Any ex (or current) Westfield or Caterham owners on MLOC?

[Eric]

Howdy buds

Just wondering whether we have any MLOC members who have owned (or still own) a Westfield or Caterham?

Yes, I know Westfield is now (sadly) in receivership, but there are still some cracking cars out there at comparatively affordable prices.

Caterhams do tend to be more expensive but do they offer anything above and beyond an equivalent (in terms of performance) Westfield?

I'm looking to buy a stable mate for the Evora, but obviously with a very different, raw driving experience!

[gavcolton]

Not quite the same, but I had a Tiger Avon back in 2022 before selling and then buyer the Elise.

[scatty]

yes i had an r400 before moving back... i don't there is any real difference apart from the name, although the Caterham i think always looks slightly better than a westfield and other alternatives...

[Eric]

On 10/07/2022 at 07:55, scatty said:

yes i had an r400 before moving back... i don't there is any real difference apart from the name, although the Caterham i think always looks slightly better than a westfield and other alternatives...

What was the ownership experience like?  I guess this might come down to subjective opinion, but how did you find it?

All info, good or bad, would be appreciated - cheers.

[scatty]

i really enjoyed it, i'd be tempted to go back again if i'm honest.  

it always felt an experience when you went out in it... it felt very agricultural, the wing mirrors wobbled and at speed you couldn't really see anything... slow speeds were a bit of a pain, the clutch was heavy, the diff whined. you could feel the heat from the engine, the exhaust  was loud at the side of you and popped and banged ,but once you floored it, oh my word... it was incredible, the thing just kept going and  going.... the steering and feel is second to none...it doesn't try to kill you like a lotus does..it just feels right... the wife wasn't keen, but she quite enjoyed it once she went out for the first time..

the  only downside and it's a big downside, is i was always looking upwards towards the sky looking for the rain clouds.. i didn't really ever want to be out in the rain or be caught out in it... the wipers are like something from a cartoon..looking back i think i got too caught up in this... if you get one, get a half hood. amazing  3 minute roof on...

you feel quite safe and cocooned inside, but there ain't much around you and  i wouldn't really want a crash in one...motorways are a bit scary the first time you venture onto one..but if you drive accordingly and expect no one to see you, it's fine..

i think everyone should try one or have a weekend with one. they are amazing...

il be honest and say i've been browsing the classifieds, maybe it's this nice weather... 🙂

 

 

 

[Eric]

21 minutes ago, scatty said:

i really enjoyed it, i'd be tempted to go back again if i'm honest.  

it always felt an experience when you went out in it... it felt very agricultural, the wing mirrors wobbled and at speed you couldn't really see anything... slow speeds were a bit of a pain, the clutch was heavy, the diff whined. you could feel the heat from the engine, the exhaust  was loud at the side of you and popped and banged ,but once you floored it, oh my word... it was incredible, the thing just kept going and  going.... the steering and feel is second to none...it doesn't try to kill you like a lotus does..it just feels right... the wife wasn't keen, but she quite enjoyed it once she went out for the first time..

the  only downside and it's a big downside, is i was always looking upwards towards the sky looking for the rain clouds.. i didn't really ever want to be out in the rain or be caught out in it... the wipers are like something from a cartoon..looking back i think i got too caught up in this... if you get one, get a half hood. amazing  3 minute roof on...

you feel quite safe and cocooned inside, but there ain't much around you and  i wouldn't really want a crash in one...motorways are a bit scary the first time you venture onto one..but if you drive accordingly and expect no one to see you, it's fine..

i think everyone should try one or have a weekend with one. they are amazing...

il be honest and say i've been browsing the classifieds, maybe it's this nice weather... 🙂

 

 

 

Good info - thanks.

I'd certainly be tempted to build a car from kit form if Westfield had survived, but second best is to look for a stunner that's up for sale.

But, just as a bit of fun, I had a loooong test drive in a new (184ps) MX-5 on Monday and was shocked at just how bad it was.  Terrible seats, wobbly structure (no torsional rigidity at all), awful primary control positioning and feel, and mushy accelerator.  So, rather than desperately wanting to extend the drive even further (as I had hoped for), I couldn't wait to hand it back!

Right then, fire up the old browser again 😁.

[Resto157]

Owned my Westfield for 7 years, throughly  enjoyed ownership and on the right day and conditions there hard to beat for pure driving experience. That being said I’ve done more miles in my Elise in the first year of ownership than I did in twice that time in the westy. 

[Eric]

On 19/07/2022 at 08:08, Resto157 said:

Owned my Westfield for 7 years, throughly  enjoyed ownership and on the right day and conditions there hard to beat for pure driving experience. That being said I’ve done more miles in my Elise in the first year of ownership than I did in twice that time in the westy.

An Elise would be my preferred choice actually, and I now really, really wish I hadn't parted with my beloved Elise S (220) last year. The Evora and Elise were the perfect partners - very different in nature but both immensely rewarding to drive properly.

As an aside, I had the opportunity to purchase a brand new GR Yaris with Circuit Pack last week but the dealer had hiked the list price by £5k - yes £5k, and wouldn't budge an inch on pricing - cheeky sods.  I, erm, politely told 'em where to stick it!!

[Bottrill]

My wife hired a Caterham for me for my 30th bday present, it had plenty of short blasts on the day I had it and loved every minute. Fast forward 5 years and I purchased my first R300 Superlight on RBTBs. I loved the car, great around Donington and with the aeroscreen fitted, such a thrill with the induction noise. 
 

I owned it for 3 years and 3k miles. I actually enjoyed driving it on the odd occasion I got caught on the rain, you quickly learn about throttle inputs and car control! The full roof felt very cosy inside but was actually more waterproof than my S1 Elise years before, the half hood from Soft Bits For Sevens was excellent as a matter of urgency on a trip. 
 

My 2 gripes were that it began to give me shoulder ache on anything longer than a 30 minute drive due to the lack of movement in the cabin, perhaps the wide bodied car would have helped this. It also really struggled with emissions on MOTs. After three fun years I sold it for an S2 Exige which solved both issues above whilst still be brilliant fun.
 

fabulous things but if I owned another I’d purchase a good ex academy or similar spec car for track days as these seem excellent value in comparison. 
 

Lee

[Eric]

Thanks Lee,

I actually looked at several Westfields, and although the build quality on a few was outstanding, I did worry about some of the engines that had been used. Many older Ford Zetec lumps, and just one with a modern 2L EcoBoost.

It certainly would have taken a giant leap of faith to sink a van-load of cash into one though, and in the end decided against it.

So... it's back to Elise for me then - that gorgeous "Solid Yellow" Elise in fact (pictured in the other post).

[Bottrill]

My neighbour had a Westfield with an older 2.0 Zetec lump, they are great crate engines for these applications, the build quality was a little rough in places but I think they are also a fair bit cheaper so great smiles/performance for £££. He had some really low ball offers and found it difficult to value when he came to sell it however.
 

I think the S1 Elise is a more sensible choice. 👍🏻
 

Lee

[DeanB]

Eric I think you have chosen well, for what my opinion is worth. Caterhams and Westfields are great fun but an Elise is a lot more usable. 

[Eric]

On 09/08/2022 at 15:16, DeanB said:

Eric I think you have chosen well, for what my opinion is worth. Caterhams and Westfields are great fun but an Elise is a lot more usable. 

Indeed yes!  Having been away for a week in Devon (in the Evora I might add, and it is amazing how much luggage you can squeeze into those back seats - ha), I was chomping at the bit to get back and start work on the Elise (nothing major, just bringing it up to Eric's standards).

I have to say that the 2ZR sounds bloody fantastic with that revised exhaust system (introduced for the 17.5 model year I think) - properly naughty, and very addictive!