Wife's first passenger ride

[Pistol Pete]

[tisme]

Mine is ok now I've fitted a windscreen but I have to observe two golden rules:

1) Avoid motorways at all costs - especially those with loads of 40 tonne lorries

2) Acceleration must be less than half a G      

 

 

[DamperMan]

Mine will never ever go in mine... She has never called it a westfield... 'That stupid car' is probably the nicest thing said. And since needing to call out the AA the other night she also says its crap...

It might not have helped that I bought it and only told her the day before collecting it... #coldshoulder

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

Jo survived our 140 mile trip to Portmerion back in March this year. She commented the seats (sport turbo) were more comfortable than the Elise!

She insisted on half hood on, plus heater on constant, but the treasure was 2 nights stay...at Portmerion, which was fabulous!

Will do same again next year!

Andy

[Mighty Mart]

Ringing some bells here.....

I also casually mentioned to my wife the day before I was going to view mine and did she want to come the 110 miles with me...she didn't even know what one looked like. Then she stood watching me look over it and then take it for a test drive, and I'm sure she was sucking on a lemon lol....

Then a lecture on if you kill yourself in it, don't come running to me....

Absolutely hated it and worked herself up into a mood over a few days culminating in "well come on then, let's get it over with....I'll just go up the road in it but I won't like it!"

Within a few hundred yards though she got it...."wow, this is great she said!"

Now she suggests to me about taking it out, which is great and what I hoped for, originally.

No motorways and she's not keen on dual carriageways either, and it needs to be sensible, so I normally have a blat after she's got out!

Oh and we broke done in it the other evening some way from home, so she's never getting in it again....

Apart from that, she loves it!

Mart.

[GaryH]

Given a background of being together since days of running original minis (the riley elf with a 1275 cooper engine was the best), building a dutton and a spartan and rebuilding an MGB roadster my wife loves it. She drew the line at the motorbike (1000cc Honda), but now is back in the swing of things with the Westfield.

Gary

[Sparkymart]

My Mrs calls it the bottomless bit of money and moans about it all the time but she loves going out in it and she even takes it out by herself (don't here her complaining then...)

[SootySport]

When I brought mine home, I parked up on the drive and she said "where's the rest of it"?

Wifey does come for a drive occasionally but only if it's 25c or above and then she'll wear a waterproof coat (just in case),a scarf and hooves. Came on a trackday once but only lasted 2 laps, at which point she felt sick, Spent the rest of the day exploring the flora and fauna of Woodbridge airfield, more exciting she says.

[tisme]

If I can recommend anything - try, try and try again.

 

My dearest was petrified on her first ride out and insisted I didn't exceed 50mph (that'll be 2nd gear then ) or that I accelerate at anything more than the pace of an overloaded bin lorry . I was also told to avoid motorways and anywhere where they may be "big lorries" (well I tend to agree with that one).

 

After a number of trips to our local "car evenings" at Earls Barton where she was able to look at hundreds of nice cars (many historic) she realised that perhaps the Westie is quite "secure" after all (well compared to a 1901 Renault anything would be  ).

 

And then we did Silverstone were a) we had to use the M1 with big lorries b) I went up to the legal limit most of the time (and errrrr perhaps a little extra ) and of course we had to keep pace with all the other nice cars which meant using all the gears in quick succession...

 

So it can be done providing the first few trips out don't result in anything soggy or a flaming row     

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Desensitising!

 

It's easy to forget just how raw and extreme even the more civilised Westfield's can feel when you've no previous experience, AND where you're not at the controls.

[TAFKARM]

My missus first trip out in it was a track day at Rockingham where I binned it into the gravel on my first lap. 

 

She still comes out in it though. 

[Onliest Smeg David]

Wendz wasn't at all keen either...

Until she drove on a track day (@Curborough)

Since then happier driving on road and being a passenger, & has done 3 more track days.

 

Desensitising!

 

It's easy to forget just how raw and extreme even the more civilised Westfield's can feel when you've no previous experience, AND where you're not at the controls.

 

Agree Dave - building up gradually works. Part of that is encouraging partner to drive it, as having 'control' makes a big difference to how it feels.

That's what driving on her own (with grass cutting) at Curborough helped Wendy acclimatise.

[the stoat]

Desensitising!

It's easy to forget just how raw and extreme even the more civilised Westfield's can feel when you've no previous experience, AND where you're not at the controls.

Unless they are used to bikes and apparently then Westfields are slow, offer lots of protection and are comfortable

Though I think she is a bit odd as describes my track driving as too slow, I will leave the Oxford and Swindon lot to comment on this. Although ignore Dommo and his cheating turbo thing.