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OK.... Sunday afternoon, it was time to put the nose cone and bonnet on and see if the “new” gearbox was any better than the old one, lets face it, if it had even the slightest hint of sync on 2nd gear it would be an improvement on the old one. On starting him up we could hear a rattling sound which had been present since we first started him up following the gearbox swap. Obviously any metallic rattling sound is not desirable, and after investigation we had no idea where the sound was coming from engine/gearbox, top/bottom so decided we had no choice other than take him out and drive him and see what happens. @bollockybill chickened out and I was given the task of a short road test to make sure we could get him to the MOT station come Wednesday morning. Reversing out of the drive the rattle seemed to come and go, just as it had when we previously ran the engine. So into the Cul-de-Sac 1st gear nice, clutch in 2nd gear BANG… what was that? Engine is still running and we still had drive, oil pressure etc! Turn around and head back to BB’s gaff, 1st nice, clutch in 2nd BANG really made me jump this time it was so loud I missed the gear and thought that the ‘box was busted, but it was fine turned into BB’s driveway and noticed that the rattle had gone. What was the bang? asked BB, no idea but the rattling has stopped, all four gears were working fine shifting smoothly up and down the ‘box. Looked under the car nothing broken and no oil dripping from anything… I know what you’re thinking, yes it is a Xflow Good it must be time for tea so BB headed for the kettle and I went for a walk along the Cul-de-sac to see if there was anything there, oil etc. Standing upright in the middle of the road, chewed up and spat out by Mr. Grumpy, was a very black and oily 13mm socket, the very same socket that had been missing from BB’s set for the past few weeks. We can only guess that it was hiding somewhere inside the bell housing even though we had looked in there using a Bore Scope on both sides of the flywheel. How it got in there is also a mystery as there are no 13mm nuts/bolts inside that we could have left it on. Ooops!

I made a board which fits over the boot box. I cut slots to take ratchet straps and used a large Northface bag to store everything in. The spare wheel is removed and the rack is used for tent, two folding chairs and two camp beds. I will be camping at Silverstone. Pop over be happy to show you.

Yes it's all in the prep. Firstly you need to polish out any swirls/imperfections/scratches. The likes of autoglym super resin polish are ok but it doesn't remove the imperfections it fills or hides them with fillers so doesn't last. I prefer to polish out the imperfections as it makes it much easier to maintain the finish. I use and highly reccomend the meguiars 105 and 205 polishes. The 105 is the coarser cut and the 205 is then the finishing polish. They are so easy to use but do require a machine polisher. This then provides a clean polished surface but does require protecting with a wax for longevity. This is where the collinite 476 comes in. 2 coats will last a full summer's splatting in flies. The stuff thrustys reccomending is a final final spray on wipe off sealant to maintain the protection of the wax when you've given it a wash and dried off. This was my nose before polish/wax if you look at the enlarged pic you can see the horrendous swirling. This is after. It's still not perfect as I only gave it a quick wizz over. For cleaning wheels I can also highly reccomend bilberry wheel cleaner. I'd love to see the flies and wasps circling when someone tries it!!

Phase 1 & 2 completed! Now onto Phase 3 which John has in hand! Mark, Dom, Dave - thanks very much for all your time and effort to make this particular delivery happen .. I'm very grateful!! Must rate as the one of the most epic handover delivery services in our history!

Just for a laugh, take the socket to Halfords and mention their lifetime warranty. Jim

The sluggish response from @IanK is either due to him being busy at work OR him being busy shaving his hairy legs Which reminds me, I must get on

Oh, that rattle.

Noticed he had similar control of his Westfield on track Friday

It's the Breakfast Club Meet at Curborough this Saturday, from 8.30am until 11.30am. We will be there from about 10.30am for tyre kicking and bacon butties. At about 11.30 ish we will be going to The Lazy Trout, nr Leek, for lunch. It is a 1 hour 10 minute journey through some of the best Peak District countryside. The view over The Roaches from the beer garden is stunning, but the best news is that the indirect road to it has been resurfaced, it is the lovely, pothole-less black stuff that Westfield owners can normally only dream about. So bring your hairy legs, put them between my camera lens and your car, and we will see what happens!!! (you need to look at the last Curborough gathering photo's for a warm up, prepare yourself) Who is coming?

I gave mine a detail last year with my DA and was amazed how much it brought out the colour. The GRP is nothing like normal car paint and dulls way more. For wax, I'm a big fan of Victoria wax concours. For sealant finishkare 1000p high temp wax is the best I've used. Amazing shine and last for an impressive amount of time. A mate of mine has has been playing about with ceramic sealants, bit of a pain to apply but the results are crazy good!!! Im in the market for a new drying cloth, recommendations?

Looking good

driving up in the morning - be there 07.30 to 08.00. Great turn out from our Club. Checked this morning and there was 8. Bernard Holdgate Westfield David Ward Westfield Dean Savill Westfield James Hughes Westfield Kevin Turner Westfield Lee Collar Westfield Paul Demetriou Westfield Tim Essex Westfield

Yeah I'm camping at woodlands

I would recommend the das6 pro rotary with the meguairs microfiber pads and associated compounds then finish with purple haze or natty blue... Works a treat

oooh, nice one @Ali and Gail I know that is what I would rather do. I have read your other thread and it looks like you are going to have an amazing journey, enjoy.

The road I would definitely recommend is the road from St Ives to Start just the B 3306 but it's on the north coast, also the Padstow to Newquay road B3276 You could head to portreath and then take the coast road B3301 to Hayle then to onto St Ives stop there for a cream tea or an ice-cream then out of the town and take the road to St Just .There is a nice pub halfway called gurnards head where you can get nice meal .once you get to St Just you could head to lands End (its a bit touristy these days) or just head back to Penzance where you can pick up the A30 or Marazion and at Michael's mount

Hi @Kernow, We are driving most of the north coast going through Exmoor, Woolacombe, Bude then overnight in Tintagel. Then the coast again via Padstow, Porthcothan, St Ives, St Just, Porthcurno and then overnight at Mousehole and up to Mevagissey round the coast for 2 day stop so we can go the the Eden project and the Lost Gardens of Heligon. First time back since we spent 3 weeks around Cornwall in a camper van in 1990 after we got married. Yes to long I know and thanks for the advice. Regards Alistair

I've got a zetec in mine so not a lot of room left in engine bay.but I can get my chair behind my seat.not cheap but very small and light and very comfortable

The road across Dartmoor that @b16gnrhas mentioned is a great road. Starting in Tavistock which is a beautiful town and worth a stop up to Princetown then across the high moors to Mortenhampstead. If you venture up to the North Cornish coast then a particular favourite of mine is Starting in Rock which is opposite side of the river from Padstow then follow the coast road to Port Isaac, Tintagel, Boscastle and then on to Bude. Each of these places is worth a visit and the road has some spectacular views with steep hills and very tight bends. The North coast is very rugged and I think much nicer than the South. Hope you have a great time and that the weather is kind. John

Sorry guys and gals, will have to pass on this one, we will trying out the roads of Devon and Cornwall.

Phase 2 - Blyton to Rammy completed!

tempted if i can get enough oil to stay in the gearbox and get the clutch to, well, clutch! and not slip

Super resin 'polish' is that. its a polish. Not a wax or top coat.It is laced with fillers and is great at hiding light scratches etc. If you do use SRP , then you need to wax or seal over the top, or the fillers will wash out soon after. You can use cheap waxes for £15 to £20 on top and it should work fine. I have used Poorboys wax, Autoglym HD, Collinite, Dodo and all give a similar finish , but some are more durable than others.

Nooooo, and there was me thinking of getting them specially permed for the occasion!

a real scenic route through the centre of Dartmoor take the B3357 from Tavistock to Two bridges then the B3212 to Moretonhampstead then onwards!

@Ali and Gail You must go here if you are in the area. https://www.minack.com As you like military history, go onto Porthcurno beach which is below the theatre. https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/Porthcurno

As a cornish resident I enjoy losing myself on the back roads on Bodmin moor around Colliford Lake, have a look on google earth. There is very little habitation just open moors, some with grass in the middle of the road with wandering sheep and ponies to avoid. No fast roads just peaceful open countryside undeveloped and wild. Worth an hour of your time if you are down this way and the weather is okay but it is bleak, almost intimidating, when foggy, wet and windswept.

My personal thanks to all the people helping on the day in big heat and under pressure. This was greatly appreciated by all the drivers plus the BBQ and beer was excellent and well attended.

Crikey, brill, you're keen Dave, I am only just putting it on the calendar and you have responded!!! Lets hope your car is back then, that's one set of hairy legs, any more coming?

@Monty My bog standard Westfield supplied ones are 70mm dia over the rubber boot ~ 68mm Orange lens.

Car looks good to me Gary, body roll is no bad thing in itself...

Great weekend event, really enjoyed it despite car problems. So my biggest thank you to Pete Goulding for letting me double drive his car, carrying on the true WSCC spirit , Thanks Pete But thanks to all the hardworking people who make this event such a great weekend, especially the unsung hero's who are always there helping out and keep coming back.

'Fraid not, Bob. Turning right was the right way to go .. it takes you along the rest of the A1107 through Coldingham and shortens boring drive on the A1. Satnavs will always try and take you on the quickest but not necessarily the most exciting of routes!

Geoffery, if its an unlacquered wheel, then Autosol or Megiurs metal polish is good. If it is lacquered, then a form of spray or liquid sealant may help to stave grime and brake dust, such as Gtechnic C5 is good in reviews. I have only just coated my brand new Volvo wheels in it, so my personal review wont be for a while. It may look expensive at about £20 , but I used a quarter of a bottle on the massive XC60 rims, so enough to do both the Westie and our Skoda and a smidge left for a recoat on the volvo in a years time. Poorboys wheel sealant is tried and tested, but a real niggle to get into and out of small nuts and bolts etc , but for smooth one piece wheels works fine. I have even used Collinite 476 wax on wheels with similar results of protection and also ease to clean. All cheap and easy to use, although Collinite is pretty hard to remove if left on too long on bodywork !!

If it was not for global warming Think how cold it could be...

Sane With disposable income Have friends who didn't smell of oil and have sun burnt ears...

My local rag have ran a feature on my car and I; http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/westfield-s2000-gives-ian-lightweight-fun/story-30428494-detail/story.html @Simon Westwood - Westfield Sportscars Ltd You may recognise a committee Member in one of the pics too!

Sorted I got myself a 90degree chuck adapter for battery drill and opened out the hole in the centre to 6mm in 1mm increments taking care not to drill right out the back of the thread. Bought a set of screw/bolt extractors and gradually wound it in until it hit the back of the thread which I had left in. Now I had created a good grip for the extractor I took it back out and gave a 2-3 minute Heat cycle with blow a torch then wound the extractor back in. Now was the dreaded bit, kept applying more and more pressure with the ratchet until bingo, the sender threat started to come out, PHEW! NEXT step was to give the engine a short turnover, just enough for it to squirt a small amount of oil from the hole to clear any debris that may have been there. I shone a torch into the hole prior to this and to be fair i couldnt see any swarf from the drilling anyway. Now just got to wait for the replacement sender to come on Monday.

Ford 1600 crossflow 711M . Removed from a Westfield, complete with 4 speed gear box reconditioned from Westfield with extension leaver. Complete stainless exhaust system. Engine was fully rebuilt with highlift cam, heavy duty valve springs, high pressure oil pump, lightened fly wheel, new clutch vernier timing gear. Twin 40 Webbers, electronic ignition system. Spare dry sump and dry sump pump magnicore leads. I have all the reciepts for the engine parts inc big end main end barings, rings etc. Everything listed was bought new from either Westfield or Burton engineering. The engine and gearbox has only done just over 5,000 miles. This will fit straight into a Westfield with all the necessary hoses, engine mountings, starter and altinator which is included. £1,000