mynickers

Just out of interest, what is the insurance like on the smaller engined sevens. I been looking on both websites, got a few for the same sort of money as hatches. I'm I right in assuming the insurance is stupid?

Check these out:

http://www.caterham.co.uk/showroom/preowned/index.htm

Caterham Seven Roadsport
Engine 1.6 K-Series 115 Bhp
Price £14,500
http://www.caterham.co.uk/images/pothumbs/1001.jpg

Caterham Seven Ex-Academy
Engine 1.6 K-Series 115bhp
Price £13,000
http://www.caterham.co.uk/images/pothumbs/927.jpg

And these:

http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk/s2nd.asp

1.8 Zetec 2002 Chrome yellow 1.8 Zetec with carbs 15” Alloys Kit build from all new parts accept engine gearbox and differential, which are fully reconditioned. All supplied by Westfield Sportscars. The car is chrome yellow with blue and yellow interior. It has sports seats, chrome package, full weather equipment and 4-point harness
£12,250.00
http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.u.../02ZetecL1.jpg

gregh

Yup, v cheap insurance, I have a 174bhp Zetec Westfield, pay aroud £300 a year inc trackdays for 3000 miles a year.

BTW getting a westfield from the factory isn't the cheapest way to get a Westie, check out the owners club, you also tend to pay more for a Caterham due to "the badge"


http://boardroom.wscc.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?

mynickers

Excellent, thank you Greg.

Silly questions, I'll ask in here rather than being laughed out of the Westy forum, but how practical are they, I know the answer is not very. But can you drive them down the motorway without the 'weather pack' letting in the elements? Do they have any kind of facility to warm them up if it's freezing or do you just have to get in bikers leathers?

Is there any storage at all?

gregh

depends what you want, you can get a full hood, and sidescreens, and a boot box and glove box on the westie, mine has none of the above!!

http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.u...?02ZetecL1.jpg

I drive mine to and from trackdays, have done Leeds to mallory park, camped out and then back the next night after the trackday, plenty of room in the passenger side for petrol, tools, tent, sleeping bag etc!! Also regularly do Leeds to cadwell, all day track and back!

many people who sprint them tend to get a trailer though, as the more "track focused" you get the loudier it is on road.

Mine is a nice comprise, good enough on track and fine on road. no sidescreens on any of these pics below

http://www.gregh.co.uk/html/westfield.htm

I use these sidescreens on the motorway

http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.u...?duratec01.jpg


regards,

greg

gregh

oh and you can get heaters on them, mine has one, but it aint much use! many people ditch them for weight saving!

worldwidewebs

My Westfield has no heater, no carpets, VERY load exhaust only drowned out by the straight cut gearbox and no roof. And I still drive it to trackdays, sprints and hillclimbs

TBH, get on the track in a Westfield and any thought of wanting practicality goes out of the window - a well "track-prepped" saloon car is just a mobile chicane. Oh, a 911 turbo drivers will hate you with a passion!

I pay about £180 for insurance and don't worry about the track. The excess was about the same as the worst damage I could do.

And I echo the above: visit the WSCC website - a great bunch of very knowledgeable and helpful people.

Andy

Dracoro

I drove mine from london to andover yesterday, 2 hour journey. It was fine for that type of journey if you don't do it often. Certainly advisable to have a 'normal' car for shopping, commuting, long journeys etc. although some have one as their only car. I'm tall and hair gets some re-styling but with sidescreens on it's not too bad 'blustering-wise'. At the end of the day it's an open top car, you either want wind in your hair or a tin-top imo

Insurance - Caterfields are just about the cheapest performance car to own (insurance and running costs). My annual fully comp insurance (vx 2.016v, 190bhp, 5000 miles, 30yrs old with 3 points, garaged) is £276. I guess it'd be unusual to pay much more than £400 although shop around with specialist kit car/7 insurers rather than the mainstream insurers (who've NO idea about anything more unusual than a ford focus ) Most people pay between £100 and £350.

Because they're so light tyres last ages, brakes last ages, fuel costs are low if you're not flat out, you can pretty much do most jobs diy as everything is quite easy to get to.

I've got a heater on my westie which I use in colder weather but would remove it when it comes to wanting more performance (and with over 300bhp per tonne isn't likely anytime soon ). Best weight saving is by eating less

I'd advise to buy a goodun 2nd hand and then you'll have something that will hardly depreciate at all.

www.wscc.co.uk for us westie fellows. blatchat for general 7's although mainly cateringvan owners on there.

mynickers

It's just so darn tempting, I didn't realise how cheap it was to run these, the performance is just unimaginable for the money really. Considering it would cost me £13k to get a clio 182, with around £2k insurnace! :O

I don't really need the practicality, I live in London, so commuting is just a joke even in a auto Beemer or sometign unless you wanna get up at 5am. Plus there are congestion charges, it took me an hour and a half to drive from Brixton to Kingston upon thames last sunday afternoon, it's about 15 odd miles - daft! Might as well get the train.

So I want a toy, if it has a boot and heaters and stuff that would be a bonus, and in someways would make it more practical, but I don't really need practical apart form to go to Tescos, but I am not spending over £10 for the luxury of driving to tescos once a week! Would rather get a cab, and have a westy to blat out into the country at the weekends or have night time drives (burning the midnight oil boom boom - sorry). Maybe show up a few 911 turbo owners

What about the 1600SE, not really worth the effort?

mynickers

PS does anyone wear goggles?

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

To echo the comments above..

I've a Westfield - longest journey I've done so far is 180 mile round trip, I always use the sidescreens on road. They are only off when on track and I'm wearing a helmet. I'm soon to do Cadwell Park which is 200 miles from where I live, and next year I intend to drive the Ring. For long distance motorway trips I just soften up the dampers a few clicks, its surprising how comfortable these types of car can be, but be warned its 100% concentration and can be very tiring doing long journeys.

Don't bother with a hood - get a full tonneau instead. Reasons being you have to be double jointed in all limbs to get in the thing with the hood up, the hood leaks anyway, the screen will never demist, oh and most important - it will only fit with the factory chocolate roll bar. Westys don't do Ncap tests, but a FIA roll bar is an absolute must IMO - which renders the hood useless. The tonneau will keep everything you need dry when parked up in a shower - if it rains whilst driving, well you get wet - same with the hood up, its no Merc!

I get 125 miles to a tank - first time I took the car out with a mate I left with 1/4 tank - ten mins later he had to point out we were low on fuel - I was too busy enjoying myself to notice

Caterhams do have the history and the Lotus design. And thats what you pay for. Another way of looking at it is £ for £ the Westy will buy you more performance. However if you were going to run a Caterfield all year round an EVO journalist did this with a Caterham a year or so back with full weather pack.

Mine is a weekend and track toy, the scoob is for the daily grind

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Oh and on long trips I wear googles - well some sunglasses/goggle hybrid, I don't look like Biggles, more Bono

mynickers

I am not too bothered about being wet, but somehow I don't think the misses or any bird (if she stays with me if i buy a car) will be happy being driven around in a bumpy loud sports car, getting wet and cold!

But like I said, it's a toy really, so traveling will be done by public transport, fun will be had on four wheels at any oportunity. Although I don't really like the thought of having to wear waterproofs to go out for a drive!

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Generally not the top of womens 'must do' passenger rides, has to be said. Especially if they want to look like they've stepped out of a salon when they arrive No ICE and uncomfy ride being the usual gripes.

Also on my car the exhaust is on the passenger side, which is LOUD - OKAY!!

Basically if the GF doesn't do camping, she won't do Caterfields

Be warned

mynickers

Jay, that's a genius analogy, and a good way to test the concept with her

mynickers

PS Jay how much is a full tank of fuel? 125miles you say? That sounds amazing.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Tank wise I'm not sure how much they hold, most I've put in is 15 litres when the gauge says empty, but all gauges read differently car to car - there could be another 5 litres left in for all I know.

But there are 2 tank sizes, I think I've got the smaller one. Basically I get 30-35 mpg at a 80 - 90 mph cruise.

Mossman

Morning all,

My insurance is about £250 limited mileage through Footman James - Westfield, 2 Ltr VX 187bhp. The most fun car I have ever driven. Like a lot of the cars on here, I have no roof, sidescreens so not the best on a long ish motorway drive!

Performance is bonkers - spins easily in 1st and 2nd and sometimes third gear, in the dry! Sets off car alarms like you would not believe - pops and bangs nicely on the overrun! Just about to get it serviced by Stirling Moss' mechanic!!!

Get one, they are superb!

Mossman

gregh

>> I'm soon to do Cadwell Park

you there on the 13th Jay? see you there, my favourite circuit

greg

Edcase

echo that. my mate had a 550bhp per tonne cossie engined westie, and I just wouldnt risk going in it when we went to track days with the 'standard' roll bar.

You can get a full cage for them, which doesn't do much for your appearance when crusing the kings rd, but I would want it for regular track work!

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

August? Yes mate, see you there

A pic of mine

Edcase

lovely. is that full carbon body??

gregh

looks similiar to mine, mine has carbon nose and wings

http://www.gregh.co.uk/html/westfield.htm

now sporting 13" wheels

Edcase

Very sexy.

How much more expensive is it than GRP etc?

Wouldn't want to crash it!!

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I wish! GRP, except the exhaust can, wheelarch protectors and, erm tax disk holder

mynickers

Yeah I wouldn't want standard roll bar either, although that is one bonus of being rather short, (5'8) been looking at lots of pics, and loads of lads are much higher than the roll bar, that can't be good!?

Love both your pics, I really like 'blatman's' on the westie forum, it's lime green, with black alloys, black exhaust, and black petrol cap. Looks really contemporary and clean.

Ed - are you suggesting I would drive my car down the kings road - I am shocked and insulted

I wouldnt waste my time, would rather drive out into t'country and find some deserted roads! *Rubs thighs with excitment* :P

Although **** bono, I want to go for the biggle looks - English eccentric with an open stop sports car, leather hat with ear muffs, leather goggles, gloves and a pipe!

Dracoro

mynickers - Yellow/Black is the best combo

check mine out http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...ight=Westfield

mynickers

Yeah I saw yours on the westie forum, does look tidy. I do like the all black exhaust though, think it would look good on yours!

mynickers

So what models / engines shoudl I be looking out for.

I have seen some 1600 SE's going quite cheap, still with a fairly respectable powerout put. And 1800 ford zetec's similar deal.

Although with the 2.0l it gets confussing, with the pinto etc. I've seen a few 2.0L for sale with less break than quoted on 1600 cross flow!

I think I would be most likely to go for an 1800, I know they're not huge gas guzzlers due to weight, but even so, smaller engines must mean lower fuel consumption?

Advice on what to be looking for would be great, I am still dredging through the westie forum anyway!