New member in Suffolk area looking to buy, would like to try a car for size!

[Denek]

Hi all and thanks for having me. I am looking to buy at some point soon but I have never been in a Westfield and I’m worried that I won’t be able to get in one. I am knocking on a bit now although I still in my head think I’m 17. I also have arthritis in my knees so I would like to try. If there is anyone out there in the Suffolk area ( or possibly Bedford as I do visit there that could let me sit in their car I would be very grateful 

 

thanks in advance guys. 

[corsechris]

Welcome.

 

Sorry I’m nowhere near your area, you’d be most welcome.  Bound to be someone along soon who can oblige.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Welcome. I’ve just tweaked the title of your post a little to try and help find you some local help!

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Welcome  If you don’t mind a drive over the border there’s an Essex meet coming up next weekend where you’ll hopefully be able to see a few cars.

 

[SootySport]

As Mark says, come along Sunday week.  A few different variations of seats and driving positions in our cars for you to try and is what I did years ago before I bought my Westfield.   

[Denek]

If we are talking about this coming Sunday 11 th unfortunately I’m visiting relatives in Bedford. Thank you so much for the offer though. Maybe there will be another I can get to in future. How often do you meet? It would be really useful to come and look at some cars. I’m looking to buy next spring as we have a building project on and the driveway is covered in materials. Also I need to build some kind of cover as we are converting the garage. 
thanks for tweaking the title Dave. 
 

 

[SootySport]

We meet every second Sunday of a month.  Details of meets are in the club mag and usually posted in local meets.

[Denek]

Thanks I’ll try to get down But I’m going abroad for 6 weeks so will be when I get back and it will then be winter. Looks like this could be for next spring. Do prices rise in the spring or are they about the same throughout the year?

[Euan Hoosearmy]

Can't say for seasonal pricing, but as someone who bought a Westfield in early January, don't stop looking because it's winter. There were a couple of other cars I was beaten to by other buyers, so if you know what you're after, keep looking for it and be prepared to act. I got mine transported home partly due to weather but also because the car had a cam belt and tyres that were 24 years old and I didn't think a near 200 mile journey with these was a good idea. 

 

In terms of temporary cover, mine spent the first few months here in a carcoon. 

 

Winter run outs on cool bright dry days are fun if you're properly wrapped up. Do your best to avoid wet and icy though....

 

 

[Denek]

Thanks Euan I was thinking of a carcoon. I will keep looking and hopefully when I get back from my trip I’ll take the plunge. Are there any specific issues to look out for when buying? I always seem to get ripped off when I buy a car. I suppose it’s going to depend on how it was put together and by who. 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

2 hours ago, Denek said:

Are there any specific issues to look out for when buying?

Always buy based on condition rather than age. Relatively speaking kit cars get little use so age isn’t so important.

 

The rest depends on your own competence to a certain extent. Bodywork can be expensive to replace if damaged as can engine work if you don’t have the skills. Most of the rest is just nuts and bolts and fairly easy at that if you know the right and wrong ends of a spanner.

[Euan Hoosearmy]

What @Mark (smokey mow) said. look for records of what's been done in terms of maintenance and the standards as to how work has been done, look especially at the smaller stuff like wiring. Is the loom a mess or is it the work of someone with major OCD, ideally you want the latter. The details will give you an idea of the care the builder and current owner has put into it.

 

Ask lots of questions, what's been done, and more importantly when was it done? The previous owner of mine did everything by mileage, so the cam belt was 24 years old!! It left me with quite a bit of general maintenance to catch up on but it was stuff I was/am prepared to do.

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

As previous posts, condition, condition, condition! Age is a relatively minor consideration for most UK buyers, (unless there is something you specifically need that is age related, such as lowered floors, or the later more heavily braced chassis for high power conversions, etc)

 

Also, "condition" doesn't just mean the surface condition - how polished and shiny something is. In fact, that's not always a guide, and is something that can always be done later. You're looking for attention to detail and thoroughness in the build. For instance, look closely in the engine bay, how well are all the visible wires and pipes run, clipped up, supported etc. But then, try and look well they're done where they can't be easily seen! Perhaps stick your head, or phone camera, under the dash, or have a look under the car. Is everything consistent where it can't be seen, or is only there where it shows?

 

Look at as many cars as you can, to give you a good feel for how things can be done - they don't have to be for sale, you're just building up your memory bank of what Westfields look like up really close, so you have something to compare to!

 

You'll get a feel for where corners have been cut. And where one corner has been cut, others will have.

 

Unless you specifically want a restoration project, or something to tinker heavily with, then I'd split the "ideal" (road/touring/track day) cars in to two groups:

 

1/ Cars with, (relative to it being a Westfield) lots of miles on for its age, and lots of use. - this may still only be 20/30k on the car. The bodywork and exposed areas of the chassis around the front and suspension, will probably show signs of use and will almost certainly not be cosmetically perfect. BUT, the car will have been used plenty, the inevitable mechanical niggles ironed out and be a good solid reliable car on which to stamp your own personality.

 

2/ Cars with tiny mileages and barely any usage from owners who just enjoy the build, and only the build, always selling on and moving to the next car. These are typically fastidiously, and meticulously built cars, often to a supremely high standard. But when buying, you really need to gauge the builder as much as the car; they won't often have thousands of shake down miles on them, so you're reliant on the builder knowing how to build them "right" to avoid issues. None the less, you may have to do a little bit of sorting out, over the miles.

 

Obviously, life isn't perfectly black and white, and there will be cars that fall partway between the two groups.

 

One other thing, that those new to kits, not just Westfields, often get put off by, is the number of names and ownership lengths on the V5. Don't be.

 

Do check the car over carefully, of course. But it is very common for kit's like Westfields/Sevens/exo skeleton type cars etc, to really struggle to find the right owner. People buy them with no previous experience of such raw vehicles, but a rose tinted view of what ownership will be like, and simply find they don't get on with them, it's not for them. The car then gets sold on again, sometimes very quickly, and go through several pairs of hands like this.

[Denek]

Thanks for all this advice guys. I will try to see as many as I can to get my head around the car. Can’t wait to get one but going to tread carefully. That’s as long as my heart does not rule my head like it usually does

[Denek]

Went and sat in one yesterday and the good news is I loved the concept. The better news is I managed to get in ( and out) unaided. 
not sure this particular one was for me but the journey begins. Thanks for all the advice.