Buying 2005 SEIW zetec - some questions

[Wolfdog]

On 27/03/2018 at 20:38, Eastwood said:

Fantastic.......that would be great.......cheers 

Sorry for the delay.. Header tank disposed of due to new water rail.

[Jim G]

I have to say the lack of any paperwork/provenance would put me off unless I was very confident in what I was looking at or I was talking to whoever had built it. Why is there confusion over whether or not it’s a factory car? That should be easily sorted with a call to Westfield and giving them the chassis number.  I would also have a look at as many cars as you can before making a decision, there will be more and more coming up for sale as the weather improves, a wanted ad on here can also turn up some nice cars, as it did for me. 

[Eastwood]

Thanks for the photos........interesting solution......never seen anything quite like that before.

I’m sure the thermostat housing on the 2005 car I looked at was much closer to the bulkhead than it would have been on your car..........certainly less than 10mm, and the plate holding the coil pack was mounted at an angle overlapping the bulkhead panel where the elec fuses were mounted ?

[Eastwood]

48 minutes ago, Jim G said:

I have to say the lack of any paperwork/provenance would put me off unless I was very confident in what I was looking at or I was talking to whoever had built it. Why is there confusion over whether or not it’s a factory car? That should be easily sorted with a call to Westfield and giving them the chassis number.  I would also have a look at as many cars as you can before making a decision, there will be more and more coming up for sale as the weather improves, a wanted ad on here can also turn up some nice cars, as it did for me. 

There’s the thing. I just can’t believe a car like this has only one service receipt and the mot and nothing else after 13 yrs ! Ok, I guess paperwork could get mislaid, but it doesn’t inspire confidence.

think I’m going to take my time and look out for a wscc members.......one that’s had the same owner for a few hrs so I can get some insight into history etc.

[DamperMan]

Not everyone keeps all there receipts and stores them in a file with a matching photo album.  Some of us actively chose to avoid  having such a bulk of divorce promoting evidence.     

Our biggest fear when we die is our partners sell the car for what we say it has cost!  

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Also, some want to retain the information and records, and don’t pass them on with the car.

[Jim G]

1 hour ago, DamperMan said:

Not everyone keeps all there receipts and stores them in a file with a matching photo album.  Some of us actively chose to avoid  having such a bulk of divorce promoting evidence.     

Our biggest fear when we die is our partners sell the car for what we say it has cost!  

 

Very true  

[keirik]

if it's the trader in leicester we probably think it is then I've just bought my car from him and I feel very supported by his continued availability to be on the end of a phone when I have random stupid questions, I also got little paperwork with my car, but it has been so well prepared and upgraded I didnt see that as an issue.
 

 

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

You’d be surprised how many Westfields there are around with little paperwork; it tends to happen with the factory build cars, where you never get the sort of paperwork that some builders will reverently keep. Couple that with a first buyer/owner who doesn’t come from the traditional enthusiast background, and there are many more people like that than you think, who have bought them over the years, as a quirky alternative to TVR’s, Morgan’s modern sports cars etc. and many of those type owners wouldn’t even think to put history files together, let alone pass them on with the car.

..and then there is the other side of the coin. And I’ve a bit of a guilty admission to make here. Ahem. I’ve never passed anything but a V5 on. I have full history files on all the cars I’ve owned, in particular the Westfields. That’s a record of my blood sweat and tears and a record of the parts I used and suppliers they came from, that I might want to use again, it has both sentimental and physical value to me. If a buyer specifically asked, they might get copies, but not the originals.

So don’t over read into a lack of documentation on a car you’re interested in, just go by the condition of the car itself. With cars like these, condition is absolutely everything.

[Kingster]

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

Ahem. I’ve never passed anything but a V5 on. I have full history files on all the cars I’ve owned, in particular the Westfields. That’s a record of my blood sweat and tears and a record of the parts I used and suppliers they came from, that I might want to use again, it has both sentimental and physical value to me. If a buyer specifically asked, they might get copies, but not the originals.

I never thought about that Dave!

[Andy (Sycho)]

As Dave I was guilty of that too with my last car, to which there is a box file of information!

[Kingster]

I must admit that I thought everyone would pass on the big folder as a kind of proof of how good the build was. 

Thus, without it, the 'provenance' would be somehow missing or flawed.

But, you're right, it's not always the case - so back to the assertion that, if you have no previous experience of kit cars, it's very wise to take along someone who knows what constitutes a "good build" 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Quality shows, examination of the car is everything, and receipts are just that. Due to the evolving nature of builds, a receipt in a box is no guarantee that the part is still fitted to the car.

I know a few people whose build folders had receipts for engine work that caused them to assume certain spec’s of engine, that when it came down to it were wrong, (Not always maliciously of consciously attempting to deceive). I know one guy years ago that bought a new set of Q450V cams and new pistons for an XE engine, which had receipts for a mild entry level cam, only to find when it was opened up, it already had the 450V’s in, along with high compression pistons, solid tappets race valve springs etc. It’s just the receipts weren’t there for whatever reason. The car had passed through at least one set of hands since the work was done, and the owner he’d bought it from wasn’t mechanical, and though had probably been told the spec, probably just didn’t understand or remember it properly, and just said it had better cams.

 

[Kingster]

Nice looking Duratec just popped up for sale in for sake section!

[CraigHew]

9 minutes ago, Chris King - Webmaster and Joint North East AO said:

Nice looking Duratec just popped up for sale in for sake section!

it may be based in IOM