Hi, new here, not so else where..

[WASABI]

Just ran into this for some reason.

Picture of our old and sold trackwhore is gone for reason unknown, so here is a picture of it at its saddest state.
Standing in corner, forgotten and broken..



It was sold to friend of mine, Antti.
He then gave it the TLC it needed, sold the 13" trackwheels, raceseat, ARB's and the suspension.
We fix'd the poor 1.6 KAAZ LSD differential back to it's former glory with help of old guru.
He installed the interior back and gave it long needed polish.
It now sits on GAZ coils, ROTA wheels and Toyo T1R's.

Happy ending for her. Looks like she turned out great. Nice save by Antti.

[roy obanion]

Why was the westfield too dangerous and uncomfortable, in your opinion?

I have been lusting after one for quite some time.

[samulis]

Why was the westfield too dangerous and uncomfortable, in your opinion?

I have been lusting after one for quite some time.

Great, glad you asked, here you go

They are made from 1,5" square profile pipe, rollbar is only safety equipment there is and even that kill's you if you get rear ended.

We went for spirited drive and friend of mine miss calculated a corner (that is known to eat cars) and crashed he's Caterham in ditch, he entered the ditch in 45° at 20-25mph, in similar speed/crash mx-5 would've have dented wing and maybe bent A arm, seven lost its front suspension and it's chassis was bent behind engine 30° into right and 20° up. That is the moment when full cage started to look god sent life saver.
Just idea of loosing it on track and going sideways into tyrewall/armco (choose your object), there is just the 1,5" chassis between your hip and the what ever you hit. No one walks away from those accidents, not even if it has full cage. Driving it on track, even with miata's around I felt scared, they'll kill you if they hit you.

Driving one on the road is suprisinly, dangerous. No one see's you as it is so small that it hides behind Corolla, you cant be seen from mirrors. Car is so low that no one realizes/registerates it, it is out of normal eyesight/expectation. Seeing someone reversin towards you is scary beyond a believe, because almost every car will reverse over you and you cant get out fast enough with 4 point belts etc. I now understand how rearmount gunners felt on burning B-17. Loud horns is what you need, really loud!
Positive side is that you dont have to drive it fast, speed feels greater than it is when your sitting 3-4" from ground, wind is in your face and you fear every SUV/truck/Rig to death. It teaches you to respect your life alot more.

Wind buffering is hard, it wears you out fast (imagine naked bike at plus 80mph). If you have windshield on it you need doors (and that looks my eye stupid and agaist the idea) or otherwise wind coming from below/low front makes breathing impossible, it is like sticking your head out of car at xx mph and turning it sideways so that that wind blows straight into your nose. Some one said that it is "selfmade hurricane inside the car at 80mph" and it is true. Best way to do it is to have aeroscreen and halfdoors, aeroscreen makes wind buff more like in bike, steady and nice, halfdoors take away the windbuff coming from front and low (works well only with aeroscreen, windshield with halfdoors still creates the hurricane). Then you need a full face helmet, cos even small tiny rocks will go through your lips etc. when they hit you.

Westfields doors, roof and windshield all leak so much that if it start to rain, dont bother. Caterham is more expencive for a reason, it is way better quality in everyway and you stay dry.

Aw, and their small, very very small, sideways in mine no one who had more than 36" waist didnt fit and if you do fit and have friend who manages to fit too, you sit together really, shoulder on shoulder. Legroom on Westfield is nonexisting, sideways nothing, just space for 3 small pedals (you need driving shoes) and length wise there's as little as there is sideways, try to stand on a bucket and you'll get it.
I got really bad cramps on legs because of it. Glad that I could put my left foot under the cluch pedal to strech it.

I know why you want one, I wanted it too, for 18 long years, and I dont want to take your day dreams away or piss on your paradise. But it aint the sweet melody it seems to be, testdrive, or better rent one, and drive it long before you spend your hard earned.

Their uterly, properly mad and when everything works (did I mention the English electrics? disapearing driving lights?) it is worth all the pain. They eat everything on road. Nothing that is road legal has steering like Caterham (no, not even Westfield), anyone who is trying to say that xxx car has "lightning fast and full of feel" steering should drive Caterham, state that he is so so wrong and is so so sorry and then re write he's opinions. If you play with it and make it go sideways, it makes time slow down, it is that good.

Before you pull the trigger, testdrive one with Hayabusa/bike engine, I drove Locost racecar with R1 engine and I had wanted a BEC for 10yrs and it was like heroin but legal! It is manic beyond believe, like old school motocross bike but it sounds like Formula 1.
I still love them dearly but cant live with one. It could work as 3rd car, but I dont have money for such and if sI did, I could go and buy proper, safe racecar.

Motorbikes are safer, but arent as much fun!

Hope it helps. If you have any more questions, go ahead.

[roy obanion]

Thanks for the thorough response. I knew they are crazy, I didn't think it was that crazy. Part of me wanted to build one to say I had done it, even if it was from a kit. And the styling is spot on. It is way out there for me at this point in my life. I really appreciate your words of wisdom. I would imagine here in the US even less people would notice that tiny car, it is bad enough in a stock NA and NB.

[samulis]

If you buy one, buy Caterham, they'r so much better quality.

Go on and build one, you wont regret, make it well from good parts so it easy to sell.s