paul jacobs

Dear Disgusted of Surrey, It could be that you are still in the first flush of youth, or maybe have only had 2-3 sevens so far and are still allowing yourself to be deluded into being a masochist, thinking that this is the only way of enjoying the unique experience that is se7en motoring? It's great that people are so enthusiastic about their cars to want to personalise them in any way they can. Those Wimps do look like a great touring weapon, [i might just rip off the idea and get one made by my local hood maker] of course I wouln't use one when doing any competition motoring, just means that you change the car to suit the use to which it's being put. Go for it Simon.

Out of interest Arnie, do you get more leakage when the car is standing, or when it's actually running. I have a problem with this same joint on my dry sump pan, but only when the car is standing in the garage. I was told that it was to do with pressure in the engine pushing the crank seals against the crank when it's running. Does this sound a possibility? Sort of made sense to me.

Thanks for the advice Arnie, I'd better check my ears and put on a pair that have got the correct stamp on them. Anybody know what camber I should be using on the back when using 16" 205/50 Yoko 032's? These are comparitivley wide, and logic tells me they should be about 1 - 1.5 degrees. I could be wrong though.

Looks like a managerial descision will be forthcoming sometime then.

Yes, this has been done a few times, Dick Manning from Dorset has made up a perspex screen, and I've done the same with my 21. We both get more or less the same results. The back draught from the centre is cut down, but there appears to be more airflowing down the sides and around the back of the doors, so that the drivers right ear gets more of a hammering. I'm about to start playing with this by filling the open section between the back of the sidescreen and the roll bar. Got to get the car back on the road first, so this won't happen till mid May though. It's quite easy to cut perspex, and you may be lucky to find a local supplier who may have large scrap pieces which are suitable.

Simon, I'm pleased to see a factory presence here. Of course Barry is the ultimate arbiter and what he says, goes, but there are others who are known about, thinking of Eddie here, so I think that it can only be good for the membership to have used parts offered to us. I don't think you could've upset too many people, your prices don't look too far out of the ballpark, and I'm sure that you are open to close offers? Have you got any spare 2nds quality or slightly used rear wings at the moment, pereferably in black, at around half price? [Not asking much am I!]

Simon, why bother to spend all that money just to get a side exit? You can take off the rear tail pipe, shorten the front section to move the silencer foreward 6" and just get a neat ss side exit tailpipe made, complete with bracket and rolled end. I did mine last year, and my local firm charged me something in the region of £20 -£30, it now looks a treat, is only a little louder, and I've saved money to spend elsewhere [or is this typical female logic?] Of course if you're after more power, with a 4-1 system with bigger primaries and secondaries, that's a whole different ball game.........

Gordon, I'm after a nearside front lower wishbone, would you be interested in selling one on its own, if so how much would you want for it? Failing that how much are you looking for for the complete set?

Yes Mike, I've often wondered about this "sneeze factor". I first heard about it being used on American cars, but if it was so important, why aren't people who drive small open two seaters, with no more than 2 turns lock to lock, and who are more likely to sneeze from having a cold gale blowing down their necks, considered to be so much at risk. I believe that Alfa Romeo are now using 2.5 [or less] turns lock to lock on the 156 and possibly other cars too. Have car designers finally realized that car drivers aren't acutally so stupid after all?

As far is changing the camber is concerned, the easiest way is to put some spacers [washers] between the back of the ear and the end of the DD tube, this is easy and effective, but you do need a camber guage, [sp.?guague/gaugue/gague, oh bu**er it] a camber measuring instrument, to set it up properly, I borrow one from my local garage.

Arnie, Didn't I remember you posting earlier that you still had a small leak from this area too. Have you managed to identify where it is coming from and how have you managed to stop it? I was speaking to a Vauxhall fitter the other week, and he was saying that a lot of the 16v engines he sees have leaks from the sump flange, which didn't fill me with a lot of hope in curing mine, although I did hear that Steve Broughton is trying to develop a dry sump pan with a built in rubber seal which may help ['though I know your feelings about this gentleman!] Next time I have my pan off, I will try replacing it without the windage tray and see what effect this has. Thanks for your reply.

Does anyone know what sort of power just fitting DTHTB on a 1.6 SS, and changing the ECU to match, would make, in other words, trying to save the work and expense of opening up the engine.

Whilst we're talking vauxhall sumps, perhaps someone can tell me if the windage tray that should be fitted to a wet sump to stop the oil being churned up, is needed when a dry sump system is fitted? Theoreticaly there should be very little oil in the sump pan once the engine is running. I have always had some very annoying oil leaks in that area, and I feel that if I could do away with one of the gaskets, and the windage tray, I could make a better seal around the sump flange.

Yes, I've got a pair of brand new progressive rate rear springs knocking around in my garage roof somewhere. Haven't tripped over then for a year or so, but I know that they are there somewhere. Assuming I can find them soon, would a price of 33% less than new factory cost [whatever that is] seem reasonable?

Talkaing of filters, I've often wondered if there is really differnce in OE, Halfords, Bosch, Champion and any others that are available, and surely a bigger filter is better [given that it isn't going to be wiped along the road of course]. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

Build it, but just don't be in too much of hurry to finish the build, 'though I suppose you will be 'cause you'll want to race it. Most people feel a small sense of loss when they finish, because it is designed by Caterham to be so easy that it is really very pleasurable [OK for 90% of first time builders anyway] and almost and end in itself. The instruction manual is good and is backed up by excellent service from either the factory or Dereck Moore [at least it is good compared with all the other kits on the market]. All the other reasons put foreward so far are also very valid. Go for it - you won't regret it, and you will get one hell of a kick out of completing it yourself.

Well, I've used "Gripfill", and as PR said, it's obtainable from any builders merchant at about 2ukp per tube. The last time I used the stuff, it was on a pair of flared wings, and I used a bit the size of a threepenny bitquestion.gif on the wing stay, and when I came to remove the wing, I had to cut it off with a Stanley knife, cause it was just delaminating the fibreglass when I tried brute force! Previously I had used the car for sprints/hillclimbs, and maxed it out at around the 135 mark, with it still intact, so had no qualms in using it again on the cycle wings. Incidentaly, I've overcome the excess lock, when the new cycle wings hit the body sides, utilizing the existing rack, if anyone is interested.

I think that you'll have to bite the bullet, and go for a 4.1 cwp, and get the box out and get 1st gear "lengthened" so that it becomes useable, 'cause there's no use in having a 5 speed box, only to end up using 4 of the ratios. If you do this, you'll find it so much nicer. But it is going to be expensive, so you should investigate the cost of a 6 speed box, and retaining your current 3.92 cwpquestion.gif there might not be too much in it, but use Arnies' calculator and check all your ratio/road speeds.

That's all right David, thought it might be worth a mention anyway, you never know. Best of luck in your search.

Yes, but if the panel was sealed no moisture should get in in the first place? I think that we shouldn't get too hung up on weight, especially if it's mainly a road car, but that etch primer stuff can be very nasty to work with, not to mention expensive, however if the rest of the tub is being painted from new, it wouldn't be too much of an imposition to do under the car at the same time?

Yep, I could be parted from mine if you asked nicely. 40 Webers, Side exit exhaust, cycle wings, leather seats, hi-visibility weather gear, 5 speed, dedion and only 9500 miles, reg. April '93. Hope you like black though. I wouldn't even want a large bag of cash - only around 10,950:00 ukp. Only downside [yes there is always one, that's why one never ends up with the "perfect" car], it's on a Q reg. Get back to me if you're interested. I live in Somerset if you want to have a look, my number is in the back of Low Flying as an AO for Somerset and Wessex.

OK, if one were building a new car, with the intention of using it all the year round, there would seem to be obvious places that would need attention, from what others have already said. Wayoil or similar does appear to be a very good [if messy!] idea, how about making up a panel to close off the gap under the fuel tank, fixing with a silicone seal, that should save that area. When the tub is new, and with no engine or suspension fitted, would it be a better idea to paint not only the inside of the engine bay, but also under the floor and the bits inside the rear wheel arches where the rear springs live too, so that all naked aluminium is covered and protected, and as the front suspension is always so suspect, how about nickel or chrome plating all the relevant parts which normally get stone chipped, then rust?

Why go to all the trouble and expense of fitting a 4-1 system, with all that hole cutting and spannering [those manifold studs are always absolute little sods!] Do what I did, and modify your existing rear exit setup to a nifty side exit, gives better sound too, and I don't suppose that it does anything good or bad to the power curve. Take off the silencer, remove the clamp holding the rear exit portion of pipe, shorten the front end where it fits over the front primaries, by about 2" or so, having done this, find a trusty stainless steel exhaust bender, and get him to make a curved exit pipe that will clamp over the stub of the silencer exit, so that it finishes just ahead of the rear wheel, he must put a bracket on it and hey presto, for about 20-30UKP you've got a really smart side exit system. If you have problems locating a little man to do the bending, contact me, and I'll see if my guy will do it, using the original one he did for me, as a jig.

Luke, If Arnie can't use the rad, I most certainly can. Any chance of 2nd refusal on it please?

Yep, that sounds logical Arnie.