GLBaxter

I've been terrorizing the streets of Leesburg, Va. with my Westfield. Everywhere I go and stop, I get peppered with questions about the car. It's fun, most people if not all really like it. I've put over 400 miles on it so far and it's always taken me somewhere and gotten me home, so that's a definite positive, however, the carbs are in desperate need of a good tuning, re-synching, etc. Even so, the 1.7L Ford Xflow seems to be a good engine. The car is not blindingly fast, but it is quick and makes a hellish sound when on full song. All in all, a fun drive and yes, I DO fit! So I took my Westy to a "tuner" to have the oil changed and the 2 Weber's tuned up. It sat in his shop for over a week and nothing had been done. I grew a little frustrated and took it home. My local mechanic will change the oil and I've decided to give the Weber's a go. I'm an engineer and have spent some time under the hoods of various transportation devices and generally have had good luck with my hands. I bought a couple of Weber rebuild kits (the real stuff, not the Chinese clone parts) and will be pulling the carbs off, cleaning, inspecting, reassembling, tuning, etc. Wish me luck. Failing with the Weber rebuilds is certainly possible, so should that unhappy occasion result, I will then go with ITBs. That is another story.

So, are you going to pull the hood off and show the mighty ITBs for us to drool over? Mine (a 97 FYI) does have a 1700 but w/ 2 Weber side drafts. They're tuning up is number 3 on my list of ToDos, done the 1st two (almost!). Any idea what kind of rear wheel HP you're getting out of your setup? I like it a lot, but as per usual, I could use another oh, say 200 HP or so. Yeah, I'm dreaming a lot but what the hey, it can happen? Also, is that a stock muffler and if so, does it have any acoustic filler still in existence? BTW, all should go to JohnCh's ThrottleSteer blog. He's got a nice (though way too short) video of himself launching his Westfield w/ a slightly modified Duratec. It's impressive.

Ah, a little late to the party, but here it goes anyway. I recently bought a 1997 Westfield SEiW that appearance wise is quite attractive. It's bright red with a light tan interior, special seats from Westfield and a recent ceramic coating which improves the looks enormously. OK, so I'm a sucker for a pretty car, but then who isn't? I live in N. Va, and the car was located in Iowa, so I had a heck of a time getting it to the house. I decided to rent a U-Haul car carrier, which weighs 2200 lbs. That, and the car (appx. 1300 lbs) add up to 3500 lbs. I drive a Toyota Tacoma, so while I was well beneath the allowable capacity, I also had to figure in the mountainous regions of Ohio, Pennsylvania, W. Virginia and western Md. The Taco did fine though the mileage plummeted, but it handled it OK. It was NOT a fun 16-hour drive especially since I started at appx. 4 PM. I made it home though safely and the car was unharmed. Mechanically it's a nice 7, but it does need a little work. The carbs (twin Weber 40 DCOE's) have not been tuned nor sync'd in quite a while. Now that is something that I can sink my teeth into. I'm a retired mechanical / software engineer (a lot of us on this forum!), so two kits are on the way which is right up my alley. The car is leaking a little oil which requires a lift which I don't have. I'm letting someone else take care of that for me. Also, the muffler is essentially a damn near 30-year-old glass pack, so any fiberglass packing has gone the way of the dodo. Still looking to get a Raceco muffler (silencer to you Brits), but so far, I've not received any feedback from them in spite of my persistent efforts. I am nothing if not tenacious. I finally got the thing registered and have my tags and title on the way, but I'm allowed to drive around on a temporary tag. It's a blast to drive and all sorts of thumbs-up, miles and the like. For having a researched 120 HP, it's actually quite lively, though very loud. Bottom line, like most of you guys (and gals?), I'm smitten with it and look for reasons to take it out and run some errands, necessary or not. My friends think I've lost it, but I'm still grinning like an assassin, but this is a normal response to the 7's. While this was built by Westfield in 1997 and subsequently imported, it's certainly not a new car, but then used ones tend to have their own personalities, so I plan on getting used to this one over time, something that I'm sure I will enjoy. More to follow! Greg

Greetings Maccor and JohnCh, It is true, I'm afraid. I have purchased a 97 Westfield SEiW. I'm on my way to Iowa to pick it up Monday. The 2003 Caterham SV looks like a cracking nice car, but alas, not for me. Good luck with your car, I'm sure it will move in very little time. Regards, Greg

Ah, good points. Thanks. GB

Hello. I am definitely interested in this. Do you have a private email where we could continue this conversation? Regards.

JohnCH, Thanks for the feedback. My intent was to be open to all options, but you brought up some valid points. I will update my inquiry accordingly. Regards

Looking for a Caterham (or other suitable make) with a larger chassis. 6 foot, 230 lbs. Let me be more specific. I'm 6' plus and 230 lbs (also + to be honest) and I have a strong desire to get a Lotus 7-esque. That is, I'm open to any make of 7; Caterham, Westfield, Rotus, Birkin, etc. However, it has to be a wide chassis as in a Caterham SV, Westfield Seiw and the like. If anyone has one for sale or KNOW of one available, I'd appreciate a nod.