My current fun/track car plan is to order a Caterham Seven (420R) some time early next year (2024). After much reading and thinking it's getting time to start taking this seriously. I plan to talk to my dealer of choice soonish about questions they will likely be the only ones who can answer. That said, since this is my favorite car project web site I thought I would inquire with those here who have experience with Caterhams (Real ones, not locosts, Westfields etc.) in terms of ordering, building etc. What are your experiences? How did the process go? What questions did you have and did you get answers to them? Etc.
Looking through the forum via Google, there haven't been too many Real Caterham owners - and even fewer builders. There was a member who has the briefest possible entry in Readers Rides, so it might be worth dropping an email.
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/15606/
All of my experience is either with not real ones or visiting the factory 25 years ago. I did go visit Caterham USA in Denver back in 2001 or so, but I don't believe that particular group is involved anymore.
I think you'll do better over on USA7s.net.
Duke
MegaDork
6/13/23 7:56 a.m.
I can put you in contact with someone who used to be a Caterham dealer.
I have always been fascinated by the Caterham. Pure light weight sports car /w a focus on the track. A few years back on the corvette forum there was a member who purchased a C6 corvette and took it back to england as a track toy. In that thread it was learned that he had a caterham at one point and here is his thoughts: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/autocrossing-and-roadracing/4562107-c6-base-in-action-croft-england.html#post1604100340
A few questions out of curiousity;
what are current prices for a 420r in US?
Are you looking to DIY the assembly or do you want the experience of building it?
Is the wait still 1+ year for one?
why a caterham vs. something like the Miata based exocet or similar? folks on this forum have had those for a track toy in the past.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Thanks Keith. Yes, I noticed the paltry Caterham content here. I've been lurking on the USA7s forum and a bit on the main UK forum. (Which is somewhat hard to deciper at times because of the English-isms.) There used to be a dealer here in the Detroit area pre-pandemic days but they seem to have disappeared. Or the business is still there but they are not a Caterham dealer any more... The next closest is Time Machines in upstate New York which isn't too bad a drive, but hopefully all the business can be conducted via phone and interwebs. There's enough forum, blog and YouTube content that I'm not too worried if no one here chimes in. I have a decent sense of things. I was just hoping to talk to people in a community that I'm already familiar with. Thanks again.
PS. I read the Flying Miatas piece on Hagerty this morning. Nice!
In reply to Duke :
If they are in the Detroit area that would be helpful and appreciated. Otherwise I will probably get what I need from the dealer I plan to go through.
ClearWaterMS said:
I have always been fascinated by the Caterham. Pure light weight sports car /w a focus on the track. A few years back on the corvette forum there was a member who purchased a C6 corvette and took it back to england as a track toy. In that thread it was learned that he had a caterham at one point and here is his thoughts: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/autocrossing-and-roadracing/4562107-c6-base-in-action-croft-england.html#post1604100340
A few questions out of curiousity;
what are current prices for a 420r in US?
Are you looking to DIY the assembly or do you want the experience of building it?
Is the wait still 1+ year for one?
why a caterham vs. something like the Miata based exocet or similar? folks on this forum have had those for a track toy in the past.
I've been a Caterham/Lotus Seven fan since I was a teenager. I like all kinds of cars and have owned (And raced) a bunch of the iconic cars of my generation. (CRX, Fiero, MR2, Swift GTi ) I've been gearing up to finnaly have a track toy again after many years without. After much thought I'm pretty set on a Caterham. I have more than enough car building experience to put one together myself, which is part of the fun. It's simple, light and very quick straight out of the (Literal) box. I read the Corvette guys comments. Not worried. I have no plans for long distance trips. The car will be driven to local tracks and events in dry weather only. If I go futher it will be in a rented enclosed trailer setup.
Answer to questions:
1. The way I'm specing the car it will be in the high 40K BP. Low 50's in US Dollars. I wish I could afford the 420 Cup and it's sequential gearbox but I don't think I want to stretch the budget that far.
2. As indicated this will be a DIY build.
3. They are just finishing a new facility that gives them 50% more capacity. I'm hoping that by the time I order the backlog will be substantially reduced and my car won't take more than 6 months. Probably not but one can hope. :-)
4. Exocets and similar are just plain ugly. No thanks. 
Thanks for chiming in!
One suggestion: if you fit in the non-SV chassis, get it.
Keith Tanner said:
One suggestion: if you fit in the non-SV chassis, get it.
I'm only 5'7" and 185lbs. I should fit in the regular chassis fine. I don't want the big boy model. More unnecessary volume and mass. 
The hardest question right now is... color. I have a million ideas on where to go with the overall theme of the car, the graphics, etc. Part of me wants. to keep it as vintage as possible without doing yet another Lotus BRG/Yellew scheme. Thinking more like an outlaw 356 or lightweight E-Type look. The other part of me wants something that's a bit more to my personality, which tends to dark and theatrical. The base color of the car will be important dpending which way I go. I've played endlessly with the configurator and then pulled those images into Photoshop.
Beyond USA7s forum, I also recommend this Facebook group.
https://facebook.com/groups/739892829751305/
They're NA based and friendly.
A Seven doesn't need graphics. It's already a cartoon. Get a bright color and enjoy.
Personally, I'd go yellow or orange, possibly with some polished alloy like they were back in the day.
I've got strong opinions on color, but I'm probably alone.
My Birkin is green with black stripes, and I've especially liked that on the ###R pack cars with the blackout brightwork.
wspohn
SuperDork
6/14/23 8:30 p.m.
Only one colour combo works best
!
Mike (Forum Supporter) said:
Beyond USA7s forum, I also recommend this Facebook group.
https://facebook.com/groups/739892829751305/
They're NA based and friendly.
Sadly (Not really) I am not on any social media and it's a private group. Thanks for posting!
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Yeah, I gotta do something that is me. I'm a path less followed kinda person. Agreed that it is a cartoon of a car.
Mike (Forum Supporter) said:
I've got strong opinions on color, but I'm probably alone.
My Birkin is green with black stripes, and I've especially liked that on the ###R pack cars with the blackout brightwork.
I love that greenish putty color. Maybe not with the light blue, but I don't hate it. Maybe a. different graphic design. Not something traditional. There's a bunch of gray-ish colors from the fifties that I would do if they were offered. I THINK we can get custom paint for a price. I also think I can get them to paint it one of the colors that isn't offered on the 420 but might be on a different model.
msterbeau said:
The hardest question right now is... color. I have a million ideas on where to go with the overall theme of the car, the graphics, etc. Part of me wants. to keep it as vintage as possible without doing yet another Lotus BRG/Yellew scheme. Thinking more like an outlaw 356 or lightweight E-Type look. The other part of me wants something that's a bit more to my personality, which tends to dark and theatrical. The base color of the car will be important dpending which way I go. I've played endlessly with the configurator and then pulled those images into Photoshop.
Invert that and it's almost a rising sun :)
In reply to Keith Tanner :
I am not unware of that. ;-)
Spread the stripes out in a fan and it's there.
Ooo, I like that last one.
With a candy apple red three stage paint!
If you had the guts, bass boat metalflake. I don't know if it's ever been done on a 7.
I have a thing for 6601 slate grey (non-metallic). Hints of green in certain light, and changes appearance depending on lighting conditions.
