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Todays trip was from Germany to Holland via Spa circuit for a quick look at track action 🙂 Spa also has a good cart track on route to Eindhoven we had a close call with a level crossing @W Shep had to do a quick reverse when the barrier came down 😵 Chinese for tea followed by a Tesla taxi home 😎

One of the rounds we shoot has targets faced with 'animal faces' that notionally simulates hunting. Most of the faces are painted by members and are ordinary animals. Occasionally the artist gets a bit fanciful and does something like the sabre tooth tiger. One that makes me smile has two zombie Nazis on it. We also have a werewolf and a predator.

We stayed up late last night and Terry needed an extra few zedz after breakfast 😆 we had all day to relax before the big event so we had a quick lunch stop in the twisties near Nurburgring and then starting at 5pm the brave trio Paul, Jim and me on the ring while Terry and Wayne spectated at the 16 km corner 😎 my lap time includes car park time !! First on track at 5pm 😁

Thought I'd have a go whilst playing with the boy......

Thanks for the replies, chaps. I've spoken to Simeon and Jason at Westfield. They are both very helpful. I think I'm going down a different route now. I'm just waiting for Jason to get back to me with some prices.

For my summer holiday I have booked a villa near Marseille and I am taking the Westy for its first tour! I will be sailing from Portsmouth to Cherbourg using the high speed ferry service (Condor Liberation) operated by Brittany Ferries. I’m splitting each journey (down & back) into two, so roughly driving half way each time and already booked accommodation for each way point. Recently I’ve made a few changes & additions to my car such as a new luggage rack, temporary full windscreen, twin USB charging socket and finished my new home made tonneau this weekend. With only 3 weeks to go I now have to plan what tools & spares to take bearing in mind the small amount of spare space available, so far I have thought of the following; Spares list Throttle cable Fuses Fan belt Clutch cable (do I really need to take this?) Bulb kit Consumables Cable ties Electrical tape Duct tape Gloves Crimp connectors – a selection Tool list Allen keys Spanners – a selection Screw drivers Sockets – a selection Snips Leatherman Crimps Puncture repair kit – Dynaplug kit French Regulations Hazard sign / warning triangle Hi-Viz vests Light deflectors (for driving on the opposite side) V5 Document Driving license Vehicle insurance documents Seems a long list but most of the tools and a few consumables will fit (with careful packing) in an old wash/toiletry bag I have which I can fit behind the driver’s seat, then I have the same amount of room behind the passenger seat. Is there anything critical I have missed or should think about taking?

Hello Everyone. I'm a previous Westfield owner. I had a bike-engined car that was a lot of fun but too much for road use. I'm looking at getting another one that is a bit more sedate. The options are to buy one, refresh it and make it how I'd like it, or build a new one. I'm interested in the Mazda SDV build but have my concerns about buying a new kit now that Westfield is under new ownership. Has anyone ordered a new kit since Westfield changed hands? If you've built a Mazda SDV car any suggestions on the best MX5 model to go for? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I bought them 5 years ago off eBay. Couldn't find the exact ones on there, but they are something like this. I swap them in/out with standard halogens for mot. Just in case 🙂 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174587680591?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cnafplkksfk&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=4qRyld5DRya&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Of course I do. there are a few on eBay at reasonable prices though

I e not spoken to anyone in that position yet; however I can say, having heard from people using the parts shop, and myself included, the service so far has been superb. It took a while for them to open for orders at the parts dept. because the front of house, (web site) and back of house, (web shop, order processing, stock management, invoicing etc) are all totally new and much, much improved from the old days. In stock items are coming through quickly, and slickly. There are staggered orders from the none UK based suppliers that have very long lead times, which means, we the customers, see much shorter lead times for none regular stock items. I would say speak to Simeon, perhaps pay them a visit, if possible, and see how you feel.

My build was an early 1.6 and by choice I’d build the same spec again if I could. Don’t be out of by the short nose crank issues. Yes there was sone that suffered problems when gorillas tightened the crank bolt and over torqued it but equally plenty that didn’t, I’ve owned three such issues and none displayed any problems. The advantage of the 1.6 is that you can change the timing belt without removing the crank pulley so in theory the bolt should never have been touched. Steer away from the cars with an auto gearbox though as the engines were lower compression. I think if I couldn’t get another early 1.6 then I’d use a 1.8 vvti donor now. When sourcing a donor mx5 also look for one with the least options and gadgets, you’ll be thankful when it comes to striping the wiring loom.

Wow that was quick. It's yours will pm. Cheers

Plenty of Mazda SDV builds out there, and you'll get a variety of opinions on the donor vehicles as there's pros and cons to each of them. I went for an early 1.6 NA donor for a few reasons. 1.6 is lighter and generally thought to be a bit more revvy, but rather than torquey, which is a characteristic I wanted. Early donor (1991) doesn't require a cat for emissions, which simplified exhaust selections etc. 1.6 before the release of the 1.8 were 115bhp, but the engines were detuned to 90bhp after the 1.8 came out. Drawbacks are that the earlier engines didn't have VVT which came in around 2003 (I think), and you'll definitely be capable of bigger power from a 1.8 if you're going the forced induction route. If you go for an early 1.6, there were some issues with the early cranks wearing keyways if not maintained properly. Documented fairly well here: https://www.miata.net/garage/crankshaft.html Regardless of which one, the Mazda SDV is a great option. Simple and reliable engine which suits a Westfield well in my opinion, although I may be biased!

Unfortunately I can’t make this one either ☹️. Have a good time at Powderham 👍🏼 I would of liked to of gone but I’m away for this too.

😁

You wont be putting an arrow thro' that Tiger. Unless your Fred Flintstone.

Field archery, or shooting targets with arrows in the woods. David

Just renewed for the ninth year running, unfortunately it's gone up this year, but still well worth it. Thanks to Holly and @A-Plan Insurance THATCHAM

After several failed attempts I now have tyres. I somehow confused all the local tyre fitting workshops and their suppliers by wanting four tyres fitting to a moped 😀 the wheels were possibly in the worst condition that I could have bought but they were also the cheapest and as I was planning to get them blasted and powdercoated the condition didn’t really matter that much. this is the before and then after. With tyres fitting I could finally get them mounted onto the chassis. And then I wheeled it out into the sunshine for a few photos and the first test drive. after a short test I found one of the front brakes was binding slightly which appeared to be linked to the size of the master cylinder I’d fitted as the pads weren’t retracting back far enough. Initially I’d gone for a 5/8” but have now changed that to a 3/4” bore which now seems to have cured the problem. next job bodywork.

Just over 200 miles under the belt today 😎 We had a couple of early morning glitches Wayne had a coolant pipe leak and Jim had a loose steering column, both quickly fixed and onward to Luxenbourg 🙂 We enjoyed a nice scenic route through Luxembourg including up a cycle path when Paul was leading 😅 On into Germany and we’ve arrived at a hotel stop for two nights near the Nurburgring 🙂

220 miles under the belt today on route to Germany somebody was having a laugh first thing spot the party trick 🙃 the route took us on some barely new tarmac !!! stopped for lunch on the outskirts of Paris unfortunately we were split up on route to the hotel (no blame mentioned 😂) but all eventually rendezvous at the hotel with a tricky car park ramp to negotiate 😅

Went through LeMans centre on way back to digs past Cathedral of Saint Julian of Le Mans 🙂

The final final version! 😊

Long time SCUBA diver who ventured into technical mixed-gas diving and then re-breathers; happy to dive in a muddy puddle and spend as long under water as I can - pure bliss and silence! Dived all round the world, but despite the sometimes chilly waters UK diving is so good - favourite UK dive is HMS M2 - Submarine with an aircraft hangar that sank(?) of Portland, Dorset, 1932 with all hands. Also loved diving Malaysia and Borneo - wonderful reefs and so much wildlife. However, the recent passing of my Father has found me with a full set of Fly Fishing gear and so I may try to rekindle that old skill and supplement the larder...