Which engine should I put in my Westfield?

[adhawkins]

I'm building a Westfield / thinking of buying a used Westfield. What is the best engine to go for?

[markcoopers]

A few factors to consider here, as each owner/builder will be swayed in one or other direction. Simple answer is no correct engine, only the best for each individual.

It is recommended that you try as many cars as possible before building or purchasing, visit the local area meets to do this as they will have a wide range of cars/engines attending.

Possible questions you should consider before making a choice are;

How much power do you need? It is easy to be seduced by headlines of 200bhp, but as little as 105bhp will be great fun on a Sunday morning driving to the pub.

How do you want the power delivery? The current crazy is for Bike engines to be fitted to cars (Hyabusa, Blade, and R1). These are said to give semi F1 characteristics in driving experience with their high revs and sequential gear changes, but others only want lazy low down torque and a more relaxed driving style (Ford Pinto or Rover V8).

How reliable will it be to run? As a very general rule of thumb, the more modern the engine the more reliable it will be. This is not to say that an older style of engine is unreliable.

How easy it is to install? The common engine choices are Ford (almost all) Vauxhall XE, Rover V8, Suzuki Hyabusa and Honda fire Blade. There are lots of others, but the collective knowledge on installing these is far greater within the club, factory and suppliers.

What capacity should I use? This really is only important for individuals considering entering Motor sport, where engine capacity could dictate the class entered.

Lots of other questions I'm sure, but best get yourself along to a local meet and see for yourself.