R500 K at CaterhamSouth

[jelley1970]

hi all,
Just sold my R500 D and ideally looking for a R400 K, but nothing around.

Does anyone know anything about the Orange 500k at Caterham?

Cheers

Jells

[short-shift]

Hi Russell

Tried to pm you using your link but it seems not to go to a live email address!

Woudl be good if you could contact me via my profile/email link.

James

[jelley1970]

Hi Short shift, I can't get the messenger to work,

Could you drop me a line to

[e-mail]

I'm going to see it Thursday, would be good to get
Any info before hand.

Many thanks

Russ

[RobM77]

There's always seemed to be a lack of secondhand R400 K series cars on the market - did they sell many? I've always thought it was one of the most desirable Caterhams.

[MikeO996]

That R500 has just moved south from Caterham Midlands where it has been on sale for ever. I don't know the specific history (sounds like others do) but they seem to sell almost immediately or not at all.

[Toaster]

RobM77 said:

There's always seemed to be a lack of secondhand R400 K series cars on the market - did they sell many? I've always thought it was one of the most desirable Caterhams.

Im biased as I have one and it is one heck of a car I think that it is/was one of the epic versions to get if you can

[RobM77]

Toaster said:

RobM77 said:

There's always seemed to be a lack of secondhand R400 K series cars on the market - did they sell many? I've always thought it was one of the most desirable Caterhams.

Im biased as I have one and it is one heck of a car I think that it is/was one of the epic versions to get if you can

The roller barrelled throttle k is my favourite Caterham engine. Perhaps people just hang on to them?

[finmac]

I think people feel "safer" with an R400 K than an R 500 K in terms of engine refresh and possibly having to cough up a serious amount of cash during their ownership.

[RobM77]

finmac said:

I think people feel "safer" with an R400 K than an R 500 K in terms of engine refresh and possibly having to cough up a serious amount of cash during their ownership.

Absolutely, yes, which is why I'm surprised there aren't more for sale.

[Vlad the Imp]

2 years ago I looked for an R400K and after 4 months of serious searching found nothing. Either people don't sell them or there were very few made? Anyone know the numbers? I did hear a theory that prospective R400 buyers looked at the R400 and then went with the R500K as it wasn't a lot more money at the time, therefore not many R400Ks were sold?

After looking for an R400k and failing to find one, I did the only sensible thing and bought an R500k.

[MikeE]

I bought a R400 kit new from Caterham in 2004, but excluded the engine, gearbox, ECU, exhaust and radiator and put a new 2.3l Duratec in there instead.

I remember the deal Caterham gave me on the kit didn't seem to add up, it seemed too cheap once you removed the above. Don't know what I'm trying to say really other than maybe they got the pricing of a complete R400 too high and as saiud below too close to the R500.

I always wished I'd got the R500 kit and done the above, but at the time Caterham weren't interested in providing part R500 kits to anyone but Mick Attree I think.

[XGT]

As it happens I will be listing my r400k in the classifieds this weekend. I think people tend to hold on to them for good reason! I have had mine for 6 years, even back then they were hard to come by.

[short-shift]

And I have had my R400 k for nearly 10 years... A fabulous, really 'sweet' car; terrific to drive on the road and simply wonderful on the track with balance, lightness, grip, handling and enough performace to have kept me more than happy. Sometimes a particular car in a manufacturer's range hits the spot, and with the R400 k I think that Caterham really nailed it.

I'll be sad when it goes... What to replace it with??

James

[XGT]

Well I've just been for a "last" drive this evening ... and decided to defer my classifieds listing. I may get to 10 years yet.

Truth is its a car that can't be replaced. Epic.

Now I just have to explain to the wife why I need two Caterhams

Edited by XGT on Friday 17th July 23:04

[short-shift]

So two Caterhams... Good man!

What is the second one (or, what will the second one be)??

James