Sand Dancer Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Hi Greetings from sunny and noisy Kabul in Afghanistan! I am due to finish my contract out here at the end of September, after six years in the sandpit and have decided to treat myself. Upshot is I have ordered a FW Special Edition, orange colour, throttle bodies, wide track suspension with anthracite wheels. I am due to take delivery during the second week in October - and am counting down the days!! I intend to use the car mainly for roads with the occasional track day - I have currently specced the standard roll bar - but would like to fit the half hood. Is this a practical combination (I am 6'1"") or should I amend my order and go for the RAC option. I have looked at the Soft Bits for Sevens web site and the boot bag appears to be designed for the standard roll bar - I would like the option of carrying some luggage. Any advice would be appreciated. My home back in the UK is in Houghton-le-Spring, just south of Newcastle Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingster Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 The ranks are filling up nicely around here now with a few new members of late - great stuff - welcome aboard Dave! You building or buying it ready made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Dave, Go for the RAC, or MSA bar, much safer bet if you are going on track. The standard bar offers no protection at all, it will just flatten in an accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Westfields must be more common than Fords up there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murraymint Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin (Mr T) Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 from a Southern Softie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriss1455 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Welcome, more North East members, will be nice to maybe see a few more on the road up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirror11 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Hi and welcome to the westy world. Bet you can't wait, just took delivery of mine last Wednesday. Regards John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup) Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 hi there - you didnt say if your building it or buying it? if you need any help - theres a lot of north east owners - not a lot of gatherings but were here somewhere 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy - a15cro Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Hi mate, I'm Houghton le spring too! Still on the lookout for mine at the moment. There's a bit of a crowd forming up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingster Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 hi there - you didnt say if your building it or buying it? if you need any help - theres a lot of north east owners - not a lot of gatherings but were here somewhere We really should get our collective act together Terry, as you say there's a few of us now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy - a15cro Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 When I had my Mazda3 MPS, I was an active member of that forum and we had a few good meets, both up here and at Castleford nr Leeds. I'm up for a few runs out when I get mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonjh1964 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Dave, I have an FW and a SB4S heavy bag and it fits my RAC roll bar, forward of the bar to allow more space on top of the boot for luggage when touring . I use a 60 ltr Gul waterproof bag (enough for the two of us for a long weekend+) that I sit on top of a rubberised non-slip mat and strap to the roll bar with a couple of bungies, Westfield also make a boot rack for the FW. If you're using the top of the boot for luggage (even with the Westfield rack) you need to be able to get it on and off easily to refuel, a regular occurrence given the relatively small FW fuel tank. At 6'1" an RAC, or new MSA, roll bar will give you a lot more head room than a standard roll bar with the roof on, and you might benefit from having roof bars (although worth noting that the SB4S ones stick out of their heavy bag). FWIW I'd get the MSA roll bar and the new bigger FW fuel tank if I was ordering a kit now, Westfield make a 1/2 hood for the MSA Roll Bar that's very similar to the SB4S one. You might also want a storm cover (Walker St Clair make one for ~£50 and S4BS have a new design) to cover whole of the car cockpit area if you're touring with a 1/2 hood. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I think all FW's might be coming with the bigger tank now. While the Soft Bits luggage bag is a nice piece of kit, I suspect it was primarily designed to fit on the older ZK bodywork, that won't stop it fitting an FW, it's just not quite as useful. Also, SBFS started making the special bags for Caterhams, where it was much more of a problem fitting luggage on because of the arrangement of the back stays on the roll bar. Westfields have much more room between the stays, so customised luggage isn't vital. As Jon said, a waterproof camping bag will work well and can be used on top of the FW luggage rack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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