looking for my first westfeild

[stu999]

Sorry about the long post (and ensuing war from other members   ) HTH

Fraser

Are you taking over from Jim1234?      

[Blatman]

ROFL

[GINGESEIW]

Your budget is the most important thing, plus as has been mentioned previously, YOUR driving experience of rear drive cars!! I had my first rear drive car after 3 years of driving only front drive, it was a Bmw 325i sport (e30) a bit of enthusiastic driving led to a kerb and 2 bollards........OOPS! Bit more experienced now! A friend of mine purchased a locost with a X-flow and stuck that up a kerb too! (his first rear drive car). The Westfields are a bit "lively" BUT awesome fun when you've got a bit of experience . Basically....... I wouldn't buy anything too powerful if it's your first! My Pinto engined car "only" has 110-115bhp and that's more than enough poke to have great fun and get yourself in trouble!

[markcoopers]

All of the above, but to add to it, remember you are purchasing a car at the end of the day so take your head with you as well as the heart.

Check that the chassis numbers/reg details on the V5, MOT, Car, Tax etc all match up. Also if it has a "big spec" make sure what is quoted is fitted to the car. I kid you not, once saw a CVH car advertised as a Zetec.

As others have said, condition is king. purchase as  a complete package with perhaps the right added extras/mods to your needs.

Do not rely on quoted BHP figures, we all exagerate, but rather on the driving experience. A car that idles poorly or with hesitation/flat spots can have 20000000bhp for all the good it will do you on the road at the lights/roundabouts, where as a well set up modest engine will just keep the smiles comming.

A nice set of recipts and pics always helps as well, and oh check the garage as well, is the car used as a storage device or pampered? Many tools about, car cherished etc.....ie does the scene fit with the owner and the car.

Imagine you had to purchase the best ever used fiesta and then follow the same sensible steps you would then.

[DANDAN]

well done for at least getting it the right way round, coming to the club, asking advice, then buying.

I cringe when a newbie pops up and says ive just bought this Westfield of a guy in a pub and....

It was me!!

[dhutch]

I bought mine 14months ago foe £3750.

-That was all i could afford, and its got me a fairly tidy 1.9 cvh liverear narrowbody.

Ive enjoed it a lot and not looked back, it was about the 4th car i looked at but  the first westfeild with the rest being mk pintos and a scruff mk zetec.

I had to replace the rear dampers at £180 which i was not fully expecting although with hinds sight it was a bit loose at the rear. Swaped the seats to grp ones and fitted a braced roll bar for £140 and £120 respectivly to allow for me being a lanky b****r and for the sake of trackdays. (previsouly it only had a road bar, that came upto my shoulders and the origanal flat seats that killed my back)

Ive also just spent £200 on a large repackable silencer as the current one was shot and noise tested at 110db without tweaking things making even 105 limit trackdays an chore to pass.

I also spent £980 on a tatty but funcational secondhand covered road trailer to store it in at uni and to take it to trackdays.

Daniel

[Tubs]

Advice is an interesting thing because it is always based on what other people know and have experienced in conjunction with their expectations.

So, for you to decide what is right for you, you need knowledge, experience and to define your expectations.

My advice    then is to write down a list of what you want from the car and prioritise accordingly. Once you have done that, head to some club meets and get a few drives. I've heard that Westy owners are a friendly bunch    so, other than it being winter, this shouldn't be too difficult.

Whatever you eventually decide on good luck and I hope it brings you as much pleasure as mine have brought me.

regards,

Tubs

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

Welcome to the club. Whatever you decide ti buy, there are some good bargain price cars for sale at the moment. All of the advice above is good.

However, my personal route would be to buy the cheapest car I could and then convert to my chosen desired spec. There are some very cheap cars out there (some around £3k) which with a bit of TLC and £ would make a great car with all the right bits

[ultimate keyboard warrior]

thanks for all the advice chaps,it is very helpfull i cant thank you enough, there are a couple of cars that have caught my eye. I viewed a zetec car yesterday in chorley, but it did not excite me enough to want to buy it, there is a car on ebay at the moment i may view saturday this sounds right for me,also i am viewing a megabusa tomorow to cover all bases,  there  is a duratec car in the for sale section on here which has caught my eye ,i want to make the right decision first time, thanks paul

[cerbera1971]

QUOTE

I viewed a zetec car yesterday in chorley

Any details, Chorley is close to me and I may want to have a looky.  

Cheers