Hi there,
Well it finally got here. At 3 minutes to 3 on Friday the 20th August
she came into my life.....green with a yellow band around her nose and a
yellow stripe up her bonnet. Father and car are both doing well !
Yeah, my Caterham Seven has arrived !
First job was to help the nice man who drove the lorry on which she arrived
to unload. (I've carried the car, next the car carries me !)
After he'd gone I spent 3/4 hour just looking and touching. In some ways I
was expecting an anti-climax, after all the waiting. But no-way this was it.
Friday evening :
Checked the entire kit contents - three nylocs missing from a contents list
a meter long (sack the lot of them :-) I was impressed. The front top
wishbones were out of stock at the factory so I was advised that they would
be sent on.
Saturday and Sunday:
Fitted the diff to the propshaft.
This resulted in a heavy lump of bits of metal. The build video says 'Fitting
the diff and propshaft is a tricky business, so we're not going to give you
the satisfaction of watching us struggle !'. The suggested method is to lie
under the car and 'bench press' the assembly, while someone else slides in
the top bolt...........Not a chance. I didn't fancy heavy lumps of metal
above my chest. I thought, I pondered, I used the engine hoist :-)
The rear de-dion tube went in next along with the rear suspension, brakes and
hand brake cable.
Monday :
Rang up Caterham and asked about the front wishbones. Any minute now they said.
I also ordered a 41mm socket for the rear hub nuts.
Tuesday :
The wishbones turned up ! Along with four nylocs ! This is good stuff.
Tuesday evening I fitted the front suspension and uprights. What has
impressed me most about the whole car is the way it fits together. Everything
is the right length, the right size or the right thickness.
Wednesday :
Fitted the steering, the whole impression of a car is starting to happen. The
41mm socket also turned up.
Well, thats it so far. Now the questions.
The underside of the car is bare aluminium. Caterham say that there is no
real need to protect this. A friend sprayed his with the sort of spray one
can use to protect alloy wheels and it does still look good 4 years later.
Should I spray it or leave it alone ?
Anyway TTFN, I'll keep posting if anyone wants me to !
Cheers,
Ben.
--
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| Ben Hodson, | Email : hodsonb@prl.philips.co.uk |
| Philips Research Labs, | Tel : 0293 785544 ext 5750 |
| Crossoak Lane, |-------------------------------------------|
| Redhill, | I'd rather push a Triumph than drive |
| Surrey, RH1 5HA. | an MG, but best of all I'd vrooooommm |
| England. | in a seven. |
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