catherham build quility

[dombanks]

in the 5th gear thread someone mentioned the build quality of caterhams was better than westfield, i've never been up close and personal with a caterham other than seeing them about and maybe sitting in one at the motor show so what is better about them?

from what ive seen alot of the obvious things (dash, screen, seats etc) seem to be very similar.

im curious as to what is better to achieve the higher asking prices other than the usual "heritage" argument.

edt, i did like the thing over the tunnel to sculpt it a little.. simialr i guess to what plato pulled appart in the review

and yes i know ive spelt it wrong in the title  

[Tigger]

Here we go again  ....... Apparently it's not a Kitcar

[JeffC]

having taken my Csr apart to paint it the difference is quite apparent, compared to a westy its almost  as though Caterham have thought about things before assembling rather than making it up as they go along , a quick example is  simple stuff like removing the nose cone is a 10 second job on half turn external speed fastners where as westys come with fiddly bolts hidden inside so you take some bark of your hands      

the dash on the Csr is nicely finished and so much nicer than the equivelent road going westy but in saying that it should be as is twice the price  

[adamnreeves]

Ask a Caterham owner if his car is a kit and see what response you get. Nonetheless you are right although its not a proper kit.

[adamnreeves]

removing the nose cone is a 10 second job on half turn external speed fastners

Quite Ironic really. I wonder how many Caterham owners ever take their nose cone off.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

a quick example is  simple stuff like removing the nose cone is a 10 second job on half turn external speed fastners where as westys come with fiddly bolts hidden inside

Actually, Westfield noses used to be held on like this as well, on narrow body work at least.

[oioi]

removing the nose cone is a 10 second job on half turn external speed fastners

Quite Ironic really. I wonder how many Caterham owners ever take their nose cone off.

in my experience caterham owners are just like westie owners.  most are at least mechanically minded and look after there cars.  plus you need to take the nose of to bleed the rad.

[moomin]

Nonetheless you are right although its not a proper kit.

And by the same token, neither is a Westfield compared to numerous other kits...

[CedricTheBrave]

Caterham chassis is built to much higher tolerances, if you measure one westy chassis to another I will bet there is a fair amount of difference. and the panels and certainly rear arches are very consistant and will be the same both sides and you cannot say that about the Westy for sure.

[cast iron]

if you measure one westy chassis to another I will bet there is a fair amount of difference.

tell me about it   I had to take the average over 4 different chassis before being able to work out some sort of nominal dimensions

[Norman Verona]

I'll say nothing.

[nikpro]

im curious as to what is better to achieve the higher asking prices other than the usual "heritage" argument.

They are fairly similarly priced actually.

On Paper the Westfield may be a higher spec for the price but on a circuit, spec for spec, the caterham in the same hands is quicker.

Now caterham are using Ford engines rather than K series - The advantage in buying Westfield (The Boardroom is the only one although the Caterham Forum is good also) is slim unless you are after a BEC.

Five years ago I couldn't see why people bought Caterhams, it's reversing now  

[Tigger]

I'll say nothing.

Not like you Norm      

[adamnreeves]

Five years ago I couldn't see why people bought Caterhams, it's reversing now  

I bought into Westfield ownership five years ago. I had looked into Caterham and Westfield at the time my pros for Westfield were something along the lines of:

1. Westfield had more build options in that I could build from a chassis up.

2. Caterham were a lot more expensive and required more commitment at the start of the project.

3. Last but not least customer service and first impressions. Westfield were much more accommodating and friendly.

It seems in the five years since that Pros 2. and 3. have all but disappeared.  

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Ask a Caterham owner if his car is a kit and see what response you get. Nonetheless you are right although its not a proper kit.

Way back when I first got interested in Kit cars and the like, (mid eighties), there used to be another term for those cars like the Caterham, that were really, more than a kit IYSWIM, you used to hear them called "component cars", the difference being with a kit, you expected to have to find (and often make) lots of the parts yourself. With only bodies, chassis and maybe a odd bit of suspension supplied in the kit. Whereas the component cars, were literally a complete set of brand new parts, with everything needed included.

Much easier to enforce quality control in the case of the latter, but only if you have a mind to do it.