RE: Westfield Mazda SDV

RE: Westfield Mazda SDV

Author
Discussion

pbarlow0032

420 posts

214 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
I think this is brilliant. I've never even considered something like the Westfield as i've never had a garage until recently.

How much would something like this be to insure? Presumably you could insure it on some kind of classic car/specialist car policy?

Also, as i have the mechanical ability of a boiled sprout, how much would the fully built car set me back? Does anyone know?

mafioso

2,349 posts

215 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
Just found the shown blue one for sale on their site for around £10k here: www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk/content/showroom%20preowned.asp?cid=17

grahambell

2,718 posts

276 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
pbarlow0032 said:
I think this is brilliant. I've never even considered something like the Westfield as i've never had a garage until recently.

How much would something like this be to insure? Presumably you could insure it on some kind of classic car/specialist car policy?

Also, as i have the mechanical ability of a boiled sprout, how much would the fully built car set me back? Does anyone know?


Kit car insurance can actually be quite cheap compared to production cars, especially if you only use it for limited miles during summer. Get quotes from some of the specialist brokers who advertise in the kit car magazines.

As for fully built cost, best ask Westfield. www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk

dinkel

26,959 posts

259 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
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fury1630

393 posts

228 months

Friday 24th November 2006
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Nice thinking by Westfield - now all they need to do is build a Lotus Elan replica using the Mazda running gear!

Have a look at a Fisher Fury or SSC Stylus, if you ask the fastories nicely I'm sure they'd make a chassis with the right mountings.

MGV8

1,632 posts

272 months

Friday 24th November 2006
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Turbo kits and super chargers are easy to fit and there are even a few kits about second hamd. So 1.6 180bhp any one!

MGYoung

1,984 posts

218 months

Friday 24th November 2006
quotequote all
I'd be interested in knowing the actual build cost. If the kit sells for £6.5K then I reckon you will need at least another 3.5K to get it on the road. The £7K quoted seems unachievable to me given the cost of the donor, SVA, tax, etc.

I'm not knocking the car as I think its great and I previously owned a vey nice westfield with a 2.0litre zetec.

Cheers.

Martin.

gudgeonpin

84 posts

223 months

Friday 24th November 2006
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A Fisher Fury based on an MX5 - that would get me straight round to the factory, cash in hand!

The Cyana MX500 is nearly there, but no good without just a flyscreen (no doors or hood either), but the Fury makes a lot of sense indeed.

Just hope the engine fits under the classic bonnet - anyone out there done this? Would love to know.

grahambell

2,718 posts

276 months

Friday 24th November 2006
quotequote all
MGYoung said:
I'd be interested in knowing the actual build cost. The £7K quoted seems unachievable to me given the cost of the donor, SVA, tax, etc.

Martin.


I quoted £7,000 as a build cost because that's what you can build one for. Kit £6,450 plus £500 donor = £6,950.

You can actually get donors for less than £500, and as I said in the article, you can also recoup some of the cost by selling any decent bits you don't need. And as the blue 1600 car shows, you can even use the stock MX5 wheels - though the aftermarket jobs on the red 1800 car suit it better.

Yes, you've got the costs of SVA and road tax on top, but those are known quantities that apply to any kit car.

ninjaboy

2,525 posts

251 months

Friday 24th November 2006
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The K series always seems to suit these cars well, you can have loads of power and light weight that few engines seem to find difficult to match

busanostra

68 posts

228 months

Saturday 25th November 2006
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Mazda twincam? ugly looking engine. Bunch of MX-5 engine here in the U.S, for free!
Why not the Rotary killer, 13B or even the 3 rotor 20b, sounds more a sport car than cheap MX-5 engine.
Honda S2000 still the classy engine to power the Westy!

that daddy

18,962 posts

222 months

Sunday 26th November 2006
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maybe not the most naughty screaming 16 valver and hard to tune(not including turbo,s),but oh so reliable this will mean alot to the owners.nice job,great idea.

woody

2,187 posts

285 months

Sunday 26th November 2006
quotequote all
grahambell said:
MGYoung said:
I'd be interested in knowing the actual build cost. The £7K quoted seems unachievable to me given the cost of the donor, SVA, tax, etc.

Martin.


I quoted £7,000 as a build cost because that's what you can build one for. Kit £6,450 plus £500 donor = £6,950.

You can actually get donors for less than £500, and as I said in the article, you can also recoup some of the cost by selling any decent bits you don't need. And as the blue 1600 car shows, you can even use the stock MX5 wheels - though the aftermarket jobs on the red 1800 car suit it better.

Yes, you've got the costs of SVA and road tax on top, but those are known quantities that apply to any kit car.


Graham,

I'd be interested to know where you can get a donor vehicle for £500.
If I could get one I'd buy the kit in a heart beat!!

Chris

munter

31,319 posts

242 months

Monday 27th November 2006
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I imagine it wont be long before Phil at Performance5 gets around to seeing if it's possible to fit a turbo/supercharger for those of you thinking about that.

I think it's an excellent idea. Certainly something i'd think about when my bodywork starts to fail...

renny

206 posts

240 months

Monday 27th November 2006
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You will probably have problems trying to find the space to fit a turbo/supercharger as the frame looks a tight fit around the engine. Westfields do not have a wide engine bay.

grahambell

2,718 posts

276 months

Monday 27th November 2006
quotequote all
woody said:


Graham,

I'd be interested to know where you can get a donor vehicle for £500.
If I could get one I'd buy the kit in a heart beat!!

Chris


Don't have a specific source, but have heard of MX5s with knackered bodywork selling for under £500, so guess it's a case of watching ebay and the salvage ads in Autotrader.

dinkel

26,959 posts

259 months

Monday 27th November 2006
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Doesn't Mazda have a 2.3 based on the 1.8 . . . Mazda3 GT-ish . . . would that fit.

I remember some Yank turbo-kits for the MX5 . . . But then, what's power if you can't drive. silly

0-60 in 5.5 looks adequate.

grahambell

2,718 posts

276 months

Monday 27th November 2006
quotequote all
Have to say guys that all this talk of turbos and more power is rather missing the point of this kit.

It's not intended to provide the fastest thing on four wheels but an inexpensive road going toy with an easy build thanks to a single donor from which you can pretty much take all the necessary parts as they come.

0-60 in 5.5 seconds isn't exactly slow, but if you do want more performance then you might as well go for a Ford based Westy with a hot Zetec or Duratec or else the Rover V8 powered Seight.

dinkel

26,959 posts

259 months

Monday 27th November 2006
quotequote all
That's what I said: ". . . what's power if you can't drive. 0-60 in 5.5 looks adequate."

Pat H

8,056 posts

257 months

Monday 27th November 2006
quotequote all
I remember when the MX5 was introduced. Seems like only yesterday.

Hard to believe that Westfield is now recycling them.

When Westfield started out, they were recycling chrome bumpered Midgets into Sevens and Elevens.

When I built my Westfield, it was essentially a Midget based kit car. Apart from the plastic body instead of that lovely ally, it is essentially the same car.

I wonder if, one day, Mk1 MX5s will be considered too valuable to break up to build Westfields....?

Time will tell.

drink