Freshly built Caterham Super Blackbird 375kg 190hp.

[Julian Thompson]

For sale my Caterham (Extremely) Super Blackbird.

 

It has taken me nearly a year of toil and heartache to build this car, which is unused - zero miles.

 

It has a V5 logbook and SVA pre 96 - the car can be MOT's prior to sale if required (but then the danger is that if I drive it I might like it 😬)

 

As yet the car is not ready for you to take away as it is having final tweaks to the DTA interface with the crank wheel but I estimate that this and final preparation will be done within a couple of weeks so I thought I would get this advert up to allow interest to develop.

 

All components are brand new except for the odd item which is fully refurbished.

 

The cost of building this car is in excess of £50,000 and I estimate 1000 hours of work. The development of the powerplant has cost Raceco, Mistral Engineering and myself many thousands of pounds to learn the lessons of mating a large valve blackbird head to a set of JE pistons. You don't have to learn those lessons now!

 

The concept is for a car using all the best motorsport components to achieve a super light car with a lot of power.

 

All up weight 375kg as tested by Dave Kimberley - car fully corner weighted.

 

Car will be sold with 1 set of MB mags.

 

I have approx 5 sets more of MB mags that will be for sale separately later if the buyer of the car does not want them.

 

Chassis:

 

Stripped and returned to Arch - fully refurbished and powdercoated in Lotus 7 grey by Arch and to include: 4 tow hooks, 2008 spec anti dive front end, Arch extra triangulation in drivers footwells, Arch custom centre tunnel support, Arch custom integrated reverse gearbox mounts, Arch modified chassis bracing in engine bay, Arch custom electric gearshift mount, Arch welded in chassis seat mount, Arch battery tray in passenger under knee area, Arch R500 holed rack table. All unnecessary bracketery removed.

 

Panelwork:

 

100% Rif carbon fibre panelling inside and out. Custom lighter weight Rif Kevlar/Carbon floors, stainless rivets.

Custom manifold access panel with stainless grille.

UltimateCarbon nose and wings, front and rear.

 

Front Suspension:

 

R500 aerofoil wishbones with custom nylotron/steel bushings.

Thompson designed adjustable bump steer rose jointed track rod ends and arms with left hand threaded sleeves for easy toe adjustment.

Nitron wide track dampers with 200lb Eibach springs.

Lightweight thinned and drilled brake discs.

HiSpec 4 pot calipers.

Braided brake lines.

Brand new wheel bearings.

 

Rear Suspension:

 

English Axle with Alloy nose and TransX LSD geared for 115mph in top at 11000 rpm.

Solid machined tube replacing crush washer in diff to cope with power.

Drain plug welded in the bottom of casing.

Fill plug welded in the top of casing.

Lightened steel strengthening yoke welded to back of axle to cope with power.

Nitron dampers with 140lb Eibach springs set to Arch manufacturerd pin top to later type conversion plates.

Lightweight thinned and drilled brake discs.

Hispec 4 pot calipers on custom adaptors.

Braided brake lines.

Brand new diff and wheel bearings.

Brand new radius arms with standard bushes for best traction.

Rose jointed A frame.

 

Drivetrain

 

Bailey Morris custom prop set front and rear onto Nova Racing "CushDrive".

Nova Racing reverse gearbox - fully refurbished with new later type chain, bearings, seals, lightened drive flanges and additional breather (no more leaks!)

Thompson designed lightweight reverse gearbox to chassis mounts.

Nova Racing close ratio sequential 6 speed gearset with undercut dogs and hardened gears and Mistral engineering machined 1st to 6th gear clearances.

 

Electronics:

 

Lightweight Odyssey battery with Cartek solid state battery isolation from cockpit. No live cables beyond battery tray.

Thompson designed lightweight thinwall wiring loom with all Mini Sureseal connectors, protective overbraid and carefully conceived earth strategy.

Stack ST8130 steering wheel with all integrated instrumentation and indicator controls and lap timing reset on the steering wheel.

SPA Design 8 way lemo connector built into steering quick release.

RiF APEM dash switches and LED's (waterproof) with carefully designed layout to minimise number of controls.

Kliktronic variable wind solenoid driven electronic gearshift.

Prototype Kliktronic one button neutral select.

Radical Powertec PS1 gearshift paddles.

Flatshifter ignition cut full throttle gearshift ECU with SoftRestore.

Flatshifter vaccum driven adjustable downchange blip system.

DTA S60 PRO ecu.

Innovate LC1 Lambda system.

ETA circuit breaker driven fusebox.

All electronics housed under quick release (carbon) scuttle.

 

Other running gear:

 

Carbon lights with all LED operation at the rear.

MOG Carbon front lights with NFAuto micro LED indicators.

NFAuto LED rear number plate.

Davies Craig electric water pump.

Radtec radiator with fan.

Raceco Ti silencer.

Lightweight stainless steel wheel nuts.

Tillet B4 Carbon seat on lightened runners.

Cockpit adjustable AP racing brake bias.

Single perspex aeroscreen.

Fully refurbished silver powdercoated roll cage.

SPA design rear view mirror and boss welded to cage.

Caterham race alloy master cylinder.

Reverie carbon airbox.

Lightweight drilled pedal set with billet alloy clevis ends and uprated brake light switch.

Custom made one piece hollow lightweight steering column.

Brand new Willans harnesses passenger and driver.

High ratio 1.8 turn quick rack.

Samco hoses throughout.

Pagid RS4 pads front and rear.

Medium sized Laminova oil to water heat exchanger.

QED alloy off engine thermostat housing.

 

Oil System

 

Aeroquip oil lines throughout.

Nova/Pace dry sump system.

Remote mounted Stack oil sensor.

 

Fuel System

 

Aeroquip lines throughout onto plastic coated alloy tubes front to rear with all Goodridge fittings.

Carbon fuel pump mount.

Bosch high pressure pump.

Andy Wiltshire lightweight full size custom screw cap tank with integrated anti surge box and Goodridge fittings.

Jenvey fuel rail and regulator.

 

Engine

 

Honda CBR1100XX SuperBlackbird engine freshly built by Mistral.

Fuel injected type block, clutch (heavy duty springs) and alternator.

Carburettor type cylinder head (superior casting).

Raceco developed cylinder head with large valves and high compression.

JE Pistons.

Carrillo Rods.

Modified oilways and no balancer shafts for reduced rotational inertia.

Custom developed Jenvey large bore throttles and injectors.

1.2 litre overbore.

Custom made 24-2 tooth trigger wheel to work with DTA system and provide reliable starting.

190bhp on current map. Potential for 200bhp with newly tuned airbox and a visit to Steve Greenauld!

 

Price is £30000 for the car, firm, non negotiable and final. The car is being sold because having built it and endured the process of custom designing and engineering it and solving all the problems to the best possible standard all the way through I find myself now completely cold to it. The desire to drive it is just not there.

 

I have climbed the mountain and to some extent therefore feel satisfied.

 

Now you can enjoy the result.

 

I am on 01625 425033 or thompsonsltd@btconnect.com

 

[rj]

What?!?

 

Julian.... No

[captain chaos]

*eek*

 

Julian,

Having just completed mine I can almost understand how you feel...Shame I couldn't see into the future..I could have put my feet up for 9 months..

 

good luck..

 

Gary

[nickh7]

Julian. I dont know you but I can see the anguish is your post. I 've read with interest all your posts and people who do know you testify to your thoroughness and ingenuity when working on your cars . Can I suggest you take a breath, book yourself a track day and drive your creation, then if you dont fall in love with then sell it.

 

Nick h

 

Fuel your Addiction here

[rgrigsby]

Julian I can't believe you're selling it, having been there when you dropped it off at Arch at the same time as I dropped my chassis I know just how long you've been working on this. It sounds like fantastic machine that needs to be used, good luck with the sale. If I hadn't just gone through a similar process with my car I would be very tempted.

 

Rob G

www.SpeedySeven.com

[F355GTS]

Blimey All what Rob said

 

Mark

[Atinod]

a year of toil and heartache

 

Perhaps a deep breath, an MOT and a first drive might be in order to bring all your amazing efforts into focus

 

I think that you deserve that 😬

 

 

[mav]

😔 ☹️

 

Giz a call Jue

[The Pikey]

The car's worth every penny!

 

But I'm just wondering whats next to hold the axle stands down in the garage?

 

Jason

 

Currently, I am qualified to plead ignorance.

 

[Harry Flatters]

Julian, sad to hear it ☹️ but I can see where you are at. Take Nick's advice - have a great day and then make up your mind

 

*arrowright*Harry Flatters *arrowright*

AKA Steve Mell - EO and Su77on Se7ener

[Julian Thompson]

Thanks for all your kind comments guys.

 

I think the fact that my wife is due to give birth tomorrow is a factor here - I wanted to enjoy the car this year but then first engine failed on the rolles. (regrettably human error by the way - nothing wrong with the concept and the replacement is perfect because we know what was wrong!) This stopped me finishing the car and now it's undriven and baby will be here.

 

I'm an all or nothing person and I can't risk a silly toy car niggling at me in the garage when I'm supposed to be enjoying the first few months of being a father.

 

Selling the car is against the advice of everyone after all the work it's taken - and I am really quite proud of it, no question - the project itself is a success but the time it has taken is a failure and that's significant to me given my family circumstances.

 

Having said all of that I can see terrific sense in what Mav told me the other day (leave it in the garage until March) and also the advice that Nick and you other guys have recommended (thanks, by the way )

 

As a result of that I shall think on it but for now the car is still for sale.

 

Obviously you will understand that I reserve the right to change my mind and see sense up to the point that you do the bank transfer!!

[Racingshoe]

I completely understand. I comissioned a 1900k engine when I found out my wife was pregnant with our first baby. When that went pop on the rollers I was so upset that I rolled the car away for a year. I then got DVA to build me a new engine, but have not had the enthusiasm to make time to get it installed yet.

 

Only now after waiting 3 years (and having another baby) am I ready to get going again.

 

-----

Rik Robarts - the future's bright, the future's orange here

[The Pikey]

Now I understand, there's a child on the way! And for what it's worth my advice is to keep your creation. You will not have the time to even think of building anything in the next six months. Then all of a sudden the summer is here again and you have no 7. If you do buy one then it will be one someone else has built and from what I have seen of your work you won't be happy with it .

 

Don't do it. It's a spur of the moment thing!

 

Jason

 

Currently, I am qualified to plead ignorance.

 

[Julian Thompson]

😬

El Bambino!!

 

 

(I think I'm going to order a Radical or Juno instead and just use it on the track only which should reduce the urge to tinker with it constantly!)

 

Edited by - Julian Thompson on 27 Sep 2008 10:41:21

[Julian Thompson]

PS I have just had someone on email asking if I will accept slightly less for the car.

 

Please note that I won't - it is hurting as it is to sell it because I so desperately want to want it so please do me the courtesy of reading:

 

Price is £30000 for the car, firm, non negotiable and final. The car is being sold because having built it and endured the process of custom designing and engineering it and solving all the problems to the best possible standard all the way through I find myself now completely cold to it. The desire to drive it is just not there.

 

Many thanks!

[CageyH]

it is hurting as it is to sell it because I so desperately want to want it

 

In that case, don't sell it now, as you may regret it after things have settled down a bit. Take some time to think about it

 

Whatever you get as a repacement, won't be the same!

Your car is finished. When will you get the time to fiddle with something new?

 

 

Only dead fish go with the flow....!

[DaveK]

Julian

 

Don't do it, I have just driven my racing car after nearly 12 months of not driving and the thrill of driving it again is addictive.

 

After all the work you have put in, it is criminal not to try it at least, i,m sure Mrs T and the forthcoming Baby T will not begrudge you the odd day away, when all things have settled down.

 

Put it under a car cover in the garage, and enjoy the thrill of being a new dad.

 

Good luck with the baby

 

Dave

 

 

[The Pikey]

I think I'm going to order a Radical or Juno instead and just use it on the track only which should reduce the urge to tinker with it constantly!)

 

 

Very slowley I am coming around to your way of thinking..

 

Radical Juno

 

Jason

 

Currently, I am qualified to plead ignorance.

 

[Julian Thompson]

😬

 

Ewan is a heck of a nice guy at Juno and the product looks really, really convincing - the TR220 with the Honda engine and Hewland gearbox....

 

I am trying to persuade my one of my very best mates to sell his westfield and get a Juno as well so we can get 2 of them but he's being all sensible about it so it's not proving easy.

[mav]

Jue,

 

I understand your frustratiuons, but look, DaveK has virtually the same thing as I did the other day on the phone.

 

If you want it run in, and you want to tinker with something else, we can swap for a couple of months whilst things settl down at Chez Jue, and then youcna a nicely run in motor back in time for the new season of trackdays 😬

[Julian Thompson]

I agree that's the logical plan.

 

The problem is, I'm not frustrated or angry or anything else.

 

I just don't see the attraction of a completely brand new carbon fibre motorsport oriented Caterham 7 with 190 horsepower and 375kg all up weight.

 

That's the problem.

 

When I was doing it I COULD see the attraction. Now it is gone and I just see a car that I would rather replace with something else.

 

Wierd but true.

[DaveK]

A radical or Juno are both superb pieces of kit, however on a track day they are simply too fast and you will spend more time sat behind waiting too overtake than driving the car, as you simply cannot explore the handling of these cars unless it is racing or all the same type of car.

 

I can understand how you feel though as i felt similar about the force, until i drove it again 😬

 

Dave

[Julian Thompson]

Andrea told me earlier that she's not going to be very pleased about me disappearing off on any track outings until next year - so that engine failure really did cost me dear in terms of missed opportunity.

 

I can't see how I can keep it. Imagine getting your head around keeping it and then not being able to use it for six months. ☹️

[Julian Thompson]

(So I guess that's the end of the Juno/Radical until next year as well.)

😔

[Paul Gibb]

Julian.

Every year I put my car up on axle stands in November and then literally forget about it for a couple of months until I start preparing for the following season. The work starts off being a winter chore but as soon as things start coming together the first events are booked and deadlines appear. It is always the first drive of the year that really fires my enthusiasm.

Enjoy your family for a couple of months and then come back to the car - you will have lost nothing . Sell it and it will be gone forever along with all the effort that you have invested in developing something that sounds truly special with an amazing spec.

 

 

L7 FUN