vx220 Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 hi, been thinking of a westfield for a looooong time now (even before getting vx220). read some posts about treating westy as a motorbike (waterproofs etc.) but as a daily driver, what about wear and tear? the vx will have done over 25,000 miles this year, rain and shine. a mixture of m/way miles, country lanes and urban posing! assuming i could live with a true open top (don't think i could be arsed with that tent thing) will the suspension and frame stand up to this sort of use? would be going for a factory package, all new bits with duratec/zetec so engine side not really a worry. as a last mentalist question, anyone driven one in the snow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vx220 Posted May 28, 2004 Author Share Posted May 28, 2004 p.s. should add that my interest was renewed seeing all-carbon rally car westy built for jamaican rally. this had good ground clearance, and made me think of the possibility. and that carbon looked v. sexy! see "track and race cars" magazine, this month. cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhawkins Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 The car featured in T&RC is far from being a standard Westfield. There are people here that use their cars as a daily drive (Neil Willis, the Merchandise Sec is one of them I believe). I doubt I could do it myself personally (couldn't afford the fuel for my 65 mile a day commute for a start ), but if you're prepared in terms of the right clothing, there's no reason why you couldn't do it. Don't see why the wear and tear should be anything you should be too concerned about. If anything, with it being such a light car, wear and tear will be less than what you'd get in your average tin-top. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeylegend Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 The only problem I can see with using it all week is that you won't enjoy it QUITE so much at weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trev4 Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 vx220!!!!!! i would have bought an elise.....any way thats not the issue.... i sold my lizzy for a factory built sport carbon westy (2000 'w' over two months ago....i use it as an everday car...its 1800 zetec with jenvey tb's and i get about 150 miles to £15. i've had no problems with it touch wood thus far...and its fairly waterproof although as long as it aint raining, i dont have a roof... good luck finding one!!! i dont enviasage any additional problems with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vx220 Posted May 30, 2004 Author Share Posted May 30, 2004 cheers, gents. i knew the carbon one wasn't standard, it just jogged my memory a bit. elise vs vx? £5k for a badge? vx is better looking (imo) and i pass 3 or 4 elises everyday on the wat to work! they're nearly as common as subarus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhawkins Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 elise vs vx? £5k for a badge? vx is better looking (imo) and i pass 3 or 4 elises everyday on the wat to work! they're nearly as common as subarus! Not driven either, but from what I've read, I think I'm with you. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vx220 Posted May 30, 2004 Author Share Posted May 30, 2004 good man! i thought a vx would be common compared to a westy, but this site has three times as many members as ours. i suppose most are weekend drives. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu999 Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Ahh, but dont forget the Westy has been made for quite a few years now compared to the 220... But that does mean LOTS of choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windy Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 vx220!!!!!! i would have bought an elise.....any way thats not the issue.... Different badge, same manufacturer, shame about the engine. Trade in your existing VX for a turbo version. Don't go for the "fully Kevved up" VXR one that looks like something made out of the Demon Tweeks parts bin. VX or Elise gets my vote as a daily road car over the Westfield. Windy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilwillis Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 The carbon body on the Barbados rally car is as rare as rocking horse dung. I think there were about 5 made? One of those has since burnt to the ground, so I don't fancy your chances of finding one. The carbon one Westfields sell has carbon components such as nose cone, cycle wings, rear arch guards etc. Yep, I drive mine almost every day come rain, shine, hail (ouch that time!. It can be done as Andy says. I only drive a short distance to work, which does make a difference of course, and I get to park it under cover in a nice private multi storey car park, which is a very big factor too. But it can be done. I got into a VX220 once, and ripped the A*** out of a new pair of jeans on the door lock. I'm with you regarding the badge being expensive - a bit like the Cateringvan/Westfield debate I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashBangWallop Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Don't drive it every day. My only car is my Westfield but, I only drive it once or twice a week to work. It doesn't half make the journey more interesting after being given a lift in a Micra. Forget about the rain. It happens so often, it ends up becoming funny *NeilWillis - I've been caught once in hail and I concur. I had a face like the surface of the moon by the time I found somewhere to pull over and watch the car fill up. I almost had enough for a snowball fight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oioi Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 as a last mentalist question, anyone driven one in the snow? i have driven my aeroscreen no heater car in the snow a few times. the first thing to note is it is almost undrivable if the snow has settled. you just sit there with the rear wheels spinning. I had to get a mate to push me out of the office car park and onto the main road before I got traction. driving it whilst it is snowing is fine, just a little chilly. be carefull tho cos if you are running grippy tyres that like to be warm as well as wet roads you will have very cold tyres making for interesting driving. (think vic reeves and the wonderstuff). the westie is much harder to drive in the snow than my mk1 mr2 (reasonable comparison of a vx220 to a vx westie). mine also used to be my only car, but i mostly took public transport to work. OiOi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trev4 Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 no seriously, i use mine as an everday car...no probs at all thus far.... once uve driven one..u'll think ure vx is alike a nissan micra!!!! go on, buy one...as long as its a duratec or zetec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markcoopers Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 My first one was an everyday car, did over 14,000 miles in it, rain, snow and occasionally sun Only problem was that it soon became too slow and well...........upgardeitis/the money reduction programme started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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