Caterham Academy 2012 - Build (Day 4)

Day 4:

I had a bit of a late start today, but did manage to use the morning to go and pick up an engine hoist from a very kind Caterham 7 Club member not too far away, so I don't feel too guilty about the limited progress made today!

I managed to get a few hours in the garage in the afternoon and started by removing and re-assembling the front ARB, which I wasn't quite happy with. I was worried that one of the balls wasn't quite sitting correctly in the cup on the front of the upper wishbone. It was a good job I did check because it had shattered and needed replacing, which was a relativity straightforward job.

I then moved on to the bellhousing, which attached to the gearbox pretty easily. Having phoned Caterham in the morning to tell them I couldn't find the kit to mount the gearbox I realised it was in the one box I hadn't opened! Now there is a valid reason for this....it is because the box was marked starter motor! Apparently they remove the starter motor and put on the engine, then re-use the box for the bellhousing/gearbox kit. With a bit of fiddling the gearbox and bellhousing went onto the engine without any great challenge. The bolts that attach the starter to the block were the main challenge, but weren't too bad.

Finally I completed a few of the small jobs required before the engine and gearbox can be installed in the engine, such as fitting the washer bottle and connecting up the coolant hoses at the back of the engine. I still need to do the horns and a couple of other small things, but they should only take me an hour or so before I look to get the engine in.

I hope to make an early start tomorrow and get a good 10 hours in. I would really like to get the engine and gearbox into the chassis, so I can then start work on the rear suspension the following day. The thing I find really hard at the moment is knowing how well I am progressing. Having never done anything like this before it is hard to know if I am on track to complete by the end of next week or not, but it is great fun, even if it is frustrating at times. Tomorrow should be a good day and help me to see a big difference in the build process and boost confidence further, but for now I am contenting myself with getting things done properly!

Caterham Academy 2012 - Build (Day 3)

Today was all about finishing off the steering, front suspension and brakes. I spent the first hour or so checking over the jobs I had done the day before and making sure that I had torqued all of the crucial bolts up correctly. It was a good job I did check because I found I had missed a spring washer from the top damper mount. I am not sure how crucial it is, but feel better for checking, even if it did take me 30 mins or so to take the damper off and put it back on again.

Once satisfied that everything was OK from yesterday, I went on to fit the ant-roll bar, front callipers, brake lines and then sort out the front lights and indicators. I was hoping to then get the gearbox mounted to the engine, but discovered that I don't have the CRB or mounting kit for the bellhousing, which is irritating. I will phone Caterham first thing in the morning and sort out delivery, which will also give me time to locate an engine hoist.

It feels good to have the majority of the front of the car sorted and it felt like quite a productive day, even if I did spend an hour or so searching for parts that ultimately weren’t there! Still, I am now looking forward to moving onto the engine and gearbox and may make a start on the rear suspension whilst I wait for the other parts to arrive.

Caterham Academy 2012 - Build (Day 2)

Day 2:

Today was my first proper day with the car and I spent the first hour or so sorting out the various boxes and trying to find out where things were. Once I had worked out what was in each of the boxes and started unpacking the steering and front suspension I had a good 4 hours on thefront of the car.

The steering rack was straightforward to fit, but I had a couple of attempts at the wishbones before I got them right...I didn't get the number of spacing washers quite right first time, but once I had worked that out they went on easily enough. The dampers went on fine, but the uprights gave me grief for an hour or so. The problem was I didn't read far enough through the manual, so was struggling to get the locknuts on the top mounts done up, eventually working out that you need to do them up and get them located with a sacrificial plain nut, then taking it off and fixing it with the locknut. That will teach me!

The manual is OK, but at times it isn't particularly clear and you end up re-reading the passage 3 or 4 times before working out what they are trying to say. It means that you are always wondering if you have got it quite right or not....there is lots of scope for getting it wrong! As a result I didn't manage to get quite as much done as I wanted to, but I have made a good start and am pleased with the result so far. It has been a very satisfying day, but my back is suffering already...being an office dweller day in day out means I have some toughening up to do! Still, there is two weeks to go!

Tomorrow should see the front suspension complete if all goes to plan!

Caterham Academy 2012 - Build (Day 1)

Day 1:

Twenty years since falling in love with one on a stand at the London Motor Show, five and a half years after I sold my old one to pay for my wedding and almost a year since putting down the deposit, my new Caterham has arrived. It really is a new one too...in fact the first and only new car I have ever owned.

I was massively excited this morning, perhaps not quite as much as I have been in the past when buying a new sports car, but close. The thing that tempers the excitement is knowing that I can't get straight in and drive it, but then there is the excitment of the build to look forward to. I have spent the last couple of months carefully reading the build manual and buying the necessary tools, so am as prepared as I can be, but am still quite nervous, having never done anything like this before!

This really is a fulfillment of two life long dreams...to build my own kit car and to go motor racing. I have to wait a week before I can start on the build and will have to wait about 6 months for the racing, but intend to soak up the experience and keep track of my thoughts along the way. No doubt there will be elation, frustration and the odd grazed knuckle, but that is all part of the journey. Lets see how this all pans out........