[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I really fancy a RS250 CUP Spec Megane and have started to watch the market but my first love is my Caterham. Since I was a little boy I have always had a soft spot for Caterham 7s. My dad used to buy the Motorsport magazine every month and within this magazine Caterham advertised. I have followed their development over the years with unabated enthusiasm.[/FONT] My car history has probably followed a familiar route of various hot hatches, MX5’s and an MR2 Roadster. They have all have pros and cons and have all been compromised for use on track, to a greater or lesser extent. The more track use, the more modification became necessary … better tyres… better brakes… “better” suspension… enhanced geometry… more POWER… and so the cycle starts over! Hand in hand with this process is the corresponding law of diminishing returns allied to an increasingly sceptical (but ultimately very understanding) wife! I have always admired the Caterham 7 type cars and Lotus E|ises and Exiges. They are almost always quick and seem very light on their feet with little of the tyres wear associated with track work when compared to normal cars and in turn less stress on the engine and running gear. Ultimately, I excluded the Lotus Exige on grounds of cost and the Elises as they can be a b h to work on and corrosion can be an issue. This left the 7 type cars and as my first love was a Caterham the choice was made. I know the buy in costs are high but the residuals are strong and if you want a 7 then in my book the Caterham is the original and the best; with the original Lotus 7’s being more of a classic car these days. So what 7 would I like? Well I ideally wanted wide track suspension with a 6 speed box and an LSD. I knew that my child bearing hips were a tight squeeze in Tillets so I wanted the S type leather seats and I knew that my large 6’02” frame and size 10.5 feet fitted nicely into the S3 chassis. So ideally, I wanted an S3 R300 or R400. However, their prices were well outside my price range with the good R300’s being North of £20,000. Also when I looked more closely at R300 specs they normally come with an open diff as opposed to an LSD so I would need the correctly spec’d R300 which again would come at a premium. There were many Roadsports available but the spec was rarely what I wanted and they felt bit plain to me. Also service history was critically important to me; far more important than mileage, So, I now knew that the car I wanted would also have to have excellent service history and be in really good condition. Further research identified the original Superlight which was the exact spec I wanted allied to a cheaper price point. Described by many as the sweetest 7; This is what EVO magazine had to say in their Caterham celebration piece on 24th September 2010: "Caterham Superlight - Hard to believe now, but the Rover K-series engine was slow to catch on. It was a perfect match for the Seven, being small, light and efficient, but it didn’t have the grunt or growl of the long-established carb-fed Ford engines, still available for less money. In the end it was frustration that helped unlock its potential and cement its appeal. Having slogged to get the catalysed K and the Vauxhall-powered cars through low-volume type approval so that they could be sold fully built, Caterham found there were desperately few takers. And when the R&D department came up with a suppler, more cosseting suspension set-up to make the Seven more habitable and useable (blame the arrival of the smooth-riding Elise), we and others hated it and asked what the point was – a Seven should be a thrill, that’s its job. Stung by the criticism, Caterham came up with the Superlight in less than a week by simply adding lightness. Everything that didn’t add to the driving experience was discarded, including the heater, screen and wipers, carpets and paint. Everything that could be made lighter was, so the car got a carbonfibre nosecone, wings and seats. To enhance its dynamics it was fitted with wide-track front suspension, a slippy diff, vented front discs and Formula Ford ACB10 tyres. Best of all, it had the 1.6-litre K-series in 138bhp Supersport trim, mated to a six-speed ’box. With an all-up weight of 468kg, that meant 300bhp per ton. All the usual options were offered, but like snacks in a weight-watchers’ clinic they were listed in both £ and kg; paint cost 2kg. Here was the Seven experience stripped bare, purified and concentrated, but with a wonderfully crisp, light feel. Back in ’96 it was easily the best Seven I’d ever driven and all these years later its appeal is undimmed. It feels right just trundling down to the holding area at Cadwell Park, the ride supple, the lack of inertia apparent right from the get-go. It’s owner, Steve Creggs, reckons it’s a bit down on power, but with rain now coming down and plump, lightly treaded trackday tyres, that doesn’t matter. It’s a complete joy, the delicacy and the poise evident even with so little grip to lean against, the sweetness of the drivetrain shining through. And the sensation of being a part of the car has never been stronger". EVO concluded "Given that the Seven has aged better than Cliff Richard, it shouldn’t be a surprise that some of the greatest models have stood the test of time. After all, the basic front-engined, rear-drive layout is unchanged and the weight has hovered around 500kg, so it mainly comes down to the mix of attributes. Of the Sevens we’ve driven here, the JPE stands out as a real keeper. It feels competitive with the fastest models produced today, it’s genuinely exotic and there are limited numbers out there. It won’t be easy to find one as most were exported, many of them to Japan, but it’ll be worth it. I’m still drawn to the original Superlight, though. With pretty much all the weight-saving features of the JPE, the sweet-spinning 1.6 K-series and all the most desirable extras, it is a perfectly formed Seven. It has historical significance, too, being the grandaddy of all Superlight Rs. But mainly I want one because it’s so good to drive". I also found good Pistonheads topics discussing the virtues of the original Superlght: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... So there we have it. The search was on for an original Caterham 1.6 Superlight. It was very hard as there were so few on the market and I kept my options open looked at what the market had available. History tells me (and my wife, Tracey), that if I bought the wrong spec that in time we would be making some very expensive upgrades!!! Eventually after along search, I found a factory built 38,000 mile original Superlight which I purchased from Caterham Cars (South) in July 2014. The price then was £15,000 but in the last year the prices have strengthened and they are regularly selling for over £18,000+ in the trade through marque specialists. This is a video taken by the previous owner at Donington: https://youtu.be/GNIWz4hm_ao?list=PL1wsQ-551RL3e4O... Here are a few I took when I had first got the car: Car Limits day at North Weald: https://youtu.be/1mjwSQyXcIw?list=PL1wsQ-551RL3e4O... Bedford Autodrome: https://youtu.be/wJrna668sfI?list=PL1wsQ-551RL3e4O... https://youtu.be/f8mhYgSAMno?list=PL1wsQ-551RL3e4O... https://youtu.be/fT34ef-dYRA?list=PL1wsQ-551RL3e4O... I wasn’t being arty farty with the music; it was necessary as the mic had failed. Specification: 1.6 Super Sport 138 BHP EU2 K Series engine Carbon fibre nose cone, dashboard and front and rear wings. Caterham 6 speed gear box and LSD Watts linkage Rear anti roll bar Wide track (adjustable) suspension Caterham AP 4 pot front brakes AP racing uprated brake master cylinder Avon CR500 175/55/13 all round Lowered drivers floor 6 point Caterham (Luke) harnesses FIA roll bar with high level LED brake light FIA electrical cut off DVA K14 drive ability kit as the Caterham Supersport cams are apparently very rarely properly timed which gives bad road manners and poor drivability, typically the inlet cam is retarded by up to 15 degrees which greatly reduces low and mid range torque. This kit comprises a pair of Piper verniers which when properly set can improve mid range torque substantially (up to 15lb/ft). Throttle response and drivability is markedly improved Apollo oil/air separator (Breather pipe fitted with a one way (flap) valve). Thermostatically controlled Mocal oil cooler 52mm throttle body Exhaust By Design 4-2-1 stainless steel manifold and exhaust (As recommended by Dave Andrews of DVA) ACES Sureshift 2 which is a sequential shift light system for motor sport applications. It ain't cheap, but it is the Big Daddy (or Giant Haystacks) of the shift light world! Mechanical oil pressure gauge and low pressure warning light Sump foam changed 01/09/2015 service Caterham composite (quick change) aeroscreen and half doors New (Oct 2014) black heated windscreen. De Dion tube checked by 7 Workshop 01/2015 - all good If you are interested I keep a blog linked to my profile at http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showServiceHist... This details the complete history of the car which now fills two folders and a third will be needed soon! n.b. In order to make the running costs as accurate as possible the cost of work prior to my ownership (and creating this account) is included in the description. I have since changed the registration to SI 7 GFC as in SL -Superlight 7 and my initials, thanks to a birthday present from my wife and boys. If you are looking for a Caterham and I more than happy to talk you through what it has been like for me and provide some things to look out for on spec and condition.
Hi and welcome. Nice write up and introduction. The 7 looks fantastic - you're obviously very enthusiastic.
Thank you. I love my Superlight but have always been impressed with the various Renault Sport models. The RS250 Cup looks like a really good all weather all rounder; with the Caterham you are always at the mercy of the elements which can make you appear very wind swept and interesting (well wet through) unless you have the right waterproofs! My Superlight is a rare car and a keeper, but I do hanker after a RS250 Cup.... Cannot have both and i think I would ultimately regret selling the Caterham.
Anything is going to feel soft and compromised after your Caterham surely, in terms of driving dynamics? If you can't stretch to both, have a look at the older mk2 Meganes such as the R26 or 225 maybe?
You could always have a punt on a Megane 225 or R26. Having also done the RWD route with the MX5 and MR2 you might find FWD a bit bland though.
Funnily, I made my way to the Caterham through the MX5 and MR2 route and have had fast FWD cars in the past so know what you mean. However I did have a Peugeot 106 Rallye from new and a couple of 205 GTI's which all had very well tied down front ends and mobile rears which were great fun. I keep finding myself looking at R26.R's and having seen a couple at trackdays they are real rocket ships but then again the RS 250 ~Cups are so rapid on track, as well. Perhaps luckily I cannot afford both so this may just be a watching brief.
I reckon the R26R is well overpriced they don't seem to be selling atm either and for trackdays you can get the R26 so much cheaper and with a minor bit of zero cost fettling is just as good. People like badges though. Like you say though, with a decent set of winter garb, the caterham can be an all year round jobbie.
The original Superlight is a real sweet spot for Caterhams'. Not too much power but with all the nice kit like the 6 speed CR box (6th is the same ratio as 4th in the 5 speed box), wide track suspension, LSD, big brakes. Whatever car you have you always could do with little more power on the straights but through the bends the Caterham is stunning.
Low depreciation has to be the other big plus with the Cat. As a track car, that MR2 roadster is a bit underrated imho. With a hard top (for the looks) and the right age and engine, they seem great fun and a serious alternative to all the MX5's tooling round a track. Some decent parts around and some race spec stuff about. Mid engine RWD and a Jap build quality what's not to like, apart from the slightly female image. Most people don't even consider them.
Lovely looking car. I have a Roadsport 140 myself (Sigma 1.6) that's been specced with wide-track suspension (adjustable, watt's linkage), rear anti roll bar, LSD, 6 speed box, 4 pot AP brakes, lowered floors. I'm halfway through fitting an aeroscreen at the moment - dying to see what it's like without a windscreen. Very similar colour scheme to yours too! Halfway through aero fitting:
Very nice looking car... well I would say that! I am not a total convert to an aeroscreen, I feel very exposed on the road. Fine on track but not sure the risk of catching a stone or large fly is worth it day to day.
Yes I think it'll be a track only thing for me too, living in Wales means I can quite easily get caught out in the rain and I can't imagine that's fun with an aeroscreen!
Photobucket have changed their 3rd party hosting T&C's and now want £$399 p/a. Coupled to the problems with Pistonheads blogs has resulted in me creating a new blog where everything will be recorded. If you are interested the blog is located at https://caterhamsuperlight106.wordpress.com/2017/06/24/the-sweetest-7/
