New Member - Cheshire - A1243R

[A1243R]

9 hours ago, CosKev said:

Looks very nice

Massive spec and will certainly go very well!

Be very surprised if someone off here does not know the car. 

 

Great, engine had a full rebuild around 150 miles ago. 

Was a little wary of it being turbo’d but it actually looks as though these engines turbo’d can be pretty reliable. 

Do you think the asking price is good? 

9 hours ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

I can’t say I know BECs well, but all the usual signs of a good build with plenty of attention to detail look to be there in the photos.

 

I’d love an s2000 but funds just don’t permit. 

What do you think to the price? 

[CosKev]

@A1243R  I think the price is probably about right tbh,although it is a hard one to price! 

There are more positives than a slight negative with it.

Slight negative is;

it's a old carbed engine,if you find its not running quite right (rich/lean fueling etc)it's quite a big job to re-jet the carbs, and even then due to the jet sizes you might find you have to settle for compromise in how it runs.

Hopefully being a Holeshot conversion it will run nicely,but lots of people that turbo cars are only interested in how it runs flat out on full boost!

So under normal driving conditions/part throttle you can find they drive like a pig!

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Useful to know Kev, but something that should be spottable on a test drive.

Pricewise, Westfields largely sell on condition, more so than spec, in certain ways; if the condition of the car is how it appears in the photos,  and with the spec it has to back it up, it looks to be reasonable money. Especially given how values seem to be on the up at the moment.

[maurici]

It has some stuff that isn't quite matching what I would expect from something that "track" focused... and it looks to me like it has been build to pretend is quick, actually not caring much if its quick or not... and that would worry me a little bit.

I can't understand for example the "plumbed it fire extinguisher, massive amount of carbon, FIA harness on date and so... but then has no Anti roll bars, and works with EBC green stuff pads all around ... that means to me, that this car has been never driven properly.

Will the engine and the tuning be done to pretend is quick? or will actually be driveable?

I also never rely on too tidy engine bays... but that is only a personal inclination.

Car looks cheap for what it offers, and the quality of the build looks all right, but have the wrong basic bits to cope whit what is meant to be, so I would really check the car very very deeply.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

You know, I’ve been thinking some details on this car looked familiar; the penny has just dropped, I think it’s John Cobb’s old Turboblade, but with the big Japanese script type decals largely removed, (John the old Sussex Area AO, posted as MB893 on the Boardroom, but it’s been some years since he sold the car).

If it is John’s, and there are way to many bespoke parts, I suspect for it not to be. Then it was one of the most thoroughly developed Westfields around, earning huge respect from all that saw it. In his ownership it was spectacularly light and used if I recall correctly for a very wide and varied range of motoring from road trips to trackdays.

John was utterly, utterly OCD, in the best possible way when it came to development of that car. Nothing was on it that didn’t need to be, and all was thoroughly tested. I remember him even now doing back to back tests of diff temperatures with and without the rear diffuser.

There used to be a dedicated build site for the car, but that seems long since gone now, which is a shame, as it was a fascinating read.

Obviously the car has been through the hands of at least one other owner since then, but the bones of that car have a very fine provenance!

[maurici]

So I will clarify my statement...

If is the car that Dave's is talking about...  may have been properly driven in the past, but I'm very sure is not being now... not at least with the current bits on it.

[A1243R]

1 hour ago, maurici said:

It has some stuff that isn't quite matching what I would expect from something that "track" focused... and it looks to me like it has been build to pretend is quick, actually not caring much if its quick or not... and that would worry me a little bit.

I can't understand for example the "plumbed it fire extinguisher, massive amount of carbon, FIA harness on date and so... but then has no Anti roll bars, and works with EBC green stuff pads all around ... that means to me, that this car has been never driven properly.

Will the engine and the tuning be done to pretend is quick? or will actually be driveable?

I also never rely on too tidy engine bays... but that is only a personal inclination.

Car looks cheap for what it offers, and the quality of the build looks all right, but have the wrong basic bits to cope whit what is meant to be, so I would really check the car very very deeply.

Ah, this seems a shame. I would be looking to fit a full cage most likely, a flat shifter and then just review then... 

Would you say this is a real concern or just needs a few bits tinkering... 

2 hours ago, CosKev said:

@A1243R  I think the price is probably about right tbh,although it is a hard one to price! 

There are more positives than a slight negative with it.

Slight negative is;

it's a old carbed engine,if you find its not running quite right (rich/lean fueling etc)it's quite a big job to re-jet the carbs, and even then due to the jet sizes you might find you have to settle for compromise in how it runs.

Hopefully being a Holeshot conversion it will run nicely,but lots of people that turbo cars are only interested in how it runs flat out on full boost!

So under normal driving conditions/part throttle you can find they drive like a pig!

 

Hm understood, I suppose a test drive would be needed to see... 

7 minutes ago, maurici said:

So I will clarify my statement...

If is the car that Dave's is talking about...  may have been properly driven in the past, but I'm very sure is not being now... not at least with the current bits on it.

 

28 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

You know, I’ve been thinking some details on this car looked familiar; the penny has just dropped, I think it’s John Cobb’s old Turboblade, but with the big Japanese script type decals largely removed, (John the old Sussex Area AO, posted as MB893 on the Boardroom, but it’s been some years since he sold the car).

If it is John’s, and there are way to many bespoke parts, I suspect for it not to be. Then it was one of the most thoroughly developed Westfields around, earning huge respect from all that saw it. In his ownership it was spectacularly light and used if I recall correctly for a very wide and varied range of motoring from road trips to trackdays.

John was utterly, utterly OCD, in the best possible way when it came to development of that car. Nothing was on it that didn’t need to be, and all was thoroughly tested. I remember him even now doing back to back tests of diff temperatures with and without the rear diffuser.

There used to be a dedicated build site for the car, but that seems long since gone now, which is a shame, as it was a fascinating read.

Obviously the car has been through the hands of at least one other owner since then, but the bones of that car have a very fine provenance!

Yes it was John's car and he built it. 

I believe the current owner bought it off John as that's what he said. 

Sounds like a great car then albeit with a few a few mods since. 

[maurici]

2 hours ago, A1243R said:

Ah, this seems a shame. I would be looking to fit a full cage most likely, a flat shifter and then just review then... 

Would you say this is a real concern or just needs a few bits tinkering... 

 

Full cage, it may actually be the first thing it needs, and secondly will need adjustable ARB. Flat shifter... is a preference, but is perfectly valid without.

As soon as you start to push hard you will realize that the green stuff pads are not what you really need for this sort of performance (are not worth even as daily pads INMHO).

Those Are only minor and fairly irrelevant things that doesn't really reflect what Dave's have explained about the car, so, NO, I don't thing it needs worrying... I just would say that the current owner wasn't as westfield minded as the previous one, but build quality must be there and just need a good test and check to be sure you are not buying a box of worms. (as any kit car actually).

 

[CosKev]

5 hours ago, maurici said:

So I will clarify my statement...

If is the car that Dave's is talking about...  may have been properly driven in the past, but I'm very sure is not being now... not at least with the current bits on it.

What difference does it make to whether the car is a good or a bad buy if it's been driven 'properly' or not ?

Just because you personally use your Westfield as a 'tool' and compete in it doesn't mean all Westfield owners do

[maurici]

20 minutes ago, CosKev said:

What difference does it make to whether the car is a good or a bad buy if it's been driven 'properly' or not ?

Just because you personally use your Westfield as a 'tool' and compete in it doesn't mean all Westfield owners do

This was a clarification of my whole post just a bit before of this one.

 

And if you see, I´m speaking about a car that "looks fast, and super developed" but seems to lack quite a lot of things that "should" have. So my wonder was... Its been built to be fast, or just to look fast?

It has absolutely nothing to do with what I use my westfield for and is irrelevant on my statement... but for your info sadly right now is being used for "NOTHING". My whole statement was this one. Hopefully reading it all together have more sense...

 

""" It has some stuff that isn't quite matching what I would expect from something that "track" focused... and it looks to me like it has been build to pretend is quick, actually not caring much if its quick or not... and that would worry me a little bit.

I can't understand for example the "plumbed it fire extinguisher, massive amount of carbon, FIA harness on date and so... but then has no Anti roll bars, and works with EBC green stuff pads all around ... that means to me, that this car has been never driven properly.

Will the engine and the tuning be done to pretend is quick? or will actually be driveable?

I also never rely on too tidy engine bays... but that is only a personal inclination.

Car looks cheap for what it offers, and the quality of the build looks all right, but have the wrong basic bits to cope whit what is meant to be, so I would really check the car very very deeply."""

[CosKev]

Yeah I understand what your saying,but you are saying it from a competitors view.

If I wanted to fit a 1000 bhp engine and run green stuff pads doesn't make it wrong,as I don't compete in any type of motorsport and might want to drive my car on the road at legal speeds without using all the 1000 bhp

Nowhere has it been stated the OP is looking for a track/competition car,he's looking for a nice all around Westfield

[TAFKARM]

This is your sporty looking tyres all over again!

[maurici]

9 minutes ago, CosKev said:

Yeah I understand what your saying,but you are saying it from a competitors view.

If I wanted to fit a 1000 bhp engine and run green stuff pads doesn't make it wrong,as I don't compete in any type of motorsport and might want to drive my car on the road at legal speeds without using all the 1000 bhp

Nowhere has it been stated the OP is looking for a track/competition car,he's looking for a nice all around Westfield

Yeah... is not from a competitor point of view sorry but is from common sense point of view.

Having a sensible list of matching parts, placing them all toghether for a defined purpose (touring, cruising, racing, trackday, fast road...) usually shows a reliable owner with good advice // sensible ideas, that has developed a car chasing a target.

 Building a nosense, makes an unreliable car and potentially unreliable and lacking of knowledge owner//builder that has just bolt parts toguether for the sake of it... and there is no worst cars than this last ones. From my experience, when you buy one of those, you find that most of it is ****, that you have to revert everything back to standart to have an starting point, and then develop again... with means expend 3 or 4 times what you expected just putting all right in place.

Using EBC at all is a reason for me to discard a potential purchase (And done it before).

[A1243R]

2 minutes ago, maurici said:

Yeah... is not from a competitor point of view sorry but is from common sense point of view.

Having a sensible list of matching parts, placing them all toghether for a defined purpose (touring, cruising, racing, trackday, fast road...) usually shows a reliable owner with good advice // sensible ideas, that has developed a car chasing a target.

 Building a nosense, makes an unreliable car and potentially unreliable and lacking of knowledge owner//builder that has just bolt parts toguether for the sake of it... and there is no worst cars than this last ones.

Using EBC at all is a reason for me to discard a potential purchase (And done it before).

I feel a real hatred for EBC here... whats your preference for pads then? Or dare I ask? 

[maurici]

Just now, A1243R said:

I feel a real hatred for EBC here... whats your preference for pads then? Or dare I ask? 

Any brand that suits your prefference is all right.

I use very low friction Ferodo´s Ds UNO //1.11 for the westy, because they really suit the feel for the car... but used AP, Carbon Lorraine, PFC and Carbopads in other cars.

I´m not a hater, I´m just completely against EBC because I´ve seen and experienced from first hand, near to death experiences in with EBC. And in fact, they are rubish. ABSOLUTELY RUBISH, Who drives ok with Any EBC pad, can use the cheapest one available on Eurocarparts. Results will be the same for half the price.