Keep a Caterham outside??

[944tom]

Hi I am very interested in buying a 7. Problem is - I have no garage. I live in a quiet residential area in Kingston Upon Thames. So I would have to leave it on the road outside the house. Does anyone else do this???? What is your advice on car covers and who are the best suppliers??? Thanks in advance Tom Nixon

[rubystone]

Covercraft make some good breathable covers. Issues with parking it in the street are:-

No matter how good the cover, the ravages of the weather will still take hold, especially around the front suspension which will bubble and flake.

The car's low - other road users (and parkers) make not see it and you could find it gets damaged.

Some parkekrs indulge in bumper parking - reverse up to the other car 'til you touch its bumper - a Caterham has no bumpers, just a vulnerable aluminium rear panel and an equally vulnerable (but cheaper to repair) glassfibre front nosecone.

Bits are easy to steal from the car - even if it's just valve caps, but what about the spare wheel?

[Podie]

Have you considered renting a lock-up to store the car in...?

[jeremyc]

944tom said:

Hi I am very interested in buying a 7. Problem is - I have no garage. I live in a quiet residential area in Kingston Upon Thames. So I would have to leave it on the road outside the house. Does anyone else do this???? What is your advice on car covers and who are the best suppliers??? Thanks in advance Tom Nixon

Tom: there is a Caterham owner just up the road from you in Surbiton who parks his on the road full time (under a cover). If your road is quiet then you shouldn't have any problems - use a cover as suggested.

I'm also just up the road and use Podie's suggestion of a rented lock-up garage for mine...

[944tom]

Hi

Rubystone - thanks for that - All good points - none of which I had though of!!!

Podie / Jeremyc - Renting a Lock - up - Interesting idea - are these expensive? I tried Google - but only thing is £30 pw in town centre!! Thats too much!

The thing is I am in the researching stage of the whole 7 idea - I have not even been in one yet!

Hopefully I test drive one this weekend.......

Thanks

Tom Nixon

[Incorrigible]

944tom said:

Hopefully I test drive one this weekend.......

Best take your cheque book then

It's very rare I come across someone who hasn't been convinced

[fergus]

re renting a lock up. try the local council. You'll find they are around 7-12/week probably..... Make sure you pick one in a block in a good area, or preferably a smaller block where kids are less likely to hang out. It's aa lot cheaper than moving - even if it costs you £500/year for the garage!!!

[murph7355]

A sslight amendment to Ruby's post - buy a cover from Cover Systems rather than Covercraft.

The cover will be at least as good quality wise (IMO better) and costs about half the amount (or used to).

I've owned both.

[944tom]

Thanks for all the info guys - My situation is about to change job wise. So I am now looking into 964 prices.

[Podie]

944tom said:

Podie / Jeremyc - Renting a Lock - up - Interesting idea - are these expensive? I tried Google - but only thing is £30 pw in town centre!! Thats too much!

I paid £35 a month for mine... contact this lot...

Dudrich (Holdings) Limited
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

They'll send you a directory... you then find one near you, speak to the local managing agent and arrange a contract...

[MrD76]

My 7 stays outside and I have not had a problem. I have even left the roof off over night and no one has gone near it, tahts both in Kingston and in Epsom. So if you don't manage to get a garage you should be ok.

[g7jhp]

If you'e thinking of how you can live with a 7 I suggest this is an intersting read:

www.mycaterham.com/6439/index.html

[7db]

Check with your (potential) insurers that keeping it outside will be ok. Mine wouldn't insure me unless locked in a garage.