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Tigger

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  1. Tigger

    Well! It's started!

    By Tigger,

    After musing over the idea for a few months outside forces gave a helping hand in making my mind up.
    The last time I drove the car I had a bit of an oil leak. Initially I thought this was related to a weak hose connection in the dry sumo system but on closer examination it proved to be a failed crank shaft oil seal.  Bugger!
    So if the engine had to come out anyway my thought was why not use this as the kick-start for the re-build.
    Anyway, yesterday (3rd July 2015) I did a 250mile round trip to drop the car off at The 7 Workshop. Chris is going to strip the car and then it goes off to Bruce for some sprucing up, before re building it.
    i have a plan for the colour scheme which is quite exciting.  I also have some engine mods planned too and possibly some other stuff
    It'll be like having a new car, I just have to wait 3 months. Shame it'll be the end of the summer when it's done, but it'll be ready for the start of 2016.

    The last few days of being a black and orange 'tigger'!
  2. Tigger
    Although the purpose of this is more of a repository of ideas, since it's entitled 'Blog' and accessible by the 7 Community I thought I better add a bit of text lest anyone can be bothered to read through my stream of unitelligable thoughts.
    For many years I'd fancied a Caterham and really wanted to build one from scratch, I soon realised that the spec I wanted would be rather too expensive so a second hand car was a better idea.  When a friend decided to sell his I jumped at the opportunity.
    The Car - A 1995 K-series Supersport which had been up-graded from 1.4 to 1.8. with a few extras:
    LSD Dry sump 633 Piper cams and verniers Roadsport cage QR steering wheel Sticky tyres One of the first things I did was to 'add lightness' by removing the windscreen and doors and replacing with a JPE Aero, and soft-bits half doors.  Another little addition was an Emerald ECU.  When I got it the engine was running on the original MEMS but the torque curve was a bit odd, the torque was very slow to come in but then a big dollop would appear once the revs picked up.  It made the car feel quick but in reality is was quite compromised, and curve could do with being flatter.  Dave Walker did his stuff and power and torque curves look good.  The power is respectable for a non-flowed head at 156bhp (I must look up the torque figures).
    The Car has given me pleasure for a number of years and although I haven't clocked up that many miles the experience of ownership is what I probably love the most.  Those miles I have clocked up have mostly been on track.  Latterly the car is feeling a little tired.  Early years of ownership only required regularly oily maintenance but the last few visits to the track have ended prematurely with a number of niggles.  Alternator belt disintegrating, the K-series click, oil evacuating the engine and an electrical issue caused by water ingress........
    A few years ago I thought about consolidating my cars and considered parting company from my MGF (which I bought new in 1996, not a great car but nicely fettled and i'm rather fond of it) and selling the 7 and maybe buy something like an Elise or Exige.  I even went down the root of test driving a few but soon realised that in order to get the visceral ecceleration of the caterham I would only be happy with a super charged car,  rather out of my budget.  The idea also crossed my mind that I could possibly re-build the Caterham but in the end other plans took over and the money went elsewhere.
    Well now the car budget is looking to be replenished and my mind is now back to re-building the Seven.  So what should I do.....? Simple freshen up or an opportunity to up-grade.  I think we know the answer already...!
    WISH LIST 
    Superlight Cage         Lowered floor            Long-nose      Nitrons or Bilsteins   Re-skin           PPC engine bay         Gear box         Dashboard     Carbon Half doors     Softbits Boot lid         Wiring loom   Tyres  Re-furb wheels          5 point harness Brakes            Paint   Labour            My guestimate for this is currently            £14,500
    Engine (flowed head)          MTB's 1500 Re-map Wide track suspension         Stack dash Add on these bits and the bank account is going to take a further hammering.
    Now here is the dilemma...... Is it viable to rebuild or do I sell the car for say £6K and buy a different car.
    What could I get for £20,500?
    A quick trawl through the Caterham pre-owned pages  throws up a few cars mainly 125bhp Sigmas and an SV R 200bhp (£18,500 Sold)
    The SV R would be a nice car and ten years younger but is it like for like. It doesn't have the cage, the suspension, half doors or PPC engine bay,  take those off and the re-build is just about viable but it is still an old registration and older chassis.
    Mmmm
    But there was something which I just read in Low Flying this month.  John Aston's Aussie anecdote ' you don't own that Seven mate, you're just her custodian....'
    On this alone I think I have only one choice....... Re-build.
    A re-build would definately make it MY seven.
     
    Watch this space.
     
     
     
     
     
     
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