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New Chassis, Sure its not a locost!
Chris_vrs - 16/7/13 at 08:20 PM

Hi all

I have just bought a chassis advertised as a Locost. On closer inspection and some help from a fellow Locostbuilders member it appears i has actually purchased an early narrowbody westfield chassis.
Could i have a few more people look at it and confirm it? It also looks like someone has started to make the footwells wider and the tunnel smaller!

thanks all

Chassis 1
Chassis 1
Chassis 2
Chassis 2
Chassis 3
Chassis 3
Chassis 4
Chassis 4
Chassis 5
Chassis 5

Dick Axtell - 16/7/13 at 08:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Chris_vrs
Chassis 5
Chassis 5


Those 2 flanges appear to be the location for the pendant type, Westfield pedal box. Which might support the opinion that its a Westy chassis.

mookaloid - 16/7/13 at 09:01 PM

Hi

Welcome to the forum.

If it is a westfield it should have a chassis number which should be traceable.

Either way it looks worth saving.

Good luck with the project

DavidM - 16/7/13 at 09:07 PM

How wide is the chassis? A locost chassis is 1067mm (42" ), the same as a wide body Westfield. A narrow body Westfield is narrower. It doesn't look like any Westfield chassis I've seen, but I've not seen them all.

It looks more like a locost chassis with some braces missing, but including some Cymtrics modifications.

David

[Edited on 16/7/13 by DavidM]

[Edited on 16/7/13 by DavidM]

Andybarbet - 16/7/13 at 09:20 PM

Hello there young chris, its about time you registered on here :-)

I reckon westy chassis mate, looking at the fillets on the steering rack mounts & also the headlight mount clamps, lets see what the locost massive think.

Chris_vrs - 16/7/13 at 09:41 PM

Hi Andy !

I had better get The tape measure out then, I'll post a reply tomorrow with my dimensions, thanks for your input guys.

chrism - 16/7/13 at 09:53 PM

Heres an album with some old pics Ive had for years, its shows the rear of an IRS westfield chassis, it looks very similar.

http://imgur.com/a/VjOvP

[Edited on 16/7/13 by chrism]

Chris_vrs - 16/7/13 at 10:20 PM

I'm sure it's not a IRS westfield because the shock mounts are under the roll bar mounts and the chassis looked to be completed and then powdercoated. Someone knew what they were doing and what it was going to be ! Thanks anyway

Smokey mow - 16/7/13 at 10:29 PM

It's definitely a Westfield Chassis (for a live axle) but it looks like it could be a wide body rather than a narrow.

The column mounts appear to be for an allegro column, narrows and early wide body cars all used an escort column. It also has harness mounts for 4-point fixing where as the narrow typically only had a single harness mounting point for the shoulder straps.

The chassis number should be stamped into a small rectangular plate which is welded to the transverse tube that would be in front of the crank pulley.

This post on the WSCC forum should help you to identify if it's a narrow or wide
http://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic/93131-how-wide-how-narrow-will-it-fit-whats-the-width-or-length/?p=940617

[Edited on 16/7/13 by Smokey mow]

Andybarbet - 16/7/13 at 10:33 PM

Chris' s chassis is definately a live axle - but that aside, its very similar to those photos, same mounting brackets for the rear roll bar stays, harness bolt fixings etc.

It also has 3 bolt holes each side where the rollbar sits & I think westfields had this.

If it is an early westy, where can chris get trailing arms & front wishbones from ? Anyone make them reasonably priced ? Or does anyone know if bill book ones fit ?

Smokey mow - 16/7/13 at 10:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Andybarbet
If it is an early westy, where can chris get trailing arms & front wishbones from ? Anyone make them reasonably priced ? Or does anyone know if bill book ones fit ?

All westfield's regardless of age with the exception of the pre-lits and SDV's use the same wishbones, the only change throughout the years was a switch from using a cortina balljoint on the bottom wishbones to maxi, but all wishbones are fully interchangeable through the years and between narrows and wides.

Trailing arms may still be available from Westfield, its worth calling them to see as a lot of parts they sell aren't shown on the web store.

[Edited on 16/7/13 by Smokey mow]

Andybarbet - 16/7/13 at 10:42 PM

Thats good news - shouldnt be too hard to pick some up then :-)

chrism - 16/7/13 at 10:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Chris_vrs
I'm sure it's not a IRS westfield because the shock mounts are under the roll bar mounts and the chassis looked to be completed and then powdercoated. Someone knew what they were doing and what it was going to be ! Thanks anyway


I was more referring to the shape of the rear of the chassis and the brackets on the back, yes the one youve got is obviously for a live axle.

Chris_vrs - 16/7/13 at 10:48 PM

Thanks for your help. The hunt is now on for westfield wishbones and uprights too get the ball rolling.

dhutch - 17/7/13 at 01:20 PM

Appears I am late to the scene, but while I have never seen it without the body, I can find nothing in the photos which does not match up with the chassis on my 1991 live-axle narrowbody westfeild, all the bracketry and tube work I see matches up.

Looks in good shape.


Daniel

Chris_vrs - 17/7/13 at 07:38 PM

Yes Daniel, I have had a good measure up and I'm 100% sure it is a narrow body westie. Am I looking around the 2001 year? Have the chassis's changed over the last 13 years?

Smokey mow - 17/7/13 at 07:55 PM

The chassis number will give you the year of manufacture, have a look at my post on here

http://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic/90170-incorrectly-registered-kit-cars/?p=907490

Chassis design hasn't changed greatly over the years other than the transition from the narrow body to wide. As i previously mentioned the position of suspension pickups remain constant throughout.

Other notable changes between early and late cars were the switch from an escort steering column to allegro (your's is the latter) and from a modified escort pedal box to westfield's own unit (again your chassis is for the Westfield pedal box). All chassis these days have a 14" wide tunnel opening, commonly referred to as the mt75 tunnel as this was the gearbox it was designed to accommodate whereas other chassis such as yours have a 9" tunnel opening for the type-9 gearbox.

Other than that there's a few differences in mounting brackets for ancillary items and some changes in tube sizes and gusseting in high stress areas.

alfas - 18/7/13 at 10:34 AM

http://www.motorsportads.com/car-parts/other-car-parts/19502.html

this one looks similar and the seller says its a Westfield lightweight race-chassis

Chris_vrs - 18/7/13 at 12:03 PM

it looks like the one!. its much lighter then any chassis i have seen before aswell. I may have got myself a right deal then, I paid £100 being told it was a locost! Turns out it could be a £1400 race spec westie, Ill be building a westie then after all ! cheers for the link you have made my day !

alfas - 18/7/13 at 01:55 PM

was a pleasure to make you smile!!!!

Smokey mow - 18/7/13 at 02:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Chris_vrs
it looks like the one!. its much lighter then any chassis i have seen before aswell. I may have got myself a right deal then, I paid £100 being told it was a locost! Turns out it could be a £1400 race spec westie, Ill be building a westie then after all ! cheers for the link you have made my day !


Not wishing to disappoint in any way but yours isn't a race chassis. The race chassis have additional bracing tubes over the cockpit area from the base to of the dash hoop to the top of the transmission tunnel, you can just about make them out in the linked advert. IMO a road chassis is the better one to have as the thinner gauge tube used on the race chassis was a known weekness when used on a road car.

£100 for a straight Westfield Chasssis is certainly a good purchase though

[Edited on 18/7/13 by Smokey mow]

Chris_vrs - 18/7/13 at 02:22 PM

Ok well im happy if its a road chassis too!. Im on the hunt for westie wishbones, capri uprights, rear trailing arms steering rack. I had better start a few more threads in the wanted section! also need to decide on rear axle, Im thinking 200sx lump in the front so wondering what rear axle to use? This build is keep me active on here ! Great to speak to people that are so clued up!.

Smokey mow - 18/7/13 at 02:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Chris_vrs
capri uprights

I assume thats a typo and you meant Cortina uprights?

Chris_vrs - 18/7/13 at 02:47 PM

You are corrext !

dhutch - 18/7/13 at 03:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Smokey mow... is the better one to have as the thinner gauge tube used on the race chassis was a known weekness when used on a road car.


Yes
http://www.alastair-reynolds.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Westfield/wscc/Chassis/fun.jpg
http://www.alastair-reynolds.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Westfield/wscc/Chassis/matt.jpg


Daniel

Chris_vrs - 18/7/13 at 05:14 PM

Well, I'm really happy about the road one now ! Doesn't look very strong for a race spec. I'm looking to 200sx mine so I will probably be adding more stiffening plates then the race spec after all.

Chris_vrs - 18/7/13 at 06:55 PM

Im glad I have the road spec after all !!