Progression?

[WINGNUT]

When i decided to go ahead and by my Westie i looked all over the place, spoke to god knows how many people selling theres plus dealers too!

 

One chap off here was selling one i enquired about and he was selling to buy a Lotus!!!!! He said to me that the usual progression is to move to a Lotus then most arrive back at a Westie! Is this the norm?

 

I only ask as Cleggy is looking at a possible change looking at a post i just read!

 

 

[User0083]

Not sure,

But when I listened to the world and his dog I looked at MX-5's, S2000's, Elise's, Z4's... Spent about two months test driving all new stuff in show rooms and looking at what I could afford. Found the Elise very good, but something felt wrong and out of place. I drove a used one in a main dealer first, then at a "back street dealer" and felt the same. The seating position, steering wheel and pedals felt unnatural. Long story reduced...

I ended up in a S2000. Had it a week and had enough. I have it another week, tried to be enthusiastic about it... But it went a few weeks later and I got the Westfield. Driving the S2000 in the city was horrible, blocked, aimed at and everything. Driving on a motorway was smooth and lovely... Except for the petrol gauge! Low speed handling was a bit clunky for my liking, nice at speed though. Yes Westfield in a city is a nightmare... But there's a difference between not being seen and ability to predict what they are about to do. Rather than every young bloke trying to race you.

[WINGNUT]

Find it strange people getting there Westie to where they want a nice looking fast well sought after piece of kit, to in my opinion take more than a step back!

 

Lotus elise arent  a nice car especially if its fitted with the K series maybe the later ones are better i believe thay are toyota powered?

 

Tvr now these are generally across the board stunning without a doubt! But build quality is very poor! Ilooked at a Westie at a dealer not too far from Toybox cant remember the place but the guy was a Tvr dealer, when i looked at the Westie the body fit was poor especially on the n/s/r arch! I pointed it out and he said "thats nothing too bad, if you want poor clearances, shut lines and fit you should see some of the stuff that comes out of Blackpool" my response was "Well this quality in my eyes isnt acceptable on an £8000 car never mind a £30000 Tvr" the chap seemed surprised i wouldnt accept it!

 

Anyway back on point! People seem to be changing Westies for a sunny day fun toy Tvr/Noble/Elise there maybe the odd exception that are more useable but why change for something that will get embarresed by you at the lights? Plus if its attention you want your not going to get more than you do in a Westie! I had a pilgrim sumo before my Westie and the Westie turns more heads and gets more comments than the AC ever did which gobsmacked me!

[alexander72]

I bet Cleggy is looking at an addition to his garage rather than a change   am I right Clegster

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Find it strange people getting there Westie to where they want a nice looking fast well sought after piece of kit, to in my opinion take more than a step back!

 

There are lots of great reasons to change, but you have hit something of a nail on the head there, though maybe not in the way you think!

 

There's something I've noticed over many years as a member; someone will come along, buy a perfectly decent, but fairly standard "road-spec" Westfield, they'll have lots of fun, rack up loads of miles, the enthusiasm bug will really bite. May be do a few trackdays etc. Then upgradeitus sets in, (not necessarily in this order!) the interior will come out, shell seats go in, the windscreen gets swapped for an aeroscreen. The wheels will get swapped for 13" on sticky trackday rubber, then possibly a few engine upgrades. If not already done, a gearbox swap will be on the cards too. A big brake upgrade as well.

 

While this is going on, the owner will have some great trackdays, and some hyper road blats, but not so many as they used to.

 

Somewhere around this point, a cage goes on. Perhaps another engine upgrade. There will have been plenty of geo setting up and engine dyno'ing too.

 

A strange thing starts happening around about now, the posts about great track days or fantastic blats through (fantastic roads of your choice) dry up, and you start to see complaints about weather, or being too busy, or a hundred and one other reasons for not getting out.

 

You'd be staggered how many times though between six and eighteen months later the car is in the classifieds and somewhere in the ad will be the line "I'm just not getting the use out of it anymore".

 

The reality is, for these people, they've effectively over developed the car for what actually suits them. It may be a fantastic track car, superbly engineered, but it's also become something that they can no longer use. (Or perhaps it would be better to say no longer generates the desire to use it).

 

(I should add, there are plenty of exceptions to this, Cleggy being a good example of someone who has really developed a great track orientated Westfield, AND still got plenty of use from it.)

 

The key thing is being honest with yourself about what you really need from the car.

[WINGNUT]

Now pointed out by yourself this is something i have noticed when looking at cars for sale! You do start to think "why they selling that its spec'd up to death and looks nice "

 

And from previous threads the weather is getting the better of everyone! My car is used for blats out in the area and with the lad and with the odd use to work when the lads who give me a lift in are off! Hence to say that when they are off the weather is usually p###ing it down, so up goes the hood and on go the underpants as i try negotiate diesel spilt roads wet surface and a very light and lively Westie!

 

Its fair to say that no matter how fast or uprated the Westie is they arent the best in the wet! Only had my dream car for just over twelve months now and living in sun kist Manchester has already started to make me doubt whether i should have bought it really! (Till i get out in it) :d :d :d

 

cheers for the insight Dave

[User0083]

You've got it Dave,

I have always had upgraditis on my cars, why I love 70's MG's, mini's and the like. The drive, the simple style and easy to swap/upgrade bits.

With my I have to be able to do 200 mile motorway drives. So seats have to be good... I keep considering cage for safety, but too much. I keep thinking aero screen, but hail stones at 65 mph for three hours would wear very thin! The power has to maintain my 200 miles on a single tank, driven carefully!!! Else I would end up making a car I can't use anymore... And selling it. Now my biggest mistake was the move to Birmingham. But in next six months I'll be out of Birmingham, so able to drive the Westfield again. Before if turns nasty... The mistake comment was to do with the Westfield. You can't use a Westfield in Birmingham as a daily drive. As a upgrade may make using it for something impossible.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

There are different approaches to all round weather use; I've done the aero-screen and waterproofs, (had the car in that form for seven years). Had R888's in the rain too, an interesting experience and not as bad as you might think. But fitting R1R's has totally transformed the car, it's not just how well they cut through water, it's how well they work in cold conditions too. Throw in a roof and heater and though of course far from tin top perfect the car is surprisingly usable in bad weather.

 

What's interesting though, and I'm not sure if people simply haven't posted cause they're embarrassed about using the "soft" kit, rather than macho aero in all weathers gear, is that owners will willingly tweak and modify the rest of the car to develop it and improve it, but ignore the roof and heater. It seems largely to be a case of fit and moan, fit once, remove and never use again, or fit and suffer in silence. Precious few owners seem to have set forth to develop the weather gear.

 

I've had some modifications made to the hood itself by a local trimmer, I want him to do a couple more tweaks too. But the work he's done so far, improves the rain tightness round the doors and at the top corners of the screen hugely. I've fitted the neodymium magnets around the door openings - as guest describes, works an absolute treat, much, much better. I've also fitted some edging between the dash and the scuttle, at the sides. (My crash pad doesn't wrap round all the way down to the sills). This stops the water coming directly along the tub side under the door.

 

The heater side of things I've completely reworked. Most of the complaints you read are usually about the car steaming up with the hood up, or not demisting very efficiently. But if you stop and thing, the standard set up is essentially just recirculating cabin air. (Yes I know there are plenty of drafty spots, even with the hood on). Plus the heater is permanently on, in that the standard set up has no control valve.

 

I've removed the fan from mine - an inefficient design for a heater, when it comes to moving large volumes of air. Mounted the heater flush (and sealed) to the inside of the scuttle, the blower - a proper cage type, designed for heaters and able to shift a lot of air, is mounted in the engine bay, drawing air from outside the car in through a bonnet vent. It's a very efficient design and means I've been able to have fun doing the Cat and Fiddle this year with the hood up, heater on and effectively in shirt sleeves, despite the snow on the ground. Previously I'd have had jumpers, bulky coats etc and been that bit more restricted movement wise. On full speed it gets stupidly hot very quickly!

 

Of course, you don't always want to feel like you're sat in an oven, so I've also added a recirculating control valve. Turn it to the off position and you can just blow ambient air into the car to demist the screen etc without cooking yourself on a warmer but drizzly day. This worked really well on the run up to Three Sisters this year, when it was showers all the way up on the M6

[User0083]

Oh, wet/rain... I enjoy driving my Westfeild I feel much more tuned into the drive and concentrating more on all the information being fed to me. I'm made to drive smoother by the conditions, so practicing good driving! Plus I most be more visible in the rain as less issues from other drivers while I'm stationary.

[User0083]

I like the heater mods Dave! I may give that a go. But I fine mine works with no complaints. My hood's bed tweaked, high level brake light window is my best addition. But I also have the hoot shaped so that it can be tight and seals to the door, helped by my magnet design, but a flap can push open just behind the door t channel air in. So heater in, I'm hot and need fresh air, open the flap and it comes in. Very good for when the wife farts!

The popper in middle of windscreen/roof rail is another simple idea that really works.

[dh-guest]

What are these magnets you guys have used for the doors? Where do you get them from?

[User0083]

I have a few pictures and lots of people ask me...

I did a thread somewhere....

[D7PNY]

Having recently, very nearly fallen into this trap I'm pleased to say I've come out the other side with my Westfield in tact

 

As has been said above, developing the car too much seems to be the biggest culprit making the car less useable.

 

I have now got R888's instead of the supersoft ACB10's/spare wheel set up I was running.  This now means I can use the car anytime I want and can even drive to events should I fancy it.

 

The wife and kids was the biggest draw for me to sell but my son loves the car (the wife not so much) but on this occasion she is right...she said that I would regret selling and find anything else I bought for the same money slow and soon be complaining about not having enough time to spend modifying it to make it faster!

 

Glad to say, I've seen the light.

 

Dave

[alexander72]

it was close Dave and I really did consider making you an offer on your lovely looking car... glad you've kept it...

 

Jim

[User0083]

These are the magnets,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-D3-4-xD1-8-x3-16-Ring-Magnets-NdFeB-Neodymium-/380647666836?_trksid=p5197.m1998&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D17%26meid%3D7997331763935437991%26pid%3D100017%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D370319907001%26

When hood's on mark out where you want them. Hood off, punch holes and put magnet on inside. Pop rivet form outside so flat edge will be on the door. Very carefully pop it.

Do not under estimate these magnets, you'll only do it once! They are brittle and can explode if you're not careful.

Once on the hood you'll never have an issue, it's getting them there.

You can see the popper in centre of screen.

Measure middle of screen first, put male part in. Then measure cut plastic strip in the middle and mak a 20mm gap. Put hood on and mark hole for female part of popper, punch hole and fix it in place.