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Finally drivable after 15 months without an engine So very nearly ready for the road

I took my Westfield for MOT on Friday, the tester who always does it said "not using it much are you". It was then he pointed out it was last tested in 2015, so last drive was a trackday in the August of that year. In my defence I lost both my parents one after the other and then my Father in Law in January of this year, all were ill for a long time, so it was not top of my list. So today went out in it for a run out and after first 10 or so miles I was thinking how hard it was, how windy how every bump felt like hitting a kerb and then... the road opened and I suddenly remembered why I love these so much. Ice cream stop with obligatory question from people, although one woman asked if it was a "TT" then coffee stop. A great day. Trackday booked for the 18th, happy days

Steve Your car will be fuel injection and would be a new engine. If you drive it like a Mondeo and potter at 40 to 50 you should get great mpg. However the sound of the engine and lure of the throttle will make you drive harder than your Mondeo ever would, unless it was salesman owned...... I get better mpg from my v8 when I put it on a trailer and tow it with something else

Wonderful day out thank you. Great to meet new friends and new ice creams.... jaffa cake flavour mmmm

Lee obviously had a quiet night shift last night - new photos available already (and there’s some really good ones) - same album link as the last time

The other night I was invited out for a night with "the lads." I told my wife that I would be home by midnight, "I promise!" Well, the hours passed and the beer was going down way too easy. Around 3 a.m., drunk as a skunk, I headed for home. Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hall started up & Cuckooed 3 times. Quickly, realizing she'd probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted solution (even when smashed), in order to escape a possible conflict with her. The next morning my wife asked me what time I got in, & I told her 12:00. She didn't seem disturbed at all. Whew! Got away with that one! Then she said, - "We need a new cuckoo clock." When I asked her why, she said, "Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, then said, "Oh *****," cuckooed 4 more times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another 3 times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the cat and farted....

Many thanks to all ... I have carried out further checks and Found that the top rails are also cracked... I have decided to send the car back to the factory where a full and thorough check can be made and any necessary repairs carried out.

I don't bend far enough @garytipping

2900mm give or take

5 years of driving my Westfield and it all just gets better and better, just when you think it can't, it does. All you lovely people just make my day. Meeting at The Wheatsheaf and pictured here are, in no particular order, but since Ian has taken the most stick today he can go first:- Ian, Dave and Jon, Jonathon, Andy and Ann, Trevor, Nigel and Lee, Ali and Gail, Richard and Liz, the owner of my car, Glen and his chauffeur, me.That made 9 cars and 15 people, no pressure then. Luckily the roads we were travelling on were quiet and the places we stopped at could easily accommodate us, so all was well. Trevor kindly blocked the road so we all left the pub in convoy and we got a clear run up the 13 bends, that warmed up the R1R's. We momentarily slowed for a view of the Dragon's Back, a peak in the shape of a stegosaurus, that's right isn't it Ian . Crikey, next we got a clear run up Crowdecote and even I went a bit too fast, so now I know the limit of the R1R's. NOTE - these are tight, twisty, hilly roads in a National Speed Limit area and no speed limits are exceeded. Glen was grinning away, not at the thrill of the ride, but at my face and my massive grin. To cool off we had a short break at Tagg Lane Dairy Ann and I had the Jaffa Cake flavour ice cream, Glen had blackcurrant and licorice, others had lotus biscuit, coconut or cookies and cream. Some people had 2 flavours in one cone, not naming anyone here!!! Rich and Liz left us here to go and meet the real Baby Bio, their first Grandchild, what a magical time it is for them and they exuded delight. The rest of us went in search of the Elton Essesss It was a reasonable run up the Essess and that nicely landed us at The Whitworth Centre in Darley Dale, just in time for lunch and cake. Lunch Cake - Lemon Fudge Cake and Bakewell Tart mmmmmmmmmmmmm Don't come between Ali and his cake And well done to his wife, Gail, for pinching Glen's flake right from under his nose and for battering him when he tormented her. The Hairy Westfielders bought their legs with them More rubbish parking at The Whitworth Centre, no pretty pics of the cars today. Thank you everyone for a truly brilliant day. Next Saturday is the breakfast meet at Curborough, followed by lunch at the Okeover Arms in Ashbourne. Some more pictures from The Wheatsheaf below. Richard and Liz, Andy and Ann Trevor with his fingers in his ears as I try and tell him the route. 'I am following you, Julie, why do I need to know the route?' he says. Ali and Gail Jonathon in his Vauxhall engined car, that is one mean MF car, sounded good and was fast, much faster than mine, it was right there on the button. Look forward to seeing you all again on the next trip out. Missing you.....already.

If your fuel gauge isn’t in a race with the speedo to see which one gets to the end first, you’re driving it wrong.

First thing to remember is that while the engine may be from a Mondeo or Focus, it will not have the same induction, exhaust or ECU as the Ford original. So you are comparing apples to pears! Our cars tend to use after market systems that trade power for economy. If you get 30mpg you are doing well, but honestly I couldn’t give a flying fart what mpg mine does!

My recently purchased Megablade, which im really enjoying at the moment

Theres an FAQ for that 2990mm but it will vary depending on whether its a wide/narrow and if its a later chassis with the spearate nose cone bracket

Cheers @Kevin (Mr T) - Essex AO, thanks for thinking of me, I do have all the bits now, just not fitted yet. Regards Gary

Don't want to be alarmist but weren't some home built v8s a bit suspect due to the weight and power of the motor?? You perhaps need to check...

Have booked in for the afternoon

Hi Terry Very sorry to hear of your incident. The Westfield factory is the obvious and probably best place to go. You could try a local TVR specialist such as Southways automotive in Fareham,. They do chassis restorations and as tvr are built in a similar way will have the right skills and suppliers if they are interested in this work. They can obviously work on the engine too. My local TVR dealer looks after mine as long as I tell him where the bits come from or source them myself. Failing that a local classic car places will perhaps have fabrication skills to help you. As rednop (Ash) said it would be wise to check the top of the chassis as he describes for other cracks they could have contributed to the failure. The steering rack is mk2 escort if you need a new one. Most choose a quick rack if replacing it with 2.4 or less turns to lock. Cheers Jon

I Did an FTD on toyos under torrential rain in practice, you'll be fine with semislicks. Track is **** when very wet thou... Last corner is normally a massively big puddle, and braking points in the chicane and the end of the last straight are really really tricky as they are bumpy. Half tempted to bring my new car, but not fancy a wet wekend at all...

I've found that if I creep in after a night out, trying my best not to wake SWMBO, generally a "conversation" will ensue no matter what the hour or the capacity of alcohol riddled brain. However, if I crash through the door, stomp up the stairs and exalt loudly "you're in for a good time tonight darlin'", invariably she'll pretend to be asleep...

Missed out on this one today and looks like you had a great day! Going away for a couple of weeks now so hope to join you all when I get back.

Haha yeah every mancave needs a car ramp/lift doesn't it?? Plus it's in the interest of saving my knees and back so I can work at a more manageable height, well that's what I'll tell the missus lol

Another fantastic day in the Peak District, how @Julie Hall - AO Representative, Peak District AO keeps find such amazing roads is a mystery. Driving got very spirited to say the least but with roads like that who can blame us. Great to see some old friends and some new faces. See you all soon

Great roads, weather, company as always. Thanks @Julie Hall - AO Representative, Peak District AO

Mmmmm ice cream

Mmmmm cake

Great photo Richard! There was method in the madness though, even it does look like we just abandoned the cars in the rush for iced cream.

Hi all, thanks Julie for letting Liz and I tag along this morning. Gr8 to meet some old faces and new ones. As always your group made us most welcome and despite my fuel problem (it didn't miss a beat after the HAY TRAILER) we thoroughly enjoyed it. Went to see a future member (mini bioman) and then home for tea. Park anywhere you like :-) ? Thanks again see you soon. Richard

Just back - another great run out, with many good opportunities for “enthusiastic” driving - only one tractor this time, and it was despatched fairly rapidly (by most of us with working fuel pumps at least....) my youngest son had “borrowed” that factor-50, leaving me with just the wife’s factor-20, so I have a feeling I might be paying the price in the morning that said, yet another day of glorious weather, great scenery, superb roads and brilliant company, so I’m not moaning too much.... hopefully some photos to follow, if Lee gets a chance to process them later