Caterham buying tips
Discussion
Hi All,
I am new to this site, but I'm goign to have a look at a Caterham and was hoping you could give me some idea of what to look for (or rather avoid.)
The car I'm going to see is a Classic, it's on a Q plate which in itself doesn't bother me however I'm a little concerned as to what I should be looking for in relation to the 1600 crossflow that's in it.
Are there any other things I really need to check?
It is advertised as a '96 register with 1 owner and 8k on the clock.
All advice much appreciated,
Ian
I am new to this site, but I'm goign to have a look at a Caterham and was hoping you could give me some idea of what to look for (or rather avoid.)
The car I'm going to see is a Classic, it's on a Q plate which in itself doesn't bother me however I'm a little concerned as to what I should be looking for in relation to the 1600 crossflow that's in it.
Are there any other things I really need to check?
It is advertised as a '96 register with 1 owner and 8k on the clock.
All advice much appreciated,
Ian
I own a Q plate 1600 CC Crossflow Classic from 1996 too.
First of all, they are very basic cars which is actually an advantage - not too much to go wrong.
A few questions:
Is it a twin carb or single carb version?
Does it have full windscreen, hood etc (Classic SE) or is it the very basic Classic (twin Brooklands Screens and no hood or doors)?
The Crossflow is a very robust engine. With only 8,000 miles on the clock you would expect the engine to be in pretty good nick. Check for oil leaks around the cylinder head. Crossflows can be a bit oily.
How was it built - was it built in its entirety from parts (including the engine) directly from Caterham or was the engine sourced from elewhere? Quite a few Crossflow engined Sevens have Crossflows of indeterminate origins installed. If at all possible, it's usually better to have a "Caterham" Crossflow in situ.
It's worthwhile asking the seller if it has been modified for unleaded petrol. Th4e original 1600 cc Crossflow is designed to operate on normal leaded 4 star petrol. The valve seats need hardened inserts to operate safely with modern unleaded petrol. I had my cylinder head changed to suit unleaded petrol in 2000. If an original head, you can still use old style leaded (or lead substitute) petrol with an additive such as Millers VSP. However, it's worthwhile getting the head changed or modified. I think my bill for the modification came to around £400 from Redline in Caterham.
Whatever you do, you will not get a more characterful
car. They are great to drive, look cute, and make the most glorious noise. In the dark, you will see flames coming from the exhaust and they pop and bang on the overun - just like a World War 2 Spitfire, and they smell great too.
You won't regret it.
The performance of the 1600 Crosslow Seven is 100 bhp from the engine and a 0 - 60 mph of 6.5 seconds. Expect about 28 mpg MAX - usually a lot less to be honest. That's the price you pay for an honest to goodness 1960s style sports car. For comparison, the more advance Rover K fitted Sevens can achieve around 40 mpg. Bur they don't sound anything like as good
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 16th April 21:35
First of all, they are very basic cars which is actually an advantage - not too much to go wrong.
A few questions:
Is it a twin carb or single carb version?
Does it have full windscreen, hood etc (Classic SE) or is it the very basic Classic (twin Brooklands Screens and no hood or doors)?
The Crossflow is a very robust engine. With only 8,000 miles on the clock you would expect the engine to be in pretty good nick. Check for oil leaks around the cylinder head. Crossflows can be a bit oily.
How was it built - was it built in its entirety from parts (including the engine) directly from Caterham or was the engine sourced from elewhere? Quite a few Crossflow engined Sevens have Crossflows of indeterminate origins installed. If at all possible, it's usually better to have a "Caterham" Crossflow in situ.
It's worthwhile asking the seller if it has been modified for unleaded petrol. Th4e original 1600 cc Crossflow is designed to operate on normal leaded 4 star petrol. The valve seats need hardened inserts to operate safely with modern unleaded petrol. I had my cylinder head changed to suit unleaded petrol in 2000. If an original head, you can still use old style leaded (or lead substitute) petrol with an additive such as Millers VSP. However, it's worthwhile getting the head changed or modified. I think my bill for the modification came to around £400 from Redline in Caterham.
Whatever you do, you will not get a more characterful
car. They are great to drive, look cute, and make the most glorious noise. In the dark, you will see flames coming from the exhaust and they pop and bang on the overun - just like a World War 2 Spitfire, and they smell great too.
You won't regret it.
The performance of the 1600 Crosslow Seven is 100 bhp from the engine and a 0 - 60 mph of 6.5 seconds. Expect about 28 mpg MAX - usually a lot less to be honest. That's the price you pay for an honest to goodness 1960s style sports car. For comparison, the more advance Rover K fitted Sevens can achieve around 40 mpg. Bur they don't sound anything like as good
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 16th April 21:35
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