Thinking about a Westfield and wanted to say hi

[Caldrin]

Have recently moved back to the UK from the south of Spain and was thinking about picking myself up a weekend car so I can go out driving around the country roads and start attending some shows, based in Newport Pagnell so can get to most places easy enough.. 

Have always had Japanese sports cars in the past and most recently in Spain had a Nissan 350z but wanted to change things up and bit and get something that is easier to work on and a bit more fun..

So was thinking about a 7 style car and Westfields seem to be the best starting point to get into these types of cars. I am still in the process of extending the drive on my new property and then building a shelter/garage to keep a car in but wanted to do as much research on these as possible and well this seems like the best place haha

I guess I was looking for one with a more modern engine so so maybe one with a ford Zetec engine anything over 150bhp really..  but as long as parts are easily available I am good really as I can do most work myself. Prob looking to spend around 10 to 15k don't want to go too crazy on my first one.

But yeah wanted to say hi and I am sure I will have some questions that I will pop up in the relevant parts of the forums  

Edited September 30 by Caldrin

[AndrewBClarke]

Welcome. Westfield ownership has greatly enhanced my life. Go for it. @Chris Emm is thinking of selling his due to a bad back making driving it difficult. Really well sorted, reliable and highly maintained car. I think it is £10500 based in Worksop. He sometimes doesn’t look at the forum so if you are interested, drop me a note and I’ll wake him up 😁

[Kit Car Electronics and Essex AO]

Hi and welcome!

 

You'll see plenty of nice cars in the 10-15K budget - it's a good price to pay in my opinion because that's the depreciation-proof range and you should buy on condition and spec, not age. Look for fuel injection, a good gearbox and diff - then anything else can be changed/ upgraded around that.

 

Oh, and don't be put off by Q plates - they bring a huge advantage at MOT time with no awkward emission requirements!

 

Mike

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

Welcome, can only second what the chaps have already said! Your budget is bang on to get a nice tidy well sorted car, that will potentially hold it's value well for years to come.

 

A nice Zetec engined car, on say, Individual Throttle Bodies (ITB) will feel/sound fantastic to drive, with a rawness and real character compared to many (volume manufacturer) production sports car engines. While at the same time, being essentially a Ford Zetec means that most spares/service parts etc for the engine are readily available and well priced, even for quality parts.

 

As Mike said - in the kit world, Q plates are your friend, so I'd actively seek them out where possible - life is so much easier come MoT time, especially if you have a modified and tuned engine. (no cat required, as no actual emissions test, for example, it's just what's known as a "visible smoke" check, which is exactly what it sounds like!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

Oh, and we have some handy articles in the FAQ, some are a bit older, but most of the info in them is just as relevant, now.

 

 

Here's a few to start with.

 

There's more detailed ones too, on specifics, like telling different models apart, though in your budget, you'd probably be looking more at the two current body styles; the traditional looking ZK, or the more modern looking FW.

[Caldrin]

Hi thanks all.

Oh a q plate the little research i had already done said prob best to stay away from them but will not do that then  

I cant access those articles at the moment I guess you need to be a paid up member. 

[RickRack]

Hi Caldrin, welcome to Club.... 🙂 there's lots of research answers on the Forum and if there's something specific just ask and you'll get several answers/opinions. A good shout is to go along to your local meet, at this time of the year you'll still see hardened owners out in theirs to see first hand, possibly get a ride out and a feel for them... things like space, fixed/removal steering wheels, full screen/aero-screen, roll-bar v cage, wheels 13/15", tyres, track/road, and on and on.... car shows are still happening too but the big one is next May - Malvern Kit Car show where's there's 100 plus Westy's attending and loads of fanatics to talk too...

Good look with the search/research and hope to see you posting photos of your car soon.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

11 minutes ago, Caldrin said:

Oh a q plate the little research i had already done said prob best to stay away from them but will not do that then  

 

Sound advice on a tin top, or heavily modified tin top. But kit's are different, in this world, it's the complete opposite. 

 

If anyone is using the Q plate bad argument in the kit world* they either have some other motive/bias, or they just don't know/understand kits.

 

*the exception would be cars like Caterhams, which do suffer a slightly lower value on Q's, but they're a unicorn in the kit world, in that most are bought as turn key cars from the factory, or as full - all parts supplied, "knock down" versions - but the build your own side has reduced a lot in the past decade or two. In fact Caterham themselves, and certainly many owners, would not even consider themselves as kits any more.

[RickRack]

Added local meeting Area Organisers as below - hope it help  

 

@Matt Hillam (Fatbloke) - Herts Beds & Bucks AO 

 

@Martyn Vann - Warwickshire AO

[Caldrin]

Great thanks all and especially about the  Q plates

I shall keep an eye out for local events as yeah would be great to actually come and see some in the flesh. 

[Rob Hunter - Club Secretary]

Welcome!

 

Some great advice here from everyone as usual! 

 

As others have said, get along to see some cars and owners, then make a list of "must haves" that suit how you want to use the car (weekend tourer, fast road, track days, etc) as it is rare to find two cars with identical specs! Focus on the big stuff (engine, gearbox, diff etc) as the rest can be changed to suit your tastes quite easily.

 

Good luck with the search and just shout up if you need help or advice 👍

[Caldrin]

One quick question I had.. 

Insurance.. what are the best companies out there for these types of cars ?

Still just busy researching away haha

[Robin Parker (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO]

14 minutes ago, Caldrin said:

One quick question I had.. 

Insurance.. what are the best companies out there for these types of cars ?

Still just busy researching away haha

I've always used @Howden Insurance - Specialist Vehicle. The Thatcham branch is the most clued up on kit cars. 

Other companies are available. 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

Howden, Lancaster, AiB, all are sponsors or Traders in the WSCC, all understand kit cars, give good service (that sometimes includes beneficial rates to members) and are recommended.