darrell

I just went through this with the rear of mine, I had some scuffs and scratches ( in the shape of a spare tire ) and wanted to remove them. I used my orbital sander with 400 grit to remove the deep scratches and scuffs. I then went over the whole back, first with 1500 and then with 2000 by hand, wet sanding with water and a few drops of dish soap ( thanks Martin ) ... I then polished the whole area by hand with Mothers and it turned out great. And while we are on the subject of refinishing aluminum I found a remarkable chemical the other day called "Alumiprep -33" , has anyone else used this ? Apparently it is used in the aircraft and marine industries to clean and prep aluminum before painting.

Carl, Once you have it running and have the engine up to temp adjust the idle mixture screw for "best lean". If you have a tach / dwell meter it helps. Turn the mixture screw in 1/4 turn at a time until the rpm's start to drop and then turn it back out 1/4 turn...that's it. I would start with around 3 degrees initial advance on the timing. If you could take the car to someone who has a gas analyzer you can adjust it much more accurate. You may also need a PCV valve , about 10-15 dollars worth of parts. Darrell

Call me, I am in Oxnard just below Ventura. I have lots of misc. engine parts for your Crossflow I will donate. Darrell / 805-827-2927

A very nice Seven indeed ! Now I know of three "Prelits" here in the USA , One in New York and mine out here in California ( # 52 ) that looks exactly like yours. I would love to see pictures of your engine compartment ! Darrell

While we are on the subject of Crossflow cooling systems what temp thermostats do you guys run ?

I picked it up along with some other crossflow parts a while back. My old DCOE's were giviing me trouble and I thought it might be a alternative. I did have it on my engine and drove it around the block a few times. It ran just fine and had a nice smooth idle but was not anywhere near what my engine wanted. I broke down and bought a new pair of DCOE's . Since it only runs on the primary barrel at idle up to around 3000 rpm I think this setup would have a much better chance of passing a smog test over dual carbs, very easy to install too. Like I said, if you want to try it I could throw them in a box and UPS them to you. You could keep them for as long as you need them.

If you are just looking to get your car past smog I have another idea you might consider. I have a Weber DGV / 2bbl carb with manifold, will bolt right on your crossflow motor, you are more than welcome to borrow it for as long as you need it.

Thanks you guys ... The engine is a 711M / crossflow supposedly built by Rebello Racing. I was told it is good for around 135 HP. 5 speed "long shaft" Sierra trans with the 1" Caterham spacer, and a LSD diff. ( not sure what type ) During it's hibernation in my garage I installed new Weber 40DCOE's, a new Redline intake manifold, Aluminum Caterham radiator with a 9" electric fan, New electrical system, alternator, battery, etc, etc..... Still need to renew the interior and finish polishing the skin. Do the weekend projects ever end with a 7 ? I took my wife for a ride the other night, the look on her face about the time I shifted from 2nd to 3rd at around 7000 rpm made the whole project worth it.

This is a pic I took on the first drive. I never noticed the "7" in the sign until my wife pointed it out to me. A good omen ?

Now that I finally figured out how to post a picture you can see my dilemma. I have tried polishing these spots until my arm felt like it was going to fall off but they don't budge.

Finally got my Westfield "prelit" seven back on the road after almost two years in the garage. I have taken it out for several long drives so far and made it back every time ! Darrell / Oxnard California

Thanks guys. I tried polishing with Mothers as well as a few other brands for quite a while but these "scuffs" will require more than that. I might try sanding them out with my orbital sander and the blocking with 1500 -2000 grit and finally polishing.

I am wondering if anyone could give me some advice on how to refinish the aluminum skin around the rear of my Westfield. After years of neglect I started polishing the aluminum and in the rear ( in the shape of the spare tire ! ) I have several scuff marks I would like to try and remove. I am assuming I need to sand them out and then re polish, has anyone done this before and how did it work out ? Thanks, Darrell in Oxnard

I am not sure of the specs but was told it is a 1700cc with a big cam and a ported head.

Thanks guys, keep the opinions coming. I noticed a nice yellow Caterham in the "for sale" section a few months ago with a DGV on it, That's what got me wondering.