alloy bodied seven-ish kitcar....early westfield?
Discussion
this car was recently sold at fleebay (with dutton paperwork, even its definately not a dutton...but thats a different story):
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-7-Dutton-Replica-k...
now its again up for sale (outside UK), where the dealer is claiming that this car is one of the first westfields built (1983), saying that a westfield vin-number was found on the chassis.
truth or a false story?
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/uLzDSpKW.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/LunUm5pi" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/LunUm5pi.jpg)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-7-Dutton-Replica-k...
now its again up for sale (outside UK), where the dealer is claiming that this car is one of the first westfields built (1983), saying that a westfield vin-number was found on the chassis.
truth or a false story?
Edited by GinG15 on Wednesday 10th June 12:39
marshalla said:
It isn't Westfield bodywork - even the pre-lits had GRP front wings.
Mine (an early post-lit) doesn't have the VIN on the chassis - just a chassis number.
If you can get the number that the dealer claims to have found we can probably tell if it's the right format or not.
That's right and they're called 'pre-lits' because Caterham sued Westfield for copyright infringement because the car looked exactly like Caterhams of the day in the opinion of the courts. That one doesn't. Later Westfields looked sufficiently different that the average person (the legal 'man on the Clapham omnibus) would not be likely to be confused.Mine (an early post-lit) doesn't have the VIN on the chassis - just a chassis number.
If you can get the number that the dealer claims to have found we can probably tell if it's the right format or not.
Doesn't help with your question though...
according to the dealer the chassis was built 1983, when westfield started their business with mainly eleven-replica´s and the mazda engine conversion and rear axle change was done end of the 80ies.
if its one of the first westfield seven chassis, might this explain the use of several round-tubes, whereas the later ones (pre-lit) have already used more and more square tubing?
front hubs are triumph....hmmm...what was the eleven based on?
for me it looks like a fake-story to make profit...but who knows.
if its one of the first westfield seven chassis, might this explain the use of several round-tubes, whereas the later ones (pre-lit) have already used more and more square tubing?
front hubs are triumph....hmmm...what was the eleven based on?
for me it looks like a fake-story to make profit...but who knows.
IIRC the early Westfield Sevens were based on Midget running gear - I know the last Midgets used the 1500 engine from the Triumph Spitfire, not sure if they used the front suspension/hubs on the MG too.
Triumph components make me think Locust. Whatever it is, it looks like somebody made an ali body to fit the chassis.
Transplant to Mazda mechanics in the late eighties seems a little unlikely too, as the MX5 was very new back then. Launched (here) in 1989 - feasible, but a little improbable.
Triumph components make me think Locust. Whatever it is, it looks like somebody made an ali body to fit the chassis.
Transplant to Mazda mechanics in the late eighties seems a little unlikely too, as the MX5 was very new back then. Launched (here) in 1989 - feasible, but a little improbable.
Frankthered said:
IIRC the early Westfield Sevens were based on Midget running gear...
The very earliest Westfield Sevens were indeed all Midget. But even fairly early on, aluminium bodied Westfield Sevens were being built with Spitfire front ends and Marina axles.
Dad and I built a Westfield Seven in 1986 and specified Spitfire front, Marina rear and X Flow engine and box. The bodywork was pure Lotus Seven S3, with a slightly lower bonnet line and nose than a Caterham. At that time you could still order one with Midget running gear.
The big give away of an ally Westie is the box section tranny tunnel with the Midget handbrake on the left of the tunnel.
The front wishbone arrangement is also different, as the Westie doesn't have the Lotus combined top arm/anti roll bar. Indeed there is no anti roll bar at all on the Ally Westfields.
Early aluminium bodied Westfields had powder coated chassis in pale grey.
The car in question is probably a one off. It is definitely not an early ally Westfield. It may well have some Westfield bits lurking in there.
The Mazda engine and instruments suggest that the whole thing was built much more recently than the 1980s. There are a whole bunch of reasons for pretending that it was built in the 1980s. Apart from the SVA/IVA issues, it is a lot easier to export an older 1980s kit into Europe.
Whatever it is, it has a spaceframe chassis, so it certainly isn't a Dutton.
This was my 1986 Westfield.
@pat:
do you have a pic from the front suspension of the red car?
indeed, the alloy bodied car has front trimph uprigts.
as said, according to the dealer the mazda conversion inkl. cosworth diff and change of rear axle has been done 1989. which is theoretically possible, but than this conversion would have been based on a brand new engine as mazda´s mx5 was lauchned in the same year. quite unusual for a kitcar-builder in that times using a brand new engine. theoretically the builder could have been lucky in purchasing a rather new mx5, damaged by accident shortly after delivery.
imo, there are too many "could be" "might be" "should be" in all this to make the story being true.
i think this all is a false story to make profit.
do you have a pic from the front suspension of the red car?
indeed, the alloy bodied car has front trimph uprigts.
as said, according to the dealer the mazda conversion inkl. cosworth diff and change of rear axle has been done 1989. which is theoretically possible, but than this conversion would have been based on a brand new engine as mazda´s mx5 was lauchned in the same year. quite unusual for a kitcar-builder in that times using a brand new engine. theoretically the builder could have been lucky in purchasing a rather new mx5, damaged by accident shortly after delivery.
imo, there are too many "could be" "might be" "should be" in all this to make the story being true.
i think this all is a false story to make profit.
Edited by GinG15 on Wednesday 10th June 12:33
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