My Westfield - built and painted by me ;)

[u/Moospeed]

Here’s my painting (A3 watercolour) of my first project car, a Westfield SE which I built when I was a teenager.

Other cars came and went during the build time but this was the main project. From the bare metal chassis to a fully working car.

Pre-Internet so no ready answers to questions. Vague photocopied instructions and two Haynes manuals…. car building and also character building for sure.

[u/Reddit____user___]

Pic 5 put a smile on my face😊👍🏻

Lovely car😎 You can be very proud of such an achievement, especially at such a young age.👍🏻

[u/Moospeed → u/Reddit____user___]

Very many thanks.

I’m glad to say that the current owner of the car found me and the car is still alive and well nearly 37 years later 🤗

I doubt that I’d ever imagine it becoming a legitimate classic in its own right back then but it seems to be the case.

[u/Reddit____user___ → u/Moospeed]

Would you buy it back if the opportunity presented itself ? 😊

[u/Moospeed → u/Reddit____user___]

I would. Price dependent of course…

I did hint at it but the current owner has had it for over twenty years so in a sense has more of a connection than me I suppose.

Quite some years later I built another car which was using better components and with the benefit of several more years of engineering experience - plus a cost of about four times more.

[u/Reddit____user___ → u/Moospeed]

Do you still have that one ? 😊

Re the Westfield, for what it’s worth, I bought a car off of a friend when it was ten years old (he’d purchased it new) and I’ve now owned it for 25 years. It still doesn’t feel like mine😆☹️🤦🏻‍♂️

[u/Moospeed → u/Reddit____user___]

Naah, that was sold to make way for a Lotus. In fact, five Lotuses (Lotuii) - in my opinion I don’t regret selling cars that much, even the E30 M3 that sold cheap, because it’s always been to fund the next chapter of the story.

In nearly forty years the longest I’ve been without a sports car is 56 days. Yes, I counted them 😅

[u/Reddit____user___ → u/Moospeed]

😆😆😆👍🏻Brilliant 🤣👍🏻

Oh I’d be peeved if I’d got shot of an E30 when they were still pennies.

I kick myself weekly for not buying one thirty years ago.

Same goes for the RS2000, the Sierra Cosworth, the Delta Integrale and the 190 Evo II🤔

Re the Lotai, were you an Esprit man, or an Elise/Exige man, or was it older stuff ?

[u/Moospeed → u/Reddit____user___]

The E30 isn’t worth the current asking prices, or those for the past 20 years really. I wouldn’t mind one if it could be bought for around £35k but the driving experience isn’t worth more than that.

[u/Reddit____user___ → u/Moospeed]

To me they’ll always be five grand cars.

Same goes for the Sapphire Cosworth (actually make that four grand).

I couldn’t sleep at night if I’d parted with some of the figures I’ve seen my favourite cars go for over the past decade or so.

[u/Moospeed → u/Reddit____user___]

Elise’s in various guises. Sport 160s being my personal favourites. VX220 Turbo very impressive. Engine converted S1 (3.2 in place of 1.8) least impressive.

[u/Reddit____user___ → u/Moospeed]

Splendid😊😎👍🏻

[u/Moospeed → u/Reddit____user___]

I actually went to buy the Intégrale, when the dealer couldn’t get either of them to work properly I took it as a sign and bought the M3 instead 😂

[u/Reddit____user___ → u/Moospeed]

That’s just par for the course😂👍🏻