SimonRHC

Hi, I was just looking at some ali mesh in B&Q yesterday. It seemed affordable. Cheers Simon

Ick-nay on the watc-nay stuff dude, there may be burgalars listerning! Si

Boasies, Please to hear the opperation went well! Now how about writing an article about it for Low Flying? Alex Wong was after stuff and i'd love to read all about it. Cheers Simon 1600vx

(SORRY IF YOU'VE READ THIS IN CHIT-CHAT ALREADY, I JUST REALISED THAT THIS IS WHERE THE BOFFINS PROBABLY HANG-OUT!) I’ve read on Blat Chat in the past about how people would like to fit Ducati V twins* into their Seven to get the character of a bike engine with a V twin exhaust note. There are probably a few reasons why (to my knowledge) it hasn’t been done to a Caterham. I presume things like packaging, complex exhaust routing, idiosyncratic build quality (?), etc… Watching the British Super Bikes from Cadwell the other weekend I saw a Yamaha R1 running close to the front but using a technique call “Big-Bang”. Low-and-behold a Japanese inline 4 that sounds like a Ducati. The bikes got into using “big bang” a long time ago for racing. I think basically they fit a new crank (and cams?) which allow the firing order to be changed to the pistons firing in pairs. This is meant to slow the frequency of pulses to the rear wheel aiding traction. I don’t think that traction is such an issue in bike engined Caterhams (Que. lots of quoted replies disproving me!) What about a “big bang” bike engined Caterham? Would it eat crank bearings? Would poor balancing leading to lower rev limit? Would you ultimately loose power due to reduced running speeds? Anyone fancy putting their money where my mouth is? (and don’t say up my 🙆🏻) Simon *Other V twins are available.

Black or Dark green Caterham. Heading south on M40 at (Loudwater) junction 3. yesterday at 6:40pm. Simon

Hello, the Caterham website used to say 26mpg @ 75 mph for the 1600vx. Late one night coming back from Scotland i did a whole tank 17mpg @ 95mph The first week i had the my 1600vx i got through one tank in 12mpg on the B roads around north Oxfordshire! If you are careful you might hit 30mpg. the big problem with the carb fed sevens seems to be using the main jets in the carb and the poor aerodynamics. some one mentioned the other week on blatchat that their 1600vx was "over jetted" therefore chucking more petrol into the engine then was needed. this is a possible improvement i intend to look into. as for the aerodynamics the easyest thing to change is fitting aeroscreens of some sort. Hope this helps Cheers Simon

I used some sort of drill attachment that is made up of lots of flaps of sand paper. it was about 3 inch diameter. It seemed to work well because it made nice, well formed radii, something i could have never of done by hand. Cheers Simon

Burgundy AM V8 Vantage spotted on M40 at Stokenchurch 6:50 this morning. Not too sure about the color but it looked well “taut”. It’s quite possibly twice as wide as it is long. Like a albino tiger in latex, strangely sexual, but still a double hard b@#tard. I also saw a Navy V8 Vantage at M40 Jcn 11 (3pm) last Friday whilst on my way to Hellidon Lakes. It was equally taut but even more sexy! Simon

Titanium SV in by the train station in Beaconsfield yesterday at 17:45h. Roof down with doors on. Any ideas? Simon

2 x Yokohama 520 185-60-14 Both with over 6mm of tread left to tread bars. £50 / pair Collect from Wheatley (near Oxford), or Greenford (London, during business hours) only. Cheers, Simon.

Hi db, please see my coments on "exhausting question" (and also my personal e-mail to you). http://213-04.com/t.asp?Id=89351 they are partly relavent to your situation but i don't think it's the whole answer for you I'm afraid. Cheers Simon

Hi Angus & Tessa, I'd say try a decent heat shield (maybe fiberglass lagging) before forking out for special exhaust pipes. i haven't read all the threads on k-series hot start problems because i've got a vx. I'd get as much lagging around all the exhaust pipes to lower the underbonnet temp. i think that you'd be better off with a small air gap and thick lagging. you may get to the point where the outside of the lagging is not too hot to touch. the general underbonnet temperature is a problem and the other pipes will add to this. the underbonnet temperature goes through the roof when you stop moving and the air flow stops. as the solenoid coils heat up their resistance drops. the magnetic "pull-in / hold-in" force is directly related to the coil's "amphere turns" which has been reduced to the point where it's insufficient to function normally. I hope this helps / works. Simon

Hello, For my sins and perpetual partying at Uni. I have ended up as a starter motor designer for part of what used to be Lucas so hopefully I can help. I may simplify some explanation below (before I get bombarded with loads of contradictory replies!) 3 starter in a year indicates a big problem. We test to 50,000 starts and 3 years. Many things will lead a starter to “click no start” but from what you later say is sounds like it is getting stuck in mesh (the bit about rocking the car in gear.) Even worse it could be running in mesh. So all the time the engine running the pinion is in the forward position cooking the over speed clutch! The fact that you’ve been through so many starters indicated to me that the starter is not the problem. There could be a bad batch, yes. It could be misapplied (possible the normal hot start problem). But I would imagine that you have a damaged ring gear on the flywheel. I am interested to help so if you want to talk further e-mail me your phone number to simoncopping@hotmail.com and mention starter motors in the subject box. Cheers Simon

Hi, i thought i saw a trailered CSR racer on M40 heading south at 17:20h yesterday. It was yellow with stickers and a blue roll cage. Being pulled by a "Trooper like" 4x4. Simon

Thanks Graeme, that would be great. Jason Sutherland had told me that it was bent and straightened when i bought it so don't worry. I 'll look forward to the photos. Cheers Simon

So it is! Thanks for that. It's wierd that there's loads of pictures of my car that i've never seen, Autocar must have quite a few. Cheers, Simon.

Hi Paul, My seven (under the mud) is bright yellow. It was the car that Autocar was loaned to enter the Academy in 1999. I used to run it as my only car but now I'm married i have further to comute hence the addition of a tin-top. The only electrical problems i have experienced was the perpetual corrosion of the connecters of the back light clusters (leading to crazy symptoms) and repalcing one of the repeaters each year because they are rusted up. It's usally worth finding out where each unit earths to the chassis and making sure there's a good contact. My indicator toggle switch played up for a while but i got a good tip from James Whiting. It is every time you get in and out of your car, one at a time use every switch. this should keep the contacts clean. i found that a quick flick of the hazzards would fix the indicators. Cheers Simon

Hi, I have a 1600vx that's "getting on a bit". I just wondered when the cam belt change is / was due (x,000 miles and x years). Also does anyone know what is the specific number haynes manual i need to buy to cover the engine? Cheers Simon

i saw one also, heading west on a40 at hillingdon. It look fab. Simon

Out for a stroll on Sunday after a harty lunch at my folks, i passed the White Horse. In the car park was a blue with silver stripe Roadsport SV. The driver must be paranoid about road rage 'cause in the passenger side was a gert big sword! You might have trouble getting a loud can past the "Peelers" but how on earth would you explain that? Simon

Saw a fella hooning along trying to keep dry (or get dry) by going fast. A local? Simon

Be careful these springs are leathal! even if it's 150 lb/inch with 1 inch compression you could loose fingers. My advice is treat them like un-exploded bombs. when i compressed my springs recently i used very heavy duty cable ties. they are avalible from RS and useually state their breaking strain so you can work out how many you need then add some more to be safe. as for screwing the damper rod back in, to avoid it coming apart use some thread lock, they seem to have it fitted when new. I nick it from work but some one will help you find out where it's sold. cheer Simon

I think i saw a warning in low flying about a faulty batch of "R" clips on the master cylinder linkage long time ago. I think caterham were recomending that you wired the little locking hole instead, but, you would need to check. Cheers and "don't have nightmares" Simon.

Bob, are you the Bob Corb that goes to the Falkland's on the 2nd Tuesday? If so i hope to get to the meeting this month or failing that perhaps you could lend them to me through David Nelson as i may well be borrowing his garage (although he doesn't know yet!). Cheers Simon. simoncopping@hotmail.com

Ifound that slowly lifting the wheel up and down helped the bolt find it's way. Simon