Introduction

Welcome to Matthew and Mark's build diary for our Westfield Sport Kit Car. We're first-time kit builders with limited mechanical experience and hope to be able to build a 2-litre Zetec Westfield Sport from a comprehensive (all new parts) kit. We're hoping to complete it in about a year, but it may take longer as we'll only get 2-3 days a month on the project. 13th March 2010 – Collection

Collected the kit today after a delay of a week due to a problem with the chassis powder coating. The kit fitted easily in the Transit Luton and didn’t suffer any damage thanks to the expert way it was loaded by the factory. Slightly disappointed that there were a few parts missing, including the diff, but at least I was told they were missing rather than finding out later. There don’t seem to be as many boxes of bits as I expected, but I can’t think of anything that should be here which isn’t.

20th March 2010 – The First Panel

A slightly frustrating day, not helped by the need to spend half of it re-arranging the garage to allow the bodywork to be stored safely at the back. Identified and trial fitted most of the aluminium panels with a few issues noted:

The tunnel side panels don’t appear to need “bending around the tube” as stated in the instructions.

The driver’s footrest appears to be the wrong way up (is it for an LHD car?), although looking at the picture in the manual it seems like it’s supposed to be that way!

The rear panel (by all accounts a pig to fit anyway) seems to need some slots cutting each side to accommodate an “extra” chassis tube half way up each side.

Decided to start with an “easy” panel in the form of the drivers bulkhead, but made slow progress due to a cordless drill which went flat in minutes and a very old corded drill which was stuck in “hammer” mode and tried to enlarge all the holes. To add insult to injury, both of them were too big to get into all the holes. Eventually got the panel on, and it looks OK….. but not much to show for a day’s work. Now, where’s that tool catalogue……….?

2nd April 2010 - More Panels

MUCH better progress today. The new tools, and particularly the harder drill bits (5% cobalt from Amazon) and right-angle drill attachment made a huge difference. Both inner tunnel panels were fitted, along with the drivers footrest panel (once I'd realised the footrest protrudes into the tunnel). Matthew fitted the brake master cylinder and pedal. Spent about 20 mins looking for the clutch master cylinder, but now suspect the car has a cable clutch (this is not made clear anywhere, and even seems ambiguous when reviewing the list of supplied parts!).

April 9th & 10th 2010 - Panels & Pedals

Starting to make really good progress now. All the panels are on except the sides (left off to allow easier turning over of the chassis if necessary) and tunnel top (to allow access to fit the propshaft). As suspected, we did have to cut a tab each side of the rear panel to accommodate the "new" chassis tube and then bend the panel in an S-shape to get it in. The build manual said that the chassis should be flipped to fit the floor pan, but we managed ok doing this from underneath. We may even attempt the brake and fuel lines (the next job) with the car the right way up thanks to the access afforded by our adjustable trestles.

Matthew also fitted the remaining pedals, along with the clutch cable (we worked out it is a cable clutch!) and throttle cable. He also fitted the three brake union "T" pieces and the brake pressure switch with no problems, although we had to guess the tightness for the latter as our torque wrench doesn't have a setting low enough.

24th April 2010 - Brake Pipes

Fitted the brake pipes today with no real problems. Slightly nervous about the task having read tales of kinked expensive-to-replace pipes, but they bent to shape quite easily with just thumb pressure. The most difficult was the short pipe from the master cylinder to the brake pressure switch t-piece, the most time-consuming the long pipe under the car. Still managing with the chassis the right way up and now can't see it being necessary to turn it over..... although we may yet come unstuck!

Also fitted the loom attachment points (riveted on hooks to tie cable ties to), except for the ones at the back for which the pictures in the manual are rubbish and taken with the chassis upside down. I'll have another look at it next time as there aren't many places to run the cables.

Couldn't resist jumping ahead slightly and trial fitting the front wishbones to make sure they fit (see picture). Proper fitting of these will be done by Matthew in the next session even though the following (in theory, preceding) tasks are still to be done:

Fit rear chassis loom mountings, fit loom (unpacked it to see what it looks like and quickly put it away again!), bend and fit rigid fuel pipes, fit aluminium panels to the sides of the car.

8th May 2010 - Front Suspension

Matthew & I fitted the front suspension today - fairly straightforward apart from the top ball joint which, according to the manual "may need some pressure to be directly applied to stop it turning". TOO RIGHT IT DOES! The nuts still aren't tight so we'll have to find a better way of applying that pressure! We also couldn't find the spacer for the headlight bracket, not helped by the fact that the manual doesn't say what size it is. Another job to come back to.

We also fitted the steering rack (same unresolved turning problem with the track rod ends) and to make it start to look like a car rather than a climbing frame temporarily fitted the front wheels. Looks good:

As we were on a roll, we started on the rear suspension and came across another place where the two manuals disagree: After failing to fit the washers as described in the older diagram-based book we looked at the newer book, which said that long studs should be used instead of bolts. We then came across two studs of the size described which we had previously thought were for the differential. A quick check revealed that they're too short for that application so they were used for the upright and went on much easier than the bolts. In the same bag as the studs were some spacers which look about right for the previously-missing headlight brackets! I wonder where the studs for the diff are?

2nd June 2010 - More Progress at last: Side Panels

Due to the lack of available weekends plan B has come into operation: Grab a couple of hours on the way home from work! Even though it’s a 20 mile detour it meant that the side panels went on, thanks to 170 pop rivets (85 each side) and a whole load of messy silicone sealant. I had been holding off doing these in case the chassis needed turning over, but realised that now the suspension's on it can't be turned over anyway; fingers crossed that the fuel pipes and wiring loom can be fitted from underneath! I may attempt my first call to the Westfield helpline to see if they have a template for the bulkhead hole for the upper steering column - there's no mention in either manual of the need to cut one!

12th June 2010 - Rear Suspension & Fuel Pipes

Having laid out all the remaining rear suspension and brake parts last time, Matthew completed the remaining corner in no time, with only limited need for the "persuading stick" (rubber mallet)!

The next job was the fuel pipes: Having made a complete hash of putting in the bulkhead bend (twice) I ordered some more from Westfield on the proviso that they put the bend in for us. This they very kindly did (and still delivered next day), leaving us to put in a lesser bend to tuck round the edge of the lowered floor pan (driver's side) and run along the inner edge of that panel, just below the brake pipe, before exiting under where the diff will be with opposite 45 degree bends. Had to be careful about where to rivet the double p-clips under the pedals so that the rivet didn't interfere with them. I also think we were supposed to use the standard rivets (as per the panelling), but these were a bit too short to hold the doubled-up clips safely so we used some longer/ large headed ones. I think these were intended for the inertia reel belt cover amongst other things - whatever - they did the job brilliantly and if we have to get 6 more rivets it was definitely worth it for peace of mind.

Another job completed today was the mounting of the loom saddles: With the help of the now-labelled loom laid out over the back of the car, the routing suddenly became obvious. This was aided by the confidence provided by discussing the problem with a Westfield mechanic who was at their "Westfield Experience" last weekend. In his words "it doesn't matter too much where you mount it (the loom) as long as it's secure and doesn't touch any moving parts". He also gave me a tip on how to get the ball joints tightened which I'll try out next time.

Wiring loom next time, which will get us back in sequence with the manual. Here's a picture of how it looks now (couldn't resist putting the wheels on!)

27th June 2010 - Differential & Driveshafts

The first job today was to fit the wiring loom to the rear chassis. To do this we unplugged all the fuse box connectors and fed the wires through the hole in the bulkhead top panel then reconnected them. Couldn't find any suitable fasteners for the fuse boxes so left them dangling. Having already labelled all the connectors using the wiring diagram it was easy to find the part of the loom which goes along the inside top edge of the transmission tunnel and out past the rear brake union. We put a piece of split convoluted tubing over the section on the exit to the tunnel to protect it (see photo below). It was then a matter of following the already-attached saddles out to the right corner then doubling back to the left. All the connectors seem to be in the right places - we'll see later!

The aim of getting the rear wiring on was to be able to move onto the milestone of fitting the differential. As suggested in the manual, this required the removal of the rhs brake pipes from the union to allow easy socket access then placing the studs through the right-hand bushes (see photo) prior to lifting the diff in. They were then relatively easy to push through the diff with a bit of help from Matthew. After fitting and torqueing up the mounting nuts the next job was the stabiliser bar at the back of the diff - another easy job..... at least it would be if there wasn't a 7/16 nut missing! We'll have to come back to that one. One of the trickiest (and messiest) jobs was getting the diff oil in - the tube's just slightly too short to reach from the chassis rail. Got there eventually, but I hate the smell of gear oil - it reminds me of a Triumph Spitfire I had when I was a student which lost a litre of oil from the gearbox every 100 miles!

Time for a break then to watch England vs. Germany in the World Cup - wish we hadn't bothered!

We needed cheering up after the match, so decided to get the driveshafts at least in place before we headed home. This is where we're starting to get the hang of Westfield build manual-speak; when it says something "may" need doing (in this case undoing the top mountings of the hub carriers) it means "will"! That done, the driveshafts went on easily and make it look like things are coming together - even though they're not fully bolted up yet. A job for next time.

Earlier in the day Matthew had wanted to start on the dashboard although it won't be needed for several months ... so he did:

17th July 2010 - Handbrake, Steering Column & More!

A "bits & bobs" day today: First job was to torque up and "thread lock" all 24 driveshaft bolts with the aid of an old broom handle wedged between the hub studs to stop it turning.

Attention then moved to fastening the fuse boxes down - there didn't seem to be any suitable fasteners supplied with the kit so we purchased some nuts, bolts & washers for 78p from Wilko - job done! We then had to thread all the dashboard-related wiring through the other hole in the bulkhead top panel. Simple enough, although a tip here is to pass the injection relays through first as they won't fit once the rest of the loom's through.

Fuse boxes and upper steering column

Handbrake next: It turned out that (contrary to the manual) the handle mounting holes were already in the chassis. It was then a matter of routing the cable, attaching it to the chassis mounting points then to the rear brakes, paying attention to the routing. Still not convinced that it won't be affected by suspension movement, but I guess (hope) they must know what they're talking about. N.B. The cable ties still need applying in this picture:

RHS Handbrake cable routing

Then it was just a matter of adding the clevis pin and adjusting the cable to what seems like it might be the right tension. Looks like progress! The instructions say to connect the handbrake warning switch cable at this point..... except there is no switch! Found something in the bag of bolts which looks like it could be the switch, but it’s not apparent how to attach this to the handbrake - one for the technical helpline I think.

Handbrake with cable attached

Still some daylight left, so onto the upper steering column. No hole in the bulkhead for this and loads of comments on the owners club forum about wrongly positioned holes, so we carefully held the trusty old broom handle against the mounting points, ensuring the aluminium spacer was in place too. We then marked the place for the hole and chain-drilled a smallish hole. Measured again and it still lined up, so we enlarged the hole gradually (trial fitting several times along the way) until the perfect result was achieved. Phew! Couldn't resist ending the day by fitting the steering wheel!

Upper steering column

6th August 2010 - Bits & Pieces & Issues

We're getting close to the engine installation now, but there are a few bits and pieces to complete first: We put the flexible rear brake hoses and washer bottle on as well as finishing off the attachment of the wiring loom. We also bolted on the seatbelts and the cover for them behind the rear bulkhead. All fairly straightforward except we may re-do the rear part of the loom to locate it so there's no slack around where the gearbox will be.

Rear view showing flexible pipes and inertia reel cover

We also (finally and with help) tightened all of the ball joints and track rod ends and did some improvised wheel alignment. Result!

Then came the problems:

1. The mounting for the speedometer transducer appears to be absent (could be a big problem!)

(Incorrect) Steering column bracket

2. The bracket supplied to locate the lower steering column appears to be the wrong one as it cannot be fitted at the point on the chassis rail where its holes would suggest

3. There's no obvious way of fitting the handbrake warning switch

4. The bolts to attach the propshaft to the diff are waaaaay too long

Several calls to the Westfield technical helpline were met with a "we're busy" answerphone message, so we called the Sales number - to be told that "He's on holiday this week"! That's alright then; we'll just put the build on hold until Westfield bother to staff up their helpline properly shall we?

Hopefully, that'll happen next week and we'll have some answers to probably the toughest questions we've had so far. If we do, that'll leave the fuel tank, pump and filter to do before "E-day" (Engine fitting) - One of the events Matthew's been looking forward to the most.

11th September 2010 - Engine & Lower Steering Column

After a break for summer activities, today was a big day - engine installation. We started by lowering the car off its trestles so that it stood on the ground for the first time; We attached the engine crane to the rear of the chassis, lifted it to remove the rear trestle, then slowly lowered it whilst making sure the front trestle didn't fall over. To our surprise it was possible to lower the rear almost to the ground before (manually) lifting the front and pulling out the front trestle. Wow, you forget just how low to the ground these cars are! We then decided to turn the car around to fit the engine, which required the second and third momentous occasions of the day - the first time the car rolled, and its first trip outside!

Rolling chassis ventures outside!

 Then came the first engine fitting - "first" because we knew from a preparatory measurement /comparison of mounting hole vs. gearbox mounting and a subsequent conversation with Westfield that we'd need to drill new mounting points once we knew where they go from the first trial fitting.

The installation itself went more smoothly than expected; we removed the gear lever to make it easier, but then with a slow, repeating "back a bit, down a bit" routine everything lined up perfectly with no squashed pipes or cables in the process. Getting the propshaft splines lined up with the gearbox took a bit of wiggling, but by then we were on a roll.



  Still plenty of time left so we moved onto the lower steering column: We'd previously identified that the bracket didn't fit, but Westfield just advised us to "put it in the most suitable place and shorten the mounting plate to fit"! This turned out to be just behind the engine mount, needing a new hole to be made in the bracket and two in the chassis. Once done though, the column went together easily and cleared the engine by at least 10mm. Engine and steering on one day - result!

Still more time available though, so we couldn't resist putting in the driver's seat for that "it really will be a car" feeling. Although there are pre-drilled holes in the pre-fitted lowered floor pan, they were in the wrong place for our upgrade "Sport Turbo" seats (The name coming from the model they were designed for, not the Halfords boy racer pretensions the name might suggest). We made the new holes for maximum adjustability, with the result that the seat will go far enough forward for Matthew to reach the pedals.

Matthew trying out the driving position

 A lot done in one day then. We even had time left to tidy up the garage.

18th September 2010 - Fuel Tank

After last week's events, this week was slightly lower key. The first things to do were to re-fit the gear lever after putting some grease on the rather dry-looking selector and to torque up the rear wishbone bolts (some of which will be inaccessible when the fuel tanks on). The tank itself was fairly straightforward, requiring the fitting of the outlets using PTFE tape on the threads before putting foam tape everywhere it'll touch and fastening it down with aluminium straps.

Next on the list was adding some rubber fuel pipes - one for the breather from the top of the tank to the top of the chassis, the second from the return (copper) fuel pipe to the tank. Then it was time to prepare the fuel pump and filter, including changing the loom (spade) connections for round ones. That done, it was time to fit them; except where the instructions say they should be fitted would require drilling right though the chassis box section, but if we did there would be no suitable bolt. Another one for Westfield I think - they need chasing about the transducer bracket anyway! Frustrated at another time-wasting setback, we tried the scuttle in place to see how it looks:

Looks even more like a car with the scuttle on

As a final task we started fitting up the radiator and fan, but didn't put the assembly on the car as the radiator looks so fragile. One for just before the nose goes on I think. 15th September 2010 - Exhaust manifold (but not much else!)

Today was a really frustrating day, notable more for the things we couldn't do rather than those we could:

1. We still couldn't fit the fuel pump or filter as Westfield say we need a rivnut insertion tool (to insert captive nuts) - which we've had to order from Amazon as no-one stocks one locally at a reasonable price

2. We tried to fit the radiator and fan assembly, but found that the bolts supplied are 5mm rather than 6mm and longer 6mm bolts would put a hole in the radiator (which would not be good!)

3. We tried to fit the battery tray, but the "pre-fitted rivnuts" in the chassis are notable by their absence.

Not wanting to wade into the engine wiring loom without preparation, we were left with a few minor bits and pieces; Firstly the horn (wow!) and the VIN plate (yes, we're getting desperate now). Then we put the exhaust manifold on - mainly because it’s visible progress, even though it will have to come off again to fit the body. At least it seems to fit well and clears everything and we'll be able to make a template for where the hole in the body will need to be.

The biggest success of the day ended up being the fitting of a part which should have gone on ages ago - the handbrake warning switch. We finally worked out how it goes on and managed to find a couple of suitable bolts at the village hardware store (there were none the right size in the dwindling box of bolts).

Other than the jobs we failed to do, we think there's just the engine wiring and ECU to do before we start thinking about fitting the body.... although with all the setbacks and winter approaching, that may not now be until next year.

9th October 2010 - Radiator & Battery tray

Now we've received the correct 6mm bolts from Westfield we set about fitting the radiator. First we fitted the fan switch, then mounted the fan to its frame, then bolted the whole assembly to the lower brackets on the chassis. Other build diaries mention having to bend the brackets, but ours were fine - I guess Westfield have improved them. It was then simply a matter of pop-riveting the top brackets to the chassis - no problem to old hands at pop-riveting like us! With the radiator in place, the car looks even more like it might be on the road sometime next year:



Radiator in place

Whilst fitting the radiator, we also fitted the lower bracket for the nose cone (visible below the radiator in the picture above). It was whilst doing this that we noticed that the chassis rails below the steering rack seemed to make a shape similar to a mystery piece of trapezium-shaped aluminium we had sitting on the side. Sure enough, it was an exact fit - even having holes to fit over the nose-cone bracket. Once fitted, this solved the outstanding problem of how to mount the battery tray - shame this wasn't mentioned in any of the manuals or by the Westfield helpline when asked where the battery should be fitted!

On a roll now, we used our newly acquired "rivsert" tool to put a rivnut in the chassis for the battery strap to bolt into, a couple more pop rivets to hold the back of the battery tray and job done:

Battery tray and strap in place on top of the "mystery" piece of aluminium

To finish the afternoon off, we fitted the hinged plate for the ECU above the passenger foot well

(another missing part recently requested). Based on other build diaries, we cut it down by about an inch to leave more space for the heater:

ECU Mounting plate

The list of pre-body jobs is now getting smaller (but still includes the engine wiring!)

11th October 2010 - Fuel Pump & Filter

A rare evening visit to the garage trying to make the most of the daylight and relative warmth before the winter. Tonight the target was the fuel pump and filter abandoned previously due to mounting point uncertainty. Following yet more advice from Westfield, we used rivserts again - two under the right-hand driveshaft for the filter, two more just to the right of the diff stabiliser bracket for the pump. Both items had been prepared previously, including changing the connectors on the wiring loom, so mounting them was quite straightforward, if a little time consuming due to the cheapo bent-aluminium brackets. These required the rivnuts to be done one at a time to ensure they were in the right place.

Once on, the fuel pipes from the filter to the under-car fuel line, from the filter to the pump and from the pump to the tank were added:

Fuel pump & filter in place (pipes and cables still to be covered)

When we reviewed the job upon completion, we think the fuel pump bracket should be the other way around, placing the pump under the tank. This would make it a bit more vulnerable, but the pipe runs would be straighter. One to think about for next time.

23rd October 2010 - Bits & bobs and the fuel pump (again)

As we've said in previous posts, we're aiming to get the bodywork on before winter, but there are a few jobs that'll be easier to do without it on. The aim today was to get those done, but it didn't quite work out that way:

We started by trying to work out where the cooling system hoses will go - certainly not where the standard manual says! It looks like the recently-acquired "Aerorace" manual is the best bet, although it won't be exactly right as that model has no heater. Anyway, we fitted the pipes between the bottom connection on the radiator and the water pump before realising that the rest of the pipework will be best done after the exhaust manifold has its final fitting..... which can't be done until after the bodywork's on!

So we moved onto the clutch cable, which was relatively easy once we'd removed the pedal pivot to provide some extra travel on the inner cable so that the grommet on the clutch arm could be pushed over it before being re-fitted to the arm. We now appear to have a working clutch:





Clutch cable through the grommet in the actuator arm

  Next up was the long-awaited bracket for the speedometer transducer (the manual said it should have been welded to the chassis, but it was missing). The bracket went on nicely once we'd put a couple of rivnuts in the chassis, but we're not convinced it puts the transducer near enough to the driveshaft bolts it'll need to "sense" as they turn to work out the speed. We tried to bend the bracket, but it's tougher than any of the vices we have, so we'll have to have another go it if it turns out to be a problem.

Transducer above the RHS driveshaft bolts

We then made up a template for the hole we'll need to make in the side of the body for the exhaust manifold to go through. Not looking forward to that job!

Template for the exhaust manifold hole made from the radiator box

We also made the gear lever hole in the aluminium plate that will cover that area. It'll need enlarging, but we wanted to put it in place so we can work out which holes will be used for the engine wiring.



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Gearbox cover plate in (temporary) place

 We then went back to the fuel pump and decided that it would definitely need the bracket turning around to allow a straighter run for the fuel pipes. This turned out to be easier said than done, as one of the new rivnuts refused to lock in place properly despite numerous attempts. We need to find a way of tightening it up.... next time.

30th October 2010 - Bodywork first fit

We started the day by finally getting the fuel pump re-positioned. More troubles with rivnuts saw us change to a bolt through the chassis member - at least it'll be secure.

With that done, we could resist the temptation to start to fit the bodywork no longer. The older manual says the rear wheel arches need to be fitted first, but the more recent ones and other build diaries seem less precious about this, so we pressed ahead without - we can always take the body tub off again if necessary. The main section went on easily and seemed to position itself naturally with the correct 40cm gap between the back of chassis member at the back of the seats and the back of the "boot" (aka rear glove box) aperture. We then wasted no time in resting the scuttle and bonnet in place - wow!



Bodywork first fit - starting to look like a car!

The scuttle needed a cut-out about 2cm up the front edge to make it clear the steering column - chain drilled then filed - and a small cut out on the return edge the other side to clear the wiring loom as it comes up through the bulkhead. It now fitted perfectly and lined up with the main tub.



Matthew and Grandad look impressed - maybe.

The bonnet went on next, but wouldn't quite sit down correctly on the offside - the air intake was lifting it up by about 6mm. Hmmm... a call to Westfield on Monday coming up. Shame - it was going so well.

"Boot" area with clamps on the roll bar area to hold the body tub in place

13th November 2010 - Bodywork Second Fit

The answer to the question posed in the previous instalment - how to get the bonnet to clear the air intake - was simple and rather low-tech: Take off and cut down the pipe between the intake and the throttle body. It worked - with about 10mm taken off the top of the pipe and some cut-outs to make it sit lower on the throttle body we can now see daylight over the top of the intake when the bonnet's on:

Intake pipe as supplied

 

Shortened intake pipe

We then moved on to the throttle cable linkage - one of the "come back to" jobs we'd been putting off because it wasn't obvious how to do it. A photo from Mark at Westfield made it clear that it, in fact, was obvious once we'd found another "I wonder what that's for?" part in the box of nuts and bolts:

Throttle cable attached - obvious once you see it in place!

Next on the list was to finish checking the panel alignment prior to fastening the main tub on and cutting the hole for the exhaust. Everything, including the nose cone, fitted perfectly after a bit more trimming of the scuttle........ except for the trailing edge of the bonnet on the offside sitting slightly too high and wide. Whilst it seems like a small problem, we suspect we might need to go "back to basics" to sort it out. One to leave for another day, although we did take a picture during the process:

Bodywork trial fit 2. Wheel arches rested in place for effect!

With that issue parked, we started thinking about the engine wiring, the first part of which was how to route the wires from the ECU to the engine. We'll be taking advice from Westfield, but the "cleanest" route seems to be through one of the holes on the gearbox top panel, so in preparation for this we enlarged the gear lever hole so that the gaiter fits (and 1st/3rd/5th gears are selectable!). We then re-mounted the ECU so that the wires exit in the right direction, making space for the relays in the process:

ECU and relays mounted on hinged plate above passenger foot well

Dark now and getting cold, so called it a day.