1990 Unbuilt 1990 Caterham Seven Kit Including BDA Conversion Parts

Unbuilt 1990 Caterham Seven Kit Including BDA Conversion Parts

Highlights

• Unbuilt starter kit ordered direct from Caterham in July 1990
• Accompanied by a bored-out 1,630cc Crossflow engine and a highly desirable, mostly New Old Stock (NOS) Cosworth BDA conversion kit
• Two gearboxes included, including a rare straight-cut close-ratio unit
• Preserved in dry warehouse and workshop storage for over 30 years
• Zero-mileage time capsule offering a highly rewarding winter project

The Appeal

For the Caterham purist and historic motorsport enthusiast, this is the ultimate ‘barn find’ fable brought to life. Representing the classic Ford Crossflow-powered era, this 1990 Seven was delivered as a factory-prepared basic chassis kit and has been preserved in dry warehouse and workshop storage ever since.

What elevates this lot from a restoration project to a rare collector's opportunity is the inclusion of a nearly complete kit of period-correct Ford/Cosworth parts, originally traded to a Holbays apprentice in the 1970s, to upgrade the vehicle into a high-revving Cosworth BDA powerhouse. The vendor notes that the conversion kit could be used on the engine supplied with the car, or if the buyer chooses to leave this engine intact, it would be well-suited for use on a Crossflow engine from a breakers yard, as most of the "wear" components are changed as part of the conversion. Coupled with its classic ‘long cockpit/live axle’ configuration, once assembled, this kit promises to deliver the raw and exhilarating driving dynamics that made the Seven an automotive icon.

Key Information

• Mileage: N/A
• Country of registration: unregistered (supplied as a kit)
• Technical inspection status: N/A
• Technical specs: 1,584cc Ford Crossflow inline-four (built to 1,630cc specs), four-speed manual
• Paperwork: original Caterham workshop manual, original starter kit receipt from Caterham, engine build log detailing all the bearing sizes and clearances, and 1990 Unipart gearbox overhaul receipt included
• Vendor says, 'I can deliver within the UK in a covered trailer if required - cost to be negotiated separately with purchaser'

The Detail

• Basic ‘long cockpit/live axle’ chassis with unpainted, bare-metal aluminium panels displaying light surface corrosion; will require careful polishing if a bare aluminium look is preferred
• Red gelcoat fibreglass nosecone, clamshell front wings, and wide Series 3 rear wings; all show minor storage grime and blemishes but no structural damage or gel-cracks, we are told
• The aluminium 42-louvre bonnet is present and reportedly undamaged
• A small, soft-edged dent is visible on the top of the scuttle in front of the windscreen
• The spare wheel carrier has been cut off at some point but is included with the car and could be sleeved back into place, according to the vendor
• Five period-correct 6x13-inch Revolution four-spoke alloy wheels are supplied, wrapped in unused (but 1990-dated) Yokohama A001 tyres
• Factory-installed dashboard, instruments, wiring harness, switches, and pedal box are all present and reportedly undamaged, exhibiting light storage dust
• Individual adjustable seats with headrests trimmed in classic black velour; vendor notes the fabric is intact but requires deep cleaning (headrests are a non-matched pair)
• Factory-optional heated windscreen and wiper assembly
• Original black carpets are included, still sealed in their original 1990 packaging
• Full cockpit tonneau cover included
• Rebuilt in 1990 specifically for this car and never started, the Crossflow engine is bored out +0.060” (1,630cc) with oversized pistons, a tuftrided standard Ford crankshaft, Cosworth A14 camshaft, and enlarged valves on a Cosworth steel rocker arrangement
• Topped with a 'Vulcan' cast aluminium rocker cover and swan-neck inlets for Weber DCOEs (carburettors not included); the vendor notes it turns freely with good compression but should be stripped and inspected due to age
• The BDA conversion kit consistsof mostly NOS 1970s Cosworth parts, including a used cylinder head (stamped MK00261), a 2L BD cam carrier (both with minor weld repairs needing final machining), an unused BDA iron crankshaft, new 2737E rods, Hepolite grade 3 pistons, BD3 camshafts, and an original pale blue metallic Ford-branded cam cover
• 16 new valves and springs are present, but it lacks 5 tappets, as well as all of the valve spring retainers, collets, and shims
• Two four-speed gearboxes are included; the first is a standard Ford single-rail unit overhauled by Unipart in 1990, while the second is a brand-new, zero-mile Quaife straight-cut, close-ratio 3-rail gearset inside a Ford cast iron housing, reportedly well-suited to the BDA engine
• The vendor notes the Quaife box turns tightly in neutral and will require stripping/shimming, a matching bellhousing, and minor chassis gear lever mount adjustments before installation
• Vendor notes a detent spring was accidentally dropped inside the casing during photography
• To complete the vehicle, the buyer will need to source a steering kit (rack, column, mounts), cooling kit (radiator, hoses, fan), lighting kit, weather equipment (hood/sidescreens), a transmission propshaft, and miscellaneous hardware/fasteners
• The vendor notes that due to its build era, registering this vehicle for UK road use via the modern IVA route will be challenging, but because the chassis components date back to 1990, it will cross the 40-year threshold in just over four years, potentially opening a pathway to period-correct registration as a historic vehicle

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