Hey Everyone - just about to pull the trigger.... (with pictures)

[M@r]{]

Hey everyone, just wanted to post up and say hi.  If all goes to plan by the end of the bank holiday I'll be the proud owner of a bike engine'd Westfield!   It's a bit of a leap of faith, I've never driven a Westfield and I've never driven a BEC.   I've a little experience of 7 style cars as a long time ago I had a Locost with a 6 cylinder Essex engine    

As you can see it wasn't the prettiest 

But I've had more recent experience of a kit car as I has a V-Storm with a 330bhp boxer engine from a STI Suburu.  Now this car was a lot of fun.  Quirky too with it's 3 seats 

I drove that back all the way from Cornwall to the Midlands!  5 hrs!   Ownership wasn't great.  First trackday at Bedford, car was amazing, nothing could get near it, (although that does get a little boring)  But then on the long sweeping right hander as you enter the pit straight?  The damper compressed so much the adjustment knob caught on a bracket and somehow another bracket then collapsed.  Limped off the track and got the car home.  Took about 2 months to get that sorted (Protech were awesome in repairing the damper, great company)   Finally get it back, drive up the road to go to Rockingham, third gear pull and the gearbox went!  Made a big mistake getting that sorted, bought a recon box from one company and got a local company to fit, then there were issues, they sent it somewhere else to strip... anyway, 3 companies involved, trying to determine where the fault lay.  Anyway £2,500 later and another 2months off the road.  I fell out of love with the car so sold it to a car / driving experience day company.

So then decided I'd itched the kit car scratch and wanted to go back to what I knew, a Lotus.  Had 4 over the years, the latest was a S2 Exige S.  However coming from the Storm I wanted something a little different.  Found a S2 Exige S fitted with GT3 clams front and rear!  1 of only 2 in the UK.  So wide!  Looked fantastic:

I think this car will be a keeper, values are going up, it's great on track and has that head turning ability I'm not ashamed to admit I like    

So why the BEC?  And after I swore not another kit car?  Well after a recent track day at Cadwell where there were quite a few BEC?  I just really liked that high revving, quick gear changing raw nature of them.  Just really fancy giving one a go.  And unlike the V-Storm, parts, aftermarket etc for Westfields seem readily available.  And why two track day cars?  Yeah well I can't quite answer that.  I know at the next track day I'll be in a dilemma on which one to take.  I know they'll both end up getting limited use.  But I need to scratch this itch.  I think I'm hoping the Westfield will be as awesome as I hope and that can then become my main track car.  I can then smarten the Exige up and just use it on the road, just have it as an occasional weekend car that will hopefully go up in value.  We'll see.  It all depends on how smoothly the ownership goes.  I'm a mechanical noob so anything more complex than changing pads and I'll have to pay a specialist.  Just not sure who to use around my way, someone who knows BEC's (Northamptonshire)    First thing I want to do is hand it off to someone to give it a good spanner check and a service (something I like to do on any car I buy)  

Anyway, I'll probably have loads of questions so apologies in advance.  I promise to give back whenever I can.  And if anyone has any handy tips on what to look out for when I go to see this car on Monday, that would be great    

 

 

 

[Quinten]

The only BEC I know of in the Northants area is Jody Arch's (but it aint for sale ;)).  Are you on the Northants Facebook group yet?  Our next meet is September the 10th from 19:30 onwards at The Horseshoe in Sywell... 

Loving the V-Storm btw 

[Kevin (Mr T)]

from Essex

[Gary Taylor]

Welcome and good luck Monday and remember if you do pull the trigger, we need pictures 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

 from Scarborough.

Nice looking cars you have. 

[Alan Cutler (Adge) - Dorset AO]

 from sunny Somerset. Best of luck with your search.

[DE04*]

From Kent 

[XTR2Turbo]

I guess in Northampton the company that knows Wrstfields well is Troy at Northampton motorsport.

 

prtsonally if just for track I would look at blade cars not just buss.  A lot cheaper and simpler engine wise and not a lot slower. 

Maybe take someone who knows the cars with you if not sure.  Quite a lot worth checking that can materially affect values.