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What would you have done differently?


Ferrino

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Going to start rebuilding the 7 soon and have quite a few changes planned. If you had to build your 7 from scratch, what would you have changed/done from the start - with the aid of retrospect? For example, armourfend, electrical mods, different fasteners, waxoyl......

 

Just looking for a few more bits of inspiration *smile*

 

Lobbying Caterham for a new badge....

 

Edited by - Ferrino on 15 Jan 2005 17:44:42

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You can copy some of what I've done, I won't mind.

 

Why not put down on paper what TYPE of seven you want, maybe what you want to use it for. Then you can work out what to do at rebuild.

 

If you want a comfortable (relative) tourer do what's needed, if you want an out-and-out racer then decide if you want acceleration or top speed bias.

 

You'll be surprised what you'll come up with if you start at the end and work back.

 

Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Mem No 2166, the full story here

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Use Dinitrol not Waxoyl. Everyone uses Waxoyl because they have heard of it or their dad used it or something. Dinitrol was found in independent tests (MG club) to be much better:

1. It penetrated further into narrow gaps with capilary action.

2. It didn't wash off as easily (they tested a piece of body work which was blasted with warm salty water for a period of time.

3. It gave better corrosion protection.

 

Another good tip. Used plenty of card and masking tape on the bodywork to avoid scratches!

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Hmmm... Excellent question, Ferrino.

 

For me:

 

- POR-15/Hammerite/similar

- FIA bar

- Fitted proper wing mirrors, eg. SPA

- Poss. Brooklands rather than windscreen (tough one, this, as I have used the weather gear on occasion)

- Possibly have had it painted rather than bare ali.

 

Dave

 

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Armourfend rear wings definitely. That or go for unpainted carbon fibre (the expensive option). 3500 miles later, my rear wings are well and truly 'gravel-rashed'.

 

Norman's point is good though- I'd have gone for out-and-out track car (e.g. aero, no weather gear, 13" wheels, superlight cage) had I known what R300SEV was going to be mainly used for. Would have saved quite a bit of money in the long run.

 

 

 

darren f

The Building of R300SEV is Here

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Thanks guys.

 

Norman - the rebuild has already been planned (quite an overhaul!) - I'm just after some of the small tips that people give for a new build, while I wait for the chassis to come back. For example, Karsten's rear wing fastener kit and bonding the cycle wings on rather than bolting them on......

 

FYI, the car is going to be track-oriented (but road-legal) and I've completely redesigned the loom to suit the new engine, lack of weather gear and new dash/instrumentation.

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I`m still building mine but already these are the things I would have done.....

 

Lowered Floor

Omit interior ali panels......I`m replacing with RIF carbon but the ali ones weren`t omitted so lots of rivets to drill out.

Omit front brake hose holes in ali and route flexible hose along wishbone as per Freestyle

 

 

 

Simon Bell - Caterham 7 Duratec R

I`ve seen the future.....and it`s powered by duratec Check out the website here

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  • Support Team

Little things I am doing as part of my rebuild:

1. Power socket in boot for bullet cam

2. Power socket and cigar lighter socket in or under dash

3. Dinitrol in all the corrosion traps - Bruce at Arch left the interior panels unrivetted so I can get the stuff in that gap too

4. Dry sump - oh thats not a little thing *tongue*

5. New rear brake pads and clean and paint calipers

6. Powder coat eveything - all panels except rear panel have been done (Arch said it doesn't work well on the back panel due to the curevature and flexing of the panel in use).

7. Replace fog and reversing light as they have gone a bit grey

8. Replace all dash switches as they have faded badly as well

9. New rear wings - in c/f of course 😬

10. New c/f dash as current one is looking tatty - some of the rivet holes have split through to the edge ☹️

11. Steve Foster ali rear light blocks to replace the lumps of rubber.

12. 5 3/4" headlights

13. Black pack

14. New wipers as old ones a bit tatty

 

 

Yellow SL *cool* #32

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I can't say differently as I bought second-hand but...

IF I was to do a rebuild / upgrade (i.e. bits i don't like about the car)

Rear lights: tidy up - I have the standard rear caravan cluster , plus separate reverse plus the fog light off a Landie of some sort - I would want to find an arrangement that looks planned not just added on from random spares.

Front lights: I prefer the smaller SVC headlamps to the standard unit and will be putting some extra driving lamps in the grill (been talking about this for a few months so it is time I did it).

Map light and power under the dash will be fitted at some point too.

And if really ambitious I would use a lot of different switch gear in the dash.

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My new loom will definitely cater for some extra power points and I have completely redesigned the dash - hoping to redefine minimalism! I'm getting rid of all the weather gear and have moved some controls to the steering wheel (indicators, horn, main beam). I just have 4 switches to the right of the wheel (rockers with a little LED) and a column of LEDs on the left, with the BRSB and aircraft switch (on a MOG CF dash, of course!).

 

Don't have a reverse, so no light for that! Fog light will be removeable on a bracket on the lower rail. Not sure whether to put the license plate on the wing (illuminated by light cluster) or in the centre with some of those LED-bolts like Norman has.

 

Got Arch to powdercoat all the panels - yep!

 

MOG CF aeroscreen/wing & sill protectors.

 

Not sure which bits to have covered in Armoufend though - I am going to have GRP wings painted in Ti Silver. I guess the rear wings as a minimum *confused*

 

Lobbying Caterham for a new badge....

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