new owner - lots of questions
Discussion
i am a new R300 owner...got myself a nice car.
i am also a porsche 997 owner....which is a very different car :-)
it will take a bit of getting used to !
my questions to you knowledgeable bunch are..
1. can you easily replace the analog instruments with a STACK LCD dash ?
2. does the gearchange ever 'loosen' up - its incredibly tight and stiff..but quite nice in many ways. (maybe porsche have spoilt me all these years ?)
3. who in the Leeds/York area 'knows' these things and who can i trust to look after me as far as after-sales ?
4. do i use super unleaded, or just save some pennies and put in normal juice ?
5. the momo QR steering wheel feels a bit loose...almost like I might pull it off its BOSS ! is this anything to be concerned about ?
6. is the normal 0-60 time for a VVC 165bhp engine 4.7 secs ? (i read that off the caterham website. so i guess its right.)
7. anyone know the width of the car at its widest point...just so it fits in my garage !
i am also a porsche 997 owner....which is a very different car :-)
it will take a bit of getting used to !
my questions to you knowledgeable bunch are..
1. can you easily replace the analog instruments with a STACK LCD dash ?
2. does the gearchange ever 'loosen' up - its incredibly tight and stiff..but quite nice in many ways. (maybe porsche have spoilt me all these years ?)
3. who in the Leeds/York area 'knows' these things and who can i trust to look after me as far as after-sales ?
4. do i use super unleaded, or just save some pennies and put in normal juice ?
5. the momo QR steering wheel feels a bit loose...almost like I might pull it off its BOSS ! is this anything to be concerned about ?
6. is the normal 0-60 time for a VVC 165bhp engine 4.7 secs ? (i read that off the caterham website. so i guess its right.)
7. anyone know the width of the car at its widest point...just so it fits in my garage !
I'm no expert but I can answer a few of your questions:-
1. I would guess not. I have a Stack ST500 recording rev counter with digital speedometer and sequential shift lights which just replaces the standard tacho. You can program the 4 shift lights to any revs you like and record time to speed and distance, eg 0-60 and 1/4 mile.
2. My 6-speed is like a rifle bolt in action.
3. Pass
4. I use Super but don't know the recommended fuel for a R300
5. I've heard users complain they feel a bit slack.
6. Sounds about right
7. 1575mm
8. Join the Lotus 7 club
1. I would guess not. I have a Stack ST500 recording rev counter with digital speedometer and sequential shift lights which just replaces the standard tacho. You can program the 4 shift lights to any revs you like and record time to speed and distance, eg 0-60 and 1/4 mile.
2. My 6-speed is like a rifle bolt in action.
3. Pass
4. I use Super but don't know the recommended fuel for a R300
5. I've heard users complain they feel a bit slack.
6. Sounds about right
7. 1575mm
8. Join the Lotus 7 club
sjr-997 said:
i am a new R300 owner...got myself a nice car.
i am also a porsche 997 owner....which is a very different car :-)
it will take a bit of getting used to !
my questions to you knowledgeable bunch are..
1. can you easily replace the analog instruments with a STACK LCD dash ?
2. does the gearchange ever 'loosen' up - its incredibly tight and stiff..but quite nice in many ways. (maybe porsche have spoilt me all these years ?)
3. who in the Leeds/York area 'knows' these things and who can i trust to look after me as far as after-sales ?
4. do i use super unleaded, or just save some pennies and put in normal juice ?
5. the momo QR steering wheel feels a bit loose...almost like I might pull it off its BOSS ! is this anything to be concerned about ?
6. is the normal 0-60 time for a VVC 165bhp engine 4.7 secs ? (i read that off the caterham website. so i guess its right.)
7. anyone know the width of the car at its widest point...just so it fits in my garage !
1. You probably can, but it will be very expensive and not worth it IMO.i am also a porsche 997 owner....which is a very different car :-)
it will take a bit of getting used to !
my questions to you knowledgeable bunch are..
1. can you easily replace the analog instruments with a STACK LCD dash ?
2. does the gearchange ever 'loosen' up - its incredibly tight and stiff..but quite nice in many ways. (maybe porsche have spoilt me all these years ?)
3. who in the Leeds/York area 'knows' these things and who can i trust to look after me as far as after-sales ?
4. do i use super unleaded, or just save some pennies and put in normal juice ?
5. the momo QR steering wheel feels a bit loose...almost like I might pull it off its BOSS ! is this anything to be concerned about ?
6. is the normal 0-60 time for a VVC 165bhp engine 4.7 secs ? (i read that off the caterham website. so i guess its right.)
7. anyone know the width of the car at its widest point...just so it fits in my garage !
2. It'll be pretty stiff when cold, but should ease up. Won't be as easy as the 997TT though!
3. Pass
4. Super
5. Check it's properly on, there is an intermediate stage where it is loose but won't actually come off
6. 4.5 secs I think.
7. They're pretty narrow!
HTH, www.blatchat.com is also a good resource for searching information.
sjr-997 said:
i am a new R300 owner...got myself a nice car.
i am also a porsche 997 owner....which is a very different car :-)
it will take a bit of getting used to !
my questions to you knowledgeable bunch are..
1. can you easily replace the analog instruments with a STACK LCD dash ?
Hmmm, probably a bit tricky, not least because the holes in the dash need to be different shapes.i am also a porsche 997 owner....which is a very different car :-)
it will take a bit of getting used to !
my questions to you knowledgeable bunch are..
1. can you easily replace the analog instruments with a STACK LCD dash ?
sjr-997 said:
2. does the gearchange ever 'loosen' up - its incredibly tight and stiff..but quite nice in many ways. (maybe porsche have spoilt me all these years ?)
Check the level of oil in the gearbox perhaps but it should be a firm, positive shift (the gearbox cover can be unscrewed and lifted off with everything in-situ).sjr-997 said:
3. who in the Leeds/York area 'knows' these things and who can i trust to look after me as far as after-sales ?
Find your local club meet on www.blatchat.com for all things Caterham 
sjr-997 said:
4. do i use super unleaded, or just save some pennies and put in normal juice ?
I use Optimax/super - I don't do enough miles to worry about the extra cost.sjr-997 said:
5. the momo QR steering wheel feels a bit loose...almost like I might pull it off its BOSS ! is this anything to be concerned about ?
Dunno, sorry.sjr-997 said:
6. is the normal 0-60 time for a VVC 165bhp engine 4.7 secs ? (i read that off the caterham website. so i guess its right.)
Something like that yes. Quicker if you get an aeroscreen...sjr-997 said:
7. anyone know the width of the car at its widest point...just so it fits in my garage !
Narrow assuming you've not gone for an SV. It will fit in almost any garage and you don't need to be able to open the doors to get out anyway.i can see caterham ownership is going to be fun! lots to learn and do ! just need some nice dry days now...i run the porker on optimax and i don't care what anyone says, it makes a huge difference in that. i'll give it a go in the caterham as well. am planning on taking it down to Le Mans this year by the back roads.
I have just seen the other thread where you say what you paid from the BMW dealer so that's an excellent result and I reckon you have a got a car with a pretty solid residual that will last quite some time.
WRT your questions on the car :
1) Changing the dash is obviously possible but will require a new CF dash panel blank as well as the Stack dash itself. Probably expect around £1.5-2k worth of cost plus a bit of hassle if you do it yourself. I would live with your traditional setup for at least a season and do the changeover next Winter if you still wanted. I personally prefer the view of the analogue clocks as you can see at a glance all the info without having to scroll through screens on the Stack dash.
2) The gear change could be stiff as its new or perhaps cold in this weather but they are not that light to the touch. You can change the oil and this may make a difference but as above I would live with it for a while and see if its just you getting used to the car
3) Not from that area myself so i am sure a more local person will come along - join the 7 club (£40 very well spent for the insurance discount and also allows you to post questions on the club website, www.blatchat.com). The Yorkshire (North & East) have their monthly meet on 3rd Wed in month at the Crown & Cushion pub on the A64 Welburn. http://www.lotussevenclub.com/WhatsOn/AreaMeetings...
4) Caterham handbook says to use Unleaded 98 RON as a minimum all the time
5) The QR wears with use but on such a new car with so little miles I am surprised that it has any wear in it at all. Try putting a small rubber washer on the top of the column before putting the S/Wheel on and if this stops the play, glue it into place (in the S/wheel) to save it dropping out. Actually thinking about it, the fit is a two stage process. Try lifting the collar and pushing more firmly on the wheel to make sure its fully located.
5) Sounds about right... get rid of the screen though to improve accelaration and top end very noticeably.
6) They easily fit in any single garage!
7) Stone guard is an easy swap. Don't get rid of your old one as Caterham owners are always keen to recycle other people's spare parts ;-))
HTH
T
thanks Tango7 - great answers ! will definately come back to this posting for reference !
Yes, I think I did quite a good deal. i wanted to pay £21k - but was going to settle for £21.5k. in the end we agreed on £21.9 because it needed about £200 ish in bits just to make it absolutely immaculate (grill, battery, good quality valet, wing mirror) i was happy to do those bits myself and just drive it away, so in the end I asked them to sort them out. i am quite fussy about my cars looking and being perfect. i don't know why they were trying to sell the car...it had come from cambridge, traded into part of their group by a chap called Julian Midwinter was the first reg owner according to the paperwork. he had some fun speccing it I can see as he's put just about everything on the car ! will post some pics when its all finished.
Yes, I think I did quite a good deal. i wanted to pay £21k - but was going to settle for £21.5k. in the end we agreed on £21.9 because it needed about £200 ish in bits just to make it absolutely immaculate (grill, battery, good quality valet, wing mirror) i was happy to do those bits myself and just drive it away, so in the end I asked them to sort them out. i am quite fussy about my cars looking and being perfect. i don't know why they were trying to sell the car...it had come from cambridge, traded into part of their group by a chap called Julian Midwinter was the first reg owner according to the paperwork. he had some fun speccing it I can see as he's put just about everything on the car ! will post some pics when its all finished.
As others have said, the best thing to do is to join the L7 club and get stuck into your car yourself. They are not like mass produced cars where it is difficult to really do much other than change the oil!
The more familiar you become with the car, the more you are able to do yourself. In my opinion, they aren't really the sort of car where you 'get someone to look after it for you'. Again, in my opinion, there are two types of owners, those who are polishers and like the highest spec car, purely to pootle around in, then people who thrash their cars mercilessly and perhaps aren't so bothered about the mirror finish on the paintwork - I fall into the latter camp!
It will probably let you down at least once in your ownership, but it will most probably be done to a tiny paert somewhere!
You may want to swap out the factory reover MEMS ECU for an aftermarket one, such as Emerald. You'd be amazaed the difference decent fuel, ignition, etc maps make to the drivability of your car.
The more familiar you become with the car, the more you are able to do yourself. In my opinion, they aren't really the sort of car where you 'get someone to look after it for you'. Again, in my opinion, there are two types of owners, those who are polishers and like the highest spec car, purely to pootle around in, then people who thrash their cars mercilessly and perhaps aren't so bothered about the mirror finish on the paintwork - I fall into the latter camp!
It will probably let you down at least once in your ownership, but it will most probably be done to a tiny paert somewhere!
You may want to swap out the factory reover MEMS ECU for an aftermarket one, such as Emerald. You'd be amazaed the difference decent fuel, ignition, etc maps make to the drivability of your car.
As a recent R300 owner myself - about 6 weeks now, my thoughts are...
I thought about adding the Stack dash. The new CF dashboard with the proper cut-outs seems to cost about £220 and the Stack unit itself about £900, plus probably about £200 to get it fitted (assuming you don't do it yourself). I must admit that I would love to have this, but not at about £1300. For that kind of money I would rather add another couple of hundred and get a Pace dry sump kit fitted
I liked the description of the gear change as 'rifle-bolt' - I think that sums it up nicely. Mine needs a firm hand, but I certainly don't view it as tight or stiff. The change into second can be very stiff when cold, but is fine once the car has warmed up.
The handbook says 98Ron for the R300, but this still appears to refer to the previous (pre-VVC) engine. The VVC engine recommends 95Ron fuel. I don't think the K-Series has a knock sensor so won't get any benefit from the higher octane rating. Having said that, I plan to run mine on 97/98 fuel because the low mileage I do means that the extra cost doesn't bother me. I also have a perception that the Super unleaded fuel has better cleaning properties because of the extra additives.
My Momo QR steering wheel is very secure with no play what so ever. You have to make sure you click it on properly though, as this seems to be a two stage process. It clicks once but remains fairly loose, but if you pull the release tab again and push again, it clicks firmly into position.
0-60 in 4.something seconds feels about right to me! I had a Honda powered Elise previously and I am convinced the R300 accelerates quicker. I can also confirm that it will hit the limiter in 6th gear at about 130mph. I managed this on the back straight at a Bedford Autodrome track day recently!
I don't know how wide it is, but I only have a small single garage and the caterham fits in with loads of room to spare. You can easily walk right around it, which wasn't possible when the Elise was in there.
Overall, I am absolutely thrilled with the car. It is unlike anything I have previously driven - including the Elise. It is also plenty fast enough for me and I can't wait to get it on more track days
BTW - I did get kicked off early from the Bedford track day because the car was too noisy
Neal.
I thought about adding the Stack dash. The new CF dashboard with the proper cut-outs seems to cost about £220 and the Stack unit itself about £900, plus probably about £200 to get it fitted (assuming you don't do it yourself). I must admit that I would love to have this, but not at about £1300. For that kind of money I would rather add another couple of hundred and get a Pace dry sump kit fitted
I liked the description of the gear change as 'rifle-bolt' - I think that sums it up nicely. Mine needs a firm hand, but I certainly don't view it as tight or stiff. The change into second can be very stiff when cold, but is fine once the car has warmed up.
The handbook says 98Ron for the R300, but this still appears to refer to the previous (pre-VVC) engine. The VVC engine recommends 95Ron fuel. I don't think the K-Series has a knock sensor so won't get any benefit from the higher octane rating. Having said that, I plan to run mine on 97/98 fuel because the low mileage I do means that the extra cost doesn't bother me. I also have a perception that the Super unleaded fuel has better cleaning properties because of the extra additives.
My Momo QR steering wheel is very secure with no play what so ever. You have to make sure you click it on properly though, as this seems to be a two stage process. It clicks once but remains fairly loose, but if you pull the release tab again and push again, it clicks firmly into position.
0-60 in 4.something seconds feels about right to me! I had a Honda powered Elise previously and I am convinced the R300 accelerates quicker. I can also confirm that it will hit the limiter in 6th gear at about 130mph. I managed this on the back straight at a Bedford Autodrome track day recently!
I don't know how wide it is, but I only have a small single garage and the caterham fits in with loads of room to spare. You can easily walk right around it, which wasn't possible when the Elise was in there.
Overall, I am absolutely thrilled with the car. It is unlike anything I have previously driven - including the Elise. It is also plenty fast enough for me and I can't wait to get it on more track days
BTW - I did get kicked off early from the Bedford track day because the car was too noisy
Neal.
Those with a 6 speed box seem to find Redline MTL oil improves the gearchange. Do a search on Blatchat www.blatchat.com
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