2012
28/01
Lost and Found
Here's the video from part of my first blat ever. It is after collecting the car from Caterham in Dartford once it had been registered. Now, where could one possibly head for in a new car other than... the Dartford Tunnel!
Sadly, a Nissan Micra decided to spoil the fun by, err, well, existing. They do that way too much.
The reason I've taken so long to post this is that I thought I'd lost it. With nothing else to hand, I just stuck my iPhone to the windscreen and hoped for the best. Somewhere in Essex it fell off, which was a shame, and when I looked at the phone there was no sign of the video file. I just assumed I'd ruined it and lost the file, but Richard at the Going Fast Getting Nowhere blog came to rescue by blogging abo...
Sadly, a Nissan Micra decided to spoil the fun by, err, well, existing. They do that way too much.
The reason I've taken so long to post this is that I thought I'd lost it. With nothing else to hand, I just stuck my iPhone to the windscreen and hoped for the best. Somewhere in Essex it fell off, which was a shame, and when I looked at the phone there was no sign of the video file. I just assumed I'd ruined it and lost the file, but Richard at the Going Fast Getting Nowhere blog came to rescue by blogging abo...
2012
28/01
Paper cuts hurt
CAT : Build
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COMMENTS : 0
...don't they?
Now imagine that with aluminium tape instead of paper.
Yes, I'm just in the process of taping up the bot space to meet FIA regulations. Lots of fiddly little corners, lots of tape, lots of smoothing over and rubbing down and OW!
Now imagine that with aluminium tape instead of paper.
Yes, I'm just in the process of taping up the bot space to meet FIA regulations. Lots of fiddly little corners, lots of tape, lots of smoothing over and rubbing down and OW!
2012
25/01
How to get in and drive off
CAT : Musings
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COMMENTS : 0
How to get into a Caterham Academy car and drive off
The car is very simple indeed, with no unnecessary fripperies to distract you. So, getting in and driving off is perfectly simple and straightforward. As I will explain.
Go to the car, and unbuckle the sidescreen so that you can get a leg up from the chassis bar to climb over and lower yourself in via the top of the rollcage. Lean in and spread the harness straps - especially the big buckle, you don't want to sit on that. Climb up and lower yourself in vertically.
Stop halfway down when you remember that you need to take the steering wheel off. Pop it in the passenger side for now.
Carry on down so that your legs go into the footwell and you drop neatly into the seat. Pull t...
The car is very simple indeed, with no unnecessary fripperies to distract you. So, getting in and driving off is perfectly simple and straightforward. As I will explain.
Go to the car, and unbuckle the sidescreen so that you can get a leg up from the chassis bar to climb over and lower yourself in via the top of the rollcage. Lean in and spread the harness straps - especially the big buckle, you don't want to sit on that. Climb up and lower yourself in vertically.
Stop halfway down when you remember that you need to take the steering wheel off. Pop it in the passenger side for now.
Carry on down so that your legs go into the footwell and you drop neatly into the seat. Pull t...
2012
18/01
And a little bit more...
CAT : Build
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COMMENTS : 0
I fitted the side protection bar last night - this is provided by Caterham for race cars, and fits on the driver's side to stop ingress of fellow competitors into my personal space. Much appreciated...
It can't be fitted before the car is registered as it is not IVA-compliant. I suspect this is due to the edges that it presents on the outside of the car. Whilst they're not sharp, they're not exactly forgiving if they should hit a pedestrian. Of course, their location means that a pedestrian who hit them is already pretty well doomed to some kind of serious injury, so the net effect of the regulation is to provide no help to pedestrians and stop me protecting myself. Ah well.
It went on easily(ish). The top bolt is a little ina...
It can't be fitted before the car is registered as it is not IVA-compliant. I suspect this is due to the edges that it presents on the outside of the car. Whilst they're not sharp, they're not exactly forgiving if they should hit a pedestrian. Of course, their location means that a pedestrian who hit them is already pretty well doomed to some kind of serious injury, so the net effect of the regulation is to provide no help to pedestrians and stop me protecting myself. Ah well.
It went on easily(ish). The top bolt is a little ina...
2012
02/01
More Race Bits
CAT : Build
TAG :
COMMENTS : 5
I've managed to do a few more of the race and other post-IVA parts. I started sealing the boot floor, squirting silicone sealant into all the grooves around the edge of the boot - FIA rules require that there is a solid wall between the fuel tank and the driver's cabin which (in a Caterham 7) means the boot floor needs to be solid, not just screwed in with lots of gaps around the edge. Once that was done, I started putting aluminium tape over the silicone to complete the seal, only to find that the tape I ordered from Caterham Parts wasn't long enough - by about 50%. Tut tut. Off to Demon Tweeks to order a proper roll of the stuff, then.
Next the door mirrors. Having consulted Blatchat, the advice is to fit them to the doors, othe...
Next the door mirrors. Having consulted Blatchat, the advice is to fit them to the doors, othe...