Runs for cover...
HI
Looking for some help.
Just sold a car and got some cash burning a hole!
Had a westfield V8 agood few years ago. Am looking for a bike engined car i think?
Have seen a few things what do you think will excite the must be the most reliable. 1 a factory built westfield megablade 918cc 2 factory built Mac 1
R1 2002 engine 3 MK R1. Are the bike engined cars much more fun than a Zetec engined car i am after the adrenalin rush
Help please
Welcome along dan, and yes they are more fun than cec's.
Runs for cover...
Are you trolling?
BEC vs CEC is one of the biggest arguments on this list!!! 
For adrenaline I'd say BEC any day. Engine-wise I'd go R1 (blades are the original powerplant of choice but now a well trodden path)....
Factory built is good if you're not confident to check it over yourself (one assumes factory built is better than DIYer- not always true
though!!!)....
Lack of reverse, high RPMs for motorway cruising and (usually) a lack of a windscreen etc makes BECs more blat-mobiles than long-distance cruisers.
Not to say it can't be done, but they're more for point to point stuff....
U2U sent
Hi Dan,
First of all, welcome to the forum. Which ever car you buy, these guys are the best source of help and advice you'll find and are by and large a
great bunch.
You spoke to me on the phone the other day about the R1 engined MNR Vortx. Let me know either way if you're interested or not.
The 918 fireblade only made 128 BHP, which whilst still quick is a bit low for a BEC. Westfields are nicely finished and can be very will trimmed.
Full weather gear is available too.
The 2002 R1 engine is fuel injected and is probably the best of the cheaper bike engines for a BEC. Not as powerful as ZX12s or busas but with smooth
power delivery. I think Mac1s have a live axle rather than an independant rear. Can someone confirm this?
MK indys are good solid sevens and one with an R1 engine will be a whole lot of fun.
If I can be so bold, The MNR has a better chassis than these three, though the indy chassis improved a whole lot about 2 years ago, it depends how
old the one you've seen is. The MNR is a bit wider in the body so there's more room for the driver and the bike engined chassis has a
narrower tunnel so there's more room for your feet.
Also, my engine, whilst being a carbed R1, has custom turned aluminium trumpets and a large air box smoothing the airflow into the engine
considerably. The results are that the dip in power around 5000 RPM is smoothed out and the top end power is increased. It made 152 BHP on the
rollers when I had it set up.
What ever car you choose, you'll have a blast. I'm sure there'll be plenty more opinions here soon.
Cheers,
Colin
[Edited on 17-5-2009 by smart51]
Out of those three choices there is one that stands head and shoulders above the rest in my opinion!
The Megablade will be a lot better car.
If you want to go quicker after you've had it for a bit and got used to it, then there are about 5 steps that will achieve that, varying in
severity and cost!
ATB and welcome to the forum!
Steve
Edited for vodka-spelling!
[Edited on 17/5/09 by Steve Hignett]
Thanks for all the replies
Does anyone have an idea what the weight of a westfield megablade might be?
MAC1 is also irs same as Indy
hth
Simon
It would depend mostly on build and trim levels.
For eg, my second to last car had absolutely no excess panels, carbon fibre bonnet, dash, screen, arches, interior panels, diffuser etc.
I cut every bolt in the build down to just past the Nyloc nut, basically I tried my utmost to reduce weight and my car turned out eventually at
446.3kilos.
I have seen a variety of weights for Blade Westy's so I think the best thing would be to ask the builder for the weight, but also the build/trim
levels so that people on here that have weighed a few cars can give you opinions on whether that sounds realistic or not!
quote:
Originally posted by danhubbard
Thanks for all the replies
Does anyone have an idea what the weight of a westfield megablade might be?
What are the steps to make the Megablade quicker and approx costs?
I cant believe how much help is out there
Thinking of selling my CBR954 powered raw striker with all the right bits on it, car completed in feb 2009, selling to buy a race preped car
Cheers
Chris
Hi Colin
I am keen on everything about your car except the front nose section. I know this is a very personal opinion and no offence is ment. I have looked at
the web site and relise that this body is the most recent version but still prefer the old look. I know i should not let such a minor feature put me
off and should come and look at the car.
Regards
Dan
Dan, I don't know the Marmot guy with the above post at all, but a Striker with a 954 Blade engine would be at least as good an option as the blade westy!
Hi Chris
Any chance of a some details of your car
Well I see "quicker" in a variety of ways:
1. Take it on track, to see if you are quicker than the car first of all - if the car is faster than you as a driver, then you would be wasting your
money making it go quicker.
2. Lighten the car - and I do mean dramatically!
3. Have the car professionaly setup to ensure that you are getting the best out of your package (
)
4. Look to upgrade suspension and brakes FIRST OF ALL. (if needed obviously)
5. Engine - Blade engines are upgradeable in a whole heap of ways! Dyna coils. Airbox. Exhaust. Nitrous. Turbo.
6. Different Engine (the reason why I'm saying this is because if you've bought the right car in the first place and you've done
progressive work on your suspension and brakes, then upgrading the engine in a sorted car is not that big a deal!
quote:
Originally posted by danhubbard
What are the steps to make the Megablade quicker and approx costs?
I cant believe how much help is out there
Hi Steve
Thanks for the help.
Any chance of some more info leading to the upgrade of the megablade.
Are there any firms in the South West you would recommend for tuning etc to look after a bec?
Many thanks
I don't know in the south west I'm afraid Dan, Andy Bates of AB Performance in Ipswich is very knowledgeable re Blades, but also in a whole
variety of other engines in the last couple years too!
You're best putting your location in your Control Panel Profile, that way, people reading your posts that are local to you are more willing to
offer advice and assistance, and you may get the offer of a ride out in a specific car.
Hi here are a few details about my car, I have not advertised yet but the racing bug has bitten so thinking of selling
For sale is my RAW striker completed and registered in 2009 car has only completed 600 miles, the spec is as follows, parts all new through out apart
from diff and engine:
Engine supplied and fitted by Andy Bates of AB performance
2000 mile CBR 954 engine checked and reconditioned.
Billet sump
AB performance airbox, improves performance and drops noise levels for track days
Power commander 3 USB for engine mapping
Samco Silicon hoses throughout
Paravani stainless steel exhaust
Alloy fuel tank with swirl pot
Chassis and drivechain
Raw striker chassis
Willwood 4 pot billet brakes
3.62 limited slip differential
TRT prop
Digidash 2
Selling to buy a 750 race prepped RGB car so part exchange welcome offers around £9000
Also the car has been competely set up by AB performance
quote:
Originally posted by danhubbard
Hi Colin
I am keen on everything about your car except the front nose section. I know this is a very personal opinion and no offence is ment. I have looked at the web site and relise that this body is the most recent version but still prefer the old look. I know i should not let such a minor feature put me off and should come and look at the car.
Regards
Dan
Nothing to do with me, but just thought I'd stick a photo up!
Description
quote:
Originally posted by marmot0
Also the car has been competely set up by AB performance
Dan, the "new nosecone" by MNR is a definite acquired look but in my opinion it just always looks a little funny in photos, but looks
entirely different in the flesh!
Below is a photo of and MNR I built last year, All I'll say is, I was never a lover of it, until I saw it on the car and then I started to
appreciate it!
.JPG)
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
quote:
Originally posted by danhubbard
Hi Colin
I am keen on everything about your car except the front nose section. I know this is a very personal opinion and no offence is ment. I have looked at the web site and relise that this body is the most recent version but still prefer the old look. I know i should not let such a minor feature put me off and should come and look at the car.
Regards
Dan
MNR can supply you with an old style nose cone for £120 in the same colour GRP as my car. See here for details. Also see here for a post by marc who runs MNR. His avatar shows the old style nose cone.
Colin
Hi,
There are same photos in my photo archive on this site, have not taken any of the car since it became road legal but have added an AB performance
airbox since then
Cheers
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
quote:
Originally posted by danhubbard
Hi Colin
I am keen on everything about your car except the front nose section. I know this is a very personal opinion and no offence is ment. I have looked at the web site and relise that this body is the most recent version but still prefer the old look. I know i should not let such a minor feature put me off and should come and look at the car.
Regards
Dan
MNR can supply you with an old style nose cone for £120 in the same colour GRP as my car. See here for details. Also see here for a post by marc who runs MNR. His avatar shows the old style nose cone.
Colin
quote:
Originally posted by danhubbard
Hi Colin
Didnt realise it would be that simple. Should it fit without any problems?
I will call you in the morning
Many thanks
Colin and Steve are both right about it looking better in the flesh.
I changed my mind so many times whilst deciding on mine - it just doesn't do it any favours in pictures.
Much better and different to the other 7 clones - in my opinion.
Just to add a "nasty" but "realistic" slant on things...
I think the nosecone (in pictures) looks a bit like the creature from Predator (the film with Arnie in it!) it's all gums and teeth sticking out
just waiting to be knocked out cos it's so damn ugly, but - and it's a big BUT:
In the flesh, it follows the contours of the car quite well, it compliments the curves of the bonnet and scuttle (other LSIS's (Sevens))
don't have these curves - another reason why (in photos) it looks out of place!
It is a very subjective thing, and if it isn't for you, then it's never going to be for you... But don't dismiss it untill you've
seen it in the flesh!
