Hi there,
A couple of things.....
On the subject of prices :
At last a car that is more expensive in the States than in the U.K. !
I paid 13k sterling for my seven 1600 sprint engine this summer and had
it built, registered and driven within 3 weeks. I was well chuffed.
On the subject of driving :
I suppose after posting the build reports a road report is only fair...
The running in period is 1000 miles :
0 - 100 3500 rpm limit - no labouring
100 - 300 4000 rpm limit - '' ''
300 - 500 4500 rpm limit - '' ''
500 - 1000 5000 rpm limit occasional use of 6000 redline :-)
I have now covered 1100 trouble free miles :-) The running in period served
the purpose of running me in as well. Knowing the car as I do now, this
probably stopped me wrapping it around a tree !
After I had registered the car and had the plates made up I rushed home to put
them on the car. L 571 CPH existed.
I had already had the engine running and approximatly tuned so after checking
the oil and water packed a selection of tools and drove SLOWLY out of the safe
confines of my driveway into the reality of the big wide world....
After a couple of hundred yards I found out that 2nd and third gears all
worked ! As did the clutch !!
I drove along a road I know well towards the nearest petrol station a found
out that all five forward gears worked :-) Just as the petrol station came
into view the engine started to splutter and cough, reassured that the car was
now a genuine LBC and showing the usual sort of charecter I filled up with
petrol. Grinning, I drove another few miles - at all points within easy
walking distance of home. Well satisfied and grinning inanely I put my
new most preciousest back into the garage.
3500 rpm limit was proving to be not dissimilar to foreplay without sex -
great but difficult to resist going further ! So it was with much relief that
100 miles came and went. 4000 rpm is about where the engine comes on song so
it was a case of chug-chug-vvvvvrrrrRRROOO-change up-chug-chug-vvvvvrrrrRRROO
and so on. The handling of car was starting to loosen up and the brake pads
were starting to bite at this point so the handling of the car could be
explored. One evening at about 1:30am I was driving back from a party (my
girlfriend liked the new car as it meant she could drink and I would always
want toi drive) and came across a rather nice roundabout.....The build manual
recomends a starting position for the adjustable rear anti-roll bar tat
results in a natural tendancy to understeer slightly. After several laps of
the roundabout I was starting to get the hang of understeer-bit more
throtle-neutral-bit more-oversteer quite nicely. The chassis and steering are
so communicative it really does make any other car I've drive feel slushy and
imprecise. I had read this sort of stuff but feeling it was great.
After 600 or so miles I decided to have some fun. i found a long straight
peice of road waited until no traffic was around and 0-60 came up in about 6.5
seconds, the first to second gear change wasnt too hot but I was grinning like
a maniac. I still find the effect that the car has on first time passengers
fun to watch, slight nervousness at being so exposed (no side screens or roof
allowed) turn into an ear-to-ear grin and an instant addition to their own
personal wish-list.
I still get challenged at traffic lights by xr3i's and GTi's but the most
satisfying approach is to rev encouragingly then as the lights go green watch
them dissapear in a cloud of front wheel spin and smoke whilst I accelerate
slowly and peacefully away. I found out a long time ago the driving with an
ego is the quickest way to an accident. The car is what I want because I like
it not because I think other people will envy me - sure I am willing to tell
passers by about it but I hope with the manner of an enthusiast not a poseur.
I still am impressed by how easily the car went together and how solid it
feels to drive - the service from caterham has been first class and friendly
with it.
Anyway its 5:45 and time to go home...Vrooooommmmm :-).
Cheers,
--
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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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