Hi all, the car is now having the nose built up to be used again. As you can see from the image I have used the later season nose as used by Kobayashi in Japan, luckily for me he crashed the car so the nose was surplus to requirements. I hope to have a completed car for October this year, then it is time to drive the car
12th November 2024 - The first shakedown
Guys, although we had a few shift issues I managed to get a good session in Caterham CT05#1 yesterday. The car was covered in protective film as we were running at Benwaters in Suffolk, an old air base with a runway that has started to break up. After pulling half a pound of gravel out of the cockpit I managed to drive home with a smil on my face, great progress
19th October - So close now!
Guys, a little update now the bodywork has been repaired, the floor fitted and adding a little Wrap to cover the carbon repairs. Watch this space for Caterham CT05#1's first outing.
14th September 2024
Now the car is running it is time to complete the carbon work, first up is the crashed nose from Japan 2014 and adding a front wing. I managed to source a 2014 front wing which is now being fabricated onto the nose
As you can see from the image I have used the later season nose as used by Kobayashi in Japan, luckily for me he crashed the car so the nose was surplus to requirements...
September 2024
We are there with the car running and now I am waiting for the nose to be repaired so I have a completed car. Hopefully all the carbon work with be completed by October this year so I can drive the car again.
We made it, the car now runs and drivesApril 2024
Guys, we have a running car that works with its original F1 steering wheel again. Keep an eye out for when we dyno the car and run again
12th March 2024
Guys, the steering wheel is now talking to the engine ECU and we have progress. Thanks to Simon for all his expertese, next step is fitting the new wiring loom you can see in the picture into the car!
Early Feb 24
Hi Guys, as we reach the "almost ready" point on the car I can confirm that the steering wheel is now 99% working with the Life module and should be in operation shortly. Likewise the first full fire up is almost there with the rebuilt gearbox, not long now until we go to the Dyno
December 23
Hi all, the wiring loom is almost there and then we can move onto the final mechanicals although the pedals are still a pain as we cannot find the correct Brembo part
November 2023
Hi all, the car is now being completed and the first big job is underway with the wiring loom and ECU / Data Logger. We have seen early benefits such as being able to use the original steering wheel which we hope is a job that can be completed as the car will look so much better. Next is the engine and ehaust...
October 2023
The car is now in for completion, it left home last week and the first steps are to complete the wiring with a new LIFE ECU unit and data logger. Then organise a couple of replacement parts before setting up the engine and making sure it all works before putting CT05#1 onto a rolling road this winter. Keep an eye on the page in November and also chacj out my You tube channel caterhamf1 UK
May 2023
Hi all, sorry for the lack of updates. Work has been in the way of progress but I am now looking at the final pieces of work in front of us to get the car running. These include tweaks to the front suspension, a very good going over on the engine / gearbox and then checking brakes, steering etc. The plan is to have them all completed this year and then I will look at the diary for driving the car...
February 2023
Hi all, the car is now parked up for a few weeks whilst I wait for the time to commence work once again. There is not much more to do other than repair the front nose and wing so keep an eye out for more updates
4th November
Hi all, today Indi Seat were in action by creating a tailored made seat for me. This is placed in the tub and now is a snug fit for when I drive the car. The seat is rough for now but will be tweaked and covered once I have driven the car next year.
30th September
Hi all, sorry for the silence, I have been working with a couple of smaller points but just as important on CT05#1. The wiring loom is being built and is nearing completion. This will link to the steering wheel and SHIFTEC system which means I only use the clutch to start the car and run off the padel system once the car is in first gear...
Hi Guys, a little thank you added to the car for our Supporters today
25th of June
The car is home and now in hibernation. There are a couple of small things to do plus I need to add fluids to run the car but that will all be done once I am ready to show the car again. It has been a heck of a journey, having met some nice people and plenty of not so nice ones, but we got there...
31st May 2022
Great news, the car is home and now being looked after by myself again. On a weekend that witnessed Marcus Ericsson winning the Indy 500 what perfect timing to have the car back. There are still a few tweaks that are needed before it runs but its a weeks work rather than months of waiting.
25th May
Well, here we go. The words I have been waiting to type for six years. The car is coming home. No fluids and no exhaust but ready to be restored in days once I am ready. The main thing is that it is now 99.9% there
12th May 2022
We now have the redesigned spacers for the front wheels, steering arms and a set of harness top straps. All off to be coated before being fitted.
1st May
Hi all, latest news is that the rear is now back on the car with tyres and discs. I am waiting for the revised steering arms to be made but hope to have these all done within the next couple of weeks. Then the car can sit on the floor again
10th April
Hi everyone, this week the Shiftec system arrived that we will be using on the Formula Renault gearbox. It means that I can change up and down without the original gearshift system so will be more like the original F1 steering wheel set up.
2nd April
The latest update is that the wiring loom is almost completed. Next week the paddle shift system should arrive and at the same time I am waiting to hear back from the machinist on the new steering arms.
17th March 2022
Today the wiring loom started to go in and that will be followed by a paddle shift whilst we wait for new steering arms to come back. Progress is slow but I keep pushing
22nd Jan
Work is progressing with alterations to the floor and the tyres are on now. Waiting for the wiring to be completed and steering arms to be adjusted so I can order new ones.
12th Jan
This tyre is on route to Caterham CT05#1. May not seem that important but it is as it means the car will soon be back on the floor after six years of work.
The wiring loom is being completed this month and paddle shift system sourced. I am using rain tyres to raise the ride height for easy of transport as we dont all have super flat F1 garages...
8th Jan
Great news, the 3D printed parts are a good fit and mean we have a good turning circle on the car. A small tweak to the design will mean they can be sent off for manufacture now.
1st Jan 2022
Hi all, we really are at the final stages now with tweaks needed to improve the turning circle of the car. The steering arm has been tweaked to allow more travel and now has been 3D printed so we can check it all works before having the final pair of arms made for the car
26th December
Just waiting now for some 3D printing to be completed to test the new steering arms before they are made. Hopefully they will fit first time and then we can order the new parts.
15th December
Hi all, sorry about the silence. We have had a hold up but back in the garage now. Currently tinkering with the engine so when the wiring loom and paddle shift is fitted we can fire everything up before placing the floor back onto the car and tweaking the steering arms.
11th Nov
Great news, the wheels were completed last week and I collected them yesterday. I took them straight to CT05#1 and bolted two on. Plenty of tweaking to do now we have the wheels on that we couldnt get on with but at last the car looks like a car again.
1st November
Wheels, we have wheels. A copy of the original Oz style however these have a fitting to match the Formula Renault hubs and original wheel nuts.
19th October
Whilst we wait for the wheels we can add little tweaks such as the air filter which arrived this week. As you can see the cam cover of the Formula Renault has been switched and adapted to fit under the F1 engine cover.
9th October
Latest news is that we are all waiting for the wheels to come back from manufacturing. Pedals are now in place but most of the small jobs need the wheels on to complete the set up. Extending the steering arms is a small job but cannot be started until the wheels are on. Once we have the wheels back it will be full steam ahead...
16th September
This week has been a waiting week whilst we await the wheels to be completed by the middle of October plus expect the wiring and paddle shift systems to be sorted by the end of October. Its all go but carefully now as we reach the end of the project.
29th August
Getting really close now with the pedal set being tweaked and pots all there where the original HALs unit was. Still waiting for the wheels and the wiring loom should be completed very soon.
23rd August
Whilst we wait for the wheels we have loads of updates.
Pedals are now in with three fitted (clutch needed to start the car)
Wiring loom has started to be fitted
Small adjustment to the steering arm now designed to enhance cornering ability
Front suspension now in place
Small vanity panels for wishbones tweaked and in place
Throttle body still being adjusted to fit
13th August
We now have the majority of front suspension in place and are focusing on tweaking what we have to improve the turning of the car whilst we wait for the wheels to be completed. More information to follow.
5th August
In for a pedal box fitting this week so we know how much room we have around the front dampers so thought I would add this image as I climbed out of the car showing the back end. Waiting for wiring loom, manifold adaption to fit under the engine cover, paddle shift and plumbing the engine in at the back end...
27th July
Nearly there. On the seventh anniversary of the last race for CT05#1 I thought I would share images of the 3D printed rain light now in place alongside the 3D printed lower wing sleeve. The actual lower wing is made of metal so please do not worry. #notlongnow
20th July 2021
Whilst we wait for the wheels there are a few jobs that need sorting. One of which is the rear rain light. A unique design so it fits with the rear wing unit has been 3D printed, lacquered and now fitted to house the rear FIA light.
11th July 2021
Lots of little jobs to be completed on the car whilst we wait for the wiring loom to go in and the wheels to be completed. Keep an eye out for more updates
29th June 2021
We can now see what looks like massive steps but these are really milestone ones after all the hard work put in over the last few months. Pulled together for fitting we now have pull rod front suspension in place for the first time since 2014. It is all steel due to costs and designed around the Formula Renault hubs...
25th June
Whilst we wait for the wheels to be manufactured focus has been on bolting on the rear wing and sorting out brake lines plus a new set of wheel nuts. The head of the engine is off so the air intake can be adapted to fit the engine cover. All working towards the end of August when the wheels arrive.
21st June 2021
Whilst we wait for the wheels to be made there is some tweaking to be done and final build on the front and back end of the car. Updated this week is the 3D printed rear light unit that has arrived after being designed especially for the Sadev Gearbox. The original was fitted to a crash structure and Red Bull Gearbox...
11th June
Small updates this week whilst we wait for the wheels to be made. Wiring loom due soon with new ECU plus front end completion and running the engine again. Only a few weeks of work left on CT05#1
7th June
Great news, we now have a rear wing set up that will work with the Formula Renault Sadev gearbox. There will be a steel lower wing that supports the rear wing unit and that will be covered with a “dress” wing that has been 3D printed for aesthetics but will carry no load. This will mean we can use an F1 carbon fibre rear wing set up on the car rather than the tiny Formula Renault rear wing...
31st May
This week the drive shafts we coated and fitted. The rear wing will connect to the Sadev gearbox via this bracket as designed especially for the project.
27th May
Latest update is that the drive shafts are back from being coated, the bearings have all been tidied up and now they are all back on the car. The rear end is starting to look complete
21st May
This week has seen 90% of the front end completed. Still waiting for the pull rods plus damper connections to to come back before focusing on the pedal box and steering. I thought I would share the side by side of CT05#1 and the show car as I think it looks cool.
15th May
As a side note, we now have a Caterham F1 show car, perfect for static displays from 2022 onwards
8th May
Slower progress this week as the hubs were returned, now they are coated but waiting for the brake discs to come back so we can measure up the entire uprights set up to have wheels custom made. We were going to go for a set of bespoke hubs for the original wheels but because of the material needed that came up far more expensive than having wheels made for the car...
23rd April
This week has seen more progress with the four corners being placed onto the car, all be it on a temporary basis and being held with wood. Whilst there is still plenty to do such as hubs being coated before they can be fitted with the brakes on, this really does show progress. The floor is off again but thats so we can work on the car...
9th April
This week was spent tweaking the rear end so we can use the original Formula Renault drive shafts and uprights. A small tweak of the floor means we can keep the original drive shafts and uprights. A small cut in the engine cover will need symmetrical blisters but once painted you will think they were always there...
1st April
We have corners on the car and bolts, keep an eye out as the progress on rebuilding the front end starts.
26th March
We are pleased to say that this week all of our efforts are starting to deliver. On Wednesday I had a temporary fitting for pedals as it looks very much like we can fit three pedals in the footwell. I apologise for my lockdown chins and sitting up in the car but I wanted to share this major step forward...
13th March
This week construction of a vanity panel was commisioned. The panel sits on the front of the monocoque to raise its height so the later 2014 nose cone can be fitted. In addition to this we have knuckles returned now they are made and we are waiting for the final pieces to arrive from manufacture so the front end supension can be bolted together...
8th March
Most of the final design work is now completed and parts are coming back from Manufacture. Steering arm pieces are looking good, I hope the picture shows where they fit as the first one is from the mock up that was 3D printed. The next steps are having parts returned so we can bolt the majority of the front end together...
4th March
Great news with loads of progress this week – Thanks team. New fuel tank installed. 3D printed rear wing fixings have shown slight tweaks were needed around the reverse cable. These are underway so we can have the parts manufactured. Although the car may look like its gone backwards, its all been sripped, coated, cleaned and fixed ready to go...
20th Feb
Another great week. This week the fuel tank was completed, not an expensive bag but a more standard tank that will hold around 30ltrs. This will be more than enough for demonstration runs. The wishbones have been returned after coating, as have the brakes and uprights. Next week we hope to have some more parts back from manufacture as well as the 3D parts for the back end, to mount the carbon rear wing around the Sadev 6 speed gearbox...
10th Feb
Really pleased with the progress we are making now. Weight has been removed from the wishbones and engine mounts and the inboard suspension is there whilst we wait for the lower knuckles to be made at the front end. 3D prints of the support structure for the rear wing are in progress. As the original gearbox was made by RBR we are adapting the rear wing to work with the Sadev 6 speed gearbox on the car thats just been rebuilt...
1st Feb
We managed to get the engine mounts milled out to reduce the weight by around 33Kgs. The same work is being carried out on the over weight front wishbones right now. We should have the four corners of the front end back later today and are ordering the hub 3d mock ups. Great progress at last thanks to the new team on the case...
24th Jan 2021
Good progress this week thanks to the team. We now have the inboard front suspension parts in the workshop and will be placing the order for the initial four front corner connections with the wishbones. The fuel tank is also in progress. The most striking update amongst all of this is the hub design so the Formula Renault uprights can take the Oz Formula one wheels...
13th Jan 2021
This week and last had some real progress and I feel like we have traction now as we aim to get the car running this year. Over the last couple of weeks, the guys have been tidying up some of the issues they inherited and as such progress went backwards before it could go forward. Over the last week we have:
Tracked down and purchased 2 Rear Oz 2014 Caterham Wheels to be used
Tracked down and purchased the correct in board front end rockers etc
Started the work on taking surplus weight out of the wishbones and engine mounts
Started ordering suspension brackets etc, that were, until now, 3D printed
Talking to fuel cell Suppliers
The next steps are to receive the updated parts and start the rebuild of the car with the revised weighted parts before we move to ordering rear suspension...
1st Jan 2021
Hi all, well we come in to the new year with new enthusiasm. After last years delays and issues we now have the car stripped back with a rebuilt gearbox ready to be re-assembled. In addition the original wheels are now back with the car so it can run on the Oz rims and a plan for re-build is in place, all be it with a few tweaks needed...
20th December
Now we have the basics of the wheel adaptor. This will be the link between the Formula Renault uprights we are using and the F1 wheels needed to run with F1 tyres rather than the smaller Formula Renault tyres. This is a complicated piece and at the rear will link to the main drive shafts which will need to be lonfer than usual to clear the wider F1 floor on the car...
10th December 2020
The Gearbox has been fully rebuilt and is now back with the car. Likewise the back of the tub has been painted with heat resistant paint so we are now ready to start putting the rear end of the car together. Based on work already in the pipeline CT05#1 will be going to a new workshop next week for the reassembly...
1st December 2020
Sorry about the lack of information. With the Lockdown in place we have had trouble progressing additional work needed from outsourced Companies. Now the car is in the hands of a proffesional organisation we have started again but that doesnt seem as bad as it sounds. The back end of the monocoque has been cleaned up and re-sprayed so the car looks as it should and the Sadev gearbox has been rebuilt with new parts...
3rd Oct 2020
This week we had a gap where the gearbox was off being rebuilt. The rear uprights and casings are now cleaned up and waiting for the gearbox to be completed.
28th August
The car is now being stripped and put back together by proffesionals and its started with cleaning up component parts. This week the bell housing and rear uprights have been aqua blasted to bring them back to the standard you would expect from an F1 car, Thanks guys, looking good.
7th August
The carbon floor is now fitted to the car, although it will need to come off again to tidy up the engine and its component parts. The next step is to ensure the rear wing measurements work with the Formula Renault Gearbox beofre stripping the engine down and tidying it up due to the way it was fitted by the last Mechanic who worked on it...
22nd July
Great to see the floor offered up yesterday as we tie the floor to the Formula Renault engine and gearbox that will now power the car. The original RBR gearbox and Renault Power Unit were a different shape so this step is key in getting the car to roll again.
16th July 2020
With the car now in its new workshop we have been focused on ensuring the floor and rear wing all line up with the extended rear wheel base. A few tweaks, some additional design work and we hope to fit the carbon floor back to the car next week before engine work begins to bring it up to scratch before we use the car again...
16th June
Latest update is that the car is now in the hands of proffesionals and the first job is to extend the width of the rear by around 50cms. The Formula Renault back end is much narrower than an F1 rear so the drive shafts and wishbones need to be created to fit.
5th June
Next week the carbon floor will be offered up against the engine and gearbox to gain a better understanding of rear wheel width requirements and what is needed to tidy up the engine
26th May
The chassis is now based near to Silverstome for the final assembly and this will start with 3D printed flex joints at the front end being CNC'd into the relevant steel before the suspension can be finalised at the front end. Still quite a bit of tweaking to do such as fixing the fuel bag into the cell void but getting there...
30th April
Great news. The CT05 nose cone arrived from the USA and it looks like the one Kobayashi hit the wall with in Singapore. This was a later nose to the one used on my chassis which was introduced in Spa 2014 so it means adding a small vanity panel above the back of the nose which can be 3D printed as it is not structual...
25th March
At last, we have found a nosecone that may save a few bob in carbon fabriacation. I hope to have it delivered within a couple of weks and then will have to wait to take it to the composite experts to see if they can use it. If it does work then I will be running with the later nose on CT05#1. During this time of crisis please stay safe and watch out for front suspension updates...
29th Feb 2020
Latest update is that we are now able to do the final calculations for wheel offset and then order wheels over the next couple of weeks. Wheels will have to be bespoke due to the Formula Renault hub's being used with F1 Pirelli tyres
26th of January
Design time now for the upper wishbones as they need to be made to fit the Formula Renault uprights, this stage is always slow I am afraid.
