Gridgway

Ah the most hateful job. Lying on your back on a cold garage floor with the underside of the car 2" from your nose trying to clean off then paint!

What bushes would you do and why? The Caterham metallastic bushes are virtually indestructible and are certainly not in need of replacement on a car of this age surely?

Oooh, sorry John didn't reply, most rude! It would be very interesting to try out, so yes please. I see they also do a 10v voltage regulator which is cheaper than the "Smiths" one - although I've just bought one. And @rkeywood I have taken up your idea of making a mock-up - I have stolen some foamboard my wife has got to do that with.

So is there actually extensive rust on the suspension components? I can't really see it in the pics. Also the chassis powder coat looks in ok condition too. Does it look like that close up?

Yes, you are right about calibration as that needs Revilla's gauge magic or similar really. It's about setting the arm as best as possible and (along with shaping) there is only one variable really - the length of the arm. For me I'd prefer the bottom part to be more accurate - so that I know that when the warning light comes on there's (say) 5 litres of usable fuel left. I need to do a test to find the point where the warning light comes on and see what that says on the gauge. My wife has some foamboard for some crafty purpose, I might steel some of that and make a mockup of the tank - just the bit between the baffles to see how the arm might fit. If I do then put a known amount of fuel in I can get a level - although with the float you don't know how much of it submerges for the weight of the arm. I assume not much. Trial and error indeed!

I did think of this but I fuelled it to run up the motor then pumped it out again with the fuel pump. The tank is just laid in at the moment so I could take it out and tip the rest of the fuel out If I put water in then I don't really want to run water through the fuel pump to empty it and I'm not sure how I'd get all the water out again. But it's much nicer to use than petrol for these purposes!

Thanks, that's helpful. It'll definitely need some trial and error as the bottom of the tank isn't horizontal. I think I'll fill it to 5l then 10l and measure the height to set the arm length somewhere in-between. Then I can install the sender and empty fuel out with the fuel pump until the warning light comes on.

Sent a pm with details of an interested purchaser...

So to update with progress. I had duff info about the connections, they are the other way around. W is the low fuel level warning and T is the Tank level. After much faffing and careful not shorting of anything, I connected up the two wires. It seems that the wire used for the low level warning is the white with green one which should be used for a fuel pump. So just the wrong colour wire used in the kit build. Now I have to fit the new level sender in the new tank. It's the generic type that you have to get the length of the arm right. It looks like there is about 19cm lateral distance to the baffle in the tank. The height above the bottom of the tank is also about 19cm. So I have to make the arm the right length. I've got to try and estimate the levels I want the gauge to show empty and the warning light come on. I'm thinking that the warning light should come on at about 8 litres of fuel left. Or 10 maybe? Then I need to estimate the depth of fuel at that volume. Need to have a think. It's not an easy thing to test. It's not much fun putting fuel in and pumping it out again to test it, but I guess not impossible.

Great googling, thanks! Regarding big red, yes they are well renowned, but I di enjoy doing the seals myself!

Can anyone identify these from my BDR? I'm trying to find refurb kits. I have googled the numbers on them to not much avail...

I've sent you a pm

There's someone on the caterham forum on pistonheads who seems to be interested

I've just got one from Redline. It's the same as the generic one from Holden et al, but better to support Redline in my view. Needs some work to get the length of the arm correct as it comes in two parts to be joined for the specific installation.

Thanks Paul, but I have already been offered one.

Thanks Shaun. Did you decide you needed the extra plate behind and underneath the battery for strength?

Now that's a funky option!

Thanks JK, I think that's what I meant!

My 80's BDR has a battery tray on the scuttle where the heater might otherwise be fitted. There was no battery there when I bought the car. There are very few options for a battery to fit the specific tray. In fact while I can find a battery of the right width and length, the top is very close to the bonnet above and it doesn't have the lugs moulded in to locate into the battery tray (which has a clamp at the bottom rather than a strap over the battery. A standard Banner battery would work if I could find a battery tray for it (Caterham out of stock) or get one made as the battery is only 165mm tall. Or I could go gel and lie it on its side with a bespoke battery tray. I don't want to locate the battery under the carbs and the space in front of the passenger footwell has the DS tank there. So could anyone who has a battery on the scuttle (well the flat bit in front of the scuttle) say what battery and battery tray they have got please?

Solved my core question with a better bit of googling. The W terminal is from the Windings of the gauge. The T is to activate the low fuel warning light and connects to the housing earth. That doesn't seem a terribly good idea to connect the fuel pump feed to earth so I assume it was connected by mistake. It may well have never been "activated", who knows. But that's well dodge!! ETA that means the video in the Holden web site is wrong (unless I misunderstood it)

Thanks Andrew, that's very helpful. The regulators do seem to be in easy supply. I realised that I didn't answer JKs second question re fuel pump. Originally with its crossflow it used the mechanical pump. Then when upgraded to the BDR the owner added a separate feed for the newly added facet pump. This has its own (additional) switch on the dash which I presume is for safety when hillclimbing (maybe). In the resto project I might go back to the original wiring and have the satisfaction of removing an extra wire and switch!

Thanks Andrew, I'll check, bit I suspect I've not got the 10v regulator. To your questions JK. The caterham has a normal voltage regulated system from the alternator. But the Smith's gauges work on 10v (why?) which is why they have the secondary voltage regulator that Andrew has shown. I'll go searching for one of those next time it in the garage. Just need to solve the wiring conundrum now.

I am changing fuel tanks in my BDR from the horrible rusty steel one to the standard S3 aluminium one (carbs). I got a new fuel level sender which is a generic one like this one on the Holden website. https://www.holden.co.uk/p/sender_for_smiths_classic_fuel_gauges_top_mounting It has two connectors labelled W and T. In the Holden video it says that W is the feed and T is to the gauge. However the Caterham wiring diagram only has the wire from the gauge which is green with black stripe. I have two wires that were connected to the old sender (which is the same as the new one). So I thought that was ok. But both are +12v in relation to earth which I thought odd. One wire is green with black stripe (tick) the other is white with green stripe which is a fuel pump 12v according to the standard colours. The old wiring is pictured below. And finally the Holden info says the instruments should work off 10v (with a regulator somewhere), but I def have battery voltage on both wires of 12 and a bit volts. I could just connect one of the wires plus earth and see what happens, or go straight for the same connections as before, but I'd prefer to know what I'm doing rather than be guessing!

interestingly I seem to have pushed out a few Caterham bushes in my time (not CSR though), but I've not got one out yet and though that looks knackered!

Interesting to hear a real world experience. How were the old bushes worn by the way? Also a bit of an acquired taste getting the old bushes out. Not for the feint hearted even with a proper press.