How concerned would you be by...
Discussion
... an ex academy car, that then did 2 years in Roadsport races, and had a front end shunt. Not HPI recorded, and apparently all put back together by a reputable race team, paid for by insurance, with paperwork to support it. The car was then converted to road use.
It "feels" like it has been done properly but I am an awful long way from being a Caterham expert. So run away as fast as possible, or nothing to worry about unduly?
It "feels" like it has been done properly but I am an awful long way from being a Caterham expert. So run away as fast as possible, or nothing to worry about unduly?
Huge Arch receipt guarantees (virtually) that it was nice and straight when it came out of there
You just need to be sure that it hasn't had any subsequent hits
It wouldn't worry me unduly as you'll be saving a few quid as it's an "ex race car" also they're usually very well maintained
Which race team ? PM me if you like
You just need to be sure that it hasn't had any subsequent hits
It wouldn't worry me unduly as you'll be saving a few quid as it's an "ex race car" also they're usually very well maintained
Which race team ? PM me if you like
Lots of these types of cars have had long fronts. Good of the vendor to rell you as it happens. Now that he has of course, you should indeed ensure Arch repaired it properly and negotiate accordingly.
Check also when the engine was last refreshed/rebuilt and that the gearbox isn't knackered...synchros OK...and genrally that the car feels nice and tight and not baggy....
Just IMHO and based on personal handling of plenty of Roadsports/Grad and Academy cars....of the lot, Academy cars tend to have led an easier life....
Check also when the engine was last refreshed/rebuilt and that the gearbox isn't knackered...synchros OK...and genrally that the car feels nice and tight and not baggy....
Just IMHO and based on personal handling of plenty of Roadsports/Grad and Academy cars....of the lot, Academy cars tend to have led an easier life....
Incorrigible said:
It wouldn't worry me unduly as you'll be saving a few quid as it's an "ex race car" also they're usually very well maintained
Nope. The well maintained ones are well maintained, the poorly maintained ones are s
te. The ones in the middle are, well, in the middle. 
Also some of the things that a race team will be happy with, a "road-owner" will not be.
You need to check condition of a race car just like every other used car. I've had close up experience of 3 racers. One Caterham and two Radicals. The Caterham was appalling bodgery, one Radical was not that bodged, but very worn out and the other Radical was reasonable, but still had issues.
However, on the subject of a long front, as everyone has said, in of itself, not a problem if done by Arch.
BErt
Incorrigible said:
We may just end up arguing about the definition of the word "usually" but I stand by "usually well maintained" 
Anyway, I've just found out what team it's from, and in this case I would doubt very much if it's been anything but meticulously maintained
And I stand by my own experience...oh no, here I go again Anyway, I've just found out what team it's from, and in this case I would doubt very much if it's been anything but meticulously maintained
BertBert said:
Nope. The well maintained ones are well maintained, the poorly maintained ones are ste. The ones in the middle are, well, in the middle.
Also some of the things that a race team will be happy with, a "road-owner" will not be.
You need to check condition of a race car just like every other used car. I've had close up experience of 3 racers. One Caterham and two Radicals. The Caterham was appalling bodgery, one Radical was not that bodged, but very worn out and the other Radical was reasonable, but still had issues.
However, on the subject of a long front, as everyone has said, in of itself, not a problem if done by Arch.
BErt
Thanks for your thoughts Bert. The work was done by Arch apparently. te. The ones in the middle are, well, in the middle. Also some of the things that a race team will be happy with, a "road-owner" will not be.
You need to check condition of a race car just like every other used car. I've had close up experience of 3 racers. One Caterham and two Radicals. The Caterham was appalling bodgery, one Radical was not that bodged, but very worn out and the other Radical was reasonable, but still had issues.
However, on the subject of a long front, as everyone has said, in of itself, not a problem if done by Arch.
BErt
What sort of things should I be looking out for in particular that a race team might be comfortable with, and me less so?
Happy to PM the name of the company that did the work, for a second opinion?
There may be holes in the tunnel etc. I was initially considering an ex racer (graduate, Roadsport A, super grad etc) when I was looking to buy last year. But the additional cost of getting lights, hood, potentially widetrack, LSD etc which I wanted did not make sense. So went for a nice road Superlight instead which has been superb!!
AtomMan said:
There may be holes in the tunnel etc.
Thanks will keep an eye out for them.AtomMan said:
I was initially considering an ex racer (graduate, Roadsport A, super grad etc) when I was looking to buy last year. But the additional cost of getting lights, hood, potentially widetrack, LSD etc which I wanted did not make sense. So went for a nice road Superlight instead which has been superb!!
All the changes for the road have already been done with the exception of a LSD.There's quite a large range of possibilities to look for. I think firstly, you are unlikely to find major safety component problems. So you prob won't find a cracked DD tube, but it may have a shorter life than non-raced components. Having said that, I've seen trackside repairs done to calipers where a piston seal has gone that were unlikely to last very long!
Similarly with major structural components. But you could easily find broken bits welded back together. Again done at the trackside and pretty bodgy welds. Bent bits, bent back. So reasonably, but not completely straight. Brackets broken and cable ties used to make do. I've seen the captive boss for the exhaust bracket broken in the chassis and a big bolt put through relying on the integrity of the sideskins. Captive threaded bosses which have had the threads stripped. Basically all manner of racecraft bodgery to get to the end of the race.
Then there's the cosmetics. So the rear wings get bashed off a lot. This leads to another set of race repairs to hold them on.
As I said, well maintained race cars will be fine. Poor ones won't be. Buy on condition.
HTH
Bert
Similarly with major structural components. But you could easily find broken bits welded back together. Again done at the trackside and pretty bodgy welds. Bent bits, bent back. So reasonably, but not completely straight. Brackets broken and cable ties used to make do. I've seen the captive boss for the exhaust bracket broken in the chassis and a big bolt put through relying on the integrity of the sideskins. Captive threaded bosses which have had the threads stripped. Basically all manner of racecraft bodgery to get to the end of the race.
Then there's the cosmetics. So the rear wings get bashed off a lot. This leads to another set of race repairs to hold them on.
As I said, well maintained race cars will be fine. Poor ones won't be. Buy on condition.
HTH
Bert
I've seen more than a few road cars that have had uninsured on-track shunts that still wouldn't be HPI recorded. As with most cars - buy on condition and nothing else - history can *very* easily be re-written. We sold an ex-track day rental Caterham about 6 years ago for about £10K, it had about 70,000 track miles on it. I saw the same car for sale at a dealer last year for £17K with a 'genuine' 12,000 miles on the clock from new and a full service history - looked like someone had done a £2k paint job, made up or stolen some invoices and earned £5k out of it from what I could see! (i'm not suggesting it was dealer by the way).
Jonny
BaT
Jonny
BaT
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