Leaderboard

I should have seen it coming... I like to wear my blue "Here to help" WSCC t shirt when working on the Westie. However going to B&Q and Homebase in a shirt with "Here to help" on it did result in me being stopped 6 times and asked for help... Did people not see the WSCC bit..? However the absolutely stunning blonde who wanted to know about light switches did get some help...

Is your Westie an automatic..?

Other than first year competing, I just wonder if a novice / intermediate / expert status should be decided on a competitors typical times vs target rather than number of events. But you can only go up the ranking not back down? If we have an intermediate status this might be needed as some could have to / want to stay as intermediate forever ...

Morning all,, EDIT, I have just re read this, you might need a Sunday morning coffee in your hand before you start to digest.. Getting back to Nicks original post, can we try and just concentrate on the class structure? I like many fully support the if it ain't broke don't fix it stance and don't want to see wholesale change to target times control tyres etc. I do however feel we may need to have a look at some tweaks to encourage people to dip their toe in the water and retain those who have, as per the comments on intermediate classes. I also understand the comments ref not expecting to win straight away and the years of experience and car development it takes to be compete at a National level. After all, I'm one of the people who has developed a std road car over 10 years to be competitive. However, what I think we (experienced boys) have forgotten is that when I started, the difference between my std road car and Graham Millers (as it was then) class leading expert road going Westfield was little more than a couple of extra rose joints, a Quaife pro box (it was still syncro)and fuel injection (from memory it was around 210bhp). The main reason for the gulf between his times and mine was down to him being a bl**dy good driver and having spent time developing the set up of the car. Ask yourself honestly, is the gap between our current top flight road going cars and most road going Westfield's still this small?? Hence novices can become disillusioned. So I'm going to stick my neck out and put some names in the frame of where I believe various people would sit in the class structure I proposed and the impact it would have. I have copied my original post at the bottom for reference. Apologies now if I upset anyone or my memory of their car means I have put them in the wrong class. Also on reflection, I have made 1 small change ref the 1800cc capacity break in the lower classes and agree Novices should be able to compete in all classes, this can be accommodated by simply setting Novice Targets Times as being XX% (to be decided) slower than expert times in classes C,D,E,F,G and H? So here goes, hope I don't live to regret this Class A and B Martin Harvey, Barny, James Alexandra and from what I can see most of this year's novices continue in these Classes. Class A1 and B1 When the above become experts (which they will) they can move to this class without modifying their cars if they wish, this is the only class where we would probably have to generate suitable target time to begin with. I would also imagine Mark (Bud) would fit here as an expert? Once the competitive bug bites even harder, rebuilding a syncro box every year will become a pain so dog boxes and a move to C / D will probably follow. However, this intermediate class will allow time to develop before making this move. Class C and D Steve Everall, Keith Adams, Graham Frankland, Stu Hill, John Louden Stephen Hubert (come on you know you want to carry on!) etc can continue in this class so no change for them. However, John Hoyle would have to move to F, considering many of the class F times have been set by his stunning times I hope he would not have a problem with this. Also the calls for D and F to be amalgamated would have the same end result. Class E and F Dave Cleaver, Rich Kerr, Pete Goulding, Paul Aspen no change for you chaps carry on as you were with John Hoyle keeping you on your toes. Also if we had novice targets in all classes David Birch can continue in F as a novice. Class G and H No change For the record, I have no interest in going back to Class D , been there done that, I'm quite happy to play in H with the super sticky slicks,, Please don't shoot me Cheers Barry ================================================================= Original Post OK First thoughts as only just seen this thread,, We seem to be trying to achieve 2 things which on the face of it are mutually exclusive, i.e. appeal to the newbies with a relatively std car and keep the experienced guys happy. Not easy,, There are however several easily identifiable components that usually only turn up on out and out track / race orientated or very well developed track day cars e.g. 1, Exotic dampers, Penski, Olhins, nitron (to a certain extent) etc, exact list would need to be defined 2, Rose jointed suspension, other than the 4 at the rear of a std independent Westfield. 3, Dog and sequential gear boxs 4, Electronic driver aids, flappy paddles, launch control, traction control, flat shift etc 5, Carbon Fibre chassis panelling (not body panels as many road going cars have this for da bling man!) 6, light weight steering racks, i.e. not Mk2 Escort derived. Probably a couple more but can't think of them for now,, All of the above are easily identifiable and thus policeable, is that a word? So, using the above how about (for simplicity I'm only going to use car engine capacity breaks): Class A Road legal up to 1800cc, items 1,2,3,4,5,6 may not be fitted to the car, list 1A or 1B tyres permitted. Novice drivers only as per current definitions Class B Road legal over 1800cc, items 1,2,3,4,5,6 may not be fitted to the car, list 1A or 1B tyres permitted. Novice drivers only as per current definitions Class A1 Road legal up to 1800cc, items 1,2,3,4,5,6 may not be fitted to the car, list 1A or 1B tyres permitted. expert drivers. Class B1 Road legal over 1800cc, items 1,2,3,4,5,6 may not be fitted to the car, list 1A or 1B tyres permitted. Expert drivers Class's A1 and B1 aimed at drivers who become experts through experience but do not want to spend a fortune developing a car. Class C Road Legal up to 1800cc, items 1, 4, 5 and 6 may not be fitted to the car, List 1 B tyres Class D Road Legal over 1800cc, items 1, 4, 5 and 6 may not be fitted to the car, List 1 B tyres From what I can see and have driven there is virtually no difference between a manually shifted sequential dog box and a H pattern dog box. Class E Pretty much what we have now , road going unlimited up to 1700cc, i.e. if its road legal anything goes. Class F Pretty much what we have now , road going unlimited over 1700cc, i.e. if its road legal anything goes. Class G and H leave alone For the record control tyres, no thanks, To summarise my thoughts, this would give a better defined entry level class and put a little more distance between c/d and e/f?? Cheers Barry

Not using the heater switch, I completely forgot about it being the same! But it's Scotland, loosing the wiper switch would be worse than loosing the headlight switch!

My input is very simple In 2005 I bought a 1400 cc K series Westfield because it was a great buy and I always wanted a "seven" style kit car I soon realised after a few track days that the car was terribly under powered and I was not a very quick driver but I loved the "Westie" I also joined the Westfield Car Club to meet other like minded owners who soon introduced me to sprinting I had no previous experience of Sprinting or Hill Climbs I considered addressing my lack of power and found out the K series could reasonably easily be upgraded to 1800 cc and along the way I was told that it was a class limit in the Speed Series if I wanted to get involved in the future So money was spent with Dave Andrews and after much badgering from Matt H and Keith Adams I finally signed up for the Speed Series Although I was a better driver than before I could not hold a candle to any of the guy's in the Speed Series Most of you know the rest of the story and I have stuck with it through thick and thin and enjoy everything about the speed series every time I touch it. I am still disappointed with my lack of not posting the best times but I challenge myself in all conditions and my wife loves the amount of time I spend working on by beloved Westie I believe I have improved my driving over the years and have enhanced the technical side of the car as my budget has allowed. I started as a Novice in the Speed Series and was not aware/interested in any other organisations events I for one believe the Speed Series formulae works for most! I see no reason to change to 1700 cc just to align ourselves with other event regulations, if we want to honour the venerable Crossflow we could introduce Crossflow class/classes in the Speed Series BHP/Ton seems to be an admin/control nightmare! I have no problem with the introduction of another "Intermediate" class as I still do not consider myself an Expert! Each category of driver could compete in any type of car based upon different target times for each driver category The reduction of events makes no sense as it is currently tough to get in the 10 events within reasonable cost/travelling distance as it is (without taking into account holidays in Spain etc) From a variety of circuit point of view I would like to see some new venues but that may not be possible if we have to drop some existing ones to fit them in! We need to get this proposed Tyre Change sorted before we even consider any other changes to the current speed series format please! Thanks for reading Graham aka Gluten Free

I unfortunately have the full set, ears both outer and inner, nose both nostrils which when pulled are knotted somewhere behind each eyeball and eyebrows that if left alone will become curtains. One upside is you can now appreciate a Turkish shave, where they set fire to a small ball of cotton wool and deftly wave it around the extremities and burn the blighters off. The smell of burning hair soon passes and the sight of flames coming off your ears certainly is entertaining.

I cleaned up the area (and other parts) and put the starter back in. Turned ignition on and pressed the starter button. Fired first time Tested it a couple of times, and each time it just started, so am quietly confident I've solved it by cleaning up the mounting/earthing. As a side note, it is only held in with 2 out of 3 bolts, so if anyone knows what thread these should be, then I'll get another bought.

Killins a lovely village, stayed in log cabins on the side of the Tay, loads of RAF fighters use that valley, amazing to watch

I have a 3.9 English axle Crown Wheel and Pinion for sale. In excellent condition. £50 + £10 P&P or collection from Rotherham, South Yorkshire.PM me or ring me on 07522 125339. (Brian)

Or you could get a Mac

Love one of these https://www.lily.camera/?utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=preorder&gclid=CM6j49yS-8UCFQTLtAodE0sA6g

We're still on XP in our company, and only just considering the merits of upgrading to Windows 7... may take a while for us to catch up

Howdy all I like the current structure and must say that I am thoroughly enjoying my first year of sprinting. The camaraderie, banter and support in the paddock & at club meets is the best I've ever experienced, anywhere. I've made great mates in a short space of time and have been lifted back up onto my feet through many severe set backs by my brilliant competitors. I realise that as a total novice, my experience prevents me from voicing a truly rounded opinion, but since I intend to stay sprinting for as long as feasibly possible perhaps it is acceptable to have a concern of our sports future? Target times - I do find the novice target times as a % of the experts a little disheartening - it's really hard to give a run your all and then be told you're still several seconds from being as quick as someone else with many more years experience, a dog box and a developed engine and chassis. The % is really fractional in a lot of cases so it has become de motivational. I know this has come about to prevent a novice from winning the overall championship and I understand that. Personally I would never expect a novice to win the overall championship and would be embarrassed if that happened to me, so if we are to stick with the current system, could we increase the % of the expert time, with the caveat that the novice championship and overall championship are two different games and novices don't score in the overall? Let's remember that Novices rarely take home a trophy on the day so it's not about pot hunting for us, we're only really interested in our class result and the novice championship and being motivated to keep competing. Class structure - really like the idea of an intermediate class between novice and expert. Let's face it, it doesn't matter what I do to my car, I will never have the circuit knowledge my competitive peers do until at least a few years in. That's ok though, it's my decision to make and if, after a couple of years as a novice I decide that's what I'll do, I'll wait until my other half is drunk enough to make that announcement This is motorsport. Development is the name of the game. It's expensive and we own expensive cars. If I want to spend my hard earned making my car go quicker, and enjoying all the learning that comes with it, that's my choice. If you don't, that's your choice. But to know that there is an opportunity to spread that development out would be great! (Just reread Barry's post, it's spot on, love the A1 B1 idea). I don't see the point in making novice classes have windscreens etc, if your car doesn't have a screen but you want to have a go, why should you be forced to buy a windscreen? I like the current definitions, they're simple and clear. My car is a versatile road & sprint car and I enjoy using it for both (interchangeable windscreen/aeroscreen, removable cage, 20 litre tank, synchro 5 speed box - surely the very definition of a road going sprint car?!). Tyres - I can see a sense to control tyres in the novice class to control costs, anyone competing is going to have to buy new boots at some point so why not make them cheap? HOWEVER! Having now driven on both 1a and 1b tyres in anger, I actually think it's a bad idea, 1b tyres are so much safer with the grip they offer, I'd expect to see more accidents in the novice classes with less grippy tyres as people push for times beyond the reach of the tyre. Completely support the sentiments of Terry et al that our championship should be the fastest out there so stick with 1b. Obviously the MSA ruling may change things but that's a different story. So in summary, leave alone apart from the introduction of an intermediate level class structure, but not sure Lee's approach would work as you'd only be promoting 3 people per year. Time served might be a better approach - something like 20 sprints in Novice, 40 in Intermediate? Bhp/weight - no point, too hard and costly to police. 1700cc class limit - how many current competitors run an 1800? And would they still compete in class B/D if changed? Would increase class competitors but not if they leave. So that's my tuppence worth, hope it's been useful

Obviously that's a Toyota plot, Ford engines normally just emit pure Essence of Springtime

It'll lean out the mixture everywhere, not just at idle, so will be potentially very damaging at high load. Fuel flow varies with the square root of pressure, so for example to reduce the flow by 10% (0.9) you need to reduce the pressure to 0.81 of it's current value (that's differential pressure across the injector, i.e. absolute rail pressure minus intake manifold pressure). Here's a typical emissions plot to give you an idea of what you're aiming for - a slightly leaner (less rich) mixture at idle:

I'm no expert but might be better to edit the map and then when done load the original back in. You should be able to lean it out at the mot rev range to help reduce emissions. Happy to be corrected

I like the black and yellow wheel arches. Nice result!

I've not had the internals of the switch go wrong on themseleves rather than a bad contact which creates heat and that melts the plastic and screws up the workings of the switch. Went from only side lights then sometimes headlights in position 2 then wouldn't go in position 2 only position 1, sound familiar? CBS have them aswell if you get stuck. Terry

you might be able to bypass the switch altogether - you will need to get at the wires onto the switch tho - either pull out the switch or reach behind, id want to pull out the switch tbh - easier. what colour wires have you on the switch? if i knew what you had i'd disconnect the wires to the dip beam and bypass by connecting them together somehow temporary

Phah... I lived there for 15 years. How can you tell it's summertime in Scotland? The snow melts before it hits the ground...

Btw... I know this is the most henious bodge ever... But the screws that hold light switches into the wall boxes fit the plug holes lovely. They might be 4BA I used them whilst tracing my faults. Get some from a hardware store (or borrow from the B&B), put them into the plug and bridge with a stainless bulldog clip. A sort of switch. And yes I have been drinking, but I bet it would work...

I love the intermediate class idea. So I recommend we have AB A+B+ and then C D! If you come first second or third in class A and B then you are promoted to class A+ or B+ Then if you come first second or third in class A+ and B+ you are promoted to class C and D! We need some rules as to numbers just like the trophies! So there has to be at least 6 drivers in that class to promote as automatic promotion would be unfair. In a nutshell next year I will be classed as an expert as I will be starting the season after completing more than 20 sprints (Which I’m not and won’t be) and I will have to compete with real experts and after a season being hammered will probably not be so keen to repeat. The intermediate class would also mean that the novice class is free for new blood! It’s not only about new blood it’s also about retaining drivers that have already invested and allowing them to develop and progress in a competitive manner. How many drivers have given up recently? What was there reason for not competing? I am totally against anything that restricts performance as at the end of the day we are ambassadors for Westfield and need to put our best foot forward…( Except driver aids in novice classes as I believe you can’t learn to drive with them) Power to weight ratio never works. Someone always cheats and has a switch somewhere that increases the power. In formula one the first second and third placed cars are scrutinised and power tested by an expert. Maybe the winning cars on the day should be inspected by a SS appointed person. We can`t police all cars but if we police the winners then it will soon filter down! So Maybe all class winners on the day get an extra look over?

I don't suppose you have a heater switch like this? The pins are the same so you should be able to swap it with the light switch...

I do have an old one spare, it's serviceable. If I got it in the post at the local Main Post Office tomorrow, there's a chance you might get it Monday. (Obviously, it would need sending to your next stop.) Thanks to the multi plug for the actual switched functions, it's relatively straight forward to swap them over, though the back light which has separate connectors can be fiddly, that bit could always be left till later. Let me know before 8.30 am tomorrow if you want to give it a try. (Much later and I won't make the Sunday collection from the PO).

Evening team. Today did not go exactly as planned but still had a great day..... In the rain. We did not leave where we are staying until gone 12.00 as I so wanted to drive around Loch Eriboll with the roof down, so I spent the morning watching for otters. When we eventually left we were able to drive to John O Groates with the roof down but did drive through some showers and rain but managed to keep the speed up, so stayed pretty dry. I did not manage to stop at Moine house because of the weather but if anyone travels from Durness it is about 30 minutes away and it is a derelict house in the middle of nowhere. It really is worth a stop. Just look for the gable ends and two chimney stacks......You won't miss it. Just go inside and imagine the life those folks had but don't let the paintings scare you. We stopped for fuel in Tongue and the garage shuts at 2.00pm today so be aware of that. There is a shop in the garage and toilets in the village. You can get 24 hour fuel in Durness with a credit card and the fuel pump is opposite the village store. We travelled to Thurso for another fuel stop and the garage stops open until 10.00 pm and also has a shop and toilets. It was then onto John O Groats. To be honest there is nothing there and I have been twice in the past and today we just turned straight round in the car park and immediately left. I think people go just for the sake of saying they have been. The area is quite bleak in my opinion and not very pretty We headed back to Durness and went through some real rain and the blackest clouds and the sky is so massive up here. The roads are so beautiful for a Westfield to drive on. Really long straights and twist bends and hills up and down and magnificent views which is why I chose to travel between Durness and John O Groats. As we came back round Eriboll we went through the blackest sky with a hole in it and the sun shining through. It was amazing and took some pics. A man stopped me in Thurso and said he used to race Westfields and another chap told me he had a Westfield and wrote it off by been silly I had a fantastic steak pie for tea with fresh vegetables and chips for £10.00 at the Smoo Cave Hotel and had to leave some of it as there was so much. Not much parking there though so I would not go to late as everyone seems to go there. Tomorrow we leave Eriboll and we are travelling down to Aberfeldy where we are staying for two nights before going home and that's the end of our trip. QUIZ. Can anyone guess where we stopped today and took a picture of a road sign. No prizes just a bit of fun. LESSONS LEARNT TODAY. You can wear the same trousers all week. I wish I had a better understanding of cars and how they work due to an issue with my lights. Mountain Warehouse clothes dry so quickly when they are wet and are extremely light and comfy. My neck was very sore due to the zips on my coat and top layer rubbing my neck in the cold and rain. I wore my Buff around my neck and it stopped all the irritation. I would recommend a Buff to everyone. No matter what the weather there is no such thing as a bad day in Scotland.

I second everything David has said. I started in 2009 with a 1600cc car in Class A. I was "hooked" after my first event at Gurston Down and since then have made some really good friends, had great fun and look forward to every event. For me the competition is secondary to the friends and craic in the paddock and camping field. Just do it, you will not regret it.

Yer fed up with all the silly questions and and silly offers and people with champagne tastes with beer money

Skye is stunning and lots of interesting, if slow, roads to explore out in the wilds towards the top end of the island. Looking forward to the photos once you get time to post them

if you're heading over to skye you will love the A82 across to Kyle of Lochalsh from Invergarry. one of our favourite driving roads....

Enjoy your run…the rain won't last...

My wife can travel with only a clean pair of knickers and a toothbrush, although as she's a Scouser, only the toothbrush is absolutely essential.... Enjoy your trip Buttercup...

Enjoy it what ever the weather dishes out all part of the mystic , when the sun shines it is THE best scenery .............you , the misses and the car will dry out