JohnCh

There are a few intersections in my area that have insensitive traffic sensors embedded in the left turn lanes. If I am the only car there, the Westfield doesn’t have enough ferrous material to trigger the sensor and turn the light green. I’ve heard about some inexpensive devices for motorcycles that are designed to counter this deficiency by using a powerful magnet attached to the bottom of the bike. Does anyone have any experience with these devices? Do they work? Any interference problems with the electrical system? The manufacturers all claim their devices are “engineered” so they don’t cause problems in that area, but the fact that they even mention this makes me a bit nervous. Thanks, John

There is currently discussions about a tour in August to accompany Alaskossie on his journey from Denver to Alaska via Southern California. The route will likely also include OR, WA, and BC. Hopefully we’ll have enough info in the next couple of weeks to start a dedicated thread. -John

[thread hijack] Thanks. There's a short write-up of how I did it about half way down this page. [/thread hijack] -John

The cockpit portion of the frame is skinned in aluminum, but the entire body (tub, scuttle, nose, and bonnet) is made from fiberglass. I don't run carpet or inner panels on mine, so you can see some of the aluminum in this interior pic. -John

It's the same one that was posted here last summer. -John

That's odd. I was under the impression that they added the sensor calibration specifically beacuse of the Ford issue. Does the Ford output curve have a funky shape that differs from most other sensors?

The Emerald K3 is available directly from Emerald in the UK for 580 GBP, which is about $925 at the current exchange rate. I don't have first hand experience with either AEM or Pectel, so can't comment on how the various units compare. -John

Randy, I've admired your work since I first saw pictures of the Blastolene Special several years ago. To call yourself a "metal shaper" is somewhat of an understatement! -John

Another vote for Emerald. BTW They’ve added some new capabilities including user defined sensor calibration that eliminates the old Ford sensor incompatibility. All you need is a freezer and a pot of boiling water. Their software does the rest. -John

I've found some other photos online and based on an interior shot, it's clear that this is based on an older car. Somewhere around 2000 Westfield changed the dash side of the scuttle; this car has the older design. -John

Sorry about that Hank, but I simply couldn't resist BTW I thought it was prety funny that SteveD made the comment about the MX5 given your history here with that model. I'm certain you would have written that response if he hadn't -John

Something about this thread seems vaguely familiar...:jester: -John

Someone on the WSCC forum noted that the rear bears a striking resemblance to another well known transportation device http://wheels.ebay.it/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/vespa-200-rally.jpg -John

Oh my, this is…interesting. Pictures and verbiage shamelessly stolen from this Autocar article on the Tokyo Auto Salon. http://media.autocar.co.uk//NonCar/1811010113830740234x155.jpg http://cdn.images.autocar.co.uk/612x408FFFFFFF/NonCar/1811010113831841600x1060.jpg -John

Don't forget that our president is in advertising. I think he may have gotten a little carried away when refreshing the member benefits list. -John

Thanks for joining! You should find that your teeth are now whiter, your breath is fresher, and you are more attractive to women. Oh and your lap times will be lower too! -John

Jim, thanks for thinking of this. To join the club, go to User CP in the upper left hand corner of this page, click on “Paid Subscriptions” at the bottom of the left hand navigation, and follow the steps from there. Jim F. I'll look to the officers to field your question. Cheers, John

After reading a lot of good things about the Fuzion ZRi on Rennlist, I went with them a couple of years ago for my 944 turbo. They work surprisingly well for the money. -John

Tom, the car look great! Now I understand why it's taken so long If you're interested in company during the west coast leg of your tip this summer, then let me know. I'm sure we could put together a small tour with folks participating on various legs. Provided you don't drive that thing like Vinnie, I'm interested in the southern Oregon to BC leg. -John

This CNN video reinforces my decision to only valet park rental cars. -John

I usually drive the Westfield in sub 30F weather several times each year, but to be fair, those are generally only 20 minute trips to the office. My wind deflectors do a good job of eliminating drafts from the lower part of the cockpit, so jeans, normal socks, and Speedcats are fine. To keep my head and torso warm, I wear baseball hat, ski jacket with the hood up, and zip up the collar so it covers my mouth. Works great. For my hands I have a pair of wind resistant insulated gloves that unfortunately only work well until the upper 30’s, so definitely the weak link in my setup. I think electric motorcycle gloves are probably the way to go for longer trips. -John

I like the reason given for why the second owner wanted out of the car: I'm not sure how anyone could ever confuse a car with no doors for one that is soft, quiet, or smooth. :jester: -John

I don't have any experience (yet) but here are two resources I came across a while ago: Richard's Carbon Fibre Pages Thread on building a bike tank -John

1067 lb with half a tank of fuel but no bio-ballast. -John

Skip, it's mentioned in the article Spaz linked to in his post. Terrible shame... -John