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I'd owned my previous impulse purchase Westfield for 2 years and although I loved that car and it is brilliant, I was starting to get itchy feet, but I wasn't sure for what exactly. Maybe a completely different car, another different spec' Westfield, I just didn't know. Anyway, I was looking in the For Sale section on here one Tuesday morning and noticed Tim's old car which was currently owned by Dave. When I first saw it, Dave had reduced the price from his original asking price. I personally find it difficult (pretty clueless actually) to understand the price points of our cars, simply due to the mass of variations out there and what value that gives to each car. However when I looked at the car I even thought to myself, that looks like a bargain. I had a quick flick through the build diary (Tim's) that morning, but I was busy with work and couldn't pay too much attention to it, but I kept thinking about the car during the day. That evening I was at football training with my son when my friend Steve called to ask if I'd seen the advert for the car, he obviously knew I was having itchy feet because we'd chatted numerous times about what to buy next, he was having similar itchy feet with his Westfield too. We had a chat and I knew if Steve was telling me about the car, which he'd extensively followed during the build process then it was worth giving Dave a call. I called Dave that evening and decided to buy it on the strength of that chat, the build thread and having a conversation with a couple of my friends in our community. After all, what did I have to lose? If I liked it, I'd either keep both Westfields, or sell my current one, or if I didn't like it, sell Dave's car. Dave was great to deal with, really nice chap and he needed the funds to setup his vehicle transport business. This was a blessing in disguise because he lives 3 hours away, but Kindly delivered the car to me as part of the sale. Rob (Hunter) told me the car was 'no garage queen' and when the car turned up he was right, she'd need a bit of tidying up here and there but nothing a bit of effort wouldn't sort out. Steve was with me when the car arrived and once I'd sorted out the paperwork with Dave and said our goodbyes, Steve and I jumped in the car for a drive. Within a mile of my home, we hit the first national speed limit and 30 seconds later I knew my old Westfield was going up for sale. The car was rapid, the sound of the turbo, the power and the pull had Steve and I giggling like excited children. If you considered Dave's car for the price he originally wanted for it and thought no, you missed out on an amazing car for the money. If you looked again when he dropped the price and thought no again, then I am seriously lucky to have seen it when I did because the car as it was, for that money was an absolute bargain. But as I said, she needed a bit of fettling to make her look nice. First thing was to get the wishbones off and tidy them up, including the front and rear shocks. Nothing that a bit of time, effort and paint couldn't fix. The bodywork was a little dull in a few places and a couple of scratches here and there but some red t-cut and red polish really brought that to life again. I also added some rubber edge trimming to a few points around the car to finish that off. The Image wheels were looking very tired and needed doing. Unfortunately no wheel refurbishing business wanted to touch them, because they're a three way split rim. One business said they'd do it, so I dropped them off and went on holiday expecting them to be done on my return. Well no, that didn't happen. I received a call 2 days into my holiday to say they can't do them because THEY'RE A 3 WAY SPLIT RIM!!!! Which I replied, I know they are and you know they are because I told you they are and they were still a 3 wat split rim when I dropped them off (roll eyes)! The only place that said they'd do them was Image Wheel themselves, but they wanted £700 + VAT! In the end I did them myself. Bought new bolts, prepped, masked, primed and sprayed them, without having to split the wheels. Cost me about £65 to do. Tyre's are a bit a headache for the 13inch rims. I bought new tyres for it and to get wide tyres on the back (235/45) the profile is low and not much option, but the car is balanced really well and the grip is excellent. I've also adjusted for the tyre profile differences and got the correct amount of rake from rear to the back, I just don't like the way it looks, it's definitely function over form. Once these rears wear down I'll, buy some 205/60 (like the front) and see if there's any difference in grip or handling levels. The Aim dash in the car is fantastic, unfortunately (initially) I decided to plug the laptop into it to see what it was all about and I went at it like a total idiot and an utter bull in China shop. Zero preparation and zero research on how the software works etc. In my idiotic haste I managed to wipe absolutely everything off it, including what channels from the ECU coming into the dash were doing what and what specific milliamp parameters were reading to activate different functions etc, I royally screwed it up. And after standing in my garage and screaming no no no no and shaking for 30 minutes, I set about trying to rectify my mistake. In the end it turned out to be a blessing in disguise (it took several hours). I learnt more about the car, the ECU and of course how the AIM software works. Because of that, I've added more functions to the AIM dash than before and set it up how I want it, plus if I want to change it, I can now easily do that. But most importantly, I've saved my current setup as a base, in the AIM cloud, on my laptop and on a data stick.......... I can't go through that anxiety again! 😄 I changed the pads on the car, they were good but more focused towards higher and constant temps on track and when coming to a stop they squealed a fair bit. New pads in and they're great and I've now got a spare set for trackdays. NEW HYBRID TURBO - Don't get me wrong, the car was already fast but being like most of use, wanting more and actually NEEDING more of anything usually don't really correlate to one an other. So I bought a X48R hybrid turbo from Pumaspeed and a set of uprated coilpacks too. The X48R turbo is allegedly rated on the standard engine at 1.6 BAR boost for around 347bhp. Mine is running at 1.45BAR and it's absolutely fantastic, it's rather nippy to say the least! The car sounds sensational, I love the thing, I can't get enough of the turbo intake noise and then the dump. The way the car is setup and handles too, is simply sublime, which really complements the power the car now has. I also cut the section out on the bonnet and added the grill to allow more air into the engine bay. With more Turbo power I expected more heat, plus I prefer the black grill over what Tim had on there before (Sorry Tim). I ordered a full roll cage a while back from caged laser, I had one on my previous car. I like the cages, I personally prefer the look they give the car. To me, the cage adds to the lines of the car and stops them from looking a bit like a slipper. Plus, if something comes up the bonnet, it's nice to know that that the first thing it's now not going to hit is my helmet clad FACE! It took 4 weeks for it to be made and finally delivered, the delivery from Caged Laser could definitely be better, but not the end of the world, just a little frustrating over a few days. There's been a few other bits and pieces that I've done but that's basically about it. Come the winter there are several bigger jobs that I'll be doing, but for now that'll do. In a nutshell, I absolutely love this car it is simply phenomenal and I can't stop driving it.

My garage roof has needed replacing for a while. It is corrugated asbestos cement sheets and leaks in a number of places. I have two garages from a block of four on our property and the owner of the other two has led getting this sorted, as much as anything because he is a builder! I spent the last few days clearing my garages out, so the lawn and our garden room currently look like a bombsite. Last week we had scaffolding erected behind the garages to allow access, and today a specialist company came to remove the old roofing and were done by around 1pm. Pretty hideous work in this heat wearing masks and suits etc, rather them than me! Some strengthening/replacement work is needed on the beams which should be done by mid morning, then it will be on with the new roof. I shall be acting as labourer, mainly helping get the new sheets up on the roof while he does the technical bits 🤣. We are basically replacing with similar look sheets but with a clear panel above each garage for better lighting. Whilst everything is empty, I’m also thinking of sealing the floor and white washing the walls so it all looks brighter and to keep the dust down. Hopefully it will be a much more workable and pleasant environment for both the car and DIY. Will post some more pics up as we progress. Cleared and ready Roof gone!

While the roofs off have you thought of adding a lifting beam/RSJ? Where the double blocks are looks a good place.

My quoted 1.45psi and 1.6psi are totally incorrect because I meant 1.45 BAR and 1.6 BAR. 😁 I did wonder why 0-60mph was 34 seconds! I'll edit my post now.

Hi All, Quick update….. been back down to toybox and purchased the car and it’s being delivered tomorrow !! Got sorted with Lancaster Insurance so thanks to Naranja_AI for the help. Appreciate all the advice 👍🏻

Getting the pins to line up is easy. The method described in the manual is to drill two pilot holes in the bonnet, clamp the bonnet to the nose, transfer drill through and then enlarge with a step drill to the right size. for the indicators I fitted the bodywork, and then with all the suspension settled I measured up from the floor to the height I wanted. latches depend on what type you’ve got but it’s not too difficult if you’re handy with a drill and file.

Good chance I could hook you up with some carbon flared sides too .

Sold

Thanks Ian…it was a very long drive, staying in a dreadful hotel and hence a distinct lack of sleep…..but it was so worth it. Thanks very much to the wonderful hospitality from John, Jeff and Nic et al and great to meet Steve, Mike, Phil, Bob and Lynda, Andy (Greenstreak), Nick Clarke (I’m sorry about the coffee cup too 🙄), Graham (Grizlee thank you for your advice and invaluable mechanical tips!), finally met “piston broke” and have promptly forgotten his real name, apologies! And anyone else I have missed out….. some great racing and equally great company. My trip home highlighted by an early morning ‘blat’ down the Wye valley stopping at Tintern Abbey before a 40 minute queue to get over the Severn bridge. All in all a memorable Gold Cup debut for me.

He’s got throttle bodies fitted……. Nnnnoooooooo I don’t believe it, never heard such a thing (today at least).

Congrats mate, you’ve definitely created a beauty right there. Tim built a special car that’s for sure, I should no I tried to buy it but couldn’t stretch that far. I’m glad it’s in good hands👍🏻 P.S Don’t listen to @Rob Hunter - Club Secretary and his silly jokes of ecoboost friends, he’s just jealous cause he’s run out of people to tell he has throttle bodies fitted! 😂

A wee run out today with my daughter to Braemar thru Glenshee and the old military road. What an amazing place, never been on the route before never mind in a Westie. 175 miles covered and on the last bit we got stuck in traffic, nose to tail and melting hot. The engine started running hot the dumped it's coolant. Lucky my wife was only a 40min drive away and saved the day. Awesome drive and not dampened by the engine boiling the coolant!

+1 for painting the walls white - makes a huge difference!

Not long to go now hope we are all getting excited 😁 For all those bringing their Westfields in to the club infield display area please see location below, note this is a different location to last year! SF24 Light Blue Zones v17.6.pdf SF24 Overall Zones v17.4.pdf

Weather holding, so might be tempted to give it a try.

Yeah it's a decent size and would look brilliant all painted. I did the same job last year to my own garage, however for various reasons I elected to cover over the original roof rather than remove it. This allowed me to insulate the gap in between and completely stopped the condensation drips during the winter. Much nicer place now.

Changed my roof a few years ago and had a clear/opaque section put in the middle, it makes a huge difference, for the first few days I kept going down to make sure the up and over door was shut because it was that light in there 🫣 .

Lovely big space, get that white paint up!

From what I understand, it’s basically mix of parts and designs from other systems and incorporating the base turbo as opposed to having a completely custom and specifically spec’d turbo made by a single manufacturer. I think.

I’ll have you know, my counting these days is exceptional. I’ve been practicing since having the hybrid turbo fitted. Even learnt how to do my 10s times tables too. I’m proper right clever on them maths digits, number and ffffiinnggsss nah ya know.

Yeah it's their ceramic coating I use on my wheels. Brilliant stuff lasts forever.

Amazing! I can't wait to receive absolutely nothing in the post! 🍺 Absolutely gorgeous car too btw. I have a turbo Zetec, runs up to about 1.1 PSI, sorry I mean BAR, and that makes it more than fast enough for me 👍😁

Just for @Westygav and @Steve Bosworth (who now has Bugmans old car) can everyone please use your best, high pitched "Inbetweeners voice" and say out loud.... "Ecoboost Fwends" 😂 Seriously though, it's a stunning car and I'm so pleased you've found a car you've gelled with! 👍

I have followed Rob on the roads to Malvern and can attest to the accuracy of that statement, which combined with his brake lights being completely inoperative on the day, made for a spirited and entertaining journey.

I have used GTechniq products for years, I think they are excellent.

A few pics from the day

Good to see @GarethHD star gazing 😉

France gets its visit from baggy with GaryD1971 clan. Where will Baggy be next

Best to seal the blocks with watered down pva or watered down cheap emulsion, as the blocks will absorb a lot of paint.

And the floor, really cuts down on the dust. I got a drum of floor paint from Ebay during lock down, enough to do it twice now and maybe even a third time.

On a roll, drained the coolant and flushed it out 5 times until the water was clear. Lovely new antifreeze in there now. No pictures but you've got the idea 🙂 Just heading out to put the Smart Fabric on the storm cover.

@Martyn Vann - Warwickshire AO first on the list !!!!! This retirement thing must be going really well

Welcome back!

That is stunning, congrats 😎

Hi everyone Just had a good experience renewing my insurance with Howdens. Thanks to Layla who was very helpful and great to deal with. A decent price and good service - what more can you ask for? Mark

I did think about doing a video then thought better of it, 60 & 70mph does come around very quickly.

Wow fantastic, it looks even better than before 🤩 Glad we'll see the car on the forum again 👍

Sadly I have very little talent, just a massively under developed fear gland 😂 A couple of the guys you met are back on track at Donington on Friday if you're around

I have entered and hope that I'll be able to make it although at the time of writing I'd struggle with the drive up. A fantastic track, by far the best in the Speed Series.

Always a good event, made even better with glorious sunshine all day. Special thanks to John and Jeff for organising, and Dave S for kindly lending me his car! Sorry about the coffee cup Gareth 😉. Heres a small selection of photos from the day.

Great day. Good weather too. And some fab racing. Those F5000’s are loud.

100% definitely 👍 even so I wish I still had all my old MK1 Escorts. I could retire!

Brilliant day thank all. Couple of photos to make you smile -

Thanks for arranging a great blast around Peaks. It was great catching up with everyone and hearing about your trip to Switzerland Julie.

I did wonder where he got his new shorts from... 🤔 Sorry, I'm going to get banned here already 😬

Still reckon the Westy has much higher “smiles per gallon” 😁

Thanks Gary! It should never be a "push" but we do have to ask because although we may have your vehicles we can do most things such as business insurance, home, marine, equine, life, travel etc - so we want to make sure we're looking after you in every way we can Carlie

Thanks @Julie Hall - WSCC AO Representative brilliant drive around the peak district once again and it was nice to catch up with you all brilliant day

There was a distinct lack of real sevens at the car museum with only 4 Caterhams in the car park. Ian and I spoke to Nick who is the Derby/Notts/Leics AO of the Caterham Club and he is keen for us to meet up, so I passed him my business card and when they come to the museum next time we will try again. The WSCC put on a magnificent display of 13 cars and I thank you all for making that happen, very proud to be in this club and out with you all. Breakfast at the museum Parked at the museum only just fitted on the panorama shot A 13 car convoy, plus a Jaaaag journeyed through the Peak District, unbelievably we all arrived at the Bentley Brook pub together, perhaps I will put the route up beforehand more often. We comfortably fitted in the top car park someone had to put colour coding first and parked at the other side 😄 There was a carvery and a full menu to choose from, we all sat in the beer garden Next up the people that were heading back North drove the lovely Bentley Brook Road, which forms part of a quiet route right between the busy tourist areas, to land at the Peak Village in Rowsley, where we knew the car museum were exhibiting. We had a chat with them before persuing ice cream and cake. Here they are offering gift vouchers for the 'Drive Dad's Car' experience. Here we are having our treats Andy Westwood missed out on his favourite dessert Big Andy was a bit quick tucking into the lemon meringue, well he is called Andy! they have a reputation these Andy's Parked at the Peak Village Thank you for coming today everyone and showing the museum that we have a great, active club. I hope you have enjoyed the lovely Peak District roads and scenery as much as we have. Here are some last photo's of you at the Bentley Brook Inn.

Had a great day, 5 of us from Essex & Kent areas went. Sun shone and even had sight of a local air display going on yesterday. Here's a short video of 3 of us, heading up start & finish straight