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caterham 7 stylegoaferboy
@GUEST
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I'm thinking about getting a caterham/lotus 7 style kit car and I'm pretty sure i want a westfield. i just have a few questions:
iv been quoted around 3,000 if i wanted to insure one now (I'm 19, one years no claims, been driving under a year, car value between 6 and 7 thousand, in a garage, 2 litre). this was for a caterham, will a westfield be similar? i also got a quote for when i turn 21 (2 years no claims, one years driving experience) which was around 2,000. will this also be the same for a westfield?
the westfield has (according to top gear magasines stats) a faster 0-60 and top speed than a caterham. is this correct? i would have thought a caterham would be the top performer
what sort of mpg am i looking at for a 2 litre?
any general advice when looking to buy one?
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Well, it probably depends on what Caterham and what Westfield you're comparing, the performance stats I'm on about by the way, I mean Caterham make 7s from 1.4s up to the crazy new one with a 260bhp Cosworth! And Westfield do similar things, only don't they do V8s and everything?! One thing to think about is that they might charge differently if it's a kit car than a factory one, you could always see if there were any secondhand factory Caterhams going up for sale? If you want to bring down the insurance, is there a driveway or a garage, even a lockup, you can stick the motor in overnight, that'd make it cheaper. So would installing an alarm as far as I know. I'm not the most knowledgable about kit cars, but there are a few lads on here who've done that sort of thing I think, so someone should know what you need to know.
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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caterham 7 stylegoaferboy
@GUEST
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i don't have a garage yet but i will definately get one. theres some ones near where i live that i can rent. i looked at the top gear stats and the engine size i was looking at (between 1.6 and 2 litre) seems to have the westfield as the fastest. I'm looking at getting one second hand and already built as iv no idea about making cars. plus i wouldnt want to go any faster than about 10mph in something i had built. the ones that have caught my eye on autotraders web site are around 6-8 thousand. does that sound too cheap?
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do you like your nostril and cheek flapping, cos thats what'll happen. ;D and it hurts ;D ;D have you considered a "rep" such as a locost or a robin hood or one of the miriad of others?they may be cheaper insurance, still with the look and performance of a "real" one. my mate val has a robin hood, he's 52 and it costs him under £100 fc for the year.limited to 5000 miles though. but speedo cables do sometimes snap don't they ;D oooh sh*t, how rude.. hello ;D
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I wouldn't think that's too cheap, but as I said I'm not really an expert. The good thing about Catherhams and the like is that even though people use them hard, they're normally built as track day cars or weekend cars rather than to be used all the time, even though they're perfectly able to go on the road all the time, so you should be able to find a low mileage, good condition one I reckon, it's not like you'll see a Lotus 7 running about as a tired old family hack if you know what I mean, normally they're well kept and low mileage. I've just been on Westfield's website too, they've only got one used car on it, a '98 with a 2 litre Zetec, for £9.5K, so £6K sounds reasonable to me!! The other advantage I'd say of the Westfield is that it uses a still in production Ford engine, whearas most of the used Caterhams you'll see will be using the Rover K Series, which is a good engine too, but I'm sure you'll have noticed that Rover isn't making them, or spares for them, anymore, so you're more likely to be able to get bits for a Ford engined model. Don't limit yourself to the major brands though, there are lots of companies that make good Lotus 7 style cars, Locost are popular for a start, keep an eye out for the little known ones, you won't get dealer support like you will with Caterham, but you'll get a cheaper motor I dare say, and they're not generally badly built, just keep an eye out for badly done home made jobs probably, but supposedly they're not too complex so even a home made one shouldn't be unsafe or badly made, there's even a whole book about making one so I dare say you won't find many that aren't built properly.
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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caterham 7 stylegoaferboy
@GUEST
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i have considered the cheek flapping and i intend to get a helmet. not so much for the cheek flapping but more for the stones kicked up by cars in front. iv seen the chips in the windscreen of my golf and I'm pretty sure i don't want a chip in my face. iv seen robin hoods on ebay and they look ok. i don't really like the look of the ones with unpainted bodies though. the westfield looks (in my oppinion) better so I'm leaning towards them. the insurance isnt really an issue as i live with my parents at the moment so my bills are stupicly low. i still have to save up for the car (hopefully have enough by next summer) so ill probably change my mind by then as to which one to get
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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caterham 7 styleDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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If you don't like the aluminium body on the Robin Hood, paint it, easy peasy
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caterham 7 stylegoaferboy
@GUEST
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thats a good idea in theory. shame i couldnt paint my way out of a wet paper bag. the only thing iv ever painted is an rc car shell and with that you paint the inside of a clear shell so theres no way you can go wrong. in short i cant paint.
i just realised i havent thanked anyone for the help and advice, thanks
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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caterham 7 styleDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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With the cash you'd save by buying a Robin Hood, you could pay someone else to paint it
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caterham 7 stylegoaferboy
@GUEST
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i might look into it then. any idea on the stats of a robin hood? 0-60, top speed, enigine size, hp? although i am the type of person to get something with the intentions of changing something and then never getting round to doing it. never mind eh?
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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caterham 7 styleDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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They canm be anything from a 1300 to a 2000, depends on the car they were based on, as does the performance. But seeing as they weigh less than a shoebox, even a 1300 will be pretty nippy and a lot cheaper to insure
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my mates is a bog stock 2.0 litre (about 100 horse)pinto it does... 0-60 in f*ck me top speed of aaargh and your insides are centrifugally pushed from one side to the other on the corners. don't know the actual stats but its bloody quick. still reckon i can have him off the mark with my 411 though ;D
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caterham 7 stylegoaferboy
@GUEST
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the reason i ask about performance is because theres little else to them. lets face it I'm not buying one for comfort, and the looks of them are not really suited to my age group (although i love them). so id like to get the most performance possible for my money. thats why I'm aiming for a 2 litre with a decent 0-60 time. top speed isnt really that much of an issue as i wont be going faster than 70 (ok maybe 80-90 once or twice just to see if i can )
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Ouch. Look at something 1400cc or less. Specialist insurance should get you under a grand TPFT, garaged. You don't need a 2 litre car. Trust me - You'll end up killing yourself and/or others. 1400cc K series...Or even a bike engine. Where's that Locost boy when you need him? I'm sure he has plenty of info about this sort of thing! *n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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What I would suggest is that you look at all the cars you can then look some more, go to the club meet in the region to see what kind of help you would get went wrong and then buy a bike engined Sylva striker! (see avatar) Cheap insurance as the motor is only 900cc and a 0-60 time of around sub 4 secs. You will end up buying a ford pinto engined westfield at that price, and although it is OK for a tin top, it is just too heavy for a seven and can only be tuned to around 150bhp before getting the bank manager involved... The K series engined car is OK, but the head gasket is made of cheese and will let go at some point, costing you wedge. The best car is the ex-race cars with the 1.6 VX lump in, preferably with a dry sump, big brakes and an LSD. This is more likely to cost you about 8-9000 but is a bomb-proof everyday smoker and can crack 0-60 in less than 7 secs. Check out the caterham academy race site and places like www.blatchat.comwww.seventorque.comwww.pistonheads.com www.findit.co.uk/cars.phpI loved my Striker 'blade, but it is perhaps not the best start to sevening, that said, I never came across a tin top that could touch me from the lights... BB
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Yesterday at 7:54, pogweasel wrote:
Nothing wrong with creature comforts. If I want masochism, I'll just go and slam my knackers in the fridge door for a bit.
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Westie 1.8 Zetec 7990This is the kind of thing to get, more modern motor and factory built. Get rid of the grim 3 spokes and pop a set of compomotives/minilites on and you are away! Goo luck with the hunt. BB
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Yesterday at 7:54, pogweasel wrote:
Nothing wrong with creature comforts. If I want masochism, I'll just go and slam my knackers in the fridge door for a bit.
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BTW. if you are thinking about something different and a little retro, can I suggest this at 5 grand? BB
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Yesterday at 7:54, pogweasel wrote:
Nothing wrong with creature comforts. If I want masochism, I'll just go and slam my knackers in the fridge door for a bit.
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Yesterday at 7:54, pogweasel wrote:
Nothing wrong with creature comforts. If I want masochism, I'll just go and slam my knackers in the fridge door for a bit.
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