jonjh1964 Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 My Upper Steering Column was posted out on Friday and I received it yesterday at midday. Installation took about 45 mins including re-wiring 2 of the pins in the connector as they were the wrong way around, by 14:30 I was doing mini blats down the drive with wife & boys taking turns. I now have all of the original shortages from my kit which was picked up from the factory on 9 May 12. My car is now essentially finished, I need a new alternator (diode failure) and a front grill but these are on their way and I have a pre-IVA MoT booked for tomorrow along with a 4 wheel alignment and my IVA is booked for mid Oct 12 at Bristol (many things crossed). When we bought the kit we gave ourselves 10 months to build it thinking that we'd manage ~25 hrs/month and it would take ~250 hrs to build. The ~250 hrs looks to have been about right - currently at 220 hrs - but the build does become addictive and we've averaged ~ doubled the hrs/month. Based on other peoples blogs that we read before ordering we were expecting a few deliveries after pick up day and, even with about half a page of A4 of shortages on pick up day, WF have just about kept pace with our build. We had a week-ish hold waiting for TBs/ECU/ECU Harness and then about 2 weeks at the end waiting on the Upper Steering Column, frustrating when it happened but it did make us spend time doing other things that were important (holiday with the boys/dogs, tile the shower room floor etc). In the end the build looks like it will take half the calendar time that we planned. Jon H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dommo Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Great news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
housebuilder Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Well done John Still no sign of mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeb_444 Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Don't know where we stand now, Jon in Somerset who has a steering column was under the impression that it was one of a new batch and everyone would have one by the end of September ! I telephoned the factory today to be told that they have technical problems with the steering columns and it will be two to three weeks before we may get one ! Is this the same two or three weeks that we were told in April ? or a further two or three weeks ? After the original order it is now 7 months and we cannot make a car still between us !!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
housebuilder Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's arrived Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonjh1964 Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Housebuilder, Enjoy the rest of the build, hopefully Paul & Joe's Upper Steering Column will be on it's way to the IoM as well as the replacement Lower. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeb_444 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Housebuilder, Enjoy the rest of the build, hopefully Paul & Joe's Upper Steering Column will be on it's way to the IoM as well as the replacement Lower. Jon 32 weeks since order 23 weeks since collection !!! no not long enough !!!!!!!!!!!! pram and dummy are springing to mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeb_444 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Pram and dummy did little good, myself and my friend having spent upwards of 40k with WF find ourselves still unable to build a car between us ! It is 8 months since my friend ordered and 33 weeks since I did. Still no steering possible next week ! I am frustrated and angry at how they think any of this can be acceptable !!!!!!!!!!!!! I chose Westfield as one of the leading manufacturers if they are like this and are leading goodness me what are the smaller guys like ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I still can't understand why you haven't just made your own. A couple of bits of tube or bar and a couple of UJ's and you could have it done by tomorrow night. Plenty of options here, and you can get tube and / or bar from Metal Suprmarkets. I suspect Caterham steering parts wouldn't be far off either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeb_444 Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 I still can't understand why you haven't just made your own. A couple of bits of tube or bar and a couple of UJ's and you could have it done by tomorrow night. Plenty of options here, and you can get tube and / or bar from Metal Suprmarkets. I suspect Caterham steering parts wouldn't be far off either. Thanks Blatman, had I known I would have been involved in this shambles I would have taken the time to find out what it is I had to do and done it long ago. I am no expert so relied on WF to make the things I don't profess to know about easy ! sadly when my car is built it will be built in spite of WF not because of them. Being remote from them the full kit was supposed to make it less likely I had to ask stupid questions and spend time sourcing stuff which I do not have access too. That has been far from my experience !. As I have said before I am very happy with the car it is a great product but the buying experience is utterly woeful. If WF run into major problems going forward it will be entirely and sadly of their own making and nothing to do with what they are selling !! Best wishes.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
housebuilder Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 Hang in there from memory you were only a few days behind me on your 'collection' should be with you soon. spoke to a few people 'close' to the factory. They can't understand either why the parts haven't been modified or changed for something more easily available or made by the factory. uj's and tube are apparently easily sourced! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeb_444 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Thanks Housebuilder, if I had steering could probably have it done in a couple of weeks ! as it is we are largely at a standstill. I was promised this week, mind you I was promised 2-3 weeks on collection day 20th April ! Good wishes Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeb_444 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 HOORAY !!! 178 days after I paid for my car in full I have a full kit ! Now to finish it and hopefully forget about the struggle involved in getting it ready for IVA. Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikef Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Good news Paul. I look forward to seeing the finished product next year when we are over there. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonjh1964 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Paul, Good post - after the email this morning I was fearing the worst - good luck with the rest of the build Jon H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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