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Pre-Lit ???


fordy

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Im looking around for a 2nd hand westie - i keep seeing Pre-Lit on some cars - What does this mean????

Also - do Kit cars have Cat convertors - if so, what year did this come in??

Thanks very much.

cheers

Chris

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Pre-litigation,

The design of Westfield car was thought to be too close to a certain other manufacturer's, so they were taken to court - lost and then changed the design - hence pre-lit. Anyway, thats what I think happened - I'm sure if I'm wrong I'll get stomped on :blush:

Cars that were built with post '95 engines have, pre '95 don't as a guide (if I'm wrong - see above).

Regards

John

http://www.therevlimiter.fsnet.co.uk

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Cars that were built with post '95 engines have, pre '95 don't as a guide (if I'm wrong - see above).

That would be true of cars that had been subject to the SVA.  My 1996 car pre-dates the SVA and so I can put any engine in I like without needing a cat.

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THanks again for the quick replys.  Does anyone know what Westfield had to change then after they got taken to court - are cars that are pre-lit worse or better???

Good news for me on the cat front, as i doubt my budget will stretch to a post 95/96 car, so chances are im going to be cat free - yipeee

cheers

Chris :)

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Pre-lit cars were made up to about 87/88 (I think) the body styling, chassis and wishbone geometry were "very similar" to another well known 7 style car. Many parts were inter-changeable between the two vehicles with very little modification.

Hence the threatened court action breach of copyright etc etc ...... blah blah (more legal jargon).

Westfield at the time made radical changes - to all aspects of the car - chassis, wishbones and body styling. With their new cars on the market very quickly - a larger cockpit option and IRS. Many other modifications and tweaks have gone on since that time to incorporate the latest available engine technology.

Whatever your budget is - try and buy the most current car you can - this is not to say pre-lit cars are worse or better - its just that if anything breaks or goes wrong - you will find it easier to obtain parts for later spec cars.

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Pre-lit cars can be a bit basic and have alloy bodywork to the sides of the tub if I remember correctly? but basically they looked almost identical to a C*t*rh*m hence the litigation.

Changes made included the little 'curved moulding' on the outer edge of the rear wheelarches and the crease in the bonnet sides - for other clues just compare a later model Westfield to a C*t*rh*m.

The SEW and SEiW are around 4" wider and longer in the cockpit area giving a much more comfortable fit for those not built like vertically challenged supermodels! All current cars now have a 'wide-body' as standard.

:p

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Thanks for all the great replys - its certainly helping me whittle down what i need to buy and look out for.

Going to try and go for a post-lit, 16V zetec or vauxhall, ideally in black, which probably means im going to end up with a 90-94 1700 Xflow in green - but what the #### - itll still be great fun!!!!!

cheers for now

chris

:D

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