RossCarmichael

y797 ckn on Battersea Rise last night, 3rd June about 8pm. Looked like you were coming back from travels. ..Beaulieu perhaps?

Any chance it hs an HDMI port! If so, def interested...what is your location? Rosss

Car ran fine today on the way to Penshurst. The collective thought was perhaps some bad/stale fuel from not much running that cleared up when I refilled before tonight's journey. Good to meet some of he members this evening and looking forward to next months outing! Will post back if it reoccurs but for now all is good... Thanks all, Ross

Thanks Crudders - will limp on over tonight!

Hello all, I just had a worrying blat where I think the car is either mis-firing or missing a cylinder (perhaps through overheating, although it didn't show on the gauge if it was). My questions to the knowledgable members of blatchat (well, to all of you really!) are: 1. After 1.5hrs driving a J-reg cross flow, would you expect the fan to be running if you parked up, turned the engine off and then switched the ignition straight back on again? 2. We took 20 secs of camera phone video footage (it doesn't sound pleasant), but i'm not sure how to share this with people, apart from email...any suggestions? I was also thinking I might get the car out to a local meet and see if people could comment further when hearing it live! 3. Apart from relying on your knowledge, I guess I should also contact a mechanic...I have been using James Whiting, but have just moved down to Sevenoaks so suggestions for people closer would be appreciated. Thanks everyone, Ross

Lime green with a black stripe on Brixton Hill at 510pm on Sunday...traffic holding you back.

Ah yes, the X-flow noise is the greatest safety device....none of this electric car silence for me! I was on the way to drop her with James Whiting to hopefully go through MOT and service in time for Easter....fingers crossed! Will probably be driving back through Chertsey on the way to Sussex on Friday morning...keep your ears open! Good spotting! Ross

"Orange Sylva/Harlequin Jester for sale. SVA 2000, MOT Apr'08. Based on reliable Ford Fiesta Mk1 (1100cc) mechanicals. Accept offers: £2,450." In August last year I posted the above advert (but with a higher asking price) on the site, but had no responses. I then asked for feedback on what needed to change to sell the car. I am now posting to: - readvertise. Please email me if you are interested in the car. - update those who wrote in with advice, as promised. The previous topic (which became a debate about free speech!), had a lot of advice and I have taken as much of it as possible. The car is now advertised here, on pistonheads and on ebay. I've taken more photos of the interior which are part of those postings, and emphasised the most positive aspects of owning this car. I haven't yet changed the wheels for alloys, but may still do so if necessary. I've also contacted the Sylva Sportscar Register to see if they have further suggestions. Thank you again to all those who contributed last year - I've taken on board as much as possible, and will let you know if any of the 17 people who are currently 'watching' the car on eBay actually make a bid! Regards, Ross

Thank you everyone for your contributions and to Angus & Co. for their supporting comments. Regarding a decision on the car: I think I'll make a concerted effort from early next year, and will probably try e-bay, which I hadn't originally considered. To those who don't like it - so what? I don't need you to like my car for me to love it...and the trouble is I still do. To keep everything ticking over, I drove it briefly last weekend and it still brings a massive smile to my face! 😬 For anyone who cares, I'll try and come back to this post and let you know what/when/how/if I shift the car next year. Best regards, Ross

Not me...sadly haven't been out since 3rd September, and missed the opportunity this weekend due to staying in bed until 4:30pm with a hangover!

Dave, Just thought I'd look into my diary as to what I was doing...it was one of the two days off I gave myself between quitting my old job (Centrica in Windsor) and starting my new one in London town. Oh, two happy days they were! And I was down at Dunsfold the following day (Sat) as well. Ross

DaveF - Red/Ali was me! I've just started glancing at the 'Spotted' page, and thought I'd do a search to see if I'd missed anything...glad to know I've made a mention, and that the X-flow noise/early-warning-system is still working well !! I do try and calm down towards the end of a blat so as not to damage reputation in the local area, but sometimes it's hard to resist, especially on the wide Virginia Water stretch of the A30... Insurance due for renewal tomorrow...can't decide whether to insure into the winter months now that I've moved into London but the car is still in Egham... Anyway, thanks for the mention! Ross

Thanks Stuart - useful tips, some of which I had taken into account (it went up for sale in July, originally!), but I will look at the changes and also look into eBay. I'll also look out for dwindledot, Nick. I'm not keen to spend too much on the car before selling it on, but if some of these changes are necessary to complete a sell and clear the garage then I'll bite the bullet! I think I'm also hesitant to sell as this is the one I built myself, and although I haven't driven it in a couple of years, it has a fond place in my heart...but the Caterham was always the dream...and now I'm living it!

Hello all, This obviously wasn't very popular...no replies here, and no replies from a similar advert in Kit Car with a photo. I know this isn't the best forum to advertise a non-Caterham on, but I was wondering if anyone could give me some feedback as to why this wouldn't sell. Is it simply the price (it's hard to value as there's so few around), or am I missing things from the advert that should be included. I'm no salesman...any feedback gratefully received! Ross

Orange Sylva/Harlequin Jester for sale. SVA 2000, MOT Apr'07. Based on reliable Ford Fiesta Mk1 (1100cc) mechanicals. Asking price: £3,250. Go here for photos.

No one has suggested an answer for the second part of the question - max sustained rpm. I have a 1700 xflow 4-spd and when leaving Dunsfold a couple of weeks ago was completely unable to keep up with Fast Lady and another Sevener as at about 85mph I'm doing about 5000rpm. If my ears and arms can cope with it, is it OK to stay at that rpm, or should I be looking to keep it more in the 4000 range? Cheers, Ross

Sorry to be the numpty here (see, I'm getting the lingo at least!), but what does dropping an exhaust valve mean? How/why does it happen, what are the consequences etc? I don't want to force Tyrone to relive the experience, but was just wondering... Cheers, Ross

My current position would say that I definitely agree with Nigel.... I bought my first Caterham in February - 1700 xflow with a 4spd gearbox and a live axle. I bought it from Caterham as I wanted a bit more piece of mind than a private buy would have given me, but they rarely have anything less than £10k (cheapest at the moment is £9,750 for a 1800 De-Dion Supersport). Whilst this is my only car, I have no reliance on it, so if it doesn't start one day I have other ways of getting to work etc. However, filled with the pride of new ownership, on it's first two days it went to work with me in the snow and the hood and sidescreens provided me all the protection I needed. Whilst not wanting to get myself thrown out of the club for treason...are you also aware that there are many other 'Seven-esque' cars out there that offer a similar look and driving experience (ie. need of umbrellas etc!). I briefly owned a Dax Rush (before an incident with a motorway crash barrier - beginners bad luck!), and also considered a Tiger Super Six. However, the Caterham was always my dream, and they would have been stepping stones on the journey - in the end I sold the family silver and went straight for it! I'm happy to discuss my criteria and the choices I made when completing my recent purchase or to help out with some of the not-so-technical descriptions, so if I can be of service, just drop me an email. All the best with it all! Ross P.S. I'd also agree that the meets are very friendly and an excellent source of advice, etc.

I've just recently bought my car and asked a more general question about security here The idea I liked was a bicycle or motorbike lock - much more visible than an immobiliser and so hopefully better at stopping someone thinking about it before they've started trying. The other comment that seems to float around is that theft of Caterham's is a very small worry anyway, but as you say, peace of mind is a wonderful thing. Ross

Good news from the bank holiday weekend... I went through all the documentation I was given with the car and found a letter to his insurer stating that a hidden cut-off switch was fitted - this was news to me! So I went searching and found it mounted on the bulkhead, tucked right up behind the dash, which is one suggestion completed without having to do anything! I think the next task is probably Tom's suggestion of a big D-lock, with a removable wheel to go on the wish-list for the near future. Many thanks to all those who made suggestions - much appreciated. Looking forward to meeting a few more of you at Dunsfold on 9th. Ross

It's a good one! - I'm just in the process of writing to Caterham to ask how much that would be... Thanks, Ross

Hi all - first post to the site for me, and I've come asking for help...it's all take, take, take these days, isn't it! Well, actually that's what I'm hoping to prevent. I've recently purchased a J-reg 1700 X-flow and I was wondering (without giving too much of your own secrets away!) whether anyone has suggestions/recommendations on a simple (and relatively inexpensive) approach to stopping someone getting in and driving away. I know that it's unlikely, but I'd rather make some attempt at making it more difficult for them. My most recent thought was to put an electrical switch in the wire to the fuel pump. I'm not sure where I'd site the switch, but it seemed a simple but effective approach. Any comments on my idea, or any other suggestions would be most welcome. Many thanks, Ross