Help regarding fitting into a Westfield

[Skypeller]

So I’m looking for some answers to help me get the right Westfield. 

 

1)Last year I spent a day in a hired 1995 caterham super seven (what is a super seven compared to a regular seven????) it was red top engined on ITBs. It had the posh caterham 5 spoke alloys. It fitted me perfectly. It was really, really comfortable, I’m 6ft 3” and 110kg not fat but definitely not athletic...

 

The problem is I want to spend 7k max, I could afford a caterham but don’t want to spend that much to be honest, 

Tonight I went to look at the most stunning Westfield narrow in British racing green with a yellow nose cone and crossflow Webber equipped engine, however much to my disappointment I could sit down in it but my feet had to be at the end of the tunnel past the pedals by about 6-10inches and I couldn’t get my knee in the correct positions to even attempt to drive it. My A*** wouldn’t quite squeeze into the seat compartment either (not by much but just not enough space ... I believe they’re 15.5” if it were 16” it might have even fit... but the legs/knees were not happy) yet no trouble at all, not one bit, in the caterham? 

2)But from my understanding the narrow Westfields are same dimmensions as a non SV caterham Being a 1995 surely the caterham I drove was a regular s3 sized one? 

 

3)Anybody found they won’t fit a narrow Westfield at all but are very happy in a wide body Westfield ??

 

4)Also what are the seat widths of the caterhams (s3, sv, any others) as I’m a bit baffled 

 

5)When did they phase out the narrow Westfields and all become wide? 

 

Thanks in advance for any help

[Quinten]

Ha, I just answered your question on Pistonheads    You should be able to find someone more local than Northampton though  

[Thrustyjust]

That height and 'stature' I would look at a wide body . I had a prelit (early 7 , post Caterham litigation, hence name) and would be similar to the Caterham and I was always cramped  leg length wise and a few inches shorter in height than you. Seats can make it longer in length , with carbon shells , but if width is also an issue with your butt, then widebody is the way to get comfortable.

[Skypeller]

Thanks very much guys, does anybody know if the caterham is kind of between the two? As it definitely felt more comfortable but wasn’t aware of there being a “wide” model of those especially before about yr 2000 ish 

[BugMan]

I would suggest getting along to a local meeting and see if somebody would allow you to have a sit in one ore 2 different cars?

You should be able to find you local AO on here, making contact with like minded people was the best move I made prior to starting my Westfield journey.

And welcome from West Yorkshire.    

[Steve (sdh2903)]

You'll be fine in a wide body westy. I'm a couple of inches taller and about the same weight and fit fine. Seat choice is critical though. I used fibreglass seats pushed right back. I just couldn't get in comfy with the thicker padded seats and I find the grp seats very comfortable even for long journeys.

The lowered floor pans on the westfield also make a difference for us larger drivers. Someone will correct me but think they became standard fit around 2006/7.

[BugMan]

Seat pan was included in my 250 package 

[Rory's Dad]

It also depends on the position of your steering wheel. Mine sticks out a bit. I am 6ft(ish) tall and have pushed my jk seat forward a bit, tilted it backwards a bit (bit of wood at the front end), have a flat floor and fit just fine! I'm a bit scrunched up and that might not suit everyone. Just to repeat - get yourself along to your local meet and try 'em all out. Big Ron in Yorkshire has a narrow and fits in his with a bit of a squeeze. He's just huge! 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

There are good reasons why everyone keeps saying try more cars!

The thing with Westfields is that despite them all having basically very similar narrow or wide chassis, no two cars are often the same withwhats fitted to those chassis. Things like seat types, interior carpeting, side trim panels, steering wheel types all make a big difference, and that’s before people start adapting things by modifying seat positions, or moving steering wheel positions.

As an example. I once helped move a newly bought second hand narrow bogey car for a friend. Fully trimmed car, with comfy seats. I couldn’t actually fit all the way down into the seat, but even wedged in, four or five inches above the seat(!j the pedals were still too close.

On the other hand, helping fitting a cage to a stripped out narrow several years later, I had no problem whatsoever fitting in, and the pedal placement was fine. But if I hadn’t done this, I’d still think that I just didn’t fit.

That said, the wide is more comfortable, and more to the point, the wide means I can use any choice of Westfield seat, and have interior trim.

i have no figure to back it up, but people who’ve tried both have always told me that the standard Caterham S3 chassis is about the same as a narrow, for cockpit width, possibly even slightly less. While I do know the SV is wider and longer than our wide.

Again, though, perhaps not to the extent you see with Westfields, but different interior specs on Caterham, will mean a tighter or looser “fit” in the available space. Plus didn’t at least some S3’s have adjustable pedal positions?

[CosKev]

Were the seats the same type in both cars?

Makes a massive difference if the seats are just a flat Base, or are bucket type seat with sides

[Skypeller]

Yeah pretty flat base padded even tried it with no seat at all.... still to wide/fat haha

[Davemk1]

I'm 6'4" and 190 lbs and fit into my widebody perfectly. If I were much taller it wouldn't work but I could be a bit wider and still be fine.

As said above the type of seating and how it's set up will make or break the deal. I'm using a Tillet seat bolted directly to the floor as far back as possible and the fit is just right. When I first built the car I was using the stock Westfield Sport Turbo seat mounted on the adjustable rails and it just barely worked. In my case it only really fit the way I needed it to once I started tweaking things. Small changes of 1/2" here and 3/8" there make all the difference.

dave

[Skypeller]

well I’ve just been to the Westfield factory in person and I can’t say just how helpful they were!! Fantastic bunch! I sat in a wide body with lowered floor and it was absolutely perfect!!

Manager showed me around;

The wide without the lowered floor would be fine too he said because he was exactly same size and build as me!