February 2007
This section shows the research that I underwent in February 2007.
Summary
February was the start of my research into building a potential kit car. Highlights here include going to the Caterham showroom in Surrey and being able to talk and learn about the cars. Also, I was permitted to take some pictures of some of the cars.
13th February 2007
I've been considering (or dreaming of) the possibility of building a kit car for a few years, but for some reason this is the first time I've started seriously looking into it. At this moment in time, I am nervous about even considering such a project as I have no real mechanical expertise....if I manage to build a kit car, I think it will amount to my single biggest personal achievement!
At this stage, I am mainly conducting a large amount of Internet based research, and am already building up a largish list of bookmarks. My first contact about anything related to building a kitcar was with a colleague at work who is building a Fisher Fury. I don't know the owner personally, but he replied to my email. I've been keeping an eye on Rob's site for several months and know that his project is much more complex than anything I could attempt - I am looking for more of a 'bolt together' car, than anything overly complex. At this time though, I not totally sure if such a thing exists.
The only thing I had in mind was that any potential kit car would be my main 'runner'. My wife has a more 'sensible' car, which I can borrow if required. If I kept my current car, it would mean that for a 2-person household, we would have four vehicles (my car, my wife's car, campervan and kit car), which would be totally impractical in terms of costs etc.
15th February 2007
I took the opportunity to email Caterham, with a very tentative initial enquiry about what may be involved with building a Caterham. From my research, I narrowed down my potential project to a Caterham inspired car, but at this time I have no real budget in mind. From research, it appears that the Caterham kits seem to be more expensive that other manufacturers, but it also appears that everything is included in the kit (including engine, gear box etc). Below is Caterham's reply:
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Hi Graydon, Thanks for enquiring about Caterham Cars. I’ll try to explain about our CDK (component) car kits, what you get and how they work. When you buy a component vehicle, each and every part needed to finish the build is supplied. Engine, g’box, carpet, seat belts, nuts, bolts, washers etc – all included. Before the kits gets sent to you, we spend in the region of 20 hours on the chassis. We fit the dashboard including all the dials and switches, the wiring loom is fitted (I can hear the sigh of relief…) and all the dials and switch gear are all connected. The rest of the loom is fitted with the right length wires and plugs so there is no soldering etc, just plugs to connect. The fuel tank and fuel pump will be fitted along with the high pressure fuel line from the tank to the engine bay. The brake master cylinder is also fitted and we put in all the copper brake lines. The build manual that is supplied will take you through the rest of the build step by step – it’s honestly like a big boys mechano set and if you follow the build manual, it’s all very straight forward. There is no welding/fabricating to be done and yes, plenty of folks with no experience build our cars just fine. We estimate around 70-80 hours to build your first one. As for your size, you will fit in the regular series 3 chassis, you may however wish to consider fitting a lowered floor to the car, this will help to keep your head well below the screen – we can talk further about this before you order. A Caterham will be more than up to the job of doing around 8000 miles a year and I assure you you’ll be wearing a smile for every one of them!! It sounds like you may benefit from coming to my showroom for a chat and a test drive. I can show you both Series 3 (normal chassis) and SV (larger one) and talk you through the build process. Let me know if you require any further information or if you’d like to arrange an appointment to come in for a chat. Kind regards |
This reply gave me some hope that attempting such a project may not be beyond me....I especially liked the 'big boys mechano set' quote! I may well take them up on the offer of a test drive in the coming weeks.
16th February 2007
I sent a similar email to Tiger and got a similar response. Still at the start of simply researching the potential project and came across Quantam Cars and Marlin Cars, which are closer to my home location.
Also bought a local paper to start investigating suitable garages to rent, as I don't believe my garage would be big enough.
19th-20th February 2007
Emailed Caterham again asking some more questions regarding potential lead times etc. Arranged a meeting for Friday 23rd at the Surrey showroom.
23rd February 2007
Okay....today was the going to be the first time that I was going to see a Caterham 7 up close, as I was scheduled to visit the Caterham showroom in Surrey.
I had a few questions that I had prepared that I was hoping to get the answers to, and I found out a lot of information. Below is a kind of 'brain dump' of my experience etc:
I am around 6' 3'' in height and was worried about whether I would actually be able to physically fit in a Caterham or not. In a standard car, with leather seats I am able to fit in, although the top of my head is above the windscreen. There is an option to lower the floor by (I think) 1.5'' or 2'' which is potentially something I would need. I didn't get a chance to sit in a car that had the roof up.
Getting into the car is something of an art, but I think is something that would be easily mastered (without the roof - I think getting in with the roof attached would be somewhat harder!). Basically, it is advisable to get both your feet into the foot well, before attempting to sit down. This is done by firstly putting your left foot in the well. Then, whilst steadying yourself using the roll cage and the side of the car (being careful not to use the wheel arch for support), put your right leg in the footwell and lower yourself into the seat....easy!
Whilst chatting to the driver, he mentioned that in all the test runs he had done with potential customers, only one categorically said that the Caterham 7 wasn't for them. Apparently, that particular customer was looking for something more refined (like a BMW Z4 or something). The Caterham isn't what I would call a refined drive....the car itself is pretty basic, but for me that is what makes it an involving drive. Also, for me, if I do manage to build one, I think it will mean even more for me to be driving it.
The following pictures are taken from my first visit to the Caterham Showroom in Surrey.
As well as this, I today received a brochure from Quantum Cars
27th February 2007
A few technical HTML/Website issues I've been resolving, which I won't bore you with here. Basically, I'm building some Guestbook functionality,
and need somewhere to develop it and host it.
I've also contacted Caterham again with a few more questions. I'll post back here with a summary of their reply,
plus anything else that I didn't mention above
Picked up a second hand copy of the classic Ron Champion Build Your Own Sport Car book.
It's a great book and makes very interesting reading, although is more aimed at people who are fabricating and building a kit car
from a donor vehicle, which I'm probably not that interested in.
28th February 2007 I keep on forgetting to ask if the '7' grill comes with the kit - I'm assuming it does as I can't see it as an option
This is the car that the Top Gear presenters made in the Caterham Challenge
This is a chassis on display at the showroom
This is a general view of the cars that are available for sale (some have been sold) in the showroom
This is a car I particularly liked the look of. In the background to the top picture, there is a car which has its roof up. My wife, Claire, makes an appearance in the bottom picture
This is another car I liked the look of. That's me in the background waving my hand around.
This is dashboard of the car. This particular one is made of carbon, but it shows the general lay out.
I can't recall the position of all the buttons or dials, but the switch next to the red start button is the indicator switch. Note in this picture the quick release steering wheel is off. Also note how close the gear stick is to the steering wheel.
This shows an example aero filler cap, which is an optional extra
This shows the rear of a car with the hood up. Also, on this car is standard filler cap
-Length - 3380mm
-Width - 1575mm
-Length SV - 3530mm
-Width SV - 1685mm