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pre lit westys


neo

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ive seen a couple of pre lit model westys up for grabs in various forms from part built to complete i have a couple of questions if you can help

Being 6ft2 and stocky build will i fit in one ?

any reasons why to buy one over a sew or seiw or not to buy one for that matter,

and is a pre lit westy basically the same as a se spec westy of later model years ??

cheers neo :durr:

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You won't fit.  Or it'll be a very tight squeeze.

I'm 6'3" and I can't comfortably drive a standard bodied car, hence why I have a SEiW.  I think pre-lit cars are even a tiny bit smaller than the standard bodied cars.

That aside, you need to bear in mind that a pre-lit car will be quite a bit older than a wide bodied car (think the pre-lits stop in about 1987 or 1988).  Wouldn't say there's any reason *not* to buy one, but you may need to give it a more thorough inspection for corrosion, etc. as I don't think powder-coating the chassis was standard back then.

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Hi,

i think the body work is about £1,200 or so to replace,where as more modern body work is only £600.as said before it is a tight squeeze unless your a beanpole!!!

cheers

will

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  • 2 weeks later...
:) I have a long cockpit pre lit(I'm 6'1'';) and it fits me fine,or it did but I'm three stone heavier than the last time I drove it.I admit the car is very snug to say the least around the hips and thats with a bench seat so seating choice may a bit restrictive.I dont know how many long cockpit pre lits there are,but I should think they are hard to come by.BTW I was of stocky build before the weight was put on,so cant see why you would'nt fit in one.
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As a complete newbie, could someone explain to me what the difference between a pre-lit car and a more recent Westy is?

Cheers

DC

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Pre-Lits. Cars produced before Westfield Sports Cars Ltd lost a court case to c******m Cars Ltd, who sued for breach of copyright, or passing off, or something. Basically, early Westfields were almost indistinguishable from c******ms, and c******m got narked and sued. Pre-lits have aluminium bodies, and are generally powered by crossflow engines, although there are some that have BMC "A" series engines and Triumph/Marina running gear. Production ceased around 1987-8.

1987-8 saw the introduction of fibreglass bodies, Ford running gear, and some detail changes to the shape, mostly around the wheel arches, and the "door" aperture, and an independently sprung rear suspension set up, which was, and still is, the dogs.

Late 1989/early 1990 saw the intriduction of the "wide bodied" version. It had slightly longer (4-6 inches longer, I think) and wider (2 inches per side, ie 2 extra inches width for both passenger and driver) cockpit area, and some new engine options, trim, and a rear disc brake set up.

The wide body is now the factory standard for all new cars, and has been since around 1994, I think, although I'm pretty sure narrow (nee standard) bodied chassis can still be produced. You'd have to ask...............

There is also a race chassis, which is lighter, and has better bracing of the space frame for increased rigidity, although you could never describe any of the chassis as anything other than taut......

Apart from possible date inaccuracies, that is pretty much how I remember it.

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The knowledge is incredible  :blush:

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It comes with the rapid approachment of 40  ???  :p  :D  :)  Young Blatters may not be as youthful as his appearance  :p  :D  :)

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I have a picture of a pre lit on my web site. click on cars and check out Jims car. :cool:

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I own a pri lit model 1987, I'm 6' and 15 stone and fit the car perfectly. My view is that if you fit a pre lit car why get a wider / heaver car ? I thought the whole idea was to be minimalistic.

Happy hunting,

Mark.

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