Bigdog's Caterham pics.

[mcbeee]

My neighbour has one in his garage in pieces, on a shelf. It hasn't been touched in over 6 years :thumbsdown:

I'd love to get my paws on it but it won't happen, he's not interested.
My Dad used to tune a couple of super 7's for friends back when I was a teenager, love those cars.

 

[Machine monkey]

Thats great Bigdog would love one of these or similar one day. Keep the pictures coming

 

[ronk]

I had a Westfield all specced up and was returning from a test drive when a dithering old codger decided to change lanes without looking - He banged into the passengers door on my wife's Audi - She would have been injured if we had been in a Westfield so she said I could still buy one but she wouldn't ride in it!

That's why I went down the Zed route - But still fancy one!

 

[bigdog]

My neighbour has one in his garage in pieces, on a shelf. It hasn't been touched in over 6 years :thumbsdown:

I'd love to get my paws on it but it won't happen, he's not interested.
My Dad used to tune a couple of super 7's for friends back when I was a teenager, love those cars.

Holy Toledo! Six years collecting dust. What a shame. I say send him to the tower of London for an attitude adjustment. :evil:

I was very fortunate to have found through word of mouth, A German mechanic in my local area that used to race Caterhams, Mini's, & Motorcycle-Sidehacks. He was tickled to see an old 7. I was tickled as well to have found mechanic knowledgeable about 7's. Speaks great English as well. A win, Win in my book.

 

[ronk]

I was very fortunate to have found through word of mouth, A German mechanic in my local area that used to race Caterhams, Mini's, & Motorcycle-Sidehacks. He was tickled to see an old 7. I was tickled as well to have found mechanic knowledgeable about 7's. Speaks great English as well. A win, Win in my book.

Unlike modern cars with all the onboard witchcraft, it's all very basic mechanical stuff at that age - so any old school mechanic should able to deal with it - and probably enjoy working with spanners instead of a laptop as well!

 

[bigdog]

You'll never drive anything more rewarding or raw as a Caterham\Westfield. I'm sure I'll return to one in the future. Here's my old Westfield.

Very nice, I like the all yellow. You must be a hardy sort (or possibly psychotic) to have the low screen in Scotland. At least with the quick handling, one can dodge the occasional sheep that gets blown across the road like an Arizona tumbleweed. :lol:

And you don't own it anymore because? :fingertap:

 

[bigdog]

I was very fortunate to have found through word of mouth, A German mechanic in my local area that used to race Caterhams, Mini's, & Motorcycle-Sidehacks. He was tickled to see an old 7. I was tickled as well to have found mechanic knowledgeable about 7's. Speaks great English as well. A win, Win in my book.

Unlike modern cars with all the onboard witchcraft, it's all very basic mechanical stuff at that age - so any old school mechanic should able to deal with it - and probably enjoy working with spanners instead of a laptop as well!

One would think so, But that hasn't been the case. There is a mechanic in my village (about 53 yrs old) He said that I should seek a specialist. Until I found that specialist, In the form of Schafer club sport. No one wanted to deal with the Cat esp. as it has weber DCOE's. Go figure. Webers are not terrible to work on, And the rest of the car is very much Fred Flintstone tech.

 

[bigdog]

I had a Westfield all specced up and was returning from a test drive when a dithering old codger decided to change lanes without looking - He banged into the passengers door on my wife's Audi - She would have been injured if we had been in a Westfield so she said I could still buy one but she wouldn't ride in it!

That's why I went down the Zed route - But still fancy one!

I could be rude, Crude, And socially unaceptable and ask why you didn't continue with the Westfield purchase, But I won't. :lol: So never mind.

 

[ronk]

I could be rude, Crude, And socially unaceptable and ask why you didn't continue with the Westfield purchase, But I won't. :lol: So never mind.

Do you really have to ask?

She only said "Get one if you want" and we all know what that translates into!

 

[bigdog]

I could be rude, Crude, And socially unaceptable and ask why you didn't continue with the Westfield purchase, But I won't. :lol: So never mind.

Do you really have to ask?

She only said "Get one if you want" and we all know what that translates into!

No not really. But in the interest of entertaining the newlyweds, I thought I'd toss that out there.

As for me, After 29 years I'm just starting to understand the basics of dingbatish (as my mate calls women speak). :evil:

 

[gwatson]

Very nice, I like the all yellow. You must be a hardy sort (or possibly psychotic) to have the low screen in Scotland. At least with the quick handling, one can dodge the occasional sheep that gets blown across the road like an Arizona tumbleweed. :lol:

And you don't own it anymore because? :fingertap:

Haha... always wore a helmet when in it so the fresh (read cold) air was never a problem.

Sold is due to the same reason as someone else mentioned above, the wife wouldn't get into it anymore and I had a few close shaves myself which made me think twice. As it happens, I sold it for my first Z4, so was a good thing. However, I do lust after a back to basics\raw car again. Next time I want a caged car, with either a S2000 engine or a Hayabusa engine. Oh and I will most definitely track the next one, always regretted never taking it on track.

What engine do you have under the hood? (Apologies if I missed it)

 

[bigdog]

Very nice, I like the all yellow. You must be a hardy sort (or possibly psychotic) to have the low screen in Scotland. At least with the quick handling, one can dodge the occasional sheep that gets blown across the road like an Arizona tumbleweed. :lol:

And you don't own it anymore because? :fingertap:

Haha... always wore a helmet when in it so the fresh (read cold) air was never a problem.

Sold is due to the same reason as someone else mentioned above, the wife wouldn't get into it anymore and I had a few close shaves myself which made me think twice. As it happens, I sold it for my first Z4, so was a good thing. However, I do lust after a back to basics\raw car again. Next time I want a caged car, with either a S2000 engine or a Hayabusa engine. Oh and I will most definitely track the next one, always regretted never taking it on track.

What engine do you have under the hood? (Apologies if I missed it)

Just a lowly X-Flow. Which on the USA7's forum makes me bit of an odd ball.

As is typical with most Americans (excepting yours truly) One must go big so one can win the brochure spec numbers top trump contest. If you don't lust for more power, your a w****r. The latest is a bloke that drives or more than likely it drives him. He has a Birkin 7 that's got a 525 HP V8. Crikey! One wouldn't dare touch the throttle any time the steering wheel was even just slightly off center for fear of spinning into the shrubberies. Quite a bit beyond daft if you ask me. I'll stop ranting now.

 

[GP06Roadster]

Bigdog, beautiful 7 you have there, do you say to yourself "I am not a number, I am a free man now! Very cool

Stan, Wow, you are brave posting that, It hasn't aged well has it :lol:

 

[mcbeee]

Why do Gearheads here have to screw things up? Those things were designed to run with little engines.... little High Performance engines. They must handle like absolute crap with those big blocks in them.
I wonder how one would handle an engine out of an M series ??? I digress, I always liked the originals with the Cosworth in them. (My Mum had a Lotus Cortina, what can I say? )

 

[the cueball]

nice pics, great cars, I love the Caterhams....

on my recent palmer sports day, I was the fastest on track in these!

 

[bigdog]

Why do Gearheads here have to screw things up? Those things were designed to run with little engines.... little High Performance engines. They must handle like absolute crap with those big blocks in them.
I wonder how one would handle an engine out of an M series ??? I digress, I always liked the originals with the Cosworth in them. (My Mum had a Lotus Cortina, what can I say? )

The only other engine my Cat will ever see is a 1700 X-flow to replace the current 1600. And maybe, just maybe. A Mikuni fuel injection unit from a modern sportbike.

Most in America have no idea how to drive. So rather than deal with learning to maintain momentum through, then accelerate out of a corner. They just default to installing said big engine, throwing out the anchor and creeping around corners. Then stomp on the gas and pass with reckless abandon all those who went around them while they were under-steering in the corner because of the pig iron under their bonnet.

Track days in America are mostly treated like a sanctioned race. It's not about having fun and or honing your skills and testing the abilities you and your car. It's about trying to humiliate the other driver and bragging about it or posting a video to you tube to show others how wonderful you are. I really had no idea there were winners at a public track day. A 7 needs to be on an auto cross course or a very tight track. Tight tracks are rare in America, And auto-crosses are for wusses cause you can't pass someone.

 

[bigdog]

nice pics, great cars, I love the Caterhams....

on my recent palmer sports day, I was the fastest on track in these!

Who is that with the death grip on the rollcage? Aren't hands and feet supposed to remain inside the vehicle at all times? :lol:

 

[dazols]

i do like them and one day i will have a toy to bring out on sunny days. my friend has a Cobra and we went to one of the meets, there was some Dax Rush there very similar to the caterham but they are running V8. they sound awesome. maybe one day :wink:

this is my friends cob we took it to a show last year only comes out about 4 times a year.

 

[ZeeFore]

... this is my friends cob we took it to a show last year only comes out about 4 times a year. ...

Yee-har! :happyclap:

Is that an original, copy, or reissue?
Even the reissues carry a seriously hefty price tag, especially in aluminium.

 

[dazols]

its a DAX ram one of the very first kits ever to me done and some would say the best. it has a 427 chevy small block V8 and sounds awesome.