Looking to buy a Westfield in NZ

[Mr V]

Hi there. I live in NZ and am going to look at at a Westfield next week (it's a rare car here!).  The car was bought new in Italy but is RHD and was imported to NZ in 2019 by the previous but one owner.  There is no record of how old the car actually is.  The chassis number is SE585.  Is there any way I can trace what year the car is from?

Thanks for your help!

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Welcome

 

I don’t know if European export cars had different chassis numbers (I don’t think they were) but that numbers not the normal format.

 

current cars follow the conventional 17 digit vin with the 11rh digit being the date identifier. Earlier cars would be similar to SE89 1234 with 89 denoting the year of build.

 

do you have any pictures or a link to the advert? That would help massively.

[Mr V]

Hi. Thanks for replying! The car isn’t advertised yet, but the garage have sent me some pics. There are no under bonnet ones, but hopefully these may help. It’s running a 1600 cross flow engine. 
The pics are on my phone - is it possible to include them here? I’m having a technology challenging moment! 

 

[Mr V]

More info, the chassis number is recorded as I mentioned earlier, but this is the VIN:
 

7AT08E00X19596294

 

Dies this help?

[Mark (smokey mow)]

1 hour ago, Mr V said:

Hi. Thanks for replying! The car isn’t advertised yet, but the garage have sent me some pics. There are no under bonnet ones, but hopefully these may help. It’s running a 1600 cross flow engine. 
The pics are on my phone - is it possible to include them here? I’m having a technology challenging moment! 

 

as a trial member you won’t be able to post photos, although you could host them elsewhere and link to them.

 

alternatively email them to me and I’ll post them up. 

 

1 hour ago, Mr V said:

More info, the chassis number is recorded as I mentioned earlier, but this is the VIN:
 

7AT08E00X19596294

 

Dies this help?

 

that suggests 2009 but it’s not a usual Westfield vin number as they would start SA9

 

edit: it’s possible the vin has to be restamped when the car was imported to NZ as 7A as the New Zealand country identifier. 

[Mr V]

Thank you so much for your help - email with pics sent! 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

[Mark (smokey mow)]

The car is a Westfield 7SE (often referred to as a prelit). The GRP bodied versions such as this were built around 1987/88.

 

The bodywork is now unavailable if you need replacements, but that does look in good condition. The donor parts should be predominantly Ford with a Mk2 escort rear axle and cortina front uprights.

[Mr V]

Thanks, that’s really helpful. The non availability of body panels is a watch out I guess. Does it being an early model make it more or less desirable, or just different? Most locally built 7 replicas (Frasers etc) run Toyota engines and are more modern in terms of technology, but this looks the best (in the pics) of any I have looked at so far. I guess the answer is to go & drive it & see if (a) I can fit in & (b) I like it! 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

8 minutes ago, Mr V said:

Does it being an early model make it more or less desirable, or just different?

speaking generally a newer wide bodied car would command a higher price simply because the size fits more people and they tend to be fitted with more modern engines.

 

pricing of kit cars isn’t dictated by age the same as other cars though as they see relatively low mileage. Instead pricing is driven more by the condition and spec.