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Only Stu could find a colour coordinated skip to park next to4 points
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Hi all, so im finally (after a 9month searching period) the owner of a Westfield. Ive purchased a megablade turbo, previously built by John on here. If anyone has any contacts details for John or build info on the car id love to touch base with him. Cant believe the attention to detail on particular parts of the build, very impressed! Ome cheeky garage pic before locking her up for the night.3 points
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Hi, I'm somewhat reluctantly advertising my Westfield for sale. It's the third Westie I've owned, bought from the original builder just over two years ago and only for sale now because I've finally admitted to myself that I just don't have the time to use it enough and that's likely to continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. It was built by a fairly wealthy retired chap in 2010 who had something of a 'gentleman racer' fantasy with the idea that he'd have a car that he could drive to the track, race and then subsequently drive home. As far as I know that idea remained something of a fantasy throughout his ownership, it never saw a starting line but he did build a really good car. Two years ago I wasn't really looking to buy another Westfield, however a mutual friend of the previous owner and I pointed me towards this car and, once I'd viewed it, I realised it was too well built to miss out on and ended up buying it. The car is built on a 2010 Aerorace chassis power by a Zetec blacktop that was brand new at build date, the most recent rolling road graph I have shows 232bhp. It's located a few miles north of Bromsgrove, 5 mins from J4 of the M5, Full Specification 2010 Aerorace chassis with removable rear arches (chassis marginally lighter and stiffer than the road chassis of the same period) fully road legal and the same dimensions as the standard SEIW. 9800 miles MOT to 19th May 2019 Black bodywork with carbon look front arches, in very good but not unmarked condition. It’s currently in full road trim with windscreen, wipers, washers, interior carpets etc. In that spec at the last setup session with about 1/2 tank of fuel it weighed exactly 602kg. Clearly if you wanted to there’s some significant weight to be easily lost. I have a lever arch file full to bursting with all the paperwork associated with the car from the original kit order at Westfield onwards. Engine Built in 2010 with new Zetec Blacktop Head ported and polished by CNC heads and matched with their specification cam. Following this link ( http://www.cncheads.co.uk/?p=755 ) takes you to the website the tuner provides on this head and cam combination for more info, extrapolating the power claims CNC make ( 215bhp @ 6400rpm and 247 bhp @ 8200rpm) to the 7500rpm limit on this car fairly accurately supports the claimed power output on this engine. Arrow engineering buckets ARP rod bolts Balanced and polished crank Standard Zetec flywheel machined and lightened by CNC Heads Raceline sump Omex 600 ECU Jenvey throttle bodies Bosch green injectors Simpson Race Exhausts aluminium manifold 4 into 2 into 1 ( http://simpsonraceexhausts.com/manifolds/ ) Westfield carbon silencer Bespoke breathers all feeding into aluminium catch tank in the nose cone, although very little oil ever gets blown into the tank. Most importantly lots of time and effort spent mapping the engine. Despite it's relatively high state of tune it starts easily hot or cold, idles nicely and is generally very drivable and tractable with no grumpiness or nasty flat spots. In the interest of longevity the limiter is set at 7500 rpm at which point the power curve is still climbing. It also makes some lovely burbles and pops on the overrun. Cooling Aluminium race radiator from Radtec with 60mm core and Aerorace ducting ( http://radtec.co.uk/products/331/Vauxall-Ford-Cosworth.htm ) Custom pipe work and thermostat housing which ensures this car never has the cooling issues some Zetec Westfield suffer from, coolant temp is rock solid in both traffic and in hard use on track Drivetrain Helix fast road clutch Rebuilt Sierra 3.92 LSD, no clunks or play and locks up nicely but not too aggressively. I actually prefer this diff to the ATB I had in a previous car, although it's not quite as tight at slow speeds for 1st gear sillyness that seems to result in it never 'pushing' the car into understeer in faster corners on track. I therefore prefer the way the car drives in comparison to car with a tighter diff, however it wouldn't be as useful in an autocross type scenario. BGH E8 type 9 gearbox. Ratios and price listed in the following link, this is the strongest and most expensive 'box BGP supply ( http://www.bghgeartech.co.uk/html/5_speed.html ). The ratios suit the engine very well with a usefully long first and 5th geared to a theoretical max of about 140mph. (Ratios are 2.66/1.75/1.26/1.00/0.86) Chassis Standard Aerorace chassis with associated extra bracing in comparison to same era road chassis, this car does not have lowered floors. Protech single adjustable shocks valved and setup by Procomp in Birmingham along with a full geometry setup, car runs with a reasonable amount of negative camber and some toe out at the front which gives a pretty sharp turn it, understeer isn't really something it understands! No anti roll bars currently fitted, however at the rear the brackets are present both on the lower wishbones and above and behind the fuel tank so to fit both front and rear ARB's would simple be a bolt on job after buying from Westfield, Playskool or similar. 13 inch ProRace 1.2 wheels in black with nearly new medium compound Toyo R888R in 205/50/15. Rallydesign Quickrack and sort steering arms fitted. Unlike some of the so called 'quickrack' setups I've seen this gives a real two turns lock to lock with the arches almost touching the tub on both sides on full lock, ie it's a genuine quick rack, not the version Westfield sell which is far from it and gives a terrible turning circle. Westfield alloy uprights both front and rear. Westfield widetrack front wishbones. Braking is a full AP racing setup including master cylinder and front and rear callipers. Fitted with Mintex 1144 pads and a brake bias adjuster. The car (in my opinion) drives beautifully, it's pointy, intuitive and hugely predictable but the setup is still relatively soft which means it's eminently useable as a road car with sensible ground clearance and great compliance while still being blisteringly quick on track. The lack of anti-roll bars is entirely my choice, I bought it with bars fitted but just prefer the way it drives without, I no longer have the antiroll bars for it. As stated above, if your preference is different it's a very easy job to refit appropriate bars from Playskool or similar. Other Bits Floor mounted Westfield padded race seats with 4 point Westfield harness for passenger and in date FIA 6 point harness for driver. Standard Westfield VDO instrumentation with suede three spoke steering wheel and carpeted interior. FIA approved Caged Roll Cage with homologation sticker. Plumbed in Lifeline fire extinguisher system (the extinguisher is out of date so would need replacing for scrutineering purposes if you ever wanted to race it) Lifeline FIA rain light which is wired to additionally act as fog light for MOT purposes. FIA approved battery cut off switch (which doubles up as a good security addition. Odyssey lightweight dry cell battery. I'm sure there's something I've missed but that's hopefully the important stuff. Inevitably the car's not entirely perfect, the only real issue is that inevitably after 8 years and 9800 miles the bodywork is no longer absolutley mint, there's some stone shipping down both the left and right side behind the front wheels. The left rear arch has been covered in clear protective tape and is in good nick underneath that tape, the right rear arch is in less good condition, particularly lower down at the front however I have a brand new right rear arch that can either be fitted pre sale or supplied with the car. There is also a 4 inch square hole in the bodywork on the lower front left side where the Westfield factory exhaust used to emerge from the engine bay before it was changed for the current one; this has been covered with black mesh and is not obvious. Other than that the car has no known faults; I'd always planned to tart it up a bit with a carbon boot cover and carbon dash but, like so much, the job's still on my to do list! In summary I've had a little bit of experience of various Westfields over the past 6 years and in my opinion this is a very good one. It's got a great spec and, much more importantly, it's been really carefully built by someone who knew what they were doing and had both the time and cash available to do the job properly. I don't have to sell it and know that replacing it with a car of the same standard will be difficult, but it also seem stupid to have it sitting hardly being used. With that in mind I'm looking for SOLD for the car. In addition and by separate negotiation there's also a set of 15 inch Pro Race 1.2s with part worn T1R tires on them and a Brian James Minno max twin axle trailer available if a buyer is interested. If you have any questions, queries or just fancy a good old chat about thel please feel free to give me a bell on 07909 696872, if I don't answer I'll get back to you asap. Thanks for reading,, Josh3 points
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Coming home tonight young lad shouted hey mister that car's sickhahaha thats the best comment yet3 points
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My favourite was uttered by a little girl, prompted by the sight of me clambering out of the thing (had the roof on the car at the time). “Mummy, how did that big fat man get in that tiny little car?” Mummy was mortified, but I just laughed. Can’t be upset by the truth. Still makes me chuckle when I remember it.3 points
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My son keeps going on about not feeling well and being 'sick' . I thought it was an excuse to get off school.............. Not had many comments about this car , but the chap in the Shell station asked if my Lotus Elise was a Ferrari ? .......................of course I said yes The one comment I got from my last Westie was from someone walking on the pavement , when I trundled up to a crossing , the car ejected a big flame out the exhaust............... cue pedestrian shouting out ' Oh Crap !!!, that nearly burnt my leg' before starting to laugh ..............2 points
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well I’ve just been to the Westfield factory in person and I can’t say just how helpful they were!! Fantastic bunch! I sat in a wide body with lowered floor and it was absolutely perfect!! Manager showed me around; The wide without the lowered floor would be fine too he said because he was exactly same size and build as me!2 points
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This is the problem with Westfield owners... they always seem to find an excuse not to drive their cars. I just wanted to point out to owners that they've got a car that is begging to be enjoyed at every opportunity, not just for an early Sunday morning once in a blue moon.2 points
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-44222054 Worrying , to be honest.................Especially when she thought it was parked on a street !! ........... Did they remember how to get home ?1 point
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Sorry for the delayed response just got off a 11 hour flight and 3 hr drive home. thank you for your comments, it’s seems to be a mixed bag of feelings. Having some to time to read and think about it, i feel I might better of all round hold out and wait for the one to come up instead of rushing into something that I might regret latter. cheers.1 point
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Yep pretty much the same @Gary (KugaWestie) - North Oxfordshire AO!! Although since I'm entering my first sprint with it next weekend, Martin and I have been busy with the fireproof foam...1 point
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Sounds similar to me extricating myself from a mates Exige. It was rather an unpleasant vision , like a hippo dropping a breach baby hippo as my ass hits the floor and my legs are still in the car1 point
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We like it too It’s a Ford colour, “Squeeze Green”, saw it on a 2009 Fiesta and fell in love with it. Really suits the shape of the Westy.1 point
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Thats not the course we are doing We start in different place and do 95% of one lap. Go on Youtube and search for Silverstone Stow sprint round about 2017, 20181 point
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Hmmmm..... http://www.sportspromedia.com/quick_fire_questions/leaders-in-motorsport-msa-david-richards1 point
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I've just come across this thread! Thanks everyone for your recommendations and comments! 4ndy glad you took out insurance with us - have fun in your new Westy... but stay safe Carlie @ Cherished Vehicle Insurance Services (part of the A-Plan Group)1 point
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There are good reasons why everyone keeps saying try more cars! The thing with Westfields is that despite them all having basically very similar narrow or wide chassis, no two cars are often the same withwhats fitted to those chassis. Things like seat types, interior carpeting, side trim panels, steering wheel types all make a big difference, and that’s before people start adapting things by modifying seat positions, or moving steering wheel positions. As an example. I once helped move a newly bought second hand narrow bogey car for a friend. Fully trimmed car, with comfy seats. I couldn’t actually fit all the way down into the seat, but even wedged in, four or five inches above the seat(!j the pedals were still too close. On the other hand, helping fitting a cage to a stripped out narrow several years later, I had no problem whatsoever fitting in, and the pedal placement was fine. But if I hadn’t done this, I’d still think that I just didn’t fit. That said, the wide is more comfortable, and more to the point, the wide means I can use any choice of Westfield seat, and have interior trim. i have no figure to back it up, but people who’ve tried both have always told me that the standard Caterham S3 chassis is about the same as a narrow, for cockpit width, possibly even slightly less. While I do know the SV is wider and longer than our wide. Again, though, perhaps not to the extent you see with Westfields, but different interior specs on Caterham, will mean a tighter or looser “fit” in the available space. Plus didn’t at least some S3’s have adjustable pedal positions?1 point
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It also depends on the position of your steering wheel. Mine sticks out a bit. I am 6ft(ish) tall and have pushed my jk seat forward a bit, tilted it backwards a bit (bit of wood at the front end), have a flat floor and fit just fine! I'm a bit scrunched up and that might not suit everyone. Just to repeat - get yourself along to your local meet and try 'em all out. Big Ron in Yorkshire has a narrow and fits in his with a bit of a squeeze. He's just huge!1 point
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You'll be fine in a wide body westy. I'm a couple of inches taller and about the same weight and fit fine. Seat choice is critical though. I used fibreglass seats pushed right back. I just couldn't get in comfy with the thicker padded seats and I find the grp seats very comfortable even for long journeys. The lowered floor pans on the westfield also make a difference for us larger drivers. Someone will correct me but think they became standard fit around 2006/7.1 point
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Hope you left home pushing it this morning !! You'll get a note again !!1 point
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Ha, I just answered your question on Pistonheads You should be able to find someone more local than Northampton though1 point
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Well today , the whole family went to Williams GP factory near Wantage. Santa was kind enough to give us some tickets ( on my card !!) to have a look around at the place and the cars. Now, I dont actually like F1 and find it a bit circus like to me. So, bear that in mind in this thread. We were late , with 2 women giving me directions , it went pear shaped , but luckily they hadnt started the tour. and we miss anything. The site is vast, from the security gate , to negotiating which building on the map we were in and which car park. The grounds were very neatly cut and the place was spotless. We parked up and walked to the conference and museum building. We were met by this hedge outside the building. Walking into the reception, we had a couple of cars in front of us. The one on the ground was the 2016 race car We discussed the cars evolution through time and the current designs and aero changes through the years. The 1.6 litre 4 cylinder engines and all the electrical systems and motors and regulations were touched on. We then went into the hall of fame of all the drivers and their crash helmets and how they had changed with safety in mind through time. From there, we saw a video , with the infamous Murray Walker wailing away and clips of Williams wins and Jacques overtaking manouvres . This , we were told we werent allowed to record as poison drawf aka Bernie Ecclestone had copyright of the film . Sad really............ So, then the doors opened to the museum of cars. Alan Jones cars from the very beginning all the way to the 2016 cars in there. We then headed through the cars and saw the changes from designs with fibre glass and alloy tubs to carbon fibre . NA cars to turbo cars to NA cars and back to turbos. Fuel tanks on either side of the drivers to now being in a cell behind them, to now sitting on loads of batteries. We had a Laguna Touring car there , which interests me more and a fantastic 6R4 , which Patrick Head was lead designer of it . The cars all smell oily and thats because they all ( well mostly) work and get used. The 6 wheeler and some of the others were away for a classic french race , so there were a few empty spots. Interestingly , when Honda pulled out of Williams, as they were chasing Senna to Maclaren, they took every engine away and the car stood with an empty engine bay up until about 6 years ago, when Honda let Williams have an engine and wished them luck to get it running, which they did manage to do. So, we headed into the Honda era of cars ( via Judd ) and the turbo time, which some cars in later years ran over 1300 hp. Seems quite frightening, when there was still no real interest in safety , other than moving the drivers a bit further back to stop them loosing their legs in a front impact. Aero wasnt really catching on and the first carbon parts were appearing. This was mainly wings and later tubs . We then headed into the Senna, Mansell, Prost days. Very much technical changes with carbon appearing on wishbones, extra wings and downforce appearing and NA engines again. Interestingly , we headed into the Coulthard era. He took over from Senna after his death. When he jumped in the car, he found out that in the early days , he was paid £5k a race !! Bear in mind that Senna had commanded a million per race. He wasnt happy and approached Frank Williams and asked for a rise, to which Frank said, you signed the contract at that pay ! Then into the BMW era and these cars looked amazing. We also have a Le Man car , which was raced. After this, we then headed upstairs to the trophy room, which they admitted was a bit dusty currently. They also had some cars in there, so we had a picture with Ayrtons winter test car We then proceeded to have a fabulous lunch laid on, which we all enjoyed and then went back into the trophy area ( via the IT department as we got lost ) and you could sit in the test car and take a picture, which we got Mini TJ to do. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable few hours for all of us and from an engineering perspective was just mind blowing. The finish and detail on the cars and the passion you could see in all the staff was incredible. If you want something for a birthday or christmas, then this is the best 2 1/2 hrs of petrol head heaven going. As for the Westfield and FW link Even the most advanced cars can leak like a crossflow !! Note: I am not an F1 geek, so may have confused a few things, but hopefully its a good insight into Williams1 point