What would you do?

[Yanto]

I've only had this SEight since March, I love it, I love the sound, the drama, the effortless performance and the rawness of aeroscreens.

 

My Mrs said when i bought it that she would go in it for a short drive to the pub for lunch, we did this a while ago on a hot sunny day, she hated it, she hated it so much that she wanted to get out within a mile from home.  She said it made my last Westfield luxurious, which had a windscreen, doors, carpets and a heater, which at the time she would go out in as long as i went sloooowly.

 

Now I would and did say to her, fine ok never go in it again, but, well next year I will be taking early retirement and so the opportunity for using it on nice days will increase and she would like to do this in an open car.

 

So, my choices are:

 

A.   Sell the SEight (hopefully) and buy a touring orientated one, oh just like my last one, this I see as being stressful and potentially expensive.

B.   Convert this car to windscreen with nice seats, doors and carpets (might not bother with them), this I see as expensive and possibly a bit daft on a car with the spec it has.

C.  Don't bother and keep it as is, this i see as a potential problem when we do want to go out in nice weather and use a tin top.

 

Oh I even suggested getting an MX-5 which she just laughed at.

 

So does anybody have a view one what I should do? Any other options?

 

Cheers

 

Ian

[Mulder]

Divorce?

Ok perhaps a bit drastic! I guess interchangeable scuttles with option of aero or windscreen would be cheaper than to sell and buy again, you would need to do the maths. No need for a heater for summer jaunts, or carpets either, did the Mrs go out before without the roof? If so just screen and doors should do it. Oh and disconnect the speedo so you don't have to go too slooooow.

Spooky

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Honestly... Make it a car that you can both use and enjoy.

 

The expense would come second compared to the 'togetherness"

 

Its so lovely to just go out for tea or a nice drive if its nice... together.

 

Its a no brainer for me.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

You've a very difficult decision to make. My wife does not come out in mine very much, I suspect if it had an aeroscreen that not very much would be a lot less still. Bare in mind her last car was a mini convertible and her current car is a mini roadster so the open air does not concern her, I just think that the Westfield is just to raw, plus as she is short, it's just not comfortable for her and she needs a cushion on the seat to get any basic comfort.

Our situation is different though, I think I'm quite lucky, she sees the Westi as something for me and she believes that we need to have some individual interests and can't do everything together.

I can see your problem though as your are about to retire you'r going to be spending more time together and want to be able to go out and enjoy your selves as a couple. I guess the key question is will the Westi fulfill the roll as a GT (for want of a better term) in her eyes, is it the rawness or the open air motoring that she does not like, if its rawness then keep the westi for your self and get an MX5 or similar to go out as a couple, if its the open air well ....

 

Good luck in making your decision. 

[Tempest_5]

Never had aeroscreens so can't comment on them. It's still pretty raw with the doors off with a windscreen, so swap the aeros for a screen then you can clip the doors on as necessary.

Stick to warm days and you don't have to worry about a heater. If you need one, I stuck an old mini one in mine. You just need an "in" and an "out" coolant pipe and an on/off electrical switch.

Carpets ? I understand the desire for the look of bare aluminium, makes it look more "racing car", but you could have removable carpets. I got so fed up with my passengers rucking up the carpet in mine as they clumsily got in that I nailed and glued the carpet to a decent piece of plywood. This slotted snuggly between the frame tubes and could easily be removed when desired.

.....And gentle on the accelerator should placate her.

 

Failing that, cash in some of the pension and get a civilised Westfield for taking your wife out in and keep the other for enthusiastic driving.

[CraigHew]

Everyone's situation and requirements are different.

 

I've retired early 5 years ago and my wife also stopped working 18 months ago.

 

We do a lot of stuff together, but the Westfield isn't one of them.

 

I love to go out for a drive whenever the weather permits or whenever our other social / family commitments allow.

 

 

A couple of points make this a fairly easy win/win situation.

 

1. Once you give up work, you can drive whenever the sun is out, you're not limited to weekends.  In fact it's my firm policy nowerdays never to take the Westfield out at weekends (unless I'm really stir-crazy) as the roads are so much busier

 

2. I get out of bed early.  In the summer months I get up, drive for 4 hours/ 200 miles and get back home, wash the car and be "all done" by 10am.

 

 

On many an occassion I've had a fantastic early-morning blast and then gone out for a nice lunch with the wife in our tin-top.

 

It does just take a little bit of planning: but works for us.

 

Your first line of your post stated that "you love it".

 

Well, keep it.

[Thrustyjust]

My wife will drive mine faster than me. But thats not helping you. I think its a compromise and to be honest about it, most women dont want fire, flames, noise, hair destroying , make up smearing, seat of the pants ride to lunch at a pub . I guess making it more civilised is probably the more sensible and financially sensible approach to the issue.

[Barry Ashcroft]

My wife drove across the USA with me in mine but that was 10 years ago, took her out in the Megabusa around Llandow recently and she lasted 4 laps before she called a stop to it and I wasn't even trying.

[dombanks]

Keep the car.

Use the cash you'd spend on changing it to buy a decent 3.0si e85 z4 (or similar) ragtop.

Have refinement for you both to go out in and the Westy for you to hoon. Sounds like you'd never drive the Westy hard with her in anyway

[Kevin (Mr T)]

Very similar dilemma for me.

 

I started the ball rolling with the old "what about buying a second hand Boxter for the nice weekends", but fell in love with the Westy and bought that instead.

 

It had screen and doors and, with those on, she was reasonably happy to go out in it (although I continually heard "not exactly a Boxter, is it?"

 

Then I went aeroscreen and that was it.

 

So, we are now looking at Rhett's suggestion, which is to sell her Mini and buy her a nice MX5, which would give us all sorts of options.

 

It's still under debate though, because she loves her Mini!

[6carjon]

Ian

Knowing this car well you will struggle to make it wife friendly

Acceptthis ,enjoy the car on your own.

Then buy something you can both enjoy together

Remember you can never have too many cars :-)

Otherwise sell it to me !

[TAFKARM]

Get your wife to find a hobby.

[AdamR]

Get her to pay you half of what the car is worth so she can change it to her tastes. Then you can buy a BEC as well for solo blatting

[Onliest Smeg David]

Has you wife driven your Westie?

 

Wendz acceptance and willingness to passenger in mine went up massively after taking it around a track, Curborough on her own then WSCC Blyton (which is very friendly to novices and they have their own session) on track with others.

She prefers it when very warm and if we're going somewhere, rather than driving being the reason for going out. I also tend to 'gently tour' when she's in, preserving the sprightly blat to when I'm on my own or have others in the passenger seat that enjoy a bit of speed.

 

As above - a windscreen and doors will make quite a difference to her comfort and can easily be swapped with your aeroscreen when you wish.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

 

So, we are now looking at Rhett's suggestion, which is to sell her Mini and buy her a nice MX5, which would give us all sorts of options.

 

It's still under debate though, because she loves her Mini!

 

It may not be as good as the MX5 as a pure drivers car but my wife loves her Mini Roadster, unlike the convertible that had rear seats that were near useless and a boot that was not much better, she may not have occasional rear seats anymore but does have a good sized boot. It covers ground in quite comfort and when you reach some twisty bits it's enjoyable.