Shaun_E

On a Caterham the most useful measurement is the backdepth which is the measurement from the inside edge of the wheel rim to the hub mating face - dimension "B" here. Any wheel supplier/manufacturer should be able to work with this dimension. Offset is dependent on the exact width of the wheel which will vary slightly from supplier to supplier. I have bought a couple of sets of wheels from Image (my link above) and both times just quoted the backdepth which I measured from my existing (Caterham supplied) wheels. For 6" wheels the backdepth is 110mm and for 8" (rears only) the backdepth is 140mm. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

My 2p worth: The banning (what a horrible word) of expensive kit is for one reason only - to remove any perceived barrier to entry. It is the perception that is important, not the reality. In my early days of competition (when ACB10s were all the rage ) I believed that, to be competitive, I needed ACB10s and would need to set the car up appropriately - this was beyond my means and ability at the time and could easily have put me off competing (luckily it didn't). The reality is that I had several seconds to find as a driver before tyres/dampers/set-up would really become important. This perception that certain (possibly expensive) pieces of kit are required to be competitive is the thing that is most likely to put people off competing and therefore is the thing we most need to address in the technical regulations. For this reason I agree with Mark that we should limit class 4 and below to 1-way adjustables as it addresses the perception that 2-ways are required to be competitive. The reality is that class 4 are not so far off class 5 times and that the expensive dampers give less benefit than people might think. A well set up car on 1-way adjustables (or even non-adjustable Bilsteins) will be better than a poorly set-up car on Ohlins 2-way adjustables - that doesn't change peoples perceptions though. My thought's on ACB10s are that they are still significantly more expensive than even ZZRs (and require a different car set-up). Should someone decide to run with them and suddenly run faster than before then we would create the perception that ACB10s are required to be the fastest taking us back to square one. It can be very difficult to convince a driver that they have much to learn in order to go faster - it is easier for them to think that they have a sub standard car (I know I did) and that the answer lies in tyres/dampers/engine. It is only once people have been competing a for a while that the truth dawns on them but we need to address the perceived barriers in order to get people competing in the first place. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

If you run RS14s front then you could try RS4-2s at the rear - thats the combination that I am using as suggested by John at Performance Braking. The thing I don't like about the Pagids is that they glaze over if used lightly i.e. on road. I used to run an RS15/RS14 f/r combination but that is only really suitable for track use as they glaze over very rapidly on road. Also they do need some (only a little) heat in them before they work so the first stop is always a bit interesting. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Please send me your clips as soon as you can. As a change from last year I am going to put the emphasis on fun stuff. Spins, slides, yellow trowel moments, "on the edge" runs and any record breaking stuff is what I am really interested in. It would be great if anyone had footage that isn't "in-car" as well. Photo sequences of anything entertaining would also be good. Please edit your clips to a reasonable length and either send them to me on CD, give them to me at Anglesey or use an internet based large file transfer site (e.g. sendbigfiles). I can accept most formats but please use high quality (at least DVD quality) which normally means AVI or MPEG2. Thank you. Shaun Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

MOT rules here. I suspect it will be a fail as it is likely to fall within "Zone A". Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

If you aren't overly precious about the weight of the wheels then have a look at Image wheels. They do a range of 3 piece styles (billet ali centres with spun ali rims) which they can powder coat in a range of colours. I have 2 sets of Billet 4s and they weigh about 5kg per corner (7.5" and 8.5" wide) which is a bit more than the MB wheels but still pretty light. They also do a lightweight wheel which I should probably have gone for instead. They are a good company to deal with and they keep their promises. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

We are also planning to leave early Friday afternoon - sorry. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Hi Stew, I am buying Simon's smoked JPE screen as I can't get a clear one. If I dont get on with it I'll get someone to copy it in clear perspex. If you want to sell yours then I'll happily take it off your hands 😬. I nearly bought what I guess is the one you have just over a year ago but didn't think I'd need it :-( Shaun Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Richard - Please make sure I get this for the end of season video. Cheers, Shaun Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Thanks, Simon. Replied to your email but the reply bounced. Please send me some pics - next week is fine as I'm in no rush. It will be part of a winter project to fit a scuttle that looks a little bit less like a colander! Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

I seem to spend half my time at Apex - they carry pretty much every bolt used on a 7. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Hi Chris - you won't need a cat for yours. For MOT, if the car is kit built and pre August 1998 then no cat required. If not kit built then it depends on the engine that was originally fitted and since yours was a X-flow then no cat needed. Putting a newer engine in doesn't change that. For sprinting only post 2000 cars require a cat. Shaun Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Take lots of photos of where stuff is mounted, where pipes and cables are routed, etc. - I took a lot but still managed to miss some stuff which made reassembly harder than it might have been. Label everything you take off the car - down to the last nut and bolt. Bag stuff up. Label wiring connections. I used the build manual linked to above and it was 95% there for my 1997 car. On reassembly, if it doesn't need threadlock then use coppaslip! Once you are down to a bare chassis then take it to Arch for them to strip, replace any really rusty bits, zinc phosphate prime and then powder coat. They will repanel it for you too - it's not worth reusing the old panels. Get them to powder coat all the suspension bits while you are at it - I didn't and regret it. They can replace all the bushes for you too - again I wish I had done this. I had all my panels powder coated on the inside - this is personal preference but makes it easier to keep clean and should reduce the likelyhood of corrosion where panel meets chassis tube. Clean everything that you take off - I didn't and it made reassembly a messier job and it wasn't nice having to bolt dirty/rusty bits back onto a shiny chassis. Things to replace: Clutch release bearing - use the Burton one described in low flying a couple of months back. Possibly replace the clutch if you don't intend taking the engine out again for a while. Front lower damper mount bolts - and put plenty of coppaslip on them. Brake hoses - convert the rears to flexible hoses while you are at it (I wish I had!) Get the propshaft serviced and balanced (I can recommend Propshaft Services in Bradford). Scuttle fixing channels - they will be rusted to pieces anyway but get the ones with the captive nuts for the windscreen - makes windscreen removal and refitting a doddle. Once you get the chassis back from Arch then use Dinitrol (or Waxoyl) between the inner and outer panels, especially the gaps between the footwells and the side skins. They will leave some of the rivets out to help with this if you ask them. If I think of anything else I'll post it up. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing Edited by - Shaun_E on 19 Aug 2010 08:46:31

Is this with a 5 speed or 6 speed box? My car is an early Superlight (number 32) and was originally fitted with a Rover clutch using a different input shaft - apparently the first 50 or so 6 speed boxes were built like this. In order to use the standard Caterham AP clutch I had to have the input shaft and nose casing replaced on the gearbox. This could possible be the case with a 5 speed as well although it seems less likely. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

My 2nd run . Edited by - Shaun_E on 16 Aug 2010 08:24:42

225 front and 140 rear is what most of the sprinters are using (myself included). If you want a serious alternative to Nitrons then try Ohlins. Have a chat with Simon at 7 Tips who can advise you. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

...unless it is a torque biasing diff in which case it will turn in the opposite direction just like an open diff! Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

1 set for me as well please. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Richard - will have to take a look at the next event. Phil - a contact for the company that did them would be good. I am not a se7ens lister so yes please ask for me. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Some time ago, somebody had made up a batch of clear, full width aeroscreens simialr to the old smoked perspex JPE screen. On the understandably remote chance that someone bought one and would be prepared to sell it, I would like to buy it from them. It does not need to be perfect but I'm not really after a tatty one. Failing this, does anyone know where and how I might get one made? The Caterham individual race aeros are OK (that's what I have fitted now) but they aren't very effective and they aren't very neat fitting. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Definitely check the coil - I went through about 4 in the last few years before changing to a wasted spark set-up. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Most of the class 5 sprinters (200+ bhp), including me, use the AP clutch. It works well and seems to last even with 250bhp engines. Please double check these, but I think the part numbers are: 72603R (cover) and 72602R (plate). Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

1st Mark 30.97 (I think - it may have been 30.79!) 2nd Adrian 30.99 3rd David 31.1x (can't remember exactly) 4th Rob (Margel) 31.42 5th Me 31.44 I can't remember Simon Jenks or James Moreton's times. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Video of my 2nd run . 31.44 seconds which wasn't really up there on the day being over 1/2s slower than Mark. I can see where I lost most of it as I lifted and braked too early for the bottom S. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

Yellow JPE passed us on the M40 this evening. We were the yellow trailered car on our way back from Shelsley. Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing