Description
For sale here is a Caterham Seven built in 1993. It is finished in Caterham British Racing Green and is fitted with a 2. 0 16 valve Zetec, five-speed gearbox and de-Dion rear suspension arrangement. Specification below:
ENGINE & GEARBOX:
2. 0 Zetec 16 valve.
Twin Weber DCOE carbs with K&N filters on Raceline inlet manifold, Facet electric fuel pump, Filter King adjustable fuel pressure reg.
Raceline stainless steel 4 into 1 exhaust manifold with large bore stainless side-exit silencer. Quiet enough to be trackday/ motorsport legal.
Raceline cast alloy finned sump.
Raceline water rail.
Samco blue silicone coolant hoses.
AP clutch.
Ford Type 9 five-speed gearbox.
Rolling road tuned when converted, showing 174 BHP & 157 ft/ lbs.
SUSPENSION & STEERING:
Upgraded wide-track front suspension (adds approx. 50mm each side).
Alloy lightweight front hubs.
Caterham quick-rack, 1. 9 turns lock-to-lock (quickest available I believe).
Rear is de-Dion arrangement utilising Sierra diff and with optional anti-roll bar.
Adjustable platform coil-over spring/ damper units fitted all round.
BRAKES:
Upgraded front Hi Spec billet alloy four-pot calipers with a gold anodised finish.
Rear disc brakes.
Front pads – EBC Greenstuff (barely worn).
Rear pads – Mintex M1144 (barely worn).
Stainless steel braided brake hoses all round.
WHEELS & TYRES:
Caterham 8 spoke alloys finished in gunmetal grey.
Toyo R888 semi-slick road legal tyres (barely worn).
INTERIOR:
Individual adjustable cloth seats with ‘Caterham’ branded headrests.
Caterham four-point racing type harnesses.
Upgraded FIA type roll bar.
Momo alcantara/ suede snap-off quick release steering wheel.
Heated front screen.
Push button start.
Polished alloy gear knob with Caterham emblem.
Battery cut-off switch on driver’s side screen pillar.
Padded tunnel cover/ centre armrest.
Carbon-fibre effect door sill covers and rear wing stone-guards.
Weather gear consisting of Caterham full hood, side-screens and rear boot tonneau.
For those that would like more details of the car, please read on. I believe the car was originally fitted with a Lotus twin-cam engine, but around 2006/ 7, this was replaced with the Zetec, which produces 174 BHP according to the rolling road report from Northampton Motorsport in the file. This puts the performance firmly in early HPC territory or, in modern Caterham parlance, I suppose it would be a 350R!
There are invoices in the history file totalling in excess of £7, 000 (see photos), much of which relates to the Zetec conversion as well as other upgrades which were completed around this time, the main points listed in the specification above. The car has had minimal use since, having driven fewer than 3, 000 miles since 2007, when the conversion to Zetec was completed. It hasn’t been used at all in the last four years since I purchased it in early 2020 – just as Covid 19 kicked in! The odometer is showing just 9, 695 miles at the time of writing, which I believe is genuine from studying the history file, old MOTs, etc. It seems that the car has been used sporadically throughout its life.
I’ve driven a lot of Caterhams – mostly early cars – in my 40 years in the classic car business, and I can honestly say this is one of the quickest I’ve driven - it is very rapid. The only one I can remember that went better than this was a car fitted with a c. 200 BHP Cosworth BDA.
I’ve converted quite a few early Caterhams to LHD, and that was my intention for this car - as it is now over 30 years old, it’s eligible for simplified importation in many countries. However, as I have recently semi-retired, I’d really rather sell it in its current configuration. If you are interested in exporting it, I’d be happy to assist with this where possible. But you need to check the rules for your own country before going any further, as it does vary between countries.
The overall condition is excellent, but it’s no trailer queen. It has the usual foibles found on many Caterhams, especially earlier cars. So you should allow for some light scratches, stone chips (a few have been touched in), the odd bit of star-crazing on the fibreglass and some wrinkling of the paint around some of the aluminium edges. I’ve tried to show some typical examples in the photos, but there’s nothing particularly nasty, and if you know Caterhams, then you’ll know it’s all really just typical of what you’ll find on most older models. It has recently passed an MOT which expires in June 2025, and in preparation for the sale, it’s had oil & filter changed, brake fluid renewed, coolant renewed and levels checked in both gearbox & diff. The car was originally fitted with clamshell front wings, and a pair of these is included in the sale, should you prefer the period ‘Lotus Seven’ style. With a yellow nose, you’d have the classic ‘Prisoner’ look!
On the road, the car drives and handles very well, and with the power on-tap, it is very quick! It does thump & rattle on bumpy roads and will shake your fillings loose if you drive such roads at speed! The de-Dion cars are better in this respect than live-axled cars, but it still ain’t no Bentley! Oil pressure remains up around 5 bar on the move, even after a run, and stays above 3 bar at idle when hot, with coolant hovering around 80 degrees with air flow through the rad – rising towards 90 when idling after a run, at which point the fan kicks in to stabilise it.
I believe the car would be ideal for someone who wants a good dual-purpose Caterham: with the various upgrades & powerful engine, the car would be at home on track days, or even competing in the odd sprint or hill climb – but it’s not so extreme as to be unsuitable for road use too. The perfect compromise, perhaps?
This price point, in the world of Caterhams, is generally populated with well-used, higher mileage models, ex-academy racers, or basic spec cars with low powered basic engines (Ford crossflow/ Vauxhall 8V/ Rover K-series etc) and possibly with four-speed ‘boxes and live axles. You’ll be lucky if any of these produce more than around 130 BHP, some considerably less. So I do believe this car with its high spec, high power and performance in the same ballpark as the early HPC models (at about two thirds the price), represents good value.
More photos are available on request, just let me know what you want to see. Delivery may be possible, depending on location – please contact me to discuss. Contact by any method is welcome: email, text, call – if calling, keep it between 9 a. m. & 9 p. m. please. Viewing is available, and encouraged (no more than two adults please), but test drives will be at my discretion, and subject to proof of ID & insurance. Without this, it’ll be me driving I’m afraid. Apologies if this offends anyone, but please understand that this is a very quick car and those unfamiliar with this type of car could very easily find themselves in all sorts of trouble - either the ’upside down in a ditch’ variety and/ or the ‘flashing blue lights’ variety!
