Steve Richards

I love my Scoobie (MY98 STI IV 5 door) but the real love of my motoring life is my Westie. To see how I built it, visit

Mr.Cookie

Very nice

Allan

iTrader: (1)

Second that, good story on the build program with nice pictures.
Allan

johnfelstead

Car looks really great there steve, you should be proud of what you have built.

Just a quick question. What rear calipers are you using? are you on the sierra XR4x4 units?

Steve Richards

John,

Yes the rear callipers are from the Sierra 4 X 4 as you have assumed. Some other constructors have had a problem with brake bias on these cars using this calliper but now that they are bedded in, the car seems to stop well with no indication of the rear wanting to slip out although I have noticed more black dust on the rears then the fronts do who knows exactly what is going on!

Steve

AndrewC

Nice moter Steve, I've been hankering after building a Westfield for about 10 years, I am now trying to persuade my wife that I can have both a Scooby and a Westie

In all reality it's the building of it that keeps drawing me, perhaps I could persuade her that I'll build one and sell it ?

Did you look at the Dax Rush? What did you think?

Andrew...

johnfelstead

just a word of caution if you are using a single master cylinder on the brakes.

Using the setup you have (if you have a single master cylinder), in the wet in particular you will lock the rears up before the fronts if you have to brake hard or for an emergency. This is particularly bad on a bumpy B road.

It is a very dangerous trate on the westfield and they should have fixed this by now.

If you do have this setup i suggest you install a bias proportioning valve into the rear circuit to limit the rear presure as the 4x4 caliper is very efficient compaired to the capri fronts you have.

Other alternatives are to use a bias pedal box with a balance bar or install better front brakes. I have installed the wilwood dynalight 4 pot conversion with 285mm disks (BK2D). works really well!!

One word of caution, using the alloy uprights you have, (i have them also) going above a 285mm disk has been known to snap the lugs off the upright and give total brake failure, good eh?

Steve Richards

John,

Thanks for the additional information regarding the rear brake callipers and braking bias.

I have a 'tandem' master cylinder, one curcuit driiving the front and the other the rear. Perhaps I should explore this further?


Steve

Steve Richards

Andrew,

I really enjoyed building my Westfield and I started with next to zero mechanical knowledge so it was a steep learning curve which was great. I built it before I ever thought about a Scooby and at that time my day to day car was a Range Rover. The Range Rover came up for renewal this year (usual rust problems etc.) and I was going to get another one but decided (good decision!) to get something a bit more interesting hence the Scooby so I didn't have to 'negotiate' quite as hard as you may have to as the Scooby was a replacement for the Range Rover at similar cost! As it was, the Westfield cost me a new lounge suite including carpets curtains as well as furniture and a puppy - but a man's gotta do ........

I was worried that the Scooby might overshadow the Westfield but although it is pretty awesome, it is a totally different driving experience and I love 'em both.

I was very taken with the Dax Rush and their response to my intitial enquiry was almost as good as Westfield but in the end I went for the Westfield because I knew I would get the support I would need due to my lack of mechanical knowledge. It remains a superb car.

I hope you succeed in building one.

Steve