Westfield SE sprint/hillclimb car project - now sold

[jeremyf]

Hello

First post on here in a very long time…..

I’ve decided to sell my Westfield SE sprint/hillclimb car, or more accurately, project.

Back story is that I bought this car in 1997 from Terry Nightingale, prominent second-hand Westfield dealer at the time. The car was originally from Guernsey where it was used for hill climbing. I enjoyed sprinting and hill-climbing it for a number of seasons then life took over and it sat in the garage.  A few years later I decided to embark on a restoration so stripped it down completely, had it sand blasted and sent it to Motorsport Components Ltd when it was in Bolton to rectify the fatigue related issues, cracked trailing brackets, leaking rear axle etc. Whilst they were at it they strengthened those areas, and I then had it powder coated.  Unfortunately, I ran out of motivation and it sat in the garage – which is dehumidified – and gathered dust.

So, it will come as no surprise that I’ve decided enough is enough and it should move on.  I’m not really interested in selling it piecemeal – I haven’t the time – but I would rather see it go to someone who will do something with it. 

Obviously under the current circumstances it will be impossible to come and view or actually buy it but if anyone is interested enough then I’m happy to provide information, pictures etc in the meantime.

Specification:

Chassis

1989 SE narrow body

Live axle with Watts linkage, done by the aforementioned Terry Nightingale

Strengthened rear trailing arm mounting points

All suspension components, some renewed, most stripped down for painting.

Cortina front calipers

Prepared for floor mounted pedal box (OBP Motorsport new/unused pedal box included)

4 point harness mounts

New one piece thicker aluminium floor panel, ready to go on, plus all the old aluminium panels

Drivetrain

SPR/Roger King built AX block 1800 crossflow, high spec racing engine, includes dry sump, twin Weber 45 DCOEs.  About 160bhp, but obviously not run for a long time.

AP Racing lightweight sintered clutch

4 speed Rocket box with straight cut close ratio gear set and aluminium bell housing

English axle, Quaife ATB LSD, strengthened trailing arm mounting points, drum brakes.

Bodywork

Nose cone, bonnet, scuttle and front cycle wings that came with the car.  When I raced I modified the original tub to take wider wheels, but when I started this restoration I decided on returning to standard width so acquired a slightly damaged tub which you can see in the pictures.  The original I sold on at the time.

Other bits

Windscreen, unused/unfitted tonneau cover, dials, wiring harness – everything as dismantled from the car.  All nuts bolts bagged and labelled, new rivets etc.

Trailer

Single axle engineer built, galvanised steel and aluminium trailer, needs a bit of TLC but included if you want it.

 

Finally, and an important thing to note:  this car has never been registered or IVA’d, so no V5.  It does have a (very old) RAC MSA logbook.

Price

£3,000 ono for everything listed above.

[Simon Waterfall Syman84]

All the right bits with this one. Will be a lovely car when put back together. 

 

I would say that you could probably sell the engine alone for the whole asking price in the classic Ford circles 

 

Glws

[Mighty Mart]

@syman84

 

Was just thinking the same mate - if the engine is a runner, worth that alone....

 

Absolute bargain for someone.

 

Mart.

[Worcester]

General question, please excuse the ignorance. Hopefully the more experienced members can help me out.

I've been involved in various forms of motorsport for 40 years, built rally cars, trialled,  and race  saloons, and the lockdown made me review all the cars I have owned over time and realised that there was one missing , especially with Shelsey Walsh only a spit away from where I live.

I'm more than capable of re-assembling this project, even got bits of an broadspeed dry sumped crossflow somewhere in the workshop

My key question is, is it possible / what would it take to get this IVA'd and road registered. 

Thx, Gordon

 

[Mighty Mart]

Hi Gordon,

 

Much better people qualified on here to answer that, but in my admittedly very little knowledge on the subject, I'm thinking it may be difficult, as you have old school equipment in a highly tuned state, which may need to adhere to new school emissions etc requirements aimed at modern equipment for present day IVA rules?

 

However, there may be age related provisions - people with experience will be along shortly I'm guessing.....

 

A lot to be said for registering as a Q plate too, especially at MOT time....

 

Mart.

[jeremyf]

Hi Mart and Glws

Thanks for the kind words.  I'm seriously wondering if I have pitched this very wisely - I don't want to give it away.

 

That said, to Gordon's question on IVA - I haven't tried and as Mart says many better qualified people to answer on here but my understanding is that you need to download the appropropriate manual from the gov.uk site, wade through 300 pages to work out which items you need, everything from lights, seat belts, fuel filler caps, immobilizer, a myriad of safety related items that you don't need on a race car.  I think you need a letter from the engine manufacturer confirming its age.  As this is a 1989 car what Westfield sold as standard suitable for the IVA (or SVA as it was I think) probably won't pass muster now so you are probably going to need to buy or adapt a lot of those things.  Bear in mind with my car as it's pretty much always been a sprint/hillclimb car a lot of those things haven't been fitted in years, so whilst I have the windscreen wiper mechanism, I re-wired the car at one point and didn't bother wiring for wipers, horns, lights etc.  

When you have built the car, then you need to take it for the IVA test which is going to involve paying £450+ and trailering the car there.  So it is definitely possible, I guess it just depends on how much time and patience you have to get through the whole process. 

Hope this helps

Jeremy

[Jitterbug]

Very interested Jeremy I have just sent a PM. 

Thanks

Mike 

[jeremyf]

The club member who had agreed to buy my car suffered an unfortunate change in circutmstances so was unable to complete.  I returned his deposit, so I'm back to square 1 and the car is back up for sale. 

 

Since I originally posted I mounted the engine and transmission in the chassis and put the whole lot on the trailer which has been fettled so it's ready to go.

[Paul Reynolds]

Pm sent

[Emeny]

Hi

Pm sent. 
just in case it falls through again, let me know.

many thanks

[BamBam49]

Pm sent