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I've been watching the MK guys for some time and have to say I'm very impressed by what they are doing these days. If I ever sell my Westfield I'd definitely consider an MK. May even go visit them for a nose around this year.

Spot on .. people do focus on price and miss the bigger value picture. Sometimes it's standing back and understanding what the value is for you that's key.

That's a well written piece. Only thing I would add is that the new Westfield Chesil set-up is relatively new so it could be a case of more time in the saddle needed to get back to those old ways.

Back when my dad and I built our first Westfield 24(!) years ago, we were originally looking at doing a Locost. We’d gathered the steel box section we needed, as well as some of the suspension items. I then saw an advert in CCC for the Westfield starter kit, we contacted them, went on a test drive and decided that the starter kit was a better way to go as despite the extra expense for the chassis, we would always have something that would be worth a lot more than any Locost we built. The factory really engaged with us (it was Holly, Richard and Simon mainly at the time), we were invited to open days and new model launches, and we really felt part of something. We collected the starter kit with a view to sourcing other parts ourselves, but ended up with the vast majority coming from Westfield anyway. Nevertheless, we at the time would never have been able to afford to go down the module or full kit route, and the low price of the starter kit pulled us in… they then went on to flog a total of 4 kits off the back of that as they had us in their fold… it was a mixture of the value (rather than the price) and the experience. I don’t see any of that from Westfield any more. The guys down at MK seem to have taken that “old” Westfield (and in “old” I mean the Smith family days) way of doing things and run with it. You only have to look at their engagement with social media. Westfield now seem to be lost in a wasteland between not being seen as a Caterham, and being too expensive compared to MK and others. I hope they find their way back.

I have also fitted my halfhood today, but to drive with it I need to get rid of seat runners, as they add up approx 2cm and its too high for me with this roof 😕 - poor visibility in front and touching hood with head.

All set for a quick blast on Sunday before the rain came, and to try out my new roof/door popper arrangement 👍

Have a great day @AndrewBClarke & @Craig Spooner 🎂🍺🎂🍺

I was thinking the same… they’re a fair way away from me, but when I’m next down that way I’ll be organising a visit.

What I need is a good sprinkler system. Similar to your plumbing apparently 🤪

Note quite what your after, but Merlin do end caps: Spare End Cap for Merlin Repackable Exhaust Silencer (merlinmotorsport.co.uk), so may have or know where you can get them from. Alternatively try Wunoff wunoff.co.uk they may be able to make one up?

Happy BIG birthday @AndrewBClarke we heard the fire brigade were on standby for the candle lighting 🥵 hope you had a good one Xx

Not much has changed,different LSD and diff ratio is all👍 Would be happy to match that 11.91 tbh,if I could go faster would be nice😁 Only 3 runs on the Sunday,so not much chance to practise or alter suspension etc.

I like it too, but its not my idea , bought this tube with those extensions from @RJRWesty so he is propably the Inventor

I don't think I've ever seen rear wheel arch 'enclosures' like that before, great idea!

Happy birthday you two, hope you have a great day love from Glen and Julie xxxx

Not yet, that is some idea , I mean thought to make it from some fibreglass bar or sth like that. Even if not for not-touching my head, as You said for not flapping, as I assume in such roof type must be present. But - my eye level is still on upper frame ow windscreen. I constantly look above or below this frame . While If I sit in passanger seat (which I mounted without runners) its much much better. Also wind does not harm my last few hairs on head I have mounted those runners for situations if my Wife drive Westfield, but She love to sit as passanger and dont want to drive, My sons are already as tall as me, so max rear seat position is only what we used last season in fact.

Wunoff do a very nice stainless steel one with pretty good 94-96dB and can manufacture with different inlet diameter. They wiil do a full system too but you need to drop off car in midlamds.

Great pic @CosKev what are you aiming for this year? I suspect your car spec is likely to have changed from last year.

I started as a newbie last year, it is great fun. Have a look at my build blog you can see what I did in way of prep for the car.

A local member is using this company to make a repackable silencer for his 220bhp XE engined car. https://www.stainless-exhaust.com Might be worth a call 👍

Thanks for that @KevanP, appreciated. Like you I was also considering increasing from 2" to 2.5" having had some engine upgrades myself, did / will you need to remap it.. ?

I think that sort of entry level is very reasonable, and would be a good target for Westfield. If they want to engage with the younger generation then an affordable start point for a self build is essential. I have my own reasons for buying my car fully built, but I wouldn’t consider spending £30k or £40k on one to build! As has been said, plenty of affordable and well built cars to buy used, but they don’t help the factory’s sales so I do agree that they need to avoid pricing themselves out of the market.

Prices have shifted somewhat in recent years.... The Westfield is still a lower entry when new than an equivalent Caterham. 2022-R-Range-UK-Retail-inc-VAT-V1-4.pdf Add a few options to the base 170 (660cc) Caterham and it's well over £40k for a 85bhp car. If you are 6ft 5" like me, a Caterham isn't a viable option anyway. I've driven a couple and are fantastic cars but I couldn't live with one as they are just too small for me. A base MK Indy RX5 these days is £10k plus donor plus options (normally circa £15k to build from what I'm told). The Cup 200 and K20 engined cars are significantly more (well north of £20k). The Tiger Avon is no longer a "bargain" at over £23k plus options. New-avon-factory-2023prices.pdf The GBS Zero kit now sits between £13k (plus donor and options) to over £30k dependant on engine choice and chassis.

I guess to some extent it partly depends if you really love the building process as well. I'm very firmly in the - 'go out and buy a ready made one with as high spec as you can afford' camp. It saved me thousands, probably at least ten! I just have no urge to build one despite having the skills, I just love to drive the damned things!

Don't agree... very much depends on spec, but given you can pick up a very usable used Westfield for 10-12k and second hand Caterhams seem to start at around 20k, what does the extra 10K get you? Both will be impractical, noisy, respectably quick and huge fun. What's the big difference? When people ask if my Westie is a Caterham my stock answer is no, it's a Westfield, kind of a poor man's Caterham.... I don't care about the badge, what I do care about is the smile on my face when I drive it... Which is the whole point of owning any 7 type car.