Converting to Cycle Wings

[Baby Bucket]

I'm going to convert Baby Bucket to cycle wings. I understand that I need the following:

 

1. Wings and stays (obviously)

2. Headlamp brackets

 

I also believe that there may be a problem with the steering rack - my car was built in 1994, but is a 1993 chassis. The rack does not have the word Caterham on it but was originally supplied by the factory.

 

Anyone shed any light as to potential problems. All help is appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

[CHRIS CLARK]

Don't do itthumbsdown.gif ! Stay with the 'proper' look!!

If you remove the glorious flared wings, don't forget the fixing holes will need sorting. I guess it's nothing a complete re skin won't fix!!!!!!!!!

Good Luck (from a confirmed flared wing lover)

[Swiss_Tony]

Peter

I did the same to my 7 a couple of years ago.(My 7 is a 1996)

The cycle wings rub on the side panels on full lock.

I cured this by fitting wide track front suspension.

My rack is the standard issue.

The worst bit is the holes left in the side panels. I fitted a series of stainless mushroom head allen key type bolts to fill them. The larger holes I used the same bolt with a blob of silicone to hold them in. My car is ali so it does not stand out to much. Not sure of a nice way if yours is painted.

If you find a nicer alternative let me know!

I have modified the cycle wing stays and head lamp brackets so that I can change between the two in about 10 minutes.

Also you will probably find some scratches on the side where the wings were. I managed to polish these out.

 

Good luck James

 

[Graham Perry]

If it does foul the body a change of rack would be the cheapest. Mines a narrow track car and the Caterham supplied quick rack gets around this problem although its not cheap. (They may well have modified the standard rack as well now.) It is cheaper than going wide track though.

[Chairman Roger]

Just finished converting mine (much to Chris's disgust). My car is painted and I was worried about the paint finish under the wing fitting points when I removed the flared wings. It was not perfect but surprisingly good after a bit of T Cut. I filled the screw holes with a flat headed plastic push in rivett which I then painted with a touch up brush from Halfords. It looks quite acceptable in my opinion. I use these plastic rivetts at work so if you need some I will send you a few. Phone number in Low Flying. My rack .8 quick rack does not foul the body on lock but from what I have heard this seems to vary from car to car.

[CHRIS CLARK]

I still don't think Barbara will ever forgive you though Roger!!!!!!!!

[paul jacobs]

Yep, I've just done exactly the same as roger on my flared wing '93 car.

 

My car is black, so black dome headed bolts don't look too bad or obvious down the side, and the small amount of marking where the old wings were touching the body sides also T-Cut back very succesfully.

 

I used the existing headlight/wing bracket, by cutting the square section that supports the wing off, at the lamp mounting base plate, looks fine after respraying with satin black aerosol.

 

The biggest problem is the bottom of the cycle wing hitting the body, as testified too by everyone else. I haven't attended to this yet, [done the easy bit first, as you do...] I understood that the original cycle wing racks had jubilee clips on the end of the rack to restrict the movement - I will investigate this sometime, could be a lot cheaper than one of the beautifull looking ali. racks, if it works.

 

By the way, I've glued my cycle wings onto the brackets with Gripfill, which I've succesfully used previously to keep a pair of flared wings on, and when I removed those, I had to cut them off with a stanley knife, I have high hopes, but only did it last weekend, so before putting all my strength on them, wanted to give them a chance to cure properly!

 

Apart from the aesthetics, which are down to personal taste, the pros and cons are more water chucked up your right armpit, but less windage, and easier access to the engine, and easier removal of the bonnet, it's also a never ending source of facination, watching your front wheels bobbing up and down as you drive.

 

Do it, good luck.

[Pierre Gillet]

Anyone with a photo of the sides after conversion. I am curious to see how the line of bolts or caps look like.

thanks,

 

 

Pierre

[CHRIS CLARK]

Pierre.

 

Imagine a 7 being 'sprayed' with a quick blast from an AK 47.To me it has the same image!!!!!!!!! Only re-skinning can really sort it out.

Depends how much you value the cars looks I suppose.

(ooh, controvesy!)

 

 

Yours in 'flared-e-ness', Chris

[Swiss_Tony]

Pierre

I have sent you a picture of my 7 after I removed the arches.

 

James

 

[EFA]

There is a guy who can repair the side panels by Aluminium welding - he did this to my car when the insides of the engine tried to escape through the left hand side panel of the car.

 

This man is xxx xxxxx. He does lots of work for the factory, but can be contacted privatrely on xxxxx xxxxxx. He's in Hastings.

 

 

 

Arnie Webb

The Fat Bloke blush.gif in a Slow Old Vauxhall wink.gif

 

Edit: I am told that this man is now an employee of the Factory and for him to carry out work privately would be a breach of his contract.

 

Edited by - site manager on 2 Mar 2001 12:57:26

[KayTee]

Sooo ... do any of you convertees still have flared wings and/or the 4 correct brackets lying around, collecting dust ?

I am especially interested in the brackets/wing stays, but a good set of wings is also greately appreciated (though probably not cheap :-( ).

 

Anyone, pleease ?

 

NtL/direct payment ??

 

Thanks & cheers - Karsten

[excess baggage]

I too did the easy bit first, ie fitted the cycle wings and filled the holes with chrome thingys and painted them. As posted on an earlier thread I've just had the car painted. A strip of ally fixed behind the holes in the sides allowed them to be filled properly. Redline supplied a rack for £85, not a quick one but specificaly for cycle wings.