What's that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men, or perhaps more accurately, the best laid plans of car projects and men? Since putting in the Caterham order in May, my plans have been to build the engine over my Christmas break. The head, cams and all the Raceline bits were ordered in mid July and the short block in early October. The Raceline bits save the all important cam chain tensioner arrived in time, the cams still have no ETA, so the head work can't be completed, and the short block which was on track at the end of November, still isn't here. At this point, the only part that I have no confidence in ever arriving are the cams. The backup plan is to order the RDL270 from Raceline.  I'll call them on Monday to ensure they can supply them within a month, then call Esslinger. If they can't guarantee them (doubtful given the delays are at the cam grinder) then I'll make the change. Not optimal for a couple of reasons. First, I prefer an asymmetric setup given the flow differences between the intake and exhaust sides of the heads. And second, the Raceline cams are only available in the Kent blanks that use their own adjustable, but unmarked, cam gears, while I have a nice set of adjustable verniers that only fit the Ford OEM blanks.  Oh well...

Since I am bored and can't do a lot over my break on this project, I decided to move a few things around the garage to see if I can make everything fit when the Caterham finally arrives. That comes in a crate the size of a car (obviously) which will need to stay in the garage for about a week. That means instead of the usual four cars in the shop, I will have the equivalent of six. A little juggling and...

...there is plenty of room for the crate and Caterham in the space usually occupied by the Westfield and Elan. For reference, the width from the front of the cabinets to the ramp for the midrise lift under the 993 is nearly 21 feet. Once the crate is broken apart and ready for disposal, I'll put either the Elan or Westfield in its place and store the other car in front of the 993 (i.e. where the Westfield is in the photo above.)  Something to be said about small cars...

The Caterham order is now locked with the factory and remains on track for a build date the week of 2/6.  After further consideration, I've made a few small tweaks to the spec and build plan.  These include: 

• Heated carbon fiber seats.  Yes, on the surface, electrically heated seats may seem incongruous with a car that's about weight and driver focus not comfort and luxury, but upon closer examination they make perfect sense.  They're much lighter than a heater, and although I don't expect them to fully offset the fact I've gone heaterless, given the temps I drive the car for pleasure, they should be enough to take the edge off. They'll also come in handy soothing my back in case the Tillets aren't quite as comfortable as the Westfield's MOGs for long drives.
• No Track suspension upgrade.  A big concern for this car is the ability to put down power on less than ideal pavement; I don't want to get sideways on a narrow road when passing a rolling pylon.  After a lot of research, I've decided to go aftermarket with shocks and springs and ordered a set of CORE dampers from Meteor Motorsport.  The front are a digressive valve with linear springs while the rears are normally valved but with progressive springs.  Simon believes this combination will give the best performance.  For more information about why this specific combo, see the overview here.
• 3.92 rear diff rather than the longer 3.64.  My dealer was unconvinced Caterham would honor the diff swap request and given I'm unsure on the shape of the torque curve on the new engine, staying stock for now seemed like the better bet.  If the traction control doesn’t work well, then swapping to the 3.64 may be on the winter upgrade list next year.  
• Speaking of traction control, I've decided to stick with the Emerald K6+ native TC rather than use the Race TCS system.  Although I have more confidence in the latter working better, I might as well start with the cheaper option.  Emerald is working on the custom ECU loom now.
• Jenvey 50mm DTHTB vs the larger 52mm.  Dyno tests from Raceline and Esslinger show the smaller set flow more than enough for my power targets and should have a slight edge on idle and low-mid range given the increased air velocity.  As for velocity stacks, there are only two choices in this size: 40mm and 93mm.  I'd prefer to use a cold air box and not cut the bonnet, so I'm starting with the shorter set but reserve the right to make dramatic changes here based on dyno results and how I feel about the torque curve after driving the car.  Longer is definitely better for all but the top of the rev range, but I'm not yet sure I'll need improvements down low.
• As for cam selection, I opted for the Esslinger Stage 4 cams.  They should more than meet my power target and I do like they are an asymmetric setup vs the symmetric setup of the Raceline RDL 270 (interestingly, the more aggressive RDL 300 are asymmetric.)  The downside to this choice is COVID supply chain issues.  When I placed the order in mid-July I was told they were out-of-stock and would take 4-5 weeks to ship.  Five months later and I still don't have an ETA on when Esslinger's cam grinder will have the blanks for my set.  It's beyond frustrating.

Fortunately, the supply chain problems haven't had further impact (yet), as witnessed with the big pile of parts in my garage.

After more than 20 years of Westfield ownership, I'm turning to the dark side; a deposit was placed last month on a new Caterham.  The build slot is still pending given Caterham has yet to figure out their 2022 schedule, but it appears the kit won't arrive until sometime in the Spring.  Although I love the Westfield and its recently completed 2.0L Duratec, that infamous engine build process showed me just how much I'm craving a big project.  I'm also at a point where the window for me to undertake something like this is closing, so it's now or never.  

After considering several options, it came down to either building another Westfield or trying my hand at a Caterham.  My Westfield has a number of custom touches to better align the car with my tastes and preferences.  After living with those mods for years, I wouldn't do any of them differently.  This means building another Westfield -- while vastly cheaper -- would simply be a rehash of the previous build.  Not much of a learning experience or challenge.  With the Caterham, both the assembly process and things I wish to change from stock are new puzzles to solve.  

Unfortunately, Caterham won't sell a kit without a drivetrain, and my original workaround of buying a 360R or 420R and simply swapping engines with the Westfield turns out to be anything but simple or cheap.  Packaging differences mean the Caterham's intake would need to be replaced with Jenveys or their equivalent, then a programmable ECU to accommodate that change, followed by an engine loom for the ECU, and several other minor items.  Yes, I could avoid this slippery slope and take cheaper shortcuts, but the Westfield is a great car and I want to keep it that way for the next owner.  

Surprisingly, the alternative of keeping the Westfield as-is, selling the 420R crate engine, and building a new, more powerful 2.4L Duratec is only marginally more expensive.  The upside from this approach is a better Westfield that needs no effort to prep for sale, a much faster Caterham, and I can spend all my build, design, and fabrication cycles on the new car rather than plotting to pull the soul from an old friend.

I've gone with the SV which compares favorably to the Westfield in shoulder width.  As for the engine, some may wonder why the 2.4L and not another hot 2.0L if I like my current engine so much?  Short version: weight and expectations for dollars spent.  When introduced, there was a reason the SV quickly earned the nickname Fat Bastard.  With its extra weight, it would be a touch slower than the Westfield with the same engine.  If I'm spending a lot money to change cars, I don't want to go slower.  I want to go faster.  Much faster.  With that mindset, the 2.4L makes sense.  

Since Caterham won't sell me what I want, I've broken down the spec into two parts: what's on the Caterham order sheet and the planned mods.  Some of this is subject to change given the months I have to evolve the plan.

Order Sheet

• 420R SV
• 620R nosecone
• Roulette Green (special order)
• Lowered floors
• Carbon Fiber seats with padding (Tillet B6 as used in 620R)
• Plain black leather tunnel cover from Signature catalog (not a fan of the standard carbon-look leather)
• Full weather pack
• Trackday roll bar
• Track suspension
• AP 4-Pots
• 3.64 diff
• 13" black wheels 

Mods

• Engine - 2.4L short block from Esslinger Engineering that combines a forged 2.3L keyed crank with a deburred 2.5L block, includes various oil gallery sealing mods, forged 12:1 pistons with a slightly thicker head gasket to lower static compression to ~11.75:1, forged, longer-than-stock rods, fully balanced, ARP fasteners, etc.  Ported 2.5L head, Jenvey 50mm (possibly 52mm) DTHTB, Emerald K6+.  Cam investigation is ongoing, but I'm currently leaning towards the Esslinger Stage 4 or Raceline RDL 270.  VVT and balance shaft delete.  Dry sump.  The stock Caterham exhaust manifold and silencer will probably limit power to the 250hp-260hp range, which is plenty for now.  A future upgrade will be a custom exhaust that should lift output to ~270hp.
• Traction control - either the native system in the K6+ or RaceTCS
• Higher flow fuel pump.  This might take the form of an external pump with return hose with inline regulator. 
• Raceline compact bellhousing, flywheel and starter.  This places the bottom the sump and bellhousing on the same plane rather than have the bellhousing about 35mm lower.
• Carbon dash with custom configuration.  Currently leaning towards 620R style toggle switches.  BlinkStop wireless steering wheel buttons (4) to cover horn, turn signals/hazards, and high beams/flasher.  Includes programmable self-cancelling function on turn signals.  AIM MXS 1.2 Strada display that covers all gauge, warning light, and shift light needs and connects to the Emerald K6+ via a CAN bus.
• Lighting - front & rear LEDS with clear lenses.  Roll bar mounted 3rd-brake light.
• Lithium battery
• Create cold air intake from intercooler duct in 620 nosecone.
• Locking boot lid - I have some ideas for this.  More later.
• Hidden interior storage.  I did this to the Westfield, but it's not yet clear how to achieve this in the Caterham without having the car on hand.  That said, I do have an idea.

New parts I'll need to sell because Caterham won’t let me purchase what I damn well want (bitter?  me?  nooo…)

• Complete 420R engine w/ dry sump, injectors, intake & filter, bellhousing, flywheel, clutch and pressure plate.  I'll likely hold onto the alternator & bracket, COP, and clutch slave.
• Caterham MBE ECU w/ engine wiring harness
• Carbon dash with gauges and switches