Comprehensive Or Incomprehesible?

[housebuilder]

Interesting reading back through these posts. What is really gaulling is I have had over 15k out for sometime with still no clue when half the kit is coming. I am actually on stop build wise and can't spend any more time on the car through lack of bits to bolt on.

Having looked at all the packaging it is clear that most of the parts come from elsewhere. I would advise anyone thinking of building a car to buy the bare minimum chasis parts and source the rest yourself. I am even thinking of sourcing some of it myself despite having paid for it once just out of frustration!!

The really annoying thing is I trusted this company to deliver all the bits together due to their long standing reputation having been very close to ordering a GKD legend. I bottled that due to concerns over getting all the bits!!!

In hindsight I wish I had gone out on a limb and trusted GKD even though they are a new and small business. The owner Peter was very helpful. It couldn't be any worse could it?

[Joeb_444]

The news from Westfield regarding parts which many do not have is as follows from this morning !

Steering columns at least two weeks maybe longer due from france.

Harnesses samples not yet approved from a new supplier.

Windscreens waiting manufacture.

Exhausts HOPEFULLY next week.

These are just the things my friend asked about, engines ecu's wiring looms etc who knows !

[Blatman]

Steering column... make your own or buy from one of the other "Se7en" manufacturers. Parts to make your own can be found here http://www.nfauto.co.uk/steering_uj.htm

Harnesses... who are they using? There are plenty of approved harnesses for Se7ens from Sabelt, Luke, Schroth, Sparco, Simpson... I could go on...

Windscreen surrounds are bespoke but you can get the glass from Auto Windscreens as they have the pattern, and it's always possible that one may come up on here or eBay.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Didn't Auto Windscreens get taken over a year or two back? I enquired last year of the only companies I could find by that name via Google and they told me the new company didn't make screens anymore, just bought them in and fitted them.

(be glad to hear if you have got a proper contact number for them though, as it's one of those searches that seems to return a lot of results what ever qualifications I added to it)

[Rab (bombero) Reid]

Unless it's WF's own in- house approval, they don't approve seatbelts/harnesses .. the BSI and FIA do :-/ ?

I got my windscreen made up (using my old one as a template) by a local glazier - £20 :-D

[s2rrr]

I am not a supporter of poor service, but and its a big but, for those who haven't realised it we are part way into a second recession which means companies are folding all over the place including vehicle parts suppliers. We are in some ways fortunate that Westfield has survived so far. Westfield are a very small company and yes we can all pick holes in some of there activities but if we really expect everything tomorrow maybe we should reprogramme ourselves, because sometimes it isn't going to happen. Some well positioned companies can do it and have delivered next day, various parts and accessories but they are not the norm and we shouldn't expect it. My mate who has a garage just rings his motor factor and the parts are delivered generally within a couple of hours. It is very dissappointing to order a kit and to find parts are missing, it happened to me. But would I delay collection for a clutch pedal stop bolt (a favourite miss) or the odd piece, I guess not, dissappointed yes but in reality Westfield need to get the kits out of the door and we want the kits or parts to start/continue/build our cars. Should they ring you up and offer you a delay in collection due to a couple of missing parts caused by suppliers, I suppose so, then we would be ******ging them off for late delivery. This is a knock on effect of the world we have allowed to develop over the years and hindsite is fine. We expect far too much and kick off when it doesn't happen, but then we shouldn't be mislead by companies either. If the banks, politicians, countries can get away with it who are we to expect any less. I have lost count of businesses I have dealt with who failed to deliver but have been impressed with some who do the business efficiently.I can remember ordering numerous new cars with a 6-8 week delivery to be fobbed off with theirs a shortage of wheels (three times that happened--Bullsh!t)

I would advocate patience, it is frustrating but unless the panels or suspension parts are missing there should always be something to get on with in a new build and as mentioned a lot of parts can be sourced elsewhere which isn't really supporting Westfield is it. New builders won't be aware of the numerous part numbers and interchangeable items but with a bit of patience and planning it can and will be completed. It took me over 6 months to get the exhaust I wanted back into manufacture and supplied.

Patience is truly a virtue, hard to take when it happens to you but when you look back after you have been through IVA it will all fade away, hopefully. Then you will have a big daft grin on your face.

Bob

[jonjh1964]

Sage advice Bob, We too have many part shortages but, so far, Jason at Westfield has been chasing parts and honest where the solution will be more longer term. We would dearly have liked the ECU Loom (ideally the TBs and ECU as well) for this weekend but it was not to be so We've installed the handbrake cable, that was delivered on a Saturday at additional cost to Westfield, finished the wiring of the rear lights (with a free connector from Westfield to replace the one I graunched) and will now look at some of the body work. We gave ourselves 300 hrs/10 months as a starting estimate for how long the build would take, with the aim of being on the road for Stoneleigh 2013. So far, the build has gone well - a tribute to Westfield's design and support (thanks Mark) - if not their manual or logistic planning! If I'm honest, we didn't help, we changed the order a couple of times well into the 8 weeks order time and some of the shortages were/are the changes. So far around 60% of the shortages have been delivered at Westfield's cost and I do wonder why they ship cooling pipes individually in huge boxes when they know I can't use them until I install the engine. If I run out of things to do on the car there are plenty of other jobs around the house and garden to keep me occupied so I can't be accused of abandoning all for the car! Looking forward to a long hot summer in 2013......

Jon

[s2rrr]

jonj1964

They are attempting to do there best and in reality as you say at what cost the extra postage, lost profit to them. Anyhow good to hear your build is progressing, depending on the ratio of new to used parts your build should be doable by 2013 Stoneleigh. Maybe we will see you there I may even be on car park duty again. I does get frustrating and you did mention the M word, manual it isn't basic guide yes in need of update very much so. Unless of course they have revved that up it was a bit woeful. never mid onwards and upwards.

Happy building we all had those dark moments when we got p*ssed off with this or that, time for the group therapy on here you either get good help or totally slaughtered. The way of the world. Oh by the way I think I had 3 handbrake cables and eventually they custom made one to my dimensions and guess what it fitted - head expands massively.

Good luck

Bob

[s2rrr]

Joeb444,

You are correct the list of missing parts is not small or inconsequential and I can understand your frustration totally. Has your build stalled now waiting parts. From an earlier post you say that you wouldn't do it this way again and I guess I was fortunate in that we (two kits) bought rolling chassis kits and bodywork, then filled in all the missing items from numerous suppliers.

It will all work out in the end but still doesn't help your frustration.

Bob

[Joeb_444]

I suppose due to our remote location we have extra frustrations in as much as we cannot call and collect anything, we do not even have a Halfords ! The solution seemed to be to buy the complete kit and solve any sourcing problems at once. Also I guess as I am retired and could put 40hr weeks in on the car not having the bits to do so is a nuisance, again which I thought having the complete kit would overcome. Don't get me wrong the car is great and I am excited by the prospect of having it to play with. I perhaps didn't bank on becoming one of a number of people all in the same situation.

[80BSY]

This is only a personal, and possibly selfish opinion, but if I'd ordered, been promised a delivery date, and paid for my kit I would be seriously unimpressed if it wasn't all there right down to the last nut and bolt.

I know delays happen, supplier run low, recession etc, I've been self employed for 30yrs myself, so I'm more than aware glitches happen. Based on that, I've tried to build up the best selection of suppliers I can.

Now, if I was asked to supply something I didn't stock, and had to source materials, and I may have a problem getting them in time, I'd put my cards on the table and say.

If a company knows it can't deliver is it fair to promise, and then not deliver?

Surely explain the situation, take a holding deposit, and supply what's been paid for and have a deposit for the rest !! If you think you'll lose a customer by doing that, hold more stock in the first place. .

One thing that made me want a Westfield over other sevens, was the ease of buying parts, assuming Westfield would be a more reliable supplier, being longer established than most.

[Blatman]

Part of my point is that it must cost Westfield significant sums to post out shortages given that there seem to be plenty of them and that they need to be couriered as they won't fit in the letter box most of the time. Are we seriously saying that we should accept this. Fair enough every once in a while glitches will happen, but this is more than a glitch, it's almost SOP. I can't help but wonder what Westfield may spend the extra revenue on if they free'd up the costs of posting out shortages...

As for harness approval, the only approval I care about is BSI and / or FIA. It's not like Westfield are putting the harnesses through a more stringent approval process than the ones already in place. And like 90% of the car, it won't be a Westfield manufactured part, it'll be a bought in part from somewhere else with all the required approvals already...

[80BSY]

I agree with you Blatman, I truthfully can't see it any other way.

Saved postage costs could be spent on holding more stock !! Reducing the problem in the first place.

It would seem cash-flow fuelled, I'm sure there must be other reasons, but that's how it would appear to me on the surface.

[s2rrr]

Blatman, absolutely correct we shouldn't have to accept it but we are not in a perfect world. As I mentioned it must seriously dent Westfields cashflow sending stuff out this way and is very frustrating for the customer. What would be the situation be if Westfield delayed further the collection by the customer due to suppliers issues and no stock, if say for example only a deposit were taken it may make the customer cancel or go elsewhere, in some cases monopolies are not a good thing and in our case we at least have some alternatives apart from bodywork and exclusively Westfield items not many though. Its easier in some case for the newbie to source parts from them and not have to do the searches we have all done to identify where other parts come from. I have had my moments with the factory but can see in some cases the difficulties some of which I think have some easy fixes but they have a business plan and must be struggling in the current economic downturn. As unemployment goes up and available free cash goes down the luxury goods sector must struggle and lets face it these are not "must have items" in the majority of the populations eyes. Merely toys for the priviledged few of us who can afford them. How many of us use them as prime transport etc etc. There is no quick fix and walking the tightrope betwen taking an order and promising delivery and actually achieving it, should be a priority to get sorted. I know the business I am in, is struggling and apparently payments are going to 90 days which is immoral, in my humble opinion. Signs of the times, unacceptable but how are you going to fix it. Harold Wilson and all Prime Ministers from him to my knowledge have tried and failed so far, but you never know a miracle may occur, not. There is also an argument about motor spares coming in from say a foreign country in the far east which are counterfeit which could do more harm than say a weeks delay getting the correct part if their is such a thing.

Not a good situation and going to get worse. Maybe gloom and doom but a woolies window job if it doesn't get much worse. Got a few Tshirts already sad to say.

Bob

[Blatman]

Quick fix? How long have the current management been in place? I think it's 6 years or thereabouts. More than long enough to sort this issue out. For me this raises far more fundamental questions.

A car, whether or not it's a toy, is a big ticket item. A spcialist car company, who can see the order book well in advance has litle excuse IMHO. And like us, if their current supplier can't deliver, find one who can. I can get everything I need with zero buying power, but Westfield can't despite in theory having significantly better buying power than me. Why is this?