Discussion
Juat make sure it's a genuine HPC - there are quite a few around that aren't HPCs and you don't want to be paying a premium for a car that isn't a genuine HPC...but having said that, a decent XE powered car is great. Len Unwin is selling what sounds like a nice car for £12k - advertised on PH and Blatchat
Thanks for your replies
This one caught my eye...as they are TVR dealers and I was hoping to Part Ex my TVR Chimaera
www.pistonheads.com/sales/101988.htm
Looking for one for about £13k - any other recommendations model wise
Chris
This one caught my eye...as they are TVR dealers and I was hoping to Part Ex my TVR Chimaera
www.pistonheads.com/sales/101988.htm
Looking for one for about £13k - any other recommendations model wise
Chris
Cheap car - check that the 7th digit of the chassis number is an H. To be extra safe, make sure that the chassis number STAMPED on the pedal box underneath the alloy cover, matches the one on the chassis plate itself. You'll have to unbolt the pedal box cover but I'd advise you to do this as I am aware of one HPC that a dealer recently had up for sale for which these two numbers DID NOT match.
Having said that, this car ins't expensive regardless of whether or not it is an HPC.
Having said that, this car ins't expensive regardless of whether or not it is an HPC.
May be opening a can of worms but , all caterhams can have a very long list of optional extras including lsd , and this H thing in the chassis number ? not so sure about that either ! Hpc only means high performance course anyway , none of them have any specific badge , are there 7 different specs of vaux. engined ones and then the bdr's are also called 'Hpc' Its not straightforward is it.
Combine - you are correct in some ways. But the VX HPC most definitely did have an "H" in the chassis number to denote it was an HPC and it did have an HPC badge on the nosecone too!...and it is worth more money than a non-HPC car....it's easy to check out the chassis number with Caterham.
HPC models are a specific model in the Caterham Range. The first ones were the BDR 1700 engined cars, these were fitted with a rear anti-roll bar, LSD and adjust seats, only 62 were built and badged as HPC. In 1990, Caterham produced a new HPC range, using the VX 2.0 engine, these came with 16" alloys, LSD, 377 were produced. Customers under 25 were obliged to do the HPC course before they could buy one. A dry sump was an option. So the HPC is a specific model, which does in some camps command a higher purchase price. 
casbar said:
HPC models are a specific model in the Caterham Range. The first ones were the BDR 1700 engined cars, these were fitted with a rear anti-roll bar, LSD and adjust seats, only 62 were built and badged as HPC. In 1990, Caterham produced a new HPC range, using the VX 2.0 engine, these came with 16" alloys, LSD, 377 were produced. Customers under 25 were obliged to do the HPC course before they could buy one. A dry sump was an option. So the HPC is a specific model, which does in some camps command a higher purchase price.
Casbar - my genuine HPC didn't have an lsd as standard - it was a later fitment. There seem to be a lot of different spec HPCs about - I guess they could be specified with whatever the owner wanted?
Although I'm biased as I drive an early VX powered HPC, I would suggest you try out some K-series variants before you settle on the vauxhall. While any car can be set up to handle differently there will be certain driving characteristics between engine types not least due to the relative weight of the vauxhall lump in comparison to the K-series.
Ok , rang Caterham today about the H in the chassis number , they said there were various chassis types from the first Hpc which they agree as the BDR and so various numbers so they said the only way to tell if its an HPC is the original invoice which should state HPC , if it doesn't it isn't. Mine does so it is , horray !! As far as LSD is concerned it depends what was specified when originally bought , mine had list of extras including LSD added to original build.
combine said:
Ok , rang Caterham today about the H in the chassis number , they said there were various chassis types from the first Hpc which they agree as the BDR and so various numbers so they said the only way to tell if its an HPC is the original invoice which should state HPC , if it doesn't it isn't. Mine does so it is , horray !! As far as LSD is concerned it depends what was specified when originally bought , mine had list of extras including LSD added to original build.
Do check that your chassis plate number matches the number stamped on the pedal box (you'll have to remove the cover). If it does and there's an "H" in it (7th digit?) it is a VX HPC. AS I said, there is more than one car out there that is masquerading as an HPC...But when push comes to shove, if the car is priced well, who cares whether it is a 165 bhp injected HPC or a 230bhp Swindon engined 2.0 VX - I know which one of those I'd rather have....
I've been fortunate to own 4 Ks and one VX and I can state categorically that a well set up VX handles superbly - in fact it's more planted than a high powered K...but a totally different drive - a lot of torque available at low revs. To my mind, though, a Caterham should have a high revving screamer of an engine - hence the reason I bought an R500!...But I do want to blag a ride in Mike Culmer's JPE to see whether I should be looking to buy one of those too!
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