From time to time we entertain visitors at Lotus Marques and this makes life interesting for all concerned. There are also some occasions which are more memorable than others and this recollection is one of those days.
This all began when two Lotus owners met on the internet when try to sell their respective cars. These two individuals soon realised they were looking at each other cars and wanting to carry out an exchange. The only problem was one lived
in Melbourne and the other lived is Sydney (only 950 kms apart) To resolve the distance problem, the owner of the R300 Caterham decided to trailer the car to Melbourne and rendezvous at Lotus Marques. Being a very particular Caterham
7 owner, George meticulously packed the car on a trailer and carefully taped the windscreen and nose-cone to avoid any stone chip damage during the road trip. On the day in question Gavin, the owner of the Type 25 Elise had to travel from
Geelong to Lotus Marques which was some 85kms. The idea was to meet up and examine each others car before deciding to take the final step and exchange ownership. It is worth mentioning that these two vehicles are extraordinary examples of their respective Marques. This all happened on a very hot day during March 2006 and has left an ever-lasting impression of fun and lots of big grins. To this end, the new owner of the Caterham 7 wrote an excited recollection of the day’s events to a long time pal currently living and working in Hong Kong.
The following is an extract of an email recalling the initial encounter with the new Caterham R300.
Hi
Well it’s as hot as hell here ...
I left Geelong at about 2.00pm ..
I got to Steve’s around 5.30pm ... sh*t of a trip across town ....
Sitting in Steve’s carport was the yellow 7 with all front panels off,
and Steve was going over it with his fine tooth comb.
He looked up, and gave me a grin that said heaps ...
It was then I noticed a man similar in dress and look to the professor
from Back to the Future. He was the only new face at Steve’s place , and
because I did not know this person ...I assumed this must be George , the
owner of the 7 ..
Wild woolly, curly hair ... sort of Larry Fine from the 3 stooges in look ……
Big, darting eyes ....
Time had left its mark across his face.....
He appeared a lot older then his voice led me to believe over the phone
... about 30 years older ...
I thought he was a KILLA age ... (Killa as In James Killingsworth) (NOTE: Killa = James Killingsworth nick name)
We exchanged greetings and we started to check out each others cars ....
The First impression of the Cat was “ Orrr my god ... this is beautiful “
The Caterham Motorsport engine nestled in the front of the cat is a thing of beauty……
We all did a visual check over on Lewis first, which was rather quick, (NOTE: Lewis is the name of the Type 25 Elise)
and we all then turned to the Cat ...
Gary ( Steve’s under cover ex Williams F1 engineer....come driver) was
standing back quietly taking it all in ....
George, we discovered has an interesting view on life ... and it appears
he would trust Suddam H with his wallet, while he went to the toilet ...
He has brought enough spares with him to make another car .... just
missing a chassis (a bit of over exaggeration ... but he has a heap ...
all nicely packed in their Caterham boxes)
Anyway as I looked closer, I thought ...hmm this is a bit dirty, a bit…..
Finger marks everywhere ...
I was then shown the polystyrene, tape, cork, foam remains of wrapping
George had on the car to protect it from the trip on the trailer .... he
had basically covered the car in the stuff, and it looked a bit dirty due
to the effort to get it all off and a bit of remaining residue .....
So I jumped in the drivers seat ......
It felt familiar, sitting in this 7, but different, smells like a cat (NOTE: Not like a pussy cat but more like a Cat-erham)
Started her up ..... bang pack wallop ... crackle .... then purrrrrrrr
All looks good, seats feel better then the Elise ..... Gary is convinced
he needs to go for a run in a 7, so he jumps on in next to me ...
George fluffing around making unheard comments .... the exhaust drowning
them out .....
He then adds the JPE half side screens on ... like half a Caterham door ...
We head off ...
Slow to start ... wanna get her warm .....
We head for Mt Dandenong .... (NOTE: Mt Dandenong is 600 metres above sea level)
We are going for Sassafras .... (NOTE: Sassafras is a small village at the top of Mt Dandenong)
(NOTE: A test drive from Lotus Marques to Sassafras means driving up winding mountain roads and yes this is 7 territory)
First few corners are taken in 3rd or 4th ... slow bends ...
Steering is alive ....
Front wheels bobbing up and down, suddenly become cross hairs for apexes…….
I give her a boot full on a long straight leading to a tight 90 degree left .....
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSS
SSSSSSSSS Christ ... this is quick ....
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUSSS
SSSSSS…… this better stop
The brakes bite hard .... initial softness, then a lovely solid feel ....
the car does not nose down, just rapid change deceleration ...
I find my left elbow has locked itself in the indentation for the hand
brake on the tunnel ... sh*t ... have to use my wrist to grab 2nd ..
Blip ... pop ... crackle ... as I give her a few rev’s to accommodate the
2nd gear down change ...>
Nice and smooth ...
Cross hairs on the left wheel .... aim for the apex...
Right foot back onto the loud pedal .... followed by a sensation not felt
much in the Elise ..... a slowly recognised sensation that the rear is
trying to get through the corner quicker then the front ........
Right foot backs off .... all back to normal .... grab 3rd ..... elbow
hits tunnel indentation again ..... hmmmm
We get up to 5th on the next straight, and see a 4WD disappear around the
next right hander ....
Bugger ....
Once again we line up the bobbing front wheels ... this time the right
one ... its on my side ... I can hit this apex perfectly ...
Blip ... pop .... my subconscious has found a better spot for my elbow
.... we slot 2nd ....
Point to where we want to go .... power back on ...
The rear starts to drift ... but we are ready this time .... right foot
stays where it is, but gains weight ....
Think quick .... you remember this .... use your arms ....
Probably the best power slide I can remember .... hit 3rd ... and we are
up the arse of the 4WD ......
Bugger ....
Then God waves his mighty hand .... he can see this is heading to one
hell of a Blatt ... and he was not going to let anyone spoil it ....
God has a quick word to the driver of the 4WD, who we can only assume to
be a car lover or a rider of motorbikes .... pulls into the dirt on the
left and waves us past ...
What joy ..... Gary gives a good imitation of the Queens wave as we pass
... and in a second he has left our mirrors ....never seen again ....
The car has started to meld with me .... the front wheels are my eyes and
arms, my legs no longer work as they should, they don’t run they make small
movements in the foot and I am sprinting ....
The hand brake in the tunnel is no longer an issue....
Left
Right
Left
Left
Pop…. crackle .... blurp ....
We arrive at Sassafras .......
Best fun I have had in ages ....