Moz Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Hello all I am would like to buy a Westfield to race, use on track days that would also need to be road legal (my Lotus refuses to tow trailers!. I would also enjoy the challenge of building my own for the complete experience. The issue is I really know absolutely nothing about cars except how to drive them. With that in mind could some of you give me help with the following: 1) Is it realistic to think that in a single garage I could build a Westfield not having had any practical experience fixing cars (think mother-in-law levels of experience). I would plan on using the build manual, internet resources, books and my own care and enthusiasm. Or realistically, is this a pipe dream? 2) Are there major differences between the build difficulty of the different models? The car I really want is the Megabusa - but does the higher performance come at the expense of ease of build? Are bike-engined cars harder to build? 3) What happens if I find after the purchase that I'm a total idiot - are there other ways of getting half finished jobs completed?. 4) Are there any courses, further skill research on building kit cars that you can recommend. I did look through the forum before posting and didn't really see anything that covered these specifically. Thanks for you help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhawkins Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 I can't offer any specific advice, but a lot of the people on here who have built their cars claim little or no previous mechanical experience. As for getting out of trouble, there are a number of places (Plays Kool spring immediately to mind) that will almost certainly be able to 'rescue' a part-built car if the builder finds he's out of his depth. I doubt I'd attempt it myself (don't have that kind of temperament) but evidence on here does point to it being perfectly possible. One of the better resources is Steppenwolf's build site, probably worth a look on there as it's fairly comprehensive. Welcome aboard! You were just about to post off your membership form, weren't you? Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterg Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 b*gger, out-typed again! must type faster, must type faster....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moz Posted July 21, 2003 Author Share Posted July 21, 2003 thanks... good news so far. I was hoping no-one would put me off. I'll go and check out the Steppenwolf site. Membership to follow once I take the plunge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhawkins Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 b*gger, out-typed again! must type faster, must type faster....... LOL...as I was reading yours, I did wonder why you appeared to be just paraphrasing mine. I even went back to check the timestamps, and cos yours was 10 minutes after mine, I assumed you were just blatantly plagiarising me Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul M Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Yuo should have nor problem at all, I built mine in a single garage, I had done some car maintenanace myself beforehand, ( nothing more complicated than an engine change and things like brake pads, alternator, radiator swaps) As long as you use the Westfield technical helpline and visit this site regularly you will have every question you could possible ask resolved for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterg Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 just blatantly plagiarising me moi? no Andy, unlike some people on here, I'm supposed to be working so i opened Moz's post and then typed my suggestions in between switching to an open spreadsheet/email etc as and when necessary and then posted it when I'd finished (and when the boss wasn't looking ) oh no, here she comes again....gotta go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhawkins Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 I'm supposed to be working too...however, when the boss is away... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterrosey Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Moz, well that's exactly what I did - built a Megabusa as a first build. And if I can do it, anyone can! Although I started the build in a four-car garage (up to rolling chassis stage), I finished it off in my own single garage. It's a little awkward to work in a single garage, but if you are patient and wheel it outdoors in good weather you'll have no problems. The bulkiest item is the bodywork and is this is easily damaged, don't collect it from Westfield until you actually need it. They're very flexible about builds, so order just what you need. The Megabusa makes a great track car and is wonderful fun on the road too - provided you accept how slow other cars are. I'd also recommend the following items as must haves: 1. Dry sump kit (buy TTS version NOT Westfields - better quality). Essential for track day use to avoid surge problems 2. RAC rollbar 3. LSD 4. Quick rack (I didn't order this at the time and could do with it) Four-pot brakes are nice, too, but not essential as the stock brakes are pretty awesome. While you can save money on wheels (eg Ford 4-spokes are extremely light and strong), don't skimp on tyres - Busas devour these and you'll need to budgert for regular replacements. The only other issues with the Megabusa is the reverse gearbox - the weak link to the car. Mine blew up at 1,000 miles and the web is littered with tales of woe. The best bet is to use a Bailey Morris two-piece prop, which also gives a smoother drivetrain, too. If you want reverse (many people don't bother for weight reasons), various companies offer electrically-powered reverse kits (mine was from Kit CAr Workshop). Anyway, good luck and feel free to contact me for any specific advice. It's the best feeling in the world, when the engine fires up for the first time and also when you pass SVA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Moz All you are wanting to do is achievable and been done before by others many times - so get stuck in. My only question would be would like to buy a Westfield to race, use on track days that would also need to be road legal How seriously do you wanna race and be competitive If you're thinking of sprints and hillclimbs - you should be fine in the road-going BEC classes Trackdays would be good fun However if its circuit racing e.g. something like one of the 750MC series - you may be struggling to achieve the balance between a potential championship winning highly competitive car and something that can be driven to and from events . A full race spec car, is a different set-up from that of an enjoyable fast road and trackday car. Get yourself along to a few different events and check out exactly what motorsport area you wish to get into and join the WSCC before you start to build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moz Posted July 21, 2003 Author Share Posted July 21, 2003 Thanks again everyone. I'm nearly convinced! Just a bit more of a push...... Mark - good point about the usage of the car. I was planning to check out all the race series in advance to understand the regs and any influence they might have on build options. (I have a friend who races who can advise). My dilemna would be that I don't want to be racing at the back in an uncompetitive car but not being able to drive it to the event means a third car / trailer or expensive rentals. Maybe that will limit my options and point to another model......but my heart is set on a very quick one!!!! I think the next step is to contact the factory. I would like to purchase the build manual in advance of any order so I fully understand what I am letting myself in for! Thanks for the advice so far..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S8ight Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 easy peasy. have built Lego Technic sets that have been harder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zvezdochka Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 I can only agre with all the replies, especially The Mighty Steppenwolf's site. Very Comprehensive. I built mine in a single garage, picked up the bodywork when I needed it, and took advantage of the sunny days. If you want to invest abit at atime then its worth getting some old ford (sierra) wheels (£5 each or so)from a scrappy so that you can push the rolling chassis around. Mine is almost ready for SVA after 9 months of intermitent building. Good Luck, it's worth it Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smayo Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 You know you want to. I built mine in a single garage, and I only had enough experience to change the brake pads and disks, and fill it with fluids. It's just a big meccano set. Apart from the small ommissions/errors in the manual, which are quickly sorted with a call to the factory (eg. mine had a hydraulic clutch and the manual gave instructions for a cable clutch), it is easy peasy lemon squeezy. It's got to be for me to have been able to do it! smayo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steppenwolf Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 I think the next step is to contact the factory. I would like to purchase the build manual in advance of any order so I fully understand what I am letting myself in for! I purchased the manual in advance too whilst at the factory for the 'tour' ( highly professional and highly recommended! ). Having read the build manual from lid to lid, I was convinced that I could complete each task despite the very steep learning curve required through my lack of any previous mechanical experience! I was spoilt by having a double garage to myself but in reality, as I bought all the modules in one go, I pretty well filled up one side with body tub and panels anyway but lots of people have very successfully constructed excellent cars in a single garage. Make sure you have plenty of ceiling lights so that you are not working in your own shadow ( I used four five foot flourescent lights ) and if you are building over the winter months, budget for a fan heater and a convector heater but NOT a calor gas type. Pay extra for the build stands even though you will not use them all through the build as they make an excellent bonnet stand in the future! MB983 ( a regular on this site ) has mounted his stands on to wheeled bases so he can wheel the car outside when the weather is right - this is a brilliant idea. I feel that building my car was one of the best things I have ever done and I don't think you will regret doing it yourself for one minute ... Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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