Nick Chan

Hi Paul. Did you see my reply on your FB post?

Why not put a wanted ad on here? I’ve thrown several away over the years when I’ve had replacement batteries and usually re-use the old ones as they have the slots cut in them

Its very easy to change the old matrix for a new one too. From memory it simply sits in the plastic surround and is easy to extract and replace. I seem to recall buying the new one from eBay. They are pretty generic

Hi Graham. If it’s still available, I’ll have it. Can you check postage to Newcastle under Lyme for me? thanks Nick

Start with the basics perhaps and make sure the coolant system is well bled and doesn't have any airlocks in it. Maybe consider fitting a PRRT (remote thermostat) to help with getting it bled easier. Also, a new expansion bottle cap should be used as there have been problems with old/cheap ones not working properly and allowing coolant past the cap

An imperial bar won't fit a Metric chassis due to the depth of the lugs that slot in above the rear shocks. A metric bar will fit an imperial chassis as the lugs are shallower and can be packed out with a spacer or washers. A tall bar/cage is typically 2" taller than a standard one

Wanted - Caterham Tunnel cover for an S3 De Dion car with an underdash handbrake. Does anyone have one available for sale? Thanks Nick

Hi Clive. Removal is usually with a hairdryer or heat gun with judicious use! I would have thought it would be a full PPF panel that’s required. I suppose if you have a steady hand and score just the film and not the paint itself, a new panel could be patched in. Dave at PPF did a cracking job cutting the film in situ when the car was originally done and didn’t score the paint so it’s certainly possible 😀 Nick

Now sold

Four immaculate Caterham 8 spoke 6" wheels complete with excellent condition Yokohama Advan A052 tyres (185/60 x 13"). All tyres are dated 2021 and have at least 4mm tread The rims have been repowdercoated in silver and have no curbing or damage at all. They are very clean on both inside and outside faces. They are a de dion fitting and will fit either Imperial or Metric cars! I bought them earlier this year but have decided that I really do have too many sets of wheels and tyres so am letting this set go for what I paid for them. Available for local collection from Newcastle-under-Lyme. We are just 5 mins from Jct15/M6. Possible courier delivery can be arranged at buyer's expense.

Unfortunately I've not got the contact details for the chap who got in touch with a blank dash... can you get in touch again 😃

What engine are these for? If for a K Series, I'm interested Thanks Nick

I used wood silk polish, WD40 and some other similar polishes over the years and whilst a massive improvement initially, I tended to find the benefit didn't last a week if we were out blatting and camping in sunny/wet/sunny conditions and the crappy look son came back. In the end, they have been sanded down and clear coated and this should be far more durable. They look like #13 pics now

You could have the current system simply modified by chopping off at the back of the first silencer and having a new tail pipe welded on to be a side exit. Obviously this is a little dramatic than you might want but I've seen it done very successfully on a friend's similar car

I'm sure that the input shaft on the Sigma engine is different to the K Series one but usually it means a change of the actual input shaft itself. I wonder if this "modification" is because a replacement box has been fitted and then found the input shaft is incompatible for the current engine

Seeing Roger's post, reminded me to ask if anyone has a blank carbon dash for an S3 available. It's for a 1996 car if it makes any difference. thanks Nick

Try finding a good metal polishing place. I had my exhaust polished by a chap in Crewe and he had a set of (non-Caterham) wheels in with painted centres and the rims being polished using machine mops. He was doing a great job Nick

One of my favourite old cars! Black & Silver ex-Academy K series car (GN56 RBU). It must be 10+ years since I sold it and last saw it Nick

Very interesting to see some of these upgrade prices from 15 years ago. The carbon kevlar seat options look excellent value as does the carbon rear arches/nosecone one

The superlight cars were deliberately a basic but known specification and definitely supported the "Add Lightness" mantra. However, depending on the original owner, the spec could be modified from new so we see Superlight cars coming out with wipers, heaters, windscreens, spare wheels (or at least their carriers) and, heaven forbid, paint. Some cars came out with GRP panels to save money over their more costly carbon fibre equivalents. The R500 chassis did have a weight saving with the strengthening bracket for the spare wheel deleted and I expect the aeroscreen only variants (there were two) have the bracket for the wiper motor excluded plus the wiper washer/buttons deleted from the dash layout for obvious reasons. On the whole though as Anthony says, the desirable items are add ons. I was going to say cosmetic but that wouldn't be correct for the LSD and dry sump systems

From memory, the spacers were simple small pieces of dowel in a screen I had powder coated and rebuilt. The dowel diameter were very similar to a ballpoint pen (circa 8mm) and a couple of inches long. There were a few spread around the windscreen channel (but not the bottom piece)

2nd dibs if available

Thanks Ben / Pete - a small fill up and checking the oil catch tank is similar to how I'd check my DS cars but the CSR manual apparently gives different guidance. I'll let him know to add a bit more of a pint or so more! :)

For one of our local members who doesn't do the internet. How do CSR owners check their oil level in the dry sump system? Following the manual and getting the oil up to temperature, he is then switching off and taking the dip reading then. It was slightly low so he put in a half a pint (his words) and it didn't make any difference so he put in another half a pint. It doesn't seem to have made any difference. I think this is the way to be checking wet sump cars rather than dry sump ones. So how do CSR owners check their oil? TIA Nick

I suppose its possible to have a new collector made up but really its option 2 and replacing the whole system with a 4-2-1 one I'd say Nick