Are Caterhams worth twice Westfield money??
Discussion
This isn't a which is better thread, there's a couple of older long discussion threads I've poured through twice now and while the consensus of those seem to be a well sorted Westie is as good as a Caterham, I want to know are they twice as good
After doing all the homework, and test driving a few Caterhams, I have decided the 2.0l Duratec is for me.
Unfortunately they cost £20K+ used, which is by any standard alot for a garage toy
The other thing is, Duratec Caterham's are rare as hen's teeth. The model was released in 2007 so you would think a few used examples would be floating around... but no
However, there seems plenty of Duratec Westies around, all for roughly half the money. I haven't driven a Westfield yet, but really, are they worth double Caterham money?
After doing all the homework, and test driving a few Caterhams, I have decided the 2.0l Duratec is for me.
Unfortunately they cost £20K+ used, which is by any standard alot for a garage toy
The other thing is, Duratec Caterham's are rare as hen's teeth. The model was released in 2007 so you would think a few used examples would be floating around... but no
However, there seems plenty of Duratec Westies around, all for roughly half the money. I haven't driven a Westfield yet, but really, are they worth double Caterham money?
Yes. And no.
A well looked after factory built Caterham may cost £20k (private sale). But it will probably still be worth at least £19k when you sell it next year. Caterhams generally are built with all brand new quality components so you and the next guy buying it know what you are getting. All fuel lines, rivets, wiring etc. is factory installed whether factory or home built so quality is controlled.
A Westfield bought well privately with no dealer mark up may cost £9k and hopefully will be worth £8k next year if you sell. IF it has been built with all modular components then you and the next guy again know what you are getting. However, as with all kitcars, not all Westfields are built with brand new components and certain things like panelling and rust protection can be variable depending on who either crafted or nailed it together. Used diffs, gearboxes etc. may have been installed of unknown quality. And I have heard that general quality can be poor on some Westys, like powdercoating, however I have seen some real stunning ones ( and an FW400.... )
So of course performance wise with identical engines back to back then the car is not twice as good. But build quality wise and residual value your money is pretty safe in a Caterham if you don't pay over the odds at a dealer and look after it properly. Westfield are second only to Caterham in dealer backup and parts supply etc.
Its all down to your personal preference and how deep your pockets are I guess, but a good well sorted Westfield is a very nice car, at a much lower cost than a Caterham . But ultimately the Caterham is the better car, you just have to pay for it.
A well looked after factory built Caterham may cost £20k (private sale). But it will probably still be worth at least £19k when you sell it next year. Caterhams generally are built with all brand new quality components so you and the next guy buying it know what you are getting. All fuel lines, rivets, wiring etc. is factory installed whether factory or home built so quality is controlled.
A Westfield bought well privately with no dealer mark up may cost £9k and hopefully will be worth £8k next year if you sell. IF it has been built with all modular components then you and the next guy again know what you are getting. However, as with all kitcars, not all Westfields are built with brand new components and certain things like panelling and rust protection can be variable depending on who either crafted or nailed it together. Used diffs, gearboxes etc. may have been installed of unknown quality. And I have heard that general quality can be poor on some Westys, like powdercoating, however I have seen some real stunning ones ( and an FW400.... )
So of course performance wise with identical engines back to back then the car is not twice as good. But build quality wise and residual value your money is pretty safe in a Caterham if you don't pay over the odds at a dealer and look after it properly. Westfield are second only to Caterham in dealer backup and parts supply etc.
Its all down to your personal preference and how deep your pockets are I guess, but a good well sorted Westfield is a very nice car, at a much lower cost than a Caterham . But ultimately the Caterham is the better car, you just have to pay for it.
Caterham make nothing themselves - everything its outsourced manufacture and just assembled by them.
There are no donor parts, as new cars are built entirely of new parts.
Things like suspension, front uprights, uprated brakes, steering racks, 6spd gearbox are all bespoke, as are dry sump systems and interior parts. The interior bits mean cars are more uniform in quality hence why the tend to hold their price well, even if a bit neglected.
There are no donor parts, as new cars are built entirely of new parts.
Things like suspension, front uprights, uprated brakes, steering racks, 6spd gearbox are all bespoke, as are dry sump systems and interior parts. The interior bits mean cars are more uniform in quality hence why the tend to hold their price well, even if a bit neglected.
also you may want to compare apples and apples,......
i'd imagine that a fair few westies with duratec may have started their life as something else and have had a duratec lump transplanted. That being the case there's no provenance ( or unlikely to be ) for the age etc of the engine.....whereas a Caterham would have had that engine new from the word go.
i'd imagine that a fair few westies with duratec may have started their life as something else and have had a duratec lump transplanted. That being the case there's no provenance ( or unlikely to be ) for the age etc of the engine.....whereas a Caterham would have had that engine new from the word go.
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