First impressions... and first upgrades!

The car is fantastic fun, and it's hard not to grin the whole time you're driving it.
I'm doing my best to stay under 4000 rpm before the first service (1000mi) but 4000 is just where the turbo starts to take off, so it's very hard to keep doing what feels like a short-shift.
As many have observed, the gap between 3rd and 4th gear is too wide, but once I'm able to open up the engine, I'm hoping I'll notice this less.
The ride is firm but comfortable, and the driving position is wonderfully comfortable too in the leather seats.

The seat bolts protrude under the car, and I have caught them on speed bumps more than once. No damage done, and they will come off when I get the Dremel out in the next couple of days.

My two immediate additions/upgrades are for practically and safety:

1. 12v & USB supply

I wanted a 12v cig lighter socket to attach to my Optimate charger. And I want a USB socket or two to charge phones/GoPro etc while driving.

Hidden away under the scuttle (behind the dashboard) is a 2-way multi T-connector, connected to the fusebox and 'always on' - the connector is powered whether the key is in the ignition or not. They are easy to find on eBay:

So I bought one of these from Ultimate Addons on Amazon for about £18. 

"Motorcycle 5V 2 Amp Power Supply 2 USB Dual Ports & Cigarette Socket Handlebar Mount"

There is an inline fuse already there, but as I'm connecting via the car's fusebox, I cut this off, and then made up the other half of the 2-way T-connector. Polarity is black/earth on the horizontal bit of the T, and red/live on the vertical bit of the T.

The most convenient place I could find to mount the socket was inside the strange-shaped fuse box guard. This piece of metal has plenty of room above, in front of the fusebox, and the RHS is open. I fitted the socket using its provided sticky clip-on base (we'll see if that stands the test of time - if not, I'll bolt it on - so for convenience the socket can be unclipped if I need to remove it or the fuse cover.

2. High level brake light

Caterham brake lights are very close to the ground. And when you're driving the car, you can feel that most drivers are way up in the air. Plus Caterham brake lights aren't very bright either... So it makes sense to fit a third brake light under the roll-over bar. Still not very high, but if you make it bright enough, people will get the idea and hopefully not roll into the back of the car.

I bought the sub-loom designed for the job from Caterham - only £9. And the light itself was another cheap Amazon special: 

"Ring Automotive RL097 28-LED High Level Brake Light"

The subloom connects very easily, with easy access from under the RH rear corner of the car (no need to lift the boot floor etc). Simply unclip the multiconnector which connects the rear light cluster, and put the loom 'in between'. The two wires to the 3rd brake light then snake up through the fuel filler cover, and I taped them (with black insulating tape) under the rear rollover bar support up to the top bar.

The light itself is secured with two cable ties, covered in black insulating tape, but in time I might make this a bit more permanent. In fact, I am thinking of changing the rollover bar to a FIA one, so I don't want to drill holes or put rivnuts in it if I'm going to try and sell it on...

All in all, these jobs took not much more than an hour, and are well worth it. The difference in brake light brightness is huge, and adding the power supply in the car just makes things a bit easier too.

Day 25: oils and brake bleeding

I intended to start the engine for the first time today. But... shortages got in the way. The bottom LH corner of the radiator is missing a drain plug. I hadn't even noticed it when I put it on the car, it's not mentioned in the Assembly Guide, and Derek at Caterham was surprised it wasn't there, as they usually just arrive in place.

Oh well. So, nevertheless, I filled the gear oil with about 1.3l, and the differential with about 1.5l. The gear oil is easily reached, although the drain hole is very hard to access.

Like many other builders, I made my own tool from a piece of 3/8" steel, gripped by an old 3/8" spanner.

Dremelling off a section of 3/8" square bar from an unwanted socket set 3/8"-1/2" convertor

Gearbox overflow tool. Narrow enough to get between the tunnel wall and the gearbox

The diff oil is best attacked from above, removing the wooden and honeycomb floors. However, now that the rollover bar is in place, I can't remove the honeycomb floor section, so just propped it up (covered in masking tape, as it is very sharp and easily could damage the paintwork).

Filling the diff oil

Brakes
Then onto bleeding the brakes. I went for the traditional 2-person method, rather than use my Eazibleed. No real reason, other than I wanted to work on it with one of my kids, who sat in the cockpit for ages pumping the brake pedal.

Couple of things worth mentioning:
- it takes a long time
- there are two bleed nipples on each front upright. I only remembered this when I removed the front wheels to see why things were not improving. I bled both
- as the bleeding process goes on, the handbrake starts to be able to move, having been jammed on in the lowest position earlier

I think the brakes are due another round of bleeding before I'm happy with them.

So now, I'm just waiting for:
- stainless rear wing protectors (wrong size delivered)
- radiator drain plug

Day 21: rear brakes, handbrake, speed sensors

The kit arrived a month ago. I thought it would take me two months to build, but I'm very much at the end of the build now. Despite days wasted due to shortages, things have progressed nicely.

Today was finishing connecting up the rear brakes, handbrake cables and starting on the interior.

The rear brakes are supplied with hydraulic fluid via a brake pipe through the tunnel. Then pressure is delivered via a flexible pipe into the RH rear brake, and connected to the LH brake via another rigid brake pipe, mounted on the live axle.

The rigid brake pipe will need a bit of manipulating. But working along, clipping it into place, it just needed finger-bending and settled into place easily.

LH rear brake. Brake pipe visible going off to the RH rear brake. Speed sensor visible on left of photo

Rigid brake pipe fixed to live axle using small plastic clips

The speed sensors are easily fitted, and a few more cable ties keep them neat (I must have used nearly 100 over the car by now...). 

RH rear wheel from behind. From the bottom, you can see the flexible brake pipe, the rigid brake pipe and the speed sensor 

The two handbrake cables are connected easily into the brake drums, and are then taken into the tunnel, crossing over on the way. It all feels very logical and clear. 

Axle from RHS, with handbrake cable visible lying just clear above the axle

Back of the tunnel, from above. The handbrake cables connect to the T-fitting on the back of the handbrake bracket

 Lastly, most of the above pic was covered up by the tunnel plate, rivetted on. 

Day 20: rear suspension

With the arrival of the bush spacers (spacer bushes?) for the radius arms, this job could be completed.

LATER EDIT: I recommend tightening up the upper radius arm right away, as once you've put the seats in, you can't reach the inside end of the bolt any more.

It's all very straightforward, and by magic the differential/prop shaft rise into the right position (just a few mm away from the chassis strut beneath them, but far enough. As usual, everything was smeared in Coppa Slip.

RHS rear axle, with radius arms in place

LHS rear axle, prior to fitting half shafts

Poor pic, but this is the LH end of the panhard rod, viewed from under LH rear

Fitting the axle oil seal requires a special tool, or something found in the garage that will do, to ensure it is driven in evenly, into its proper place. After a long hunt around, I found the least likely tool for the job - the finial off an old garden parasol! Made from some kind of cheap plastic, it was nevertheless exactly the right diameter, and even had a convenient boss on top to whack with the mallet.

Garden parasol finial (next to axle oil seal). A garage essential

Once in place, the half shafts fitted in nicely on each side, and were bolted and torqued up. 

LHS rear brake in place

Next job , rear brake connections