Your fleet running reports

[ste]

Probably quite a lot better than the basic halogen alternative, particularly if they had had the original bulbs in. Xenons may not often stop working but they definitely get dimmer over time; but the bulbs were about £150 each when I checked so I didn't bother replacing them.

Initial impressions after the refurb is that the lights are noticeably much better. I may price up new bulbs, but it's not pressing anymore; they're good enough whereas before driving at night on un-lit Sussex NSL roads was a bit of a chore.

[Rich B]

Seems a good way to tinker and own a caterham for a bit. How much did you buy/spend on/sell it for in the end?

[mik]

If you do change your bulbs, i heartily recommend the " +70% " Osram Xenarc Nightbreakers. If you are interested I shall point you towards my TLF thread.

ScottA recently fitted the new " +200% " Xenarc Lasers to his Golf, but I think the ballache of accesing the bulbs took some of the shine off the upgrade. (Pun intended)

[Mito Man]

I find the BMW xenons really good, the LED lights in the i3 aren’t a patch on them but that may be more of an i3 specific issue (lower wattage lights to preserve range?) as LED lights in other cars are decent. Would like to see how laser lights are but they seem to have the same problem as xenons with diminishing light output as they use up a phosphorous coating - god knows how much a new set of those costs.

[Sundayjumper]

Is headlight polishing the new MAF polishing ?

[Foz]

I didnt find the LED's any better in the M140i than the active xenons in the ML

[Jobbo]

I don't find the Volvo's active LEDs to be any better than previous cars' xenons. Audi's non-active standard xenons in the A6 were fine, though the best lights I've had were the active xenons in the W204 Merc C-class.

[scotta]

If you do change your bulbs, i heartily recommend the " +70% " Osram Xenarc Nightbreakers. If you are interested I shall point you towards my TLF thread.

ScottA recently fitted the new " +200% " Xenarc Lasers to his Golf, but I think the ballache of accesing the bulbs took some of the shine off the upgrade. (Pun intended)

What took some of the shine off is the fact that the inside of the lenses inside the headlight units need cleaned - Which you cant do.

They are a good bit brighter though.

[ste]

Seems a good way to tinker and own a caterham for a bit. How much did you buy/spend on/sell it for in the end?

I don't normally like to put numbers, but: I bought it for £17k and between buying / selling bits / fixing the crash damage I caused and repainting it, I was £20k into it. I sold it for £23k.

In the garage I have the genuine Caterham carbon rear wings, one of which is cracked but still has a value, a spare bonnet and a spare black framed heated windscreen plus a whole box full of smaller spare parts. I need to sell all that when I can be arsed but imagine that's a few £100 back too.

I did buy a grands worth of additional carbon bits to fit but they took ages too arrive from Germany and it was around when I started to realise that I wanted a cage, how the market worked for non-standard Caterham road models and that this wasn't a car to keep. Luckily they'd made a few bits wrong and I got them to agree to take the whole shipment back. At that point I decided the rebuild was going to be a resto instead and I'd aim to make the cleanest, factory fresh SLR I could (with mild reversible tweeks to enhance but not detract from the original car). For instance I still had the original VHPD ITBs and ECU. It'd be madness to remove the Jenveys and Emerald that were on there and lose power and more importantly driveability, but they went with the car to keep the option of reverting back to 100% factory spec in the future. I'd also removed the hoodsticks and fitted a low-profile boot cover but I made sure I fitted the press-studs in the factory location so that a future owner could re-fit the hoodsticks, higher profile cover and use the car with a roof if desired.

[ste]

I obviously put 100s of hours of labour into it, but as I'm not a business and this is a hobby I'm 'doing a Wheeler Dealer's' and all that labour is free.

[Rich B]

Decent dealing - sound as fun way to make a few grand. How come it was so cheap in the first place?

[integrale_evo]

It was several shades of green

[ste]

The market is all over the place for them.

- It was in Scotland
- It was November
- It needed repainting
- Older chap selling
- Only advertised on a local Scottish Lotus forum (Mik put me on to it)

were the main reasons.


Just bringing it down to the South East and parking it up until spring and doing a better advert could have probably got the same profit. Where's the fun in that though?

[McSwede]

I didnt find the LED's any better in the M140i than the active xenons in the ML

M140i main beam are excellent but dipped they don't reach far enough and can help limit back road pace at night

[JLv3.0]

Sure but I'd then keep it each to their own mate

Why would you keep it?

Because I'm different to you. Surely you don't think I was taking a crack just then?

I look forward to your posts on this thread more than anyone else's, and as per another thread, I fully understand that people get enjoyment out of different aspects of motoring than I do.

Frankly I wish I was more like you, but I get unbelievably attached to cars and hang onto them for way too long.

There - we good now?

[ste]

I find the LEDs in the Polo are excellent. They're very crisp and have a clean cut-off.

Having the Viva reminded how poor lights used to be. Even with its paltry engine output, progress at night was stymied by how well you could see rather than how much power the car had.

[ste]

Sure but I'd then keep it each to their own mate

Why would you keep it?

Because I'm different to you. Surely you don't think I was taking a crack just then?

I look forward to your posts on this thread more than anyone else's, and as per another thread, I fully understand that people get enjoyment out of different aspects of motoring than I do.

Frankly I wish I was more like you, but I get unbelievably attached to cars and hang onto them for way too long.

There - we good now?

We never weren't good.

I was trying to poke to see the understanding behind keeping something that isn't quite right for you when the alternative is getting rid and having something better.

[JLv3.0]

Phew

I think the difference is because I want / own / have owed so few cars in comparison, the cars I do end up with are always right for me, and I forget that other people can either be disappointed or pleasantly surprised in the ownership phase.

I thought that SLR was jizztastic by the way and actually swore in surprise when I read it was sold!

[ste]

Oh it was, but I knew nothing about Caterhams when I bought it and over the ownership realised I'd rather have an ex-R400 / 420R race car with a full cage and a Duratec in it for the same money. Which is likely to be the next Caterham I buy.

Also I need every bit of money I can get at the moment for this bloody house. Large point of the house build is making a much bigger garage to do these projects easier in more comfort.

[Jobbo]

- Only advertised on a local Scottish Lotus forum (Mik put me on to it)

Hmm, sounds familiar - he spotted my Omega Seamaster for sale on a Scottish Lotus forum at a far too tempting price too.

Basically, if Mik PMs you about a bargain he's found on a Scottish Lotus forum, snap it up! I haven't sold my purchase on but it would probably make me £500+ from the purchase price. I haven't had to repaint it or rebuilt it either.