The continuing saga of
Keith Barrett's new Caterham Seven

Read about my original purchase and registration efforts.

Since it may be useful or interesting, this part of the diary will report on the various ownership experiences and vehicle improvements I make.

Ownership Diary

Nov 21, 2000 600 miles	OK, here is a summary of various things going on right now. I can't decided whether to paint the car red or green with yellow. Frank has sold his red Seven to Chris at Sevens and Elans. Now I am only aware of 2 Sevens in all of NC (although the DMV license plate database indicates there may be 2 others. I have met several other Seven fans in Raleigh, and some race shops that aren't clueless.. They all say the same thing "I always wanted to own one, but can't right now." It's getting too cold to drive it until spring. I'm squeezing the last good weather days I can. The heater is on all the time, but it really doesn't work well under 40 degrees. I have not yet driven with the top up. I need to install an appliance plug (i.e. cigarette lighter), and some sort of locking box for the registration and insurance papers. On my first Seven, I painted a cash box black and bolted it to the firewall. Because of the heater, there's less space to do that on this car, but I'll work out something. The day after I took delivery of the car, I had to give every one on the street (adult and child) a ride. Cindy now loves the car and enjoys rides!!! The car is performing great, and although I haven't timed it yet it's got to be doing 0-60 in under 5 secs. Twice also a porsche tried (unsucessfully) to out accelerate me. :-) I'll have to try some official timing sometime. It has become obvious that I need to install some sort of foot rest for my heel. My foot gets tired after some hours of stop-and-go driving or shifting. I am considering getting a portable MP3 player as the music system for the car. It's small, holds a lot of music, and is not subject to vibrations. My feet get too hot. I will have to put some insulation in place. I have no documentation on the Zetec engine. Even Chilton's current book only covers details to 1997 and does not show the 2.0 litre engine. I need a book!!! I also get email from a Seven owner that is moving to my area in a few months. The funny thing is that in his online diary, he has the same observations/complaints I do about mine. You can read about it on his web pages in the "on the road" section.
Dec, 2000	The car is starting to have a hesitation when accellerating quickly, and emit a strong "rotten egg" smell. Nothing appears to be wrong, and using different brands of gas makes no difference.
Feb 13, 2001	The temp gauge started to indicate an over heating problem. Once or twice on drives it went into the red and I pulled over and waited. After replacing the thermostat the problem persisted. The electric fan did not come on, but checking the engine with a scanner showed that it wasn't really over-heating. Taking the gauge to GT Classics and using it in one of their cars showed that the gauge was working properly. The only culprit left was the temp sensor on the engine, but I am told that it never goes bad. I order a new one for about $12 from Caterhan (sensors have to match the gauges) and the problem is solved ! :-) Now that I own a scanner, I learn more about the car. The MIL light is always on because one EPA test always fails (according to the computer -- the test passes manual testing). The failure is actually due to the fact that on a Caterham there is no computer sensor in the gas tank, so it thinks it's a failure. This could be a problem a few years from now when NC adopts computerized EPA testing (depending on how they adopt it). The car actually passes testing, but the computer reports a failure. The computer also comes from a Ford that had an automatic transmission, but is now used in a manual transmission, so error codes show up for shift failures. These are harmless because they are not related to EPA rules and do not light the MIL indicatior. I learn that all this is normal for Caterhams, and only presents a problem in California.
Date: Unknown 3500 miles	Changed the oil
March 10, 2001	I attend autocrossing for the first time in over 10 years. Today is mostly training and practice, with the real event being held tomorrow. However during one of my runs I hit a small, soft construction cone full speed with the rear fender and it gets ripped half way off the car. All the rivnuts get pulled through the aluminum skin and the fiberglass is split in several places. I go through a whole range of emotions, anger, sadness... My beautiful new car has had it's first accident. I duct tape it together and drive an hour to my house, then run to the hardware and car stores to see what I can do. I eventually figure out that I can use nylon fastners in the holes and reattach the fender better than new. I already have spare fenders, so I spend most of the night Repairing everything. . The result is so professional that I'm excited and proud about it. Although I drive to the actual Autocross event the next day, I arrive too late (due to needing sleep) to participate, so I cheer Phil Wehman on. Phil wins 1st place in the class.
March 18, 2001	I go to the Triad Autocrossing event to visit Joe Worsley and his Rotus 7
April 7, 2001	I attend my first cruise in. I like this more than autocrossing (but then again, I like laying around and showing off my car).
April 8, 2001	I attend AND PARTICIPATE in my first official autocross event. I do not win anything.
April 26-27,2001	Cindy and I drive 2 hours to participate in the largest British car show in NC -- THE GATHERING. This is a 2 day event when the first day is an exhibition contest in a pleasent park setting, and the 2nd day is an autocross event. We make the local newspapers, but do not win any awards in the show. In the 2nd day autocrossing, I win 1st place :-).
Date: Unknown 6000 miles	Changed the oil
July 7-8, 2001	The biggest Caterham Seven event of all time -- Sevens at the Summit. I originally talked with Chip at GT Classics about creating a sevens event, and he made it happen :-). Hopefully it will become an annual event. The day starts off with my mirror falling off the windshield as I pull out of my garage. I don't have the proper stuff to attach it, but I come up with reasonable replacement and start on my way. I drive for 6 hours on Saturday morning. The drive is incredibly pleasent; though wooded back roads, farms, small towns, and winding mountains. I arrive around noon and am the first one at the hotel. But after several hours many other Sevens show up and we have a great time. Many people trailered their cars to the event and could not believe I drove 6 hrs in a Seven all alone. On Sunday, we all awake to pouring rain! I rush out to get the roof up. This is the first time my car has ever seen rain or wet roads. My streak is broken. We drive to the track, and on the way my mirror falls off due to the moisture, and my taillight blows out. The rain stops and everything begins to dry up quickly. As my racing group nears its time I realize I cannot race with no mirror and no taillight, so I run to the parts store, return, and complete my repairs. I eventually get to race in the 3rd of 4 events and have a fantastic time!. Everyone said I was smiling. Near the 4th event the sky starts to look cloudy, so I decide to drive home immediately to beat the rain and save on a night's hotel stay. As soon as I pack up, fill up on gas, and get on the highway the rain starts. I drive on instead of putting the top up and within a few minutes I have raced ahead of the rain and enjoy a pleasent ride home. I arrive home around 10pm, a little sunburned but still smiling.
Sept 16, 2001 Disaster!	I went for a joy ride and hit a big pot hole with the left front wheel (as seen from in the driver's seat). There was no visible exterior damage, but coolant was leaking. When I looked I saw that the hose next to the steering column had disconnected, but I could not reconnect it (it will become obvious why in a moment). Being less than 10 minutes from home and no evidence of oil problems I quickly drove the car home. The drive was 90% highway and the car never over-heated (according to the temp gauge). There was no evidence of mis-alignment during the drive (no shaking or pulling). When I was almost home the car started to make a mechanical noise and would stall at idle. The noise sounded like the same noise made by valves or rods in older engines when they are pushed hard. I could not tell exactly where the noise was coming. I got the car home and checked the oil hours later -- it was thankfully still full. I was hopeful that the noise simply might have been the water pump running dry after and all I had to do was reconnect the hose, add antifreeze, and then drive the car somewhere to have it checked and perhaps replace the pump. I was not so lucky. After investigation I discovered the reason the hose could not be reattached was that the steering column was dead center in the way. When I looked into why, I discovered that the tube of the main motor mount on that side had broken, and the engine was now sitting about an inch lower than it should be. Apparently what had really happened is that when I hit the pot hole, the oil pan must have hit the ground hard enough to break the mount and pop the hose. I have no idea if the mechanical noises I heard was the engine, water pump, or the transmission/clutch connection to the engine. I see no other structural damage besides the motor mount. Even the tire rim looks OK. So the car is not driveable at the moment. I'm going to try and replace the broken mount (it bolts in), reconnect the hose, refill the fluid and see what happens. I may have to trailer the car 4hrs to GT Classics if the noises turn out to be serious (sigh). This could take 2-8 weeks.
Sept 30, 2001	After receiving a replcement motor mount, a bunch of friends and Seven fans (Phil Wehman, Lane Anderson, Stan Disbrow) come over on Saturday and we reconnect everything. Phil and Lane drove up in Phil's Caterham and Stan (who races Legends cars) arrived in his tool truck. It was pretty neat to have 2 Caterhams in my garage. We all worked on the car, with Stan doing most of the motor mount replacement. Start the car....and..... yech! Loud noises, almost no power. The engine is obviously hosed. The motor mount is slightly different than my original. Caterham tells me that is was improved slightly because I am not the first to break it. They also tell me that the radiator hose should have been BELOW the steering column, so the engine wasn't installed exactly right. Problem is that my car was one of the early Zetec's, so some improvements occurred that are not in my car. If that hose was under the column, it wouldn't have come off (sigh). I decide NOT to call the insurance company about this damage, since the car is only 1 year old and they would likely drop me as soon as I collected (remember getting insurance was one of the hardest parts of registering a Seven in NC). I call Chip at GT Classics and make arrangements for repair (good thing the racing season is over). A friend, Stan, has offered to take my car up there. Chip's got a replacement, race-preped engine he can install, but he wants $2400 (plus labor) for it. His labor is reasonable, but knowing that used Zetec engines are typically $400-$900 I'm not sure I want to do this. So I'm going to spend some time calling others and seeing if I can get a better deal on the engine.
Sept ??, 2001	Well; since I have to replace the engine, I'm going to make this worth my while and get an even better car out of this. Caterham has a $600 cam upgrade that's suppose to add 20hp to the car, and still be compatible with the Ford computer and emissions testing. Chip has this cam in stock, but has never installed it since that modification is not allowed in his racing class. I also hear from others that replacing my flywheel with an aluminum one will make the car fly in 1st & 2nd gear (my two favoriate gears) and cost about $500. It's like shedding 200 pounds because it's a rotational weight. However no one seems to have the parts in stock for this and my appointment is almost here. My time for finding and shipping an acceptable engine is also growing to a close. Even though it will cost me about $1500 more, I'm leaning toward using the race prep'ed engine because I plan to replace the cam and need a reliable engine.
Oct 14, 2001	Stan and I take the 4hr trip and drop the car off at Chip's house. He's going to install the new engine, plus the cam upgrade. The flywheel upgrade will have to wait until next year. I will pick up the car the following weekend and drive it home. The total cost for this adventure is about $3700. You can bet I'll never look at pot holes the same. Chip's engine has an interesting modification on it, a metal pipe was welded where my radiator hose disconnected. This means that THIS engine will never suffer the same fate.
Oct 18, 2001	Chip reports that the car is done, but is experiencing a problem. No matter what he does, the idle rises and falls wildly once the engine is warmed up. If drops so low that the car will often stall out. He has replaced almost every sensor and nothing seems to affect it. He down plays this as minor, but I'm worried. He believes it's the computer trying to handle the new cam, but Caterham swears that the cam is well within the specs of the computer.
Oct 21, 2001	I pick up the car to drive it 4hrs to home. The idle is indeed rock solid when the car is cold, but is unstable once warmed up. Ignoring this problem, the car really FLIES! You can definately feel the additional power of the cam. As I drive the car home, and stall just about every time I come to an intersection, I realize this is not safe behavior for the car. I call Chip the next day to report my disatisfaction about the whole thing. He says that he'll do whatever it takes, including removal of the cam, if I deliver the car to him at VIR when he is there in 2 weeks. This gives us 2 weeks to figure out what is really going on. Chip's going to call other Caterham dealers, while I have Ford check out the engine. I really don't want to remove the cam since the car is so much more powerful and this is suppose to work. Plus it would make everyone seriously angry if we did remove it and the problem still existed!
Oct ??, 2001	I visit the pot hole that damaged my car in the first place. It was gigantic, but has already been filled in.
Oct 25, 2001	Ford spends all day with the car and finds a few vaccuum leaks in the air intake and fixes them, but the problem is still there. Their measurements are all within spec for a Ford Zetec computer, and the car even passes emissions testing. The nice thing is that the guy only charges my about $75 for the day, since he found the project "interesting". Chip calls to tell me that out of the several people using this cam, no one is having my problems (oh joy). One person had an erratic idle, but it went away after a few weeks once the computer finished its learning. He also tells me that Caterham suggests I compare my computer's number against www.car-parts.com. Apparently there are a small number of Ford's made each year with a "low emissions" computer instead of a "regular emissions" computer, and that if I have the low one, changing it to a regular might improve my situation. A low emissions computer may have a harder time with a non-stock cam because of it's stricter parameters. I look and BEHOLD, I have a LOW EMISSIONS computer! At last something to tackle! I search car-parts for a normal emissions from a 98/99 Ford Contour and find several for both automatic and manual transmissions. The computer I have right now is for an automatic (even though I have a manual transmission), so I locate a manual transmission one (hoping this will help even more). I find one within 90 mins drive from my house for $78, so I make an appoinment to pick it up tomorrow morning.
Oct 27, 2001 Rebirth!	I install the new computer and get instant results! The car idle rises and falls a little during warming, but is almost rock steady once warmed up! The idle does drop sometimes when the car comes to a stop after a prolonged drive, but not so low that it presents a problem. This also seems to get better as the computer learns. There is one side-effect however; if the car is running at 2500-3500 RPMs and I "punch" the throttle, I get occassional backfire. It's easy to reproduce and I still have a week to decide whether I want to live with it or have Chip remove the cam. All in all a much better trade in problems, and this does prove that the cam works in the car and the computer was having some sort of problem. I doubt I'm removing the cam. Backfire is usually an exhaust leak. Caterham tells me they recommend that I not use the computer from a manual transmission car, since my wiring harness came from an automatic one. They think my backfire could be a result of this, since the previous computer had no backfire. Since computers are less than $80, I'll probably try this anyway when I can. Sure is nice though not getting all those harmless shift error codes on my scanner.
Nov 4, 2001 7,700 miles	The car appears to be running well. Rarely ever stalls, but still has some backfire. I drive the car to VIR for Chip to check out and we both agree it's not worth removing the cam for. :-) So I still have a few things to do, but overall the car is back on the road and I'm having fun driving it again. I still need to: Get the car emissions tested using the new computer. It's due! Tighten a bolt on the exhaust and see if the backfire goes away. Try a Regular emissions, automatic transmission computer and see what happens. Change the oil
Nov 26, 2001	I notice that my new car registration reads "Cust" instead of "Cate" (for Caterham). This was not something I changed, so I'm a bit annoyed that the DMV can change your paperwork without telling or involving you. I hope is has no impact on my taxes or emissions testing.
Dec 19, 2001	The car passes emissions testing with flying colors. it goes easy because I bring with me the paper from last years testing. One interesting note; the barcode on the registration is what they use to perform the lookup, and the DMV database returned "Cate" -- so go figure. I am told that in 2003, computer testing will be the norm in NC. If you have OBD II (which I do), you will only be allow to have a single fault code or else you fail (even if you would pass a tailpipe test). Since a Caterham normally produces 2 codes (vapor canister test fail and vapor selenoid fail) because the computer has no connections to the vapor system, this WILL be a problem for me. No one has any idea what will happen if you have a non-OBD II system, or how to handle home built vehicles. Remember the goal is that the government wants to from tampering with the emissions systems on manufactured cars. I have 2 years to either address this or sell the car I guess.
June 12, 2002 8400 miles	Changed the oil and filter. I also tried another ECU; this one from a Mystique AT Std Emissions. The behavior was not as bad as the low emissions ECU, but the idle acted very badly and the car stalled often. Placing back the ECU from the MT Contour worked muched better. Guess I'll be using this ECU for now. Visited an alternator place to se about eliminating the belt screetch on startup. He recomended using an underdrive pulley. Have to find one of those now. Met up with another Owner in Raleigh. Rob drives a pristine 1965 Lotus 7 Series 2. With 4 cars in the area, we have decided to try and form a club.
July, 2002 9000 miles	I obtained information on modifications I can do to the computer system to clean up the power codes. I picked up the parts; all I need to do is find the time to try them. Since I have some spare ECUs, I may try it out on one of them first.
Apr, 2003 9000 miles	I went down to the DMV today just to get a copy of my driving history for a job background check. While there I decided to ask about what's involved with my getting an emissions waiver, AND I WALKED OUT WITH A WAIVER ASSIGNED! :-). The NC DMV was very nice, and said that if I still experience a problem to call them and they'll be glad to help. yeah! They also said they had not encountered a problem like mine before. The registration showing "custom" roadster helped, plus the computer testing is brand new and I may be a "grandfathered" case due to being an existing situation.
Apr 25, 2003 9000 miles	I took the car to emissions testing and the computer said "REJECTED" for the waiver. The DMV Inspector was afraid this might happen. Even though the car is flagged all over the place as "unlisted type", "custom", "waived", the computer is dumb and still expected an OBDII test because the year was 1999. The garage called the inspector and he gave the OK to perform only a safety inspection and issue a sticker. My "file" will have the waiver in it, so I should be all set. YEAH!!! Took an hour to do all this though. Then I discover that my battery is actually bad, so I head off to buy a replacement. It turns out that the best replacement battery is the type used in BMW motorcycles. I thought this was going to be a piece of cake, but the + and - were reversed on the new battery, so I had to replace the ground wire also because it no longer reached the battery terminal. All fixed and legal now. Then amazingly, the battery in my Honda Civic went dead too, and I had to replace it and the positive terminal. Quite a long day!
March 2004	We have unexpectedly moved to Orlando, so the car has been placed in storage until we have a new home and our own garage.
October 2005	We have moved into a new townhouse with a 2 car garage. The car wouldn't start or jump. A quick visit to Batteries+ and I walked out with yet ANOTHER battery. This battery brand does not seem as reliable as the original, but it does work. The car is clean and on the road again :-)
April 2006	The car was in the Celebration Exotic Car Show and won a platinum award for best in show :-)
April 2007 9850 miles	Well; my saga ends on sad news. I need to sell the car. Our family needs a more conventional car, plus a few years ago I hurt my wrist and hav a little difficulty getting in and out of the car. The car is in great shape and one a show award last year. If you want to buy a Caterham, autographed by GRAHM NERN, with lots of spare parts, toys, please contact me. it is titled and registered in Orlando FL. This will be the final diary entry until the car is sold.