How To Fit An Aeroscreen & First Drive Meteor Motorsport Clear Aero screen

[@bustab8649]

Thanks to your video, I took the plunge and switched to an aeroscreen, which I purchased from Meteorsport. I followed your advice and manage to fit the screen in a few hours, complete with the shims from Uber Niche (thanks for the recommendation) and (black) Spa Mirrors from Demon Tweeks. Today was my first outing with the aeroscreen and I wish I had fitted it years ago. Not only does the car look so much better, but the driving experience is transformed. So, thanks for giving me the confidence to do it. One thing though, I bought my helmet many years ago for an open top, single seater race car. It has a rim along the bottom of the front of the helmet, which I guess gets over the problem of helmet lift that you experienced with your track day helmet. I also didn't get the problem with turbulence you experienced either. To be recommended if you have the budget to buy another helmet.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hey I'm glad this video helped you. Yes a FIA helmet is on the list. If you have a look at a recent video about half doors those fix the problem. If you don't have half doors with your aero screen I would highly recommend them. Take a look it's one of my newest videos. Sooo much better on track aero and half doors. Thanks for the message it makes making these videos worth while knowing they are helping people 😊

[@bustab8649]

@@ACaterhamCalledFern Yes, I watched your video about fitting half doors, but tbh I didn't suffer any buffeting, at least nothing like when driving it with just a full windscreen and no side panels! Anyway, keep up the good work in the meantime.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

@bustab8649 thank you.

[@simondell5843]

Like your honesty with the videos, what works, what doesn't, what could have been done better. Hope you get to 1000 subscribers! Keep up the good work.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thanks Simon. I think its good to show mistakes made so others don't do the same. This was 100% my fault though. It turned out great in the end though. I'm probably too honest for my own good generally. I will be showing stuff that goes well all through the video again soon 😀. There is a slightly different video being released this Sunday which I'm sure you will enjoy. 😉

[@redteam77]

Just love the English country roads. More exciting than our Aussie back roads. Try the angled bezels for the left side gauges and red/white stripes on the tacho for gear shift marks.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi the roads in Wales are rather good. So far the best roads I've driven have been in Scotland when we did the nc500. There is a red shift light which is between the speedo and rev counter to change gear. You can buy shift lights that you attach to the scuttle which I might get at some point. I think all of the guages you can see well.

[@john_martin]

Really enjoyed that James. And totally agree that wearing a helmet makes sense 👍🏼

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thanks John. Half doors are on my shopping list now as they are meant to be good. The windscreen is back on now so I can drive to work this week.

[@markschraider]

You’re using Fern as your daily ?!? Top work ! I love my 420, but I couldn’t imagine running it daily. (BTW Carbon aeroscreen / centre mirror really does obscure the front left, so you’re probably right on the clear screen )

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Yes sir and have done so for nearly 3 years. I just don't when the grit is down, but thats winter jobs time then. That is mainly because I can't afford a rebuild at the moment. I know it is a bit mental though. I keep thinking how to make a real living with a Caterham as your daily video. Not the one where a KZbinr has one for a week. Thanks for that as that is good to know. Carbon does look nice but I would rather see where I'm going.

[@purplemonstertv]

Great video. I need to get a aero screen for my car. I’ve made a temporary one atm with some fake canon rubber boot lip. Does the job for now. I’m hoping to book a trackday as well. Never done one. Keep up the good work.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thank you. Definitely book a track day they are amazing. People kept saying to me wait till the tyres and brakes are warm on track. I thought that would be spirited road driving. I was wrong they are a different car on track and amazing. If you are a member of the club the novice track days are a great start.

[@purplemonstertv]

@@ACaterhamCalledFern I’m not a member of a club. There is a brands hatch evening one soon. But I’m running out of time. But I need to check my db levels are ok.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

@@purplemonstertv I've just had a look at your channel. My friend races a MR2 mk2 in the MR2 championship. Its great to watch as the cars are so evenly matched. When they say rev to 3/4 you can always do half 😆

[@purplemonstertv]

@@ACaterhamCalledFern the mr2 championship is a great thing. I want to go to some of the races to watch. I love my mr2. Turbo kicks in it’s so much fun hahah.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

@@purplemonstertv a turbo is a rare car now as well. You mentioned brands which I'm guessing must be close to you. They raced there last weekend.

[@rocketeer.]

Love your videos!

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thanks Mike 😀. I make videos that I would like to watch, or that would have helped me before doing something for the first time. Hopefully that comes across. I've got lots planned this year so lots of good content hopefully.

[@ColinCarFan]

Interesting, quality video (and the mic is fine!)

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thank you. I'm looking forward to using it again in nicer weather. It would be great to get some half doors to try with those as well.

[@rhysmann7771]

Great video! Just bought one from Kit Car Direct following this video and will be getting fitted this weekend! Went for the carbon one as im 6ft 2 and able to see above the screen, out of interest what do you use to cover the windscreen mechanism, don't want them to be exposed! Thanks for the link to the shims too very useful 😁👍

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi thanks. Do you mean where the windscreen wipers go? For my use of Fern I'll only have the aeroscreen on for a short amount of time so there isn't much point. I've seen owners use plastic nut covers and even plastic finger puppets for some fun.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

If you do put something on them I guess the main thing is making sure whatever you use doesn't come off. It could potentially hit you or others.

[@rhysmann7771]

Thanks and good point! just received my aero and no matter how many adjustments i make i still cant get it flush with the scuttle! is there a few mm gap on the clear one too or is yours flush? just wondering if there is a gap, does it produce a whistling wind noise? as i dont want that! (even though it would probably be drowned out by the sound of the exhaust! ) 😀

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

@@rhysmann7771 hey I've never used a kit car direct one, only the Meteor motorsport one. I dont think any of them fit exactly perfect because all of the cars are slightly different. Mine fits pretty well, but there is a small gap on one side.

[@rhysmann7771]

Thanks for letting me know i appreciate it 😀👍

[@wib1510]

Half doors would certainly help to protect you from some buffeting. I have the clear race aero on my car and hugely prefer this to cars with carbon or black screens due to visibility.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi thanks for your comment. I'll have to buy some half doors to see the difference. There were a few reasons why I chose this aeroscreen, but visibility was top of that list. Do you use your aeroscreen all the time?

[@wib1510]

My car is a Grads racer, so track only, with aero all the time. I always run with half doors but I found it very blustery (and cold) when I drove another aero car last weekend that had no doors at all.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thanks that is great to know.

[@wardybits]

You could also get some bigger countersunk flange washers to cover the side holes a bit better 👌

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thanks I have got some big ish washers on the sides so you can hardly tell. You can see them when I show the aeroscreen parked up outside. I just wanted to share what I did wrong which was 100% my fault. I'm still annoyed at myself for not checking the passenger side 😀

[@cinnabarproductions8542]

Appreciated.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi I'm glad you liked the video.

[@Cars_Bikes_Trees]

Hi James, what poppers did you use to attach the central bracket and how did you attach them to the car?

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi I did try poppers first but it wasn't as stable as the screws. What I do is after taking the windscreen off I unscrew the 2 poppers in the middle of the scuttle. Then put the aero screen on and I've drilled 2 holes in the center bracket, so I then screw the poppers to the top. It means that I can still use my phone mount and it also makes mine fit better. Takes about 1 minute longer to fit the aeroscreen, but for a better fit in my case. I've seen a load of caterhams on track days and none of the aero screens fit perfectly. I'm a massive fan of the clear meteor motorsport one compared to a solid black/carbon one.

[@Tigger-aCaterham420R]

Hi James - great video, thank you. Completely unrelated, but I noticed when you use the indicators, you have a "clicking" noise rather than the usual Caterham beeping. Is this something that you modified or fixed? Would love to do the same!

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi thanks 😊. The indicators were like that when I bought Fern. I would think that you just need to take the buzzer out. I wouldn't have been able to stand the buzzer sound.

[@steverabbits]

Nice vid 👍 I don't have a Caterham I have a Westfield and am sat nowhere near low enough to look through my aeroscreen so I'm staying with my carbon one but I do agree, the clear ones do look very cool. Aeroscreens rock, every one of my kits has had them, I drove a windscreened car a few times, hated it. Tbh unless you're planning to drive your kit in inclement weather and then use a roof and doors which I don't, I just do not see the point of a windscreen in a seven of any kind. SUBBED btw 👍👍

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Thanks for the sub. Which Westfield do you have? I've never driven a Westfield, but I've always wondered how different they would be to drive. I use Fern as my daily so I need a windscreen and doors. I'm on my way back doing the NC500 which we definitely needed windscreen and doors for. I will give the aeroscreen another go soon though in the nice weather. Its nice to be able to swap between the two easily now.

[@steverabbits]

@@ACaterhamCalledFern yes you have the best of both worlds if you an swap easily. I never use mine in the wet so I just stick with the aeroscreen. I have an SEiW with a 2.0 black top Zetec Turbo, switchable boost control, full cage. Love the damned thing, just wish I had more time to use it.

[@19mati67]

What size steering wheel do you have? First time building a Locost from scratch, in the US. Duratec 2.5L, MX-5 NC 6sp, MX-5 NC LSD.

[@ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi the steering wheel diameter is 260mm.