Recent snap of your Westfield

[Flying Carrot Steve]

On 05/02/2023 at 13:14, Quinten said:

I don't know why I haven't done this before as it turned out to be fairly easy to do, but I finally used the 3M Perfect-It Medium Cut & Polish compound on the rear of my car where the previously fitted spare wheel had left some very visible marks

 

Before

 

 

After

 

Did you use a DA polisher or by hand? I want to polish mine up and despite being a decent detailer I've never done a glassfibre car. It seems like a very hard surface so probably need a decent amount of cut to get a result? 

[Flying Carrot Steve]

Some of you may recognise this car, it used to belong to another WSCC member. I've had it for almost 2½ years now but it only feels like months thanks to covid

 

Mine is the orange one - the Flying Carrot. In the 1st 2 pics I have no idea who the other two yellow Westies belong to, they were already parked up when I got to the AV8 cafe at Cotswold Airport and fate left a space for me right next to them! Anyone recognise them please say hello!

 

The 3rd pic was on a blat with a mate in his SDR V-Storm on the way to Sweets Tea Rooms near Glastonbury for a Sunday morning meet up and the last one was at Tintern in the Wye Valley Wales last year at a kitnet evening meeting. 

 

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

27 minutes ago, Flying Carrot Steve said:

Did you use a DA polisher or by hand

Personally, I use a rotary, but I know plenty of owners getting reasonable results with a DA. Hand is perfectly possible too, but it can be a long slog.

 

Westfield have used many different makers for the GRP over the last twenty years, and there’s much variation in its qualities, too. Some eras of gel coat are really hard, and pretty much take everything you can throw at them, from light wet sanding (even down as far as 400 grit - you can go beyond, but that’s a topic in its own right), right the way through machine polishing with very aggressive compounds.

 

On the other hand, the gel coat from some suppliers was quite soft and thin, and needs a lighter touch when dealing with any marring.

 

I find it’s quite different to painted steel/aluminum, not necessarily much better or worse, just different. Heat management needs care.

[Quinten]

40 minutes ago, Flying Carrot Steve said:

Did you use a DA polisher or by hand?

 

DA polisher.

 

22 minutes ago, Flying Carrot Steve said:

In the 1st 2 pics I have no idea who the other two yellow Westies belong to, they were already parked up when I got to the AV8 cafe at Cotswold Airport and fate left a space for me right next to them! Anyone recognise them please say hello!

 

The yellow one with racing roundel and white racing stripe is my old one, now belonging to @Rozmondo

[Flying Carrot Steve]

1 hour ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman said:

Personally, I use a rotary, but I know plenty of owners getting reasonable results with a DA. Hand is perfectly possible too, but it can be a long slog.

 

Westfield have used many different makers for the GRP over the last twenty years, and there’s much variation in its qualities, too. Some eras of gel coat are really hard, and pretty much take everything you can throw at them, from light wet sanding (even down as far as 400 grit - you can go beyond, but that’s a topic in its own right), right the way through machine polishing with very aggressive compounds.

 

On the other hand, the gel coat from some suppliers was quite soft and thin, and needs a lighter touch when dealing with any marring.

 

I find it’s quite different to painted steel/aluminum, not necessarily much better or worse, just different. Heat management needs care.

Mine is one of the 'all-in-one' bodies it seems, at least I think so because the rear arches have no join to the tub? I'm a Westfield newbie although it's my 4th kit (currently own 2 the other being the original red ASBO a bike engined exoskeletal car) so I don't know an awful lot about the bodies over the years. My gel coat does seem extremely hard compared to lacquer on say a normal metal bodied car. Do all Westfields originally have a gel coat? Is that where the colour is actually in the GRP or on top of it? I seem to recall from my Lotus days (40 years ago almost) that GRP cars can come with various methofs of paint colouring? I clearly have a lot to catch up with 😂

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Hi Steve,

 

Caveat! the only thing 100% absolute with kit cars, is that there are no absolutes!

 

Almost all Westfield (seven style cars) supplied by the factory were supplied with self-coloured grp. A very tiny number, for at least one special occasion, were supplied painted over the top - the Silver Jubilee saw some models with silver paint details, for instance. But from the factory, this was very rare.

 

Owners, over the years, tidying up older or much modified cars have had them painted. It's a little trickier than painting metal, but can be done very well. But once started, I've always felt you're then committed to periodic resprays, if you plan to keep for the real long haul.

 

But the majority of cars are "self-coloured" GRP; what does this mean? Well to make a GRP body part in a mould, (simplifying greatly) it's first given a good coat of gel coat, this will form the shiny, hard, protective outer layer. But as it's not structurally very strong, there is then a thick layer of "chopped strand mat" reinforced Polyester resin applied to it. This is the very uneven surfaced layer you see inside the panels. On later cars, a layer of black "flo-coat" is often applied over the top of this to even it up a bit, and dress the surface.

 

It is normal, for both the gel coat and CSM reinforced structural layer to have the body colouring pigment mixed with them, so they are the same colour all the way through.

 

Because the gel coat is the same colour from top to bottom, and is thicker than paint, you can do more wet sanding and cutting than with paint. BUT you absolutely do not want to break through to the mat layer, as this is not easy damage to repair. 

[Flying Carrot Steve]

Fantastic info Dave, a great help, cheers!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

We have some great info on the forum when it comes to looking after grp, for anything from a light tickle with a microfibre and sealant, through to full on gel coat repairs. As well as plenty of recommendations for materials etc that members have found to work well.

[Flying Carrot Steve]

7 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman said:

We have some great info on the forum when it comes to looking after grp, for anything from a light tickle with a microfibre and sealant, through to full on gel coat repairs. As well as plenty of recommendations for materials etc that members have found to work well.

That'll be what I'm looking for then. I'll figure out how and where to find it later I hope 

[Baz456]

On 10/11/2022 at 15:37, Mole said:

Weather looks good for some miles on Saturday..

I live about 4 miles from Roydon!

[Robin Parker (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO]

After being inactive since Christmas, I thought it was time I tried to sort my non-starting issues. Not started for 7 weeks, I tried it this afternoon, and it tried to start. After cleaning the battery terminals it started. Put the battery on charge for a while, and it started on the button. 

I had to bite the bullet and take it out. Everything fine, and a run of a mile or so everything great. Then it started banging, popping and missing. Then nothing. Dead again. 

Only half a mile from home, but uphill all the way so no chance of pushing. AA called again, and were with me in 25 minutes. 

Diagnosis, king lead from coil to distributor not screwed in correctly. 

Started up and driven home with the AA following. 

Car tucked up in the garage until I can replace leads, plugs etc. 

Hopefully that's where my problems were, and I'm on the way again. 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Fingers crossed you’ve found the problem.

[DIY-Si]

A quick trip out to the Royal Ordance Depot at Weedon, for the opening event of a new car/art venue, Gasoline Juice.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob Hunter - Club Secretary]

Red lorry, yellow lorry..... 😂

[GaryD1971]

 

First start of the year whilst I tidy the garage! Not overly happy with the hood fit, so I think a little tinkering with the frame is in order.