chammant Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Hi Guys, I'm new to this forum in the hope of joining the rest of you in Westfield ownership relatively soon, but I do have a few questions if you could help answer with your wealth of knowledge. 1) Car or Bike engine? I would love a bike engine in the Westfield, as I would only use the car for a handful of days in the summer on the road but mainly on track doing non competitive track days and sprints with a few friends at my local track. I know bike engine cars are more to insure which at the age of 22, I still want to keep a lid on my expenditure, however after a couple of quotes, the insurance is still good. If I cannot find a good bike engine car that I want.... what is the best car engine to go for, or on the other hand, which are the engines to avoid? 2) Tax, although this is one of the least expensive costs of motoring, it is still a cost and I can't find a definitive answer as to how much it costs to tax a Westfield. Does this depend on which engine you have and whether it is car/bike derived. Thank you in advance for any help I may receive. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Pretender Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Hi Chris, Welcome along.. The answer to your first question is a difficult one. Both could serve your needs very well to be honest, albeit a bike engine would probably be considered the more track focused possibly with less road manners. This one is definitely worth a search because there have been quite a few opinions offered before. I think the road tax come down to how the car is registered but someone will correct me. For example, my last Westy was a PLG and I got taxed approx £240 but I'm sure some people pay less. This place is a cracking source of info so well worth signing up if you definitely go for one. It will save you quite a few bob in the long run! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark (smokey mow) Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Road tax is based on the old PLG rates for engine capacity so up to 1549cc you will currently pay £145 for a year and over 1549cc is £230 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Pretender Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 See this is what happens when I try and offer advice! I should stick to asking questions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellyfish Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 If I may add my thoughts on engines as an inexperienced newbie too... I debated bike or car, and concluded that the bike is too extreme for my level of experience, and that car engine gives me more than enough performance and thrill (but I am a road user, not track). I had intended to use my car for summer Sundays and track day treats. Until I actually bought it! Now, I want to use it everyday, so am glad I got the more 'practical' car engine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hi Chris, from Essex. Trackdays and Sprinting is a big part of this club, no doubt you have already had a browse around the forum, plenty of advice about. As for a bike or car engine, that's a personal choice, there are a few who use their bike engine car on the road all the time. Keep a eye on the cars for sale on this forum as well, the owners will know the advantages and disadvantages of both types of Westfield. Also go to a local meeting, your head will hurt with everyones advice. The biggest cost of ownership will be changing and upgrading parts on the car, you'll never find one with your exact needs, again we''ll help you spend some money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Banks Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 You can't beat the sound of a good bike engine pulling 12k plus revs (imho) but they tend to be very "cammy" (having virtually no grunt below 4,000 and often the power coming in a rush). I used to race a Jedi with a highly tuned Yamaha R1 - a fantastic motor that didn't cost that much to tune, but I wouldn't want it in a road car where you'd be changing gear every few minutes and possibly grow tired of the high pitched screams Virtually all the car engines can be tuned from "sporty" to full race and give more than enough excitement for general purposes (even the good old Ford Cross Flows ) so as others have said, if it's mainly road use (or likely to become so) then car engine better in my opinion. Vauxhall XE still an excellent engine (me biased?) though it is getting quite old now - more modern Fords (Zetec / Duratec) make it easier to get parts and tuning but can become more complicated to work on - a lot depends on your mechanical skills and workshop facilities. Then lastly, upgrading can become very addictive (I know) so either look for something quite basic and factor that in, or get one with as many "upgrades" as possible (though then you'll have little to do in the long winter months !). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigHew Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 As the previous replies have said, engine choice (among a long list of choices) is down to personal preferences, although I'm biased towards the Mega S2000 Here's one currently on PistonHeads although it's top dollar.....! http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/westfield/other-models/westfield-s2000-factory-built-2014/3240933 happy hunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanG1 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 As a BEC owner though my car has just sold on this forum I suggest you get a ride in one and see if its for you as they are very focused as a road car and not for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chammant Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks guys I have decided on a car engined Westfield and will be zetec engined. Fingers crossed it stays pretty reliable for my few track days a year and a couple of summer runs to wales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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