What should I look for?

[Luckky]

Hi all. I'm unsure what to look for when buying my first Westfield. I haven't got much money so I'm looking at the lower end of the price range.

I've found one within my budget which has the following description:

1997 Westfield Wide Body. 2 litre Ford pinto engine, Twin 40 Webber carbs, Kent cams FR32 Cam, Type 9 5 speed gearbox, Ford English Axle (3.9 Capri 3ltr) wet weather gear, Aero screen. Will put 12 months mot on when sold. Looking for sensible offers/reasonable swaps. These Westfield generally sell for 7k looking for sensible offers.

Can anyone tell me what they think and what I should look for when going to see it please? 

[Yanto]

Hi, and welcome to the mad house , most of the sensible people in the club may be on their way to or preparing for going to the Silverstone Classic, so you will have to put up with me until they pop along to this neck of the forum.

Seriously, don't rush into buying the first one you see, it would be a good idea if you could meet other owners in your area, although I don't believe there is a Norfolk area meet as such.

Like with any car you will  need to check as best you can the general condition of the car, looking for leaks in the coolant, braking and lubrication systems. gearbox, diff and suspension, check as best you can the chassis condition.

Cars like these are best bought with lots of history, receipts for build, MOTs general information on any upgrades and changes, if there isn't much I would be a little wary, even though there could be a very good explanation.

If you can get a test drive, or at least go as a passenger, listen for knocking, whines, and general feeling of solidness, don't be afraid to ask about any noises, if you're not used to these cars then being close to the oily rotating bits and no sound deadening can make them appear to be noisy, when in fact it is normal.

Make sure all the electrics work, lights cooling fan and instrumentation included.

Regarding this particular car, have a search on it's MOT history, ask about the owner quiz them about the car, ask them to describe any upgrades/changes and why. First thing that catches the eye is the bonnet, what is that black thing? It looks to me like there has been an engine change and that was an old air intake, is there a hole or plate in the side panel on the opposite side to the current exhaust? If so ask about why it was changed and check the V5 matches the engine that is in the car.

Generally PInto's are strong and torquey, but listen for any undue noises, Webers can be a pain if not set up correctly, so does it start and idle ok, does it rev cleanly, on a test drive does it have flat spots where the power drops off?

Type 9 boxes should change gear nicely, no baulking, no whining - unless it is straight cut gears.

Finally this car, now I'm far from being an expert but i did not think you can't get a widebody with an english axle, it looks like a narrow body to me, if so the alarm bells should be ringing and a thorough check of the V5 and any paperwork should be undertaken although again it could be a mistake, and i think i've seen this for sale for quite some time, why?

Do you have a link to the ad?

Ian

 

 

[Thrustyjust]

Its quite an early car. Revolution wheels were the bizz in the 90's. A car value can also be dictated on engine spec . If its a boggo pinto with a pair of webers, it wont be worth as much as a modified engine. if you like the car then make an offer, but if this is your first dabble , then you could would be best to go to a meeting with other cars and see and point at other cars and gain more advice before jumping in at the deep end. Other owners would potentially see the car with you. If you see a car in the Berkshire/ North Hants area, let me know, quite happy to look it over with you.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

16 minutes ago, Yanto said:

Finally this car, now I'm far from being an expert but i did not think you can't get a widebody with an english axle, it looks like a narrow body to me, if so the alarm bells should be ringing and a thorough check of the V5 and any paperwork should be undertaken although again it could be a mistake, and i think i've seen this for sale for quite some time, why?

The first wide bodies were released some time around 1990 and like the narrow (standard) body were available as both live and independant variants.  Production of the live axle wide body continued right up until the end of 2006 when it was finally phased out due to a lack of demand from new buyers,

[Yanto]

6 minutes ago, Mark (smokey mow) - Joint Essex AO said:

The first wide bodies were released some time around 1990 and like the narrow (standard) body were available as both live and independant variants.  Production of the live axle wide body continued right up until the end of 2006 when it was finally phased out due to a lack of demand from new buyers,

Cheers Mark, does this car look like a wide to you?

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

 from Scarborough.

What is your budget.

There has been some really nice cars for sale just lately.

 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

9 minutes ago, Yanto said:

Cheers Mark, does this car look like a wide to you?

 

It's fixed arch kit bodywork and the usual clues at the rear are hidden by the rear lamp pods so the only way I'd be able to tell would be with some interior pics with the tonneau removed showing the shape of shoulder panel.

[Andy Banks]

As has been said, there are plenty of cars out there. Your very best bet is to pop along to your local meet and have a chat and tyre kick. Seriously, head over heart is the way to go and folks on here will be along with sage advice and recommendations aplenty.

Start by letting us know a) what you really want to do with the car when you get it, b) your budget.

[SXRORY]

Welcome !

When I was buying early this year I was in a similar position and ended up upping my budget,  I found that another grand at around 8k ish puts you in a spot where more modern engines start to appear and a lot more cars sit, so more to choose from. 

Look at the classified's for an example,  a Mazda sdv car there for 8k been prepped by nms, an injection car and you get a lot of stuff with it. all parts readily available and its much much newer tech.  (Don't know the car by the way).  

Just what I found anyway,  that just a bit more cash goes a long way in the Westfield world. Good luck with the search.

 

[John K]

The other thing I would advise is dont buy under "summer time" presure.

If you are looking at the calendar thinking "there are 8 weeks of good weather left..." then be careful.

And topless cars are always more expensive in the good weather. Perhaps consider waiting over the grim winter months, gather friends and experience, save a little more cash and then go for it in the spring?

Especially as you may need to use x of the remaining summer weeks fettling your new toy.

But do go for it, its a strange but wonderful place 

[Rory's Dad]

I would be happy to help as we live near Fakenham. I'm not expert in all things Westfield but happy to chat and bring 10 years of Westfield ownership into the equation. Give me a call on 07887491212 if you like.  Oh, and good luck with the start of your adventure!

[Mighty Mart]

Hello and welcome.....

as others have said, usual checks on chassis, bodywork and engine, but a big advantage on westfields is the underside is fairly easy to check visually. I'd even bung some ramps in the car so the prospective westie can be driven onto them for a quick check...if the seller isn't keen on this, it tells it's own story....

good advice on time to buy also....between end of summer and spring sees the lowest prices generally....

youll get top advice and knowledge from the chaps on here, and also well worth buying from the forum here....most of the cars sold on here are undervalued IMHO and enthusiasts tend to want there pride and joy go to another forum member rather than sell for top dollar.

do take up any offers from fellow members to look at their cars and build a picture of what you want....meets are especially good to view the many options out there. It also makes a huge difference on what you want to do with your prospective car...fast road, the odd track, hillclimbing or touring, or a mix of the above....

dont be put off buying old school either.....modern engines aren't necessarily the bee all, there are excellent pintos and x flows out there, and plenty of dogs too....the same can be said of modern engines.....which can be a little fragile IMHO....

finally, budget. If you are at the bottom end, then fine. I was. There are fantastic cars out there for a fraction of what some on here have paid...each to their own and all that. It's easy to say spend more etc etc, but there will be a car for you with your chosen budget, so don't panic.

good luck mate....you will not regret it. My only regret is I didn't do it a lot sooner...

Mart.

 

[John K]

1 hour ago, Mighty Mart said:

modern engines aren't necessarily the bee all, there are excellent pintos and x flows out there

What MM says +1... 

There is something bizarrely satisfying in keeping a 40 year old engine on the road.

And if its lasted 40 years already, with a bit of respect, no reason for it not to last another 40...

[Matta]

It obviously depends on what it's like in the flesh and subject to all the comments above. However, in terms of what it's worth, I'd have said up to £6k is closer to the mark than £7k. Obviously just IMHO though.

Whatever you pay for one, you can guarantee to spend more on it fairly quickly, so keep that in mind if you're on a tight budget.

Cheers, Matt

[SootySport]

The cheaper they are, the more work they will need.  Not so bad if you are keen with the spanners and have some time spare, we all tend to make them tailor made to suit the owner.  Mechanical parts are relatively cheap and easily sourced for Pintos but do thoroughly check the chassis and body panels, that's the expensive bit.