Caterham Order Choices - Money Saving Tips

[jezzaaa]

Hi All,

As said in another post, my build date has been brought forward by a few months ... so I've got to choose my spec in the next couple of weeks and confirm to the dealer.

So looking through the options, I'm spotting a couple of things which will save me money...but I want to see if anyone has any warnings about these products or other suggestions:

1. High Intensity Lights - The factory option is £800. But Sevens & Classics have got replacement LED head light units at £120 each (not the JW Speaker ones). I can't imagine the standard lights are that great, so I was keen to upgrade them...does this work?

2. Side Screen Arm Rests -so the factory ones are £150, and I assume are vinyl. The Sevens & Classics ones are leather and are £105 for the pair.

3. Sports Suspension - factory upgrade is £800. Again, Sevens & Classics have a Adjustable Platform Suspension Kit for £210. So I don't know what the factory kit includes over the standard road suspension. I think this kit just allows you to do the flat floor setup. But given that I will be building the car, I'm tempted to add this when I'm assembling it.

Any further ideas for things it's better to leave off the factory order and buy elsewhere? Or any warnings about IVA etc for after market stuff?

Thanks.

Link to Sevens & Classics:

https://www.sevensandclassics.com/wp-content/uploa...

Edited by jezzaaa on Saturday 2nd April 15:58

[Orange Blackbird]

Headlights, I bought some Original Cafe Racer ones. About 1/10th of the price of the Caterham Cars ones.



https://www.originalcaferacer.com/product/classic-...

Before forking out on suspension I would talk to Simon Rogers of Meteor Motorsport.

https://meteormotorsport.com/caterham/suspension/c...

N

[stunt.monkey]

The side screen armrests are vinyl.

I specified them @£150 but they turned out to be a no cost option despite what the configurator said - at least for a S car. For my elbow's sake would not want to be without them.

[jezzaaa]

Orange Blackbird said:

Headlights, I bought some Original Cafe Racer ones. About 1/10th of the price of the Caterham Cars ones.



https://www.originalcaferacer.com/product/classic-...

Before forking out on suspension I would talk to Simon Rogers of Meteor Motorsport.

https://meteormotorsport.com/caterham/suspension/c...

N

Thanks...I'll look into that.

J.

[jezzaaa]

stunt.monkey said:

The side screen armrests are vinyl.

I specified them @£150 but they turned out to be a no cost option despite what the configurator said - at least for a S car. For my elbow's sake would not want to be without them.

Ok cool thanks

[HustleRussell]

I would be interested to learn what the labour cost would be for retrofitting the adjustable platforms as it is a bit of a ballache. It would certainly be easier to have them supplied pre-fitted on the damper unit.

[ghibbett]

jezzaaa said:

1. High Intensity Lights - The factory option is £800. But Sevens & Classics have got replacement LED head light units at £120 each (not the JW Speaker ones). I can't imagine the standard lights are that great, so I was keen to upgrade them...does this work?

Are you going to do much driving in the dark? If not, just get something that has a decent DRL such that you're more easily seen (in theory!)

jezzaaa said:

2. Side Screen Arm Rests -so the factory ones are £150, and I assume are vinyl. The Sevens & Classics ones are leather and are £105 for the pair.

Not really got any experience here (I run Aero), but S&C sell decent stuff, so would be my decision.

jezzaaa said:

3. Sports Suspension - factory upgrade is £800. Again, Sevens & Classics have a Adjustable Platform Suspension Kit for £210. So I don't know what the factory kit includes over the standard road suspension. I think this kit just allows you to do the flat floor setup. But given that I will be building the car, I'm tempted to add this when I'm assembling it.

I wouldn't spent £800 on factory 'sport suspension', which I assume is just standard Bilsteins anyway. Either go the S&C route, or spend a bit more with Meteor Motorsport and get some decent damper units.

[framerateuk]

Regarding the lights... they are pretty terrible, but in 10 years of 7 ownership I think I've driven in the dark twice!

That said, I've bought a pair similar to those cafe shop racer LEDs that I'm planning to fit over the weekend.

If you can get cheaper armrests, go for it. My car didn't have any, but the hire car I tried before buying did. I took 5 years to buy and fit some, and I'm glad I did!

I'm not sure what the 'sports suspension' includes these days, but previously the 'superlight' suspension included the wide track front and watts linkage rear (and I'm not sure if the rear anti roll bar was part of that too?) as well as the adjustable platforms. I've only ever driven cars with these options so can't comment on their effectiveness.

[Hard-Drive]

Ironically the first time I ever drove my Caterham was in the dark. I'd bought it second hand, and despite paying the fees for an express bank to bank transfer, there were delays and I hung around waiting for the funds to clear in the seller's account and night arrived! Needless to say it was a bit of an "experience", especially down the unlit country roads back to mine in an all black car!

I quickly bought some cheap "Wisamic" LED lights off Amazon for about £100 the pair. E marked, and have passed the MOT since, nice and bright, however they have "halo rings" around the full circumference of the unit which work really well as DRLs. The halos also flash orange when the indicator is switched on and really do make your intentions way more obvious than the teeny little standard indicator.

I also fitted LED bulbs all round (cheap as chips off Amazon and way brighter than standard) and I'd also strongly recommend a PGM high level brake light.