R500D - buying advice please
Discussion
Hi,
I currently have a nicely sorted Westfield Zetec SEIW running circa 210bhp, (used on both road and track), but I'm looking to 'scratch an itch' I've had for a long while now and buy an R500D with a manual, not sequential, gearbox, simply because I fancy a fair bit more power, a greater challenge and a more visceral experience than the Wesfield gives me. Usage will be a mixture of blatting and track days. For info, I would also consider an R400D with the roller barrel upgrade, if a good example came up.
Anyway, with regards the R500D, what do I need to look out / listen out for when viewing and how can I tell if the car is a genuine R500 in the first instance and if it is, whether it has been factory built or not? I'd also like to understand what it means if no build plaque, (with factory build number), is present, even if the spec of a car is consistent with a factory build / kit. And does this affect value, whether buying or selling?
Also I note that the factory car / kit came with a Bilstein damper set up as standard but that an Eibach track package was available as an upgrade. As I intend to use the car on track a fair bit, is the Bilstein set up more than acceptable or is the difference between the stock and upgrade option really noticeable? (Appreciate that other kit, e.g. Nitrons, may have been fitted but I'm more interested in standard versus upgrade spec on the assumption I can get a factory car)
One thing that I am also wary of is cockpit space. My Westfield is the wide-bodied model so sharing that space with a passenger and using the wheel in anger, on a track day especially, is no issue. However I've never sat in a non-SV Caterham but all the YouTube footage I've seen suggests that I'd be jamming any passenger I may have in the ribs with my elbows and vice versa when I'm not driving. Would be interested in hearing personal opinions from any owners on that one.
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Steve
I currently have a nicely sorted Westfield Zetec SEIW running circa 210bhp, (used on both road and track), but I'm looking to 'scratch an itch' I've had for a long while now and buy an R500D with a manual, not sequential, gearbox, simply because I fancy a fair bit more power, a greater challenge and a more visceral experience than the Wesfield gives me. Usage will be a mixture of blatting and track days. For info, I would also consider an R400D with the roller barrel upgrade, if a good example came up.
Anyway, with regards the R500D, what do I need to look out / listen out for when viewing and how can I tell if the car is a genuine R500 in the first instance and if it is, whether it has been factory built or not? I'd also like to understand what it means if no build plaque, (with factory build number), is present, even if the spec of a car is consistent with a factory build / kit. And does this affect value, whether buying or selling?
Also I note that the factory car / kit came with a Bilstein damper set up as standard but that an Eibach track package was available as an upgrade. As I intend to use the car on track a fair bit, is the Bilstein set up more than acceptable or is the difference between the stock and upgrade option really noticeable? (Appreciate that other kit, e.g. Nitrons, may have been fitted but I'm more interested in standard versus upgrade spec on the assumption I can get a factory car)
One thing that I am also wary of is cockpit space. My Westfield is the wide-bodied model so sharing that space with a passenger and using the wheel in anger, on a track day especially, is no issue. However I've never sat in a non-SV Caterham but all the YouTube footage I've seen suggests that I'd be jamming any passenger I may have in the ribs with my elbows and vice versa when I'm not driving. Would be interested in hearing personal opinions from any owners on that one.
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Steve
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