Hello - Newbie questions

[Seven Heaven]

Hello everyone.  I have just signed up as I am planning on building a Westfield this year and have been reading these forums to research the car.  I'm in the process of building a shed so that I can clear the garage out and I am aiming to order a kit after the Stoneleigh Kit car show. 

So far I am looking at the Zetec Special Edition, simply because this will be my first ever kit car and I am hoping this is the easiest approach.  Having just read a rather unfavourable review of the Sport 250 in the mainstream press regarding poor handling and braking, I would be grateful for your advice on which options I need to tick when ordering to make sure that my car does not suffer the same issues.  From the research I have done so far my proposed spec is as follows.

Zetec 2.0 with Throttle bodies 170BHP

Wide Track Suspension

Track Day Shock's (I assume these are the protecs)

Quick Rack? (not sure if this is necessary or not?)

13" Wheels with Toyo R888r 185 front and 205 rear (in the hope that these are more progressive than 15")

LSD - I was thinking of not bothering with this to keep the initial build costs down and installing it later if necessary.  Is that feasible or is it difficult to change once the bodywork goes on?

Allow for a professional to set up the suspension when its all finished

Any advice will be gratefully received on any other options that I should ideally order at the outset.

Thanks 

Richard

 

[DonPeffers]

AFAIAA the latest motoring magazine review of the Westfield Sport 250 was in the 29 Nov 2017 issue of Autocar  see  https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/westfield/sport-250  tested after some braking and suspension modifications/improvements.

A lot less power with the zetec but fine for road use;  quickest rack you can get IMO. Also Sport 250 comes with LSD. (CORRECTION--I stand corrected by BugMan and LSD £895 option I believe).

I'd recommend a quick release steering wheel as a lot easier getting in and out especially if hood is fitted. Also GRP front cycle wings more durable than carbon effect.

In the stuff and nonsense section of the forum you will see a discussion about new MOT proposals regarding emissions although both engines should be fine in that respect.

Others will be along shortly with a lot more advice and welcome.

[CraigHew]

25 minutes ago, Seven Heaven said:

  Having just read a rather unfavourable review of the Sport 250 in the mainstream press regarding poor handling and braking, I would be grateful for your advice on which options I need to tick when ordering to make sure that my car does not suffer the same issues.

Well that should endear you to the current 250 builders..... 

[Trevor Little (Trevturtle) - Treasurer]

I'm sure @Chris King - Webmaster and Joint North East AO with be along soon with hints and tips.  He built something very similar a few years ago..  and he's near you 'ooop norf'

[BugMan]

I would suggest if you think you might want an LSD, go for it from the very start as to change it out would be a b*******, if my experience of getting it in is any guide

FYI Sport 250 does not come as standard with an LSD, its an option, in my experience.

I would not read to much into what the press say, there are people on here who are a much better judge of the WF family and a few 250 owners who have made it to the road.  My view, and it's my own as my 250 is still in-build, is that any jurno is going to be bias from his own experiences, and lets be real here, not many of them love the 7 family, and would naturally compare to production cars, and IMHO thats not the only part of WF ownership.

I took a lot of time looking at 7 type cars, and the best advice I could offer would be to have some idea of what you really want to do with the car, and then get along to a local group meeting and have a chat with them, you will probably get more from that than you can imagine.

Did you have a budget in mind as this might really determine what is possible?

I don't think any particular model in the range is any easier than any other, maybe just more bits to start with, but at the end of the day its a space frame chassis/engine etc. with a lot of variables down to choice.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

I'd agree with the protech shocks and the other one to consider is either the RAC or MSA roll bar upgrade assuming your not going cage.

Also seats, i'd go for the sport turbo or potentially try and not have seats and go for some shell seats (tillet, JK etc)

As your looking to purchase after Stoneleigh you'll have chance to look at a lot of Westfields and probably get to sit in some if you wish to try the different seat options. 

[BugMan]

And ask for a discount ;-)

 

[Kingster]

2 hours ago, Trevturtle said:

I'm sure @Chris King - Webmaster and Joint North East AO with be along soon with hints and tips.  He built something very similar a few years ago..  and he's near you 'ooop norf'

Near me? Merseyside is three hours away!

antway, despite being nowhere near each other, happy to advise on aspects of Zetec powered Westfields. 

[Seven Heaven]

Thanks, I was not expecting so many responses so quickly.  It's obviously a friendly atmosphere here.

So to answer some of the questions my budget is £20k for the car with a further £5k for tools, iva testing and contingency etc to get it on the road.

I will get along to a local meet, I believe there are two in my area but I presume (possibly wrongly) that a lot of cars are only on the road over the summer months so I guess April is the best time to go?

The main reason I want a Westfield is because I want to build a car, I want to learn how it all goes together and I want the satisfaction of knowing that I have built it.  I also see it as a learning exercise both in how to build a car but also how to drive it when its finished.

Beyond that it gets more difficult as I want conflicting things.

I want a full cage with either the Sport turbo or JK composite seats and racing harness' as I will be doing track days. 

However I also want it to be road legal and I don't really want to have to wear a helmet all the time so a windscreen and side doors would be good but not compatible with a cage.  (although I am following a thread on here of people adapting doors to fit around a cage).

If I could afford to build a 250 then I would love to, and I haven't ruled it out but tbh as a first build I don't feel confident enough that I know what I am looking at to buy a used engine to get it to within my budget.  So I think that kind of rules out the 250 and S2000 options for me. 

My thinking was to build the Special edition and then upgrade as and when I know what I want/need.  Hence my original question regarding which options are considered essential to have and which ones can easily be added at a later date.  

 

[Thrustyjust]

I'd wait a while until the dust settles on the IVA situation before plumping for an engine thats pretty old in design and 'may' have issues with the latest compliancy being set up for us kit builders. Perhaps a Duratec 'might' be a better engine to use ? who knows .............

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

 From Scarborough.

[Kingster]

You don’t need to wait to go along to local meets. It’s not a requirement to turn up in a Westy, Just nice if you can!

Your budget should stretch to a Duratec build I reckon. Always best to go for the most modern engine available and a Duratec can be easier to get more power further down the line. Having said that, nothing wrong with the Zetec. 

You do not have to source your engine from the factory which might give you more options too. 

[Kingster]

Oh and JK seats get the thumbs up. Amazingly comfortable and look great!

[BugMan]

Same for me on the "I built that" idea, If you have a look at what Steve did on his 250 build, one of the first I believe, i don't think your budget is that far away, as a figure of 23k is in my mind for some reason, but as you say that involves you getting hold of a Echoboost engine from a donar Ford, so that would be a bit of a risk.

The other option might be worth having a look at is the single donor car route, where you strip down a suitable car to make use of the good bits. That way you get your hands dirty stripping one down, which might be interesting for you.

Lots of very clever people here, no such thing as a silly question in my experience.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

Taking the IVA emissions testing into consideration, an option may be to stick to the standard Ford induction during the build and then swap to TBs post running in and IVA.