Build Day 2- Front end & IVA Trim

Day 2- Steering Rack and IVA Trim

Firstly we decided to do the first thing mentioned in the build guide, the steering rack, using the designated fastener pack. Very easy job just a few bolts through the lovely aluminium machined brackets. At this point we did notice that the movement of the steering rack seemed gravely, however we are hoping that this is just it not being moved properly.

Rack with track rod ends fitted, ensure right amount of turns for model.

When this was loosely fitted we moved onto the lower wishbones. These proved tricky as they are tight in the brackets, the instructions are stupidly unclear and the bolts are awkward to get to sometimes. Here is where it gets interesting, the manual says to put no washers between the front mount of the arm and the chassis, and 4 washers between the chassis tube and the back mount of the wishbone. However the general consensus from other blogs seems to be to ignore this (instructions for wide track suspension, standard on SV) and just fit it like the standard model.

Rear of Lower wishbone, 2 in front 2 behind.

Front of lower wishbone, 2 washers behind.

We quickly realised that it would become increasingly difficult to fit the IVA trim around the holes in the bodywork for the suspension and steering to pass through. Around early afternoon we decided to start the long and arduous process of fitting the fiddly rubber trim. In order to keep the trim attached until, and during, the dreaded IVA inspection, we used small amounts of superglue on the inside of the body, as advised on many other blogs. Also manipulating the rubber and warming it makes it easier to handle.

It is highly advised that this part it carried out by people with reasonably dexterous hands as it is quite fiddly, as my dad found out as 1. he has huge hands, and 2. has half his right index finder missing, which makes it difficult for him... (or he's just a bit old and blind hahaha)

IVA trim, glued, with taller edge on the inside of the car.

Note around the upper wishbone bracket the body panel is very close at the top and bottom. For the bottom the panel can be gingerly forced outwards in order to get the trim on, and the upper can be stuck on once a section has been cut out of the back.

To finish of the day we decided to spray the inside of the chassis with anti corrosion spray. The spray we decided to use was "Dynax S-50 Extreme Duty Anti Corrosion Wax". This was incredibly simple to apply as it is in an aerosol can, and supplied with the application tube and nozzle. Two rivets were drilled out from the underside of the chassis behind the lowered floors. Also it was sprayed through the front mount for the lower wishbones. Finally we lowered the car off of the rear chassis stand and onto wooden blocks on the floor in order to allow the wax to spread through the lower chassis tubes.

Just a quick time lapse of our first full day of building. 

Build Day 1- Arrival & Wrapping

Father & Son Day 1

The kit arrived today!!! YAY!!! Dad had to work but was expecting a call to say it was being delivered, which both the delivery driver AND I had forgotten to do. I also forgot to get the GoPro out and filming, but hey ho. Was all in and done in less than 30 minutes. Dad then came home for lunch to look over the parts and check whether any of it was noticeably wrong or absent. Then later on, after he had got back from work, we set about wrapping and protecting all of our new, shiny parts.  

Day 1- chassis, boxes and engine in garage.

Chassis sitting beautifully on the stands

Just checking out the new Orcus Anthracite Wheels. Amazingly light and have a really nice, almost pearlescent, finish. A lot of white scuffs on the rim, however seems to come off easily so probably just the polish or wax used by the fabricators.

Engine on pallet, very easy to manhandle around the garage floor.

Huge pile of bits, hopefully all of it is here.

Fairly large indent in the bonnet, should be able to bend it back straight. Also down either side of the black stripe is a fairly heavy white line, hoping it is just polish caught along the stripe as it is painted over the orange thus having a ridge along the edge.

Gotta be the right car!!!

Pretty miffed that the car has arrived with an unpainted grill, despite paying an extra £35.

The rest of the day after the Caterham arrived was spent covering the car in bubble wrap and copious amounts of masking tape, and sorting through the numerous boxes trying to gauge whether anything major was missing. We also created a rack above the lighting which we could safely keep the bonnet and nose-cone.

All painted panels covered and chassis tubes covered. Note home made wooden chassis trolley. 

Hopefully we can avoid having to talk to Derek, however as the cars have changed somewhat in the last 15+ years and if the manual is as bad as it was back then for the original superlight, then it is unlikely to be long. 

Pre-arrival Completion

Pre-arrival prep completion

As the garage had been in a sorry state since the last Caterham, dad decided to give it a clear out, I would have helped if I didn't have to revise for an exam. However over the last four or five months the garage has significantly changed, new shelves have been installed, floor sealed, extra lighting installed and we hand made some roving axle stands out of some wood, castors and two pairs of axle stands. 

Floor sealed, lighting in and shelves up, a little more tidying was done before today.

LED strip lights are very good and very bright.

Created these after getting some measurements off of Caterham, tailored to the SV. Should be plenty strong enough and the castors roll beautifully across the floor and lock on one side.

Visit to Caterham Dealership

Pre-Build Visit to Caterham

As pre-build preparation my dad and I decided to meet up at the Caterham Dealership in Crawley. This was so we could get a gauge on the finish to which the cars are finished, so as to try and pass the IVA test first time. Here's a few pictures that we took:

A view of the underside of a cycle wing, just to show that even Caterham don't even screw the wings on.

Shot of three rental cars, the two nearest fitted with the new Orcus 15" Wheels, the nearer of which we have ordered for our new Caterham 420R. 

Overview of an R400 which was for sale in the dealership. Hopefully it won't be too long before our car looks like this. Also looks like the engine may be only a tad easier to get in to the SV than the S3, still a tight squeeze.

A few weathered looking parts in the R400 which we hope we can avoid encountering. 

LH wing indicator in what looks like the wrong way round, but the LED's point backwards.

Buying A Caterham

Deciding To Buy Another Caterham 7

My first 7, Superlight no 6, was completed in Aug 1997 and sadly sold in 2007, my second 7, well 1/2 a seven will be delivered on Friday! A 420R with lots of trimmings. I had thought my 7 days were over but after a couple of years of odd mentions by my Son Simon, along the lines of  "Can we build a 7 together one day Dad" in April we finally got serious. After some tough talking, where I explained this needed to be on equal terms and where my son explained, "Where does he send the cash for his share"!! 

Knowing he was now very serious, I suggested we rent a 7 just to make sure he knew what he was getting into. We picked up the rental car from Caterham North on a Friday afternoon of what promised to be the wettest weekend of the year. I drove the car for first half of the trip home, I suspect I was as excited as he was at the thought of his first drive, it didn't disappoint, the grin told it all and after the end of his series of bends up a hill that would make a good hill climb, I said: “So are we getting one”? Words were not needed!!! We placed the order at the end of the weekend.

Here are a few pics of the old car:

Superlight No. 006

Built with spare tyre rack which got used once... for carrying a tent.

Still the same suede seats sold today.

Looking at this photo again I can't actually remember having red harnesses?

Carbon Dash.

Not the highest of mileages.

The old Rover K Series.

Simon Looking "Happy"...

It would be excellent to hear whether any of the readers has seen this car about, or, even more excellent, currently owns this 1997 Superlight number 6.