 215 ibs stiff or bouncy, not a clue. Hmmm- not known for driving like a girl. What ever grip there will be i'll be able to use it. 😬

Hi Dave, thanks, yep the wheels came with the car, and it may be absolutely ok as i haven't been on track with it yet. i'm just thinking it looks too wide for the power. The spring set up is ALOT stiffer in feel to my old roadsport, particularly at back so it might be fine. I think Blackbirds came from factory with this wheel size so i presume they set it up accordingly. Looks cool though.... I have orange anti roll bars all round and Bilstein dampers with green rear springs if that means anything N

Tractor tyres, hard tyres, wheelbarrow tyres......it makes no difference 😬 😬 😬 Martin, yeah ,they are donkeys years old but we'll see how they do. The soft jelly thing ( driver ) in Will's car is even older however....... Will, just you look out when i get my stickers....that'll slash my lap times. .

I'm obviously not mentioning my lithe figure and power to weight advantage 😬 😬. Tyres all on matey, noticably lighter than the SLR rims. A bit of wuppage is on the cards..... Car cleaned and i'm going to mackell some pole thing to bring my rock hard , ultra violet light buggered slicks. N

Hi Martin, thanks for that. Yeah they will have been hanging around for a while as Martin P who had the car before me didn't really do much with it for a couple of years. I've done a thousand miles in a month and myself and Will are looking at Cadwell this Wednesday pm. Will of course is 0.4 bhp down on me and will hold it against me the whole afternoon! I think i am going to have trouble with understeer , which i hate, as the car doesn't seem to turn in with the vigour of my old k series on the road. I guess that light engine doesn't really key the tyres into the tarmac as much . Cheers mate, glad i've got the right ears in. Neil

Hi, i have two sets of dedion ears, one set marked 1.5 , the other .25 i think. Which ones for ACB10 245/55 13 on MB's. I have the 0.25 ones on a moment and i want to try these MB and ACB10 at Cadders on Wednesday. I'm hoping i'm ok. I also have a set of slicks, do these go on the same ears as the ACB10's. Cheers Chaps. Incidentely these 245/55-13's ACB10 look bloody massive on my Blackbird, do i really need this width with 165 ish hp and am i going to get a whole shed full of understeer with these and an LSD. The fronts are 185 width ACB10's. Cheers Neil

Hi, i'm after a set of Caterham half doors for my Blackbird. GRP or Carbon. It's an S3 chassis. Mobile is 07766912648. Cheers Neil

Flashed you in my X trail as you were coming through Zouch towards Hathern. Didn't recognise you as a local . Neil

Mike, yeah, forgot petrol lighter than water, did A level physics teach me nothing? My car isn't " all carboned up" It's got a carbon dash, sill tectors, and sexy carbon seats but that's it. Nosecone and wings just GRP. Roadsport cage, no windscreen, aeroscreen , oh it's got an FIA bag tank, don't know if that's lighter or heavier than normal. What else, dedion axle, Barnbies . That's about it. Blackbird rad, oilcooler. I have a picture of the weight on intercomp scales with a full tank and slr rims with cr500's at 462 kg. The Barnbies are loads lighter in feel to the slr rims and the tank had 30 litres at least. So i reckon a combined loss there of 30kg say. Neil

Will, mine have 1&2 in a pair , 3&4 in a pair , then joining into two, then one. Same as yours i think. You heard owt from Paul ref BB parts? N

Yep it's a quaife. If it is anything like the sequential on my Blackbird it's absolutely brilliant fun to use with clutchless upshifts, superfast gearshifts . I had a go in the normal R500 demo and that was fantastic , it must be doubly so with the sequential. As i see it , after a thousand miles driving a sequential for the first time they suit the characteristics of the seven really well. The only real bugger sometimes is the fact that you may be cruising along in 6th with a load of traffic in front and if a gap appears all of a sudden you want to take advantage of and overtake you have to bang, bang, bang down three gears and that takes longer if you say shifted from 6th to third in a normal box . In a duratec the torque would make that less of an issue but in 1137cc Blackbird there isn't alot of go at 4000rpm in 6th at say 50 mph. I love it though and in proper driving you can keep it in the zone really nicely. Why anyone would order an R500 without it would be a mystery to me. Neil

Grim ,or rather Paul, check out your answerphone cos myself and Byker Will are interested in your bits . My number is 07766912648. Cheers Neil