Ian M Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Sorry if this is another stupid question but is there an easy way to tell if my car has a metric or imperial chassis? It is a SV that was built in 2008/9 and although I have a mound of paperwork from the previous owner I cannot find any information. Thanks in advance Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Pinched from something I found on t'Internet: "2007 was the change over year. Look at the lower horizontal chassis tube in the rear wheel arch, the one that the rear ARB is bolted to. If it's round for the full length, it's imperial, if it's square halfway, then changes to round, it's metric. Also if you can see weld spatter near the joints, it's metric. Imperial will also have AM and a number (jig number it was built on) stamped under one of the roll bar mounts, but of course you will have to remove the roll bar to see it, which if it's a track day one (with diagonal) means removing the rear shock absorbers." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Slotter Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 It'll be metric. SV chassis became metric in 2006/7. Other than using mostly metric fasteners, dimensions being metric (e.g. 300mm rather than 12" etc.) and being welded rather than brazed, there are a few geometry differences that escape me right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Arch Motors do not stamp under the rollcage/bar mounts. They stamp on the rh seatbelt shoulder mount. No need to remove cage, nor seatbelt if you have harnesses. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Dr Slotter, geometry changes? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Slotter Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 It's perhaps the square/round cross section thing above I was thinking of, but in the back of my mind there is something different in the engine bay which means the downpipe geometry can be/is different. It's been a long day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Slotter Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Engine mounts or chassis braces? Perhaps that's just coincidental that the Metric/Imperial change happened at the same time as the Rover/Ford change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Ah, I see. I thought you meant changes to the chassis geometry in respect of suspension pick up points. I believe this to be same as last iteration SIII from 1996 -> There were some tweaks in the bay for the Ford engines and the floorpan areas gained CSR style triangulations. Any others peeps? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Chan Posted March 27, 2014 Area Representative Share Posted March 27, 2014 Quoting revilla: Look at the lower horizontal chassis tube in the rear wheel arch, the one that the rear ARB is bolted to. If it's round for the full length, it's imperial, if it's square halfway, then changes to round, it's metric Definitely easiest way to identify the type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickRob Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Mine's a 2009 (K series) and I assumed therefore it would be metric but when it went to Powerspeed early this year for an exhaust upgrade they told me it was imperial - have first started making metric primaries! 😳 But I haven't done any of the checks mentioned above yet to verify this. So, as with everything Caterham, going just by a date wuold be just to easy! ❗ Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Arch still built chassis for some 7s. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavic82 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Indeed the CSR chassis is still Arch, plus special builds and a few other funny variants. Perhaps the Busa chassis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evotell Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 You are quite correct Busa chassis is built at Arch. As I understand it metric was post 97 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 The easiest way to tell at a glance in my experience is to look at the side skin just behind the front wishbone pickup. If the skin has a convex bow it is a metric chassis, if it's a nice straight line then it's Arch inside ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Anything metric is only after the "Steel Fabrications" episode. That company eventually being acqired by CC following some "ups and downs". So metrics are all post circa 2007(ish). As far as I know the CSR is still Imperial. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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