Newbie

[Garethd]

Hello all, I have just joined and wanted to sale hello. I know this question has never been posted on the forum 🤣🤣🤣 but I need your advice. I’m completely new to Westfield’s and want to purchase one by the end of April. Limited regarding mechanics but I can open a car door and know what the steering wheel does! I have owned  high performance cars such as M5, Porsche etc and have done a couple of track days. 
 

My purchase will be very much a second car for having fun on weekends and predominately using on track. I have a very good local mechanic and intend to learn my way around the car with him. However, not looking to build it, just enhance overtime.
 

my budget is circa £15k but happy to spend less of my needs can be achieved. Appreciate this question has been asked loads of times but your inputs will be very much appreciated.
 

im 6ft3 and 17 stone and very broad, so I guess seats etc need to be considered. 
 

I live just outside Taunton so Castle Combe will be my regular stomping ground. 
 

Thanks again, Gareth

 

 

 

 

 

[Sean Walsh]

Hi,

Welcome from sunny ole Minehead!

 

There are quite a few of us nearby.

 

You’re a couple of inches taller than me but would say a wide body with lowered floors would be a good starting point.

 

you’re  welcome to have a sit in mine to try it for size if that would be helpful.

 

There’s no ‘standard’ fit as most have their own peculiarities etc, but would give you an idea.

 

We have a WhatApp group for the Devon & Somerset folks which is where we tend to organise drives / meets and ask all the tricky questions!

 

If you message me with your mb number I will add you to the group!

 

Good luck with the search!

 

Sean

[SootySport]

Hi Gareth, yes you will fit in a Westfield, best to budget for new seats (At least the drivers seat) and a smaller steering wheel. You need to try seats before you buy otherwise your wasting money.  Look for low sided GRP seats  and fit them in without runners, you only gain about 30mm reduction in height but it makes a big difference. Finding all you “Wants” is going to be tough, especially the dropped floor part.

Floor space in a SEIW is 425mm wide on drivers side, can be narrower on passenger side depending on transmission tunnel.

A quick release steering wheel with a spacer will give you more knee room.   
Best to go to a local meet and check out these options before you buy a car or you’ll be disappointed.   Happy car hunting.

Regards Bernie.

[Alan Cutler (Adge) - Dorset AO]

Welcome to prospective Westfield ownership Gareth. Believe you have made a wise first step by joining the WSCC.

 

Perversely even though I’m the Dorset AO I live on the Somerset levels just east of Bridgwater, so not far from you.

 

I am a little smaller than you, but you’re welcome to try my car for size (wide body, lowered floors, removable steering wheel). May be on your radar already, don’t know your shoe size, but there are variations in footwell width dependent on chassis type. For example my footwell is narrow and I find I need to squeeze my feet (size 😎 into narrow shoes (find race boots ideal) to avoid hitting two pedals at once! Just something to bear in mind when looking.

Best of luck in your search.

 

Adge

[Somerset Jim]

Gareth,

   Welcome! Further to our Whats App chat, Sean, Adge and I can probably combine 3 cars and 3 lots of knowledge in a single event, passing through Bishop's Lydiard on the way to Raleigh's Cross for coffee and cake one morning.

    Give me a shout when you're back from holidays.

 

Jim  

[SXRORY]

if you ever did want to get into tinkering, a westfield is a good place to start. I did the basics before but since buying a one you can have a go. Ive 

refurbed suspension put it all back on, redone all the fuel lines, oil changes, done the brakes blah blah blah. It does not matter if you get stuck cause you ask a really obvious question on here and they answer it. And when you get p******** off you can leave it for a couple of days and go back to it. Then when you realise what took you 2 days you could do again in about 20 minutes something else catches your eye and the cycle starts again. 

oh and they go alright too 😁

good luck with the search  

[Chris Broster - Bristol & Bath AO]

Hi Gareh,

 

Welcome to WSCC and from a bit further UP in and around Bristol and Bath.  We are regulars at Castle Coombe and often just pop over whenever we hear someone is doing a Track Day there.

 

Let us know if you are venturing up here; there are plenty of folk in and around if you need help viewing a westy?

 

Chris

[stephenh]

Hi Gareth. As well as a wide body with "shell" seats, either fibreglass or better carbon fibre, it would be a good idea to look for cars which have a braced roll over bar as you plan to do trackdays. The least I would want for that would be the so called RAC style factory 'bar, which has rear braces attached to the main hoop by large rose joints. Better still is the MSA style bar, where the rear braces are welded to the main hoop.

The most usual shell seats are either Tillet (often carbon fibre) or JK Composites which are fibreglass. I can vouch for the comfort of the JKC seats, particularly for the fuller figure!