Followed me home

racerbruce · 08-31-2022, 06:27 PM

Well done wdb!
This is SO exciting - the ultimate "top-down" experience....unreal handling/braking/weight-to-HP....can't wait to hear more about this!

Tell us about the 1.6L twin cam engine.

What year is the chassis?

And would love to know more about how you achieved a sales price of $26,257....a random number that must have some meaning to you.

It will be a total blast to drive....and will it ever attract attention like few other street cars!

CONGRATS

wdb · 08-31-2022, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racerbruce

\Tell us about the 1.6L twin cam engine.

I'm still learning but my understanding so far is that it began life as a Cortina motor and was built into a race-worthy engine with a Lotus cylinder head. The head was found by the seller in London and hauled around by him during his various deployments as a member of the US military. Eventually he retired and settled into a place, found a Seven, and built it using his well traveled cylinder head. That story is one of many this car, and its seller, have to tell about automobiles and adventures around the globe. I feel special just being a small part of it.

Quote:

What year is the chassis?

1995 Catherham

Quote:

And would love to know more about how you achieved a sales price of $26,257....a random number that must have some meaning to you.

LOL not really! BaT has bid increments; at that point the increment was $250. I incremented $250, and stuck the "7" on the end because I was bidding on a Seven.

Steeler · 09-01-2022, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdb

I'm still learning but my understanding so far is that it began life as a Cortina motor and was built into a race-worthy engine with a Lotus cylinder head. The head was found by the seller in London and hauled around by him during his various deployments as a member of the US military. Evdentually he retired and settled into a place, found a Seven, and built it using his well traveled cylinder head. That story is one of many this car, and its seller, have to tell about automobiles and adventures around the globe. I feel special just being a small part of it.

Great story.

An old mate of mine restored a Super 7, 20 years or so ago.
It was raced extensively prior to his ownership. It came with a race built Holman Moody engine in it.
We lost touch before he had finished the restoration.

3798j · 09-01-2022, 08:38 AM

One has to wonder...with your recent post of your visit to The Duryea Hillclimb...did that ignite the desire to own this 7 (one of the best of weapons for a hillclimb course)?

wdb · 09-01-2022, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3798j

One has to wonder...with your recent post of your visit to The Duryea Hillclimb...did that ignite the desire to own this 7 (one of the best of weapons for a hillclimb course)?

Duryea hill certainly did ignite the desire, but it happened many many years ago. I've always wanted to race a car up that hill. The closest I came was thoughts of turning my STi into a race car, but it was totaled before that happened. It also would probably have cost as much to convert as I spent for this Catherham!

The current owner ran hillclimbs in a Lotus Elan a long time ago, and his plan with the Caterham was to get back to it. However he has decided he's too old. I'm hoping I can pick up where he left off.

racerbruce · 09-01-2022, 09:18 AM

And there it is - you added a 7 b/c you were bidding on a Seven - love this!

Now that is a provenance fact (Lotus twin cam head) that will live in infamy; you just don't hear this depth very often.

Can't imagine how incredibly agile this car will be - I just looked this up and a 1995 Caterham weighs 1,279 lbs w/o the driver....it's a freaking race-kart on the street!

Would love to know the appx HP of the engine so we can divide car weight and HP....

wdb · 09-01-2022, 04:00 PM

1200 pounds. Ha! The last car I had that weighed in at that approximate number was a 998 Mini Cooper, with 58 HP -- a considerable step up from the standard 850's 34 HP. I believe the Caterham has 175...

racerbruce · 09-01-2022, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdb

1200 pounds. Ha! The last car I had that weighed in at that approximate number was a 998 Mini Cooper, with 58 HP -- a considerable step up from the standard 850's 34 HP. I believe the Caterham has 175...

1,200 LBS / 175 HP = 6.85 LBS per HP....
That is a wonderful ratio.

08-31-2022, 06:27 PM	#23
racerbruce Brigadier General 3854 Rep 3,004 Posts Drives: 21 X3 & 13 335is E93 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Seattle iTrader: (1)	Well done wdb! This is SO exciting - the ultimate "top-down" experience....unreal handling/braking/weight-to-HP....can't wait to hear more about this! Tell us about the 1.6L twin cam engine. What year is the chassis? And would love to know more about how you achieved a sales price of $26,257....a random number that must have some meaning to you. It will be a total blast to drive....and will it ever attract attention like few other street cars! CONGRATS __________________ Racerbruce Last edited by racerbruce; 08-31-2022 at 06:40 PM..
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09-01-2022, 08:38 AM	#26
3798j Lieutenant Colonel 11414 Rep 1,795 Posts Drives: E86 3.0si Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Susquehanna Valley iTrader: (0) Garage List '55 Ford F100 [0.00] '08 Z4 3.0SI [8.50] '66 Triumph TR4A [0.00] '85 Corvette [0.00] '64 Corvette [0.00] '68 Triumph GT6 [0.00] '19 VW Golf "R ... [0.00]	One has to wonder...with your recent post of your visit to The Duryea Hillclimb...did that ignite the desire to own this 7 (one of the best of weapons for a hillclimb course)?
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09-01-2022, 09:18 AM	#28
racerbruce Brigadier General 3854 Rep 3,004 Posts Drives: 21 X3 & 13 335is E93 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Seattle iTrader: (1)	And there it is - you added a 7 b/c you were bidding on a Seven - love this! Now that is a provenance fact (Lotus twin cam head) that will live in infamy; you just don't hear this depth very often. Can't imagine how incredibly agile this car will be - I just looked this up and a 1995 Caterham weighs 1,279 lbs w/o the driver....it's a freaking race-kart on the street! Would love to know the appx HP of the engine so we can divide car weight and HP.... __________________ Racerbruce
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09-01-2022, 04:00 PM	#29
wdb dances with roads 4732 Rep 4,096 Posts Drives: '07 E86, '02 996, '95 Seven Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: the perimeter iTrader: (4)	1200 pounds. Ha! The last car I had that weighed in at that approximate number was a 998 Mini Cooper, with 58 HP -- a considerable step up from the standard 850's 34 HP. I believe the Caterham has 175...
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