What is it with Caterham owners?
Discussion
I called in to a local cafe last week on my bike... Sitting there in the sunshine (where did that go?) enjoying a cup of coffee when a guy turns up with his partner in a Caterham. He parks it amongst the bikes and they get out and come and sit on the benches overlooking the car park along with myself and a load of other bikers...
One of the bikers says to the Caterham guy "nice car mate, did you build it yourself?" to which he replied "yes" and went on to explain a bit about it... he then went on to say that it would out accelerate any bike on the car park... I don't think so...
Then the biker guy comments that he thinks its one of the better kit cars to which the Caterham guy says "its not a kit car" and then spent 20 mins trying to convince the biker (who was very knowledgeable about Lotus 7's and Caterhams) why it definitely was not a kit car!
He kind of lost the argument... stood up and said to his partner they were leaving and left two full cups of coffee!
Why the hell was he convinced that it was not a Kit Car? Why did he feel he had to defend it so rigorously? was he ashamed of the "kit car" tag?
One of the bikers says to the Caterham guy "nice car mate, did you build it yourself?" to which he replied "yes" and went on to explain a bit about it... he then went on to say that it would out accelerate any bike on the car park... I don't think so...
Then the biker guy comments that he thinks its one of the better kit cars to which the Caterham guy says "its not a kit car" and then spent 20 mins trying to convince the biker (who was very knowledgeable about Lotus 7's and Caterhams) why it definitely was not a kit car!
He kind of lost the argument... stood up and said to his partner they were leaving and left two full cups of coffee!
Why the hell was he convinced that it was not a Kit Car? Why did he feel he had to defend it so rigorously? was he ashamed of the "kit car" tag?
Ooof! I feel tarred with that brush!
You met someone who is a bit of an arse about his car. There are plenty about and they don't restrict themselves to a particular marque. Please don't assume that it's a generic feature of Caterham owners.
Edit: I'm pretty surprised that a Caterham owner doesn't have a standard non-argumentative response to the "kit car" comments anyway. Mine is "you can get them as kits, this one is factory built as I wouldn't drive anything I'd built
". It'd be like a 911 driver getting upset when people refer to their "Beetle" or an Audi driver getting upset when someone repeats Clarkson at them.
You met someone who is a bit of an arse about his car. There are plenty about and they don't restrict themselves to a particular marque. Please don't assume that it's a generic feature of Caterham owners.
Edit: I'm pretty surprised that a Caterham owner doesn't have a standard non-argumentative response to the "kit car" comments anyway. Mine is "you can get them as kits, this one is factory built as I wouldn't drive anything I'd built
". It'd be like a 911 driver getting upset when people refer to their "Beetle" or an Audi driver getting upset when someone repeats Clarkson at them.Edited by ewenm on Tuesday 3rd April 14:02
My definition of a kit car is a car which someone has bought as a set of components and put together themselves. There is no doubt that many Caterhams are built that way and those particular cars are therefore definitely kit cars.
However, a fairly large number of Caterhams are sold as fully finished, complete vehicles and are therefore no more a kit car than a Porsche. Indeed, in some countries, they can only be sold as complete cars.
The "superiority" of kit built Caterhams over most other kit cars is that the entire car in all its component form can be supplied as a kit to the purchaser. There is no meed to hunt around scrap yards or breakers' yards looking for differentials, gearboxes, engines etc.
However, a fairly large number of Caterhams are sold as fully finished, complete vehicles and are therefore no more a kit car than a Porsche. Indeed, in some countries, they can only be sold as complete cars.
The "superiority" of kit built Caterhams over most other kit cars is that the entire car in all its component form can be supplied as a kit to the purchaser. There is no meed to hunt around scrap yards or breakers' yards looking for differentials, gearboxes, engines etc.
BertBert said:
well, because it's not a kit car. But then neither does it out accelerate all bikes. But then what do either points matter?
From Wikipedia.... He built it from a kit, its a "kit car"A kit car, also known as a "component car", is an automobile that is available as a set of parts that a manufacturer sells and the buyer then either assembles into a car themselves, or retains a third party to do part or all of the work on their behalf. Usually, many of the major mechanical systems such as the engine and transmission are sourced from donor vehicles or purchased from other vendors new. Kits vary in completeness ranging from as little as a book of plans to a complete set with all components included.
There is a sub-set of kit cars, commonly referred to as a "re-body" in which a commercially manufactured vehicle has a new (often fiberglass) body put on the running chassis. Most times, the existing drive gear and interior are retained. These kits require less technical knowledge from the builder and as the chassis and mechanical systems were designed, built and tested by a major automotive manufacturer can also lead to a much higher degree of safety and reliability.
The definition of a kit car usually indicates that a manufacturer constructs multiple kits of the same vehicle which they then in turn sell. This should not be confused with 'hand built cars' or 'Special' cars, which are typically built from scratch by an individual.
ewenm said:
Mine is "you can get them as kits, this one is factory built as I wouldn't drive anything I'd built ".
That is exactly what I say too.".OP: It just sounds like you met a knob who's a bit precious about his car. Knobs can drive any make or model of car - please don't take his attitude as indicative of all Caterham owners.
I would say a kitcar isn't necessarily a car that has been sold as a kit, but rather one that is available as a kit. So a Porsche is not a kit cat as you cant buy one as a kit.
If it were a Lotus 7 then I doubt it would have been out-accelerating the bikes there.
But I hardly think it's just Lotus/Caterham owners who behave like this!
If it were a Lotus 7 then I doubt it would have been out-accelerating the bikes there.
But I hardly think it's just Lotus/Caterham owners who behave like this!
If it had been a Westfield he would have been proud for it to be called a kit car!By my definition it is a component car since it has a bespoke chassis and doesn't rely on a donor vehicle.
Here in the States "kit car" has a stigma attached to it because of all crap cars built on old VW Beetle platforms during the 70's, so yeah, you don't want it to be called a kit car because it suggests something of poor quality.
I would also say a Caterham is a continuation not a "replica" too
Here in the States "kit car" has a stigma attached to it because of all crap cars built on old VW Beetle platforms during the 70's, so yeah, you don't want it to be called a kit car because it suggests something of poor quality.
I would also say a Caterham is a continuation not a "replica" too
It's a shame he behaved like a prat, and obviously felt one too or he wouldn't have left the coffee.
I was told off at the local meet for calling my Seven a kit car, as has been said, as my car arrived in boxes and I built it myself it obviously is a kit car. However, technically an owner who buys a factory built car has a Seven that isn't a kit car, but can't really grumble if it is mistaken for one that is!
I'd love to have seen him try a drag race with one of the bikes
I was told off at the local meet for calling my Seven a kit car, as has been said, as my car arrived in boxes and I built it myself it obviously is a kit car. However, technically an owner who buys a factory built car has a Seven that isn't a kit car, but can't really grumble if it is mistaken for one that is!
I'd love to have seen him try a drag race with one of the bikes
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