Westfield Elevens

Never heard of this version, but apparently thats what this is:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrVmQXH4ubU

Hi.
I'm a newbe, so hello everyone. I do recognise the model of Eleven shown here. In fact I used to have the official Westfield advertising leaflet for the kit(now lost). However my understanding is as follows;- This model was developed by Ray Concar of Westfield who proposed it be made to take over after the cessation of production of the original Midget based Eleven(first series).
The mechanicals were based on the Ford escort of the time. I have seen one in the flesh at Barbon hillclimb in 2002. The car was from Preston and I think had an Escort turbo unit fitted. The owner believed it was one of only 2 or 3 kits that had actually been made. Its contruction wasnt as neat as the original cars, and it was quite a bit bigger, with the shape(to my eyes) not being as pretty.
I dont know what position Ray Concar held within Westfield, but his name and a picture of a first series development Eleven appears on page 47 of the book "Westfield- the story".

Hope that helps

Alan

Blimey...I'd never heard of that at all - thanks for that. Given that the original Midget-based Westfield ran through the mid-80's, the Escort of the time (and therefore the donor vehicle) would have been FWD wouldn't it?

Oh, and welcome!

stephen

Hi Alan, and welcome.

Thank you for the information.

When you say 'bigger' was that the body, chassis or both? I agree in the picture it looks slightly more like a modern take of an Eleven than the standard Westfield Eleven does.

(Stephen:I assume it would have been based on the MK2 RWD mechanicals - it was produced up to 1980 I think)

Hmmm...the Mk II ceased 2 years before the Westfield eleven started, which doesn't quite fit. Even so, given the configuration of the Mk III Escort, it's got to be the Mk II hasn't it?

Hello. Thanks for the welcome.

To try and answer the queries;-

Bigger - It seemed quite a lot bulkier next to my car, and the chassis was not as elegant as the Lotus derived Westfield copy on our cars, seeming quite crude in comparision.

Engine - it wasnt a Kent or Pinto unit, so Im guessing it was from a FWD unit and adapted. Also I Can't remember any info from the advertising leaflet I had, only the pictures of the kit, which I didnt like.

I'm sorry now that I didnt take any pictures or interest at the time, but I was more involved with the hillclimb. Ironically I have a picture of the owner and his mates looking at mine to compare cars, as they had never seen our model of 11 before.

General - In reading some of the posts, I noticed a query about Marque specialist for agreed valuation. Not wanting to cut across anyone in the register who can do this, for info' - I had mine put on agreed value insurance last year and used Paul Matty. Sending him photos, and the Footman James forms, which he signed and posted onwards to insurer. He took no money himself, but asked for a £25 donation to a local childrens hospice.

Regards Alan

Wrong wheels. Otherwise not too bad. I still like the idea a guy in the US had of doing a Mazda MX5 based version. Makes even more sense now that Westfield have their own MX5 based kit. Use the same frame with a set of stretched Eleven type bodywork.

I *hate* the idea of an MX-5 based one. I'm sure i've spouted off about this somewhere before on the forum, but it'll just feel like a modern fuel-injected sportscar with a 1950's pastiche body on it. Which is what it will be. Marcus & I tested an MX-5 based Westfield 7 a few years ago and it was just a deeply depressing experience, for that reason. It was just dull. It was softly sprung, civilised, didn't feel like a sports car and they had carried over the mx-5 bits into the interior, which made it even wierder. The unavoidable conclusion was that there was no obvious reason to remove the original body and replace it with one that was less practical, less pretty (we're talking the 7 here, not the XI) and didn't suit the underpinnings. In the case of the XI, if you are going to have a convincing 1950's replica, you want to smell the fuel leaking out of the side of the carbs and open the bonnet to find a strange mixture of agricultural mechanicals covered in a thin sheen of green-black, sweet-smelling oil and every now and then you should press the middle pedal without any disernable effect on the car. Only then is true vintage nirvana achieved.

stephen

Hmmm. However, the Mazda engine does have the exhaust on the "correct" side. It also has a superb gearbox. Fitting carbs can't be that difficult. Just need to find a way to adapt a distributor to it so you can junk all those electronics and turn it into just such a real engine. It's not all bad, but I agree with your view on the MX5 based "seven". Nothing wrong with the MX5 as is. Shed some weight, stiffen the suspension and you have it all!

Hello there.
Just an update on the car I saw at Barbon hill climb as mentioned in an earlier post. By chance I met the owner today at Oulton park, having gone there in my Westfield. We had a chat about Westfield things and he told me he sold the car some years ago but he still has some photos. The engine was an Escort turbo engine and very quick. I told him about the forum and that his model had raised some interest and people would be interested to hear details. I suggested he could register to let people know. He said he would.

Alan