Newbie - looking at this car next week - BOUGHT ONE!

[peet]

Fantastic advice and pics. I will find all history out as soon as poss incl chassis no.

It is def a custom one, that is probably caught my eye. I can handle that if the build quality is excellent.

If it were standard what sort of price would it be roughly?

Thanks

[Marto303]

Defo a pre-lit IMO, I restored one for a customer a few years back, Smokey is spot on about the front shocker mounts being on the outside of the chassis rather than underneath like the modern cars. I have some photo's some where, I'll try dig them out.

[Marto303]

Here we go, IIRC this was a 1982 pre-lit. These photo's show the points Smokey was making and how similar the bodywork was to a Caterham.

 

 

 

 

[Norman Verona]

Comparison:

 

[XTR2Turbo]

If you are set on this car I would be checking carefully all the chassis numbers tally with factory records and the chassis.

I don't know all the intricacies but if registered in 2002 it would have been sva'd I would have thought or was there a sdv route?

[peet]

Chassis number is ADASE 87361 does that help age it? Are the earlier chassis weaker or have any drawbacks in any way?

I think it had 2 owners and a very very long build time but I shall check.

I dont mind the customised work IF its of good quality, yes I am going to have hassles with parts but I'm an experienced car restorer so i'm used to that.

What worried me was the registration of it which is now making sense now I have seen the V5 and also get a true value - I dont want to pay over the odds for it, a small premium is ok. How over the top is it price wise? It does save s few hundred a year on road tax though so i'm taking that into account.

Sorry for all the questions change of marque is scary - know everything about Vw's!!

Edited September 7, 2013 by peet

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Chassis number is ADASE 87361 does that help age it? Are the earlier chassis weaker or have any drawbacks in any way?

SE 87 361 would make it a 1987 Pre-Lit.

The early Pre-Lits were actually Alloy bodied but the age and format of the chassis number on this one suggests to me it was originally a Full GRP bodied car that has been converted to an aluminium body.

[peet]

This is making sense now, if it was a long build (87-02 is a loooooong build!) I'd have thought that ali bodys were still around then.

So it's an old one with custom work. Pricewise it depends on my valuation of it really and what I want to pay I suppose?

[peet]

Trouble is much as I like it there also cars like this out there.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300960558742?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

But thats just not as quirky for me. I'm going to have to make my decision after I have seen it.

[M444TTB]

It can't have been started in '82. It must be '87 to '02 to build it surely?

 

I hadn't realised that all pre-lit car weren't alloy bodied. I thought that was part of the agreement post-lit to differentiate it from the Caterham.

[M444TTB]

Trouble is much as I like it there also cars like this out there.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300960558742?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

But thats just not as quirky for me. I'm going to have to make my decision after I have seen it.

Part of the joy of these is making it your own anyway. Hence why so many of us spend far more money than it's worth rather than sensibly saving up for a higher spec car!

[peet]

I wrote 87-02?

 

I shall ask all these questions when I see it - I shall be writing them down! So any questions anyone would think to ask please say so - forewarned is forearmed!

 

I reckon I will make it my own - that dashboard has to go for one!!

[peet]

Looking for early cars found this one.

 

One to avoid??! Registered as an Austin 7!

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C420972

 

Weirdly though it has the same headlight stays as the one I'm looking at.

Edited September 7, 2013 by peet

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Weeeeell, (and please don't take this the wrong way!) First off when viewing the car and meeting the guy, because you don't know just how customised it is, I'd virtually be treating it like a Locost, ask and make notes about everything.

 

While its true that most builder/owners you meet are enthusiasts and tend to be more than willing to help, when it comes to information about their car, even after a sale, it's safer to assume you'll never see him or speak to him again. So find out everything you can now! It will make your life so much easier, because very little may be done like other Westfields, (or it may turn out to be an almost standard pre lit with a few tweaks! We just can't tell at this stage!)

 

So ask, find out what all the main donor parts came from, he already infers that its all Cortina - hence getting the donors age related plate, but then goes on to say "things" have been upgraded. You need to know what's on there now, everything from steering rack, brakes, uprights, axle etc, not just the basic engine and gearbox.

 

How he answers and explains that lot will also give you a real feel for him and the car.

 

Could be a really interesting project, but you will need to go in with eyes open and assume that anything not off a production car will need fabricating from scratch should it ever need replacing. (It might not, but as long as you're OK with the "worst case" scenario, you'll be fine   )

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

In-correctly registered kit cars is a bit of a thorny topic, and every so often results in a heated debate!

 

Many have had no issues legitimising wrongly registered cars, but it's a gamble as to how much time effort and work it will require. Given that very occasionally, newly IVA'd kits with all the right paperwork take months to sort out with the DVLA, personally, I myself, just wouldn't want that aggro. Others will no doubt think it's a great way to chip the price a bit and not worry.