Caterham vs Westfield
Discussion
Now I know I'm going to get a biased view here, but as I'm inclining towards Westfield that's probably what I want as balance.
Any good reason why I should buy a Caterham over a Westfield, given that the W is likely to be significantly cheaper?
Im looking for something that will be genuinely quick on a trackday, but with fast road useability.
Any good reason why I should buy a Caterham over a Westfield, given that the W is likely to be significantly cheaper?
Im looking for something that will be genuinely quick on a trackday, but with fast road useability.
Not sure that a Westfield is "significantly" cheaper. Particularly if both are factory built. Depends what you are comparing, and of course, exactly how quick you want to be on track.
As Sam says, if you don't have any particular affection for either marque, then there are cheaper ways of going fast(er). Particularly if you don't want the classic sevenesque shape. So a Sylva, or an STM Phoenix.
£5/6k would get you an STM Locoblade that would blitz many things on a "normal" trackday. Not so much fun on the road.
The "good" reasons given are usually build quality and residuals. IMHO both are as good (or bad) as each other now.
And neither has managed to put the other out of business in the decades they have been in competition
All depends on budget, how fast, self built vs factory built vs 2nd hand etc etc
As Sam says, if you don't have any particular affection for either marque, then there are cheaper ways of going fast(er). Particularly if you don't want the classic sevenesque shape. So a Sylva, or an STM Phoenix.
£5/6k would get you an STM Locoblade that would blitz many things on a "normal" trackday. Not so much fun on the road.
The "good" reasons given are usually build quality and residuals. IMHO both are as good (or bad) as each other now.
And neither has managed to put the other out of business in the decades they have been in competition
All depends on budget, how fast, self built vs factory built vs 2nd hand etc etc
Where's that popcorn smilie when you need it?
My personal reasons for going for a Caterham over some of the Seven-type kits were:
My personal reasons for going for a Caterham over some of the Seven-type kits were:
- Resale value. An average Caterham is more than an average Westfield, yes, but it'll (at least) stay that way. In fact to get average Caterham spec and performance you're often looking at a significantly newer Westfield with a lot further to go in its depreciation curve.
- You've also got to compare like with like. My relatively basic Caterham was twice the cost of a very basic Westfield, but it weighs 518kg wet, it has a sweet revvy K-Series, a De Dion rear end, a 6 speed 'box, a limited slip diff and various other toys. I'm sure there are plenty of Westies that'll monster it, but a £5,000 600+kg live axle car running a smokey old crossflow won't.
- Support. This is a big one - there's a Caterham owner on every street corner willing to help out. There are also dozens of independent specialists and even a couple of bonefide dealerships if you're not up to DIY - it's almost like owning a regular production car.
- A very minor point was that I reckon the S3-era Caterham is the best looking Seven-type car of all!
A disclaimer - I'm a Caterham man through and through. However, whilst trying to be objective, IMO:
Caterham - the safe bet. You know pretty much what you're into, there are comparitively few models - live axle, de dion, CSR spec rear end -narrow or wide front track, a few brake options, the obvious engine, that sort of thing.
Westfield - the modifiers / tinkerers choice. Westies seem to be more varied - as the historically "cheaper option", I've been on track days with so many similar looking but vastly different westies. They seem to be more "kittish", and as such the running gear underneath isn't as uniform. A good westie will IMO be equal to a Caterham - a bad one worse, and loads in between. If you're going weat, just make sure that the parts are all "correct" - I met a brutally quick in a straight line Hayabusa engines westie at Cadwell running a live axle and granada brakes - IMO a scary combination. I've also met several westies that make an R300 look low spec.
Lots of people also seemingly have the mantra that:
"A westie is a poor man's caterham"
"the build quality is poorer than a cat"
"they're less reliable"
IMO all of the above is pub b
ks - any 7 esque car is as relaible, good, and built eactly in line with the man or woman that built it. Also, anyone that brings the "poor amn's" banter into the equasion is probably a tit.
No idea if my ramble is of help, but I ope you enjoy whatever 7 ish car you buy, regardless of marque - they're all utterly great.
Graham (owner of a "poor man's Porshe")
Caterham - the safe bet. You know pretty much what you're into, there are comparitively few models - live axle, de dion, CSR spec rear end -narrow or wide front track, a few brake options, the obvious engine, that sort of thing.
Westfield - the modifiers / tinkerers choice. Westies seem to be more varied - as the historically "cheaper option", I've been on track days with so many similar looking but vastly different westies. They seem to be more "kittish", and as such the running gear underneath isn't as uniform. A good westie will IMO be equal to a Caterham - a bad one worse, and loads in between. If you're going weat, just make sure that the parts are all "correct" - I met a brutally quick in a straight line Hayabusa engines westie at Cadwell running a live axle and granada brakes - IMO a scary combination. I've also met several westies that make an R300 look low spec.
Lots of people also seemingly have the mantra that:
"A westie is a poor man's caterham"
"the build quality is poorer than a cat"
"they're less reliable"
IMO all of the above is pub b
ks - any 7 esque car is as relaible, good, and built eactly in line with the man or woman that built it. Also, anyone that brings the "poor amn's" banter into the equasion is probably a tit.No idea if my ramble is of help, but I ope you enjoy whatever 7 ish car you buy, regardless of marque - they're all utterly great.
Graham (owner of a "poor man's Porshe")
I was in exactly the same situation as the OP. Caterham or Westfield?
Always liked both and appreciate the heritage in the Cats and the design of the Westies.
So I did a bit of homework, hired a Caterham for a day to see if it was really for me (Yes it was!!), kicked a few tyres, read a few reviews and generally hung around on forums etc etc.
My budget meant that I could not afford an R300, in fact within my budget the only Cat from Caterham themselves was a 15 year old live axle VX 1.6, whereas I had a whole range of Westies available at my budget.
This is usually down to the fact that they have been built from a kit and as mentioned above spec can vary enormously, but this was it for me. In a nutshell you can find a highly sorted Westfield that has been meticulously built with mods that the factory do not even think of for a great price. You just need to sort the wheat from the chaff.
I was lucky and the right car came along and the car is perfect in every way for fast road and occasional track day use, and it was well within budget.
So I'm a happy bunny, but Cat or Westie?
The choice is yours but either way you'll love both!!
Always liked both and appreciate the heritage in the Cats and the design of the Westies.
So I did a bit of homework, hired a Caterham for a day to see if it was really for me (Yes it was!!), kicked a few tyres, read a few reviews and generally hung around on forums etc etc.
My budget meant that I could not afford an R300, in fact within my budget the only Cat from Caterham themselves was a 15 year old live axle VX 1.6, whereas I had a whole range of Westies available at my budget.
This is usually down to the fact that they have been built from a kit and as mentioned above spec can vary enormously, but this was it for me. In a nutshell you can find a highly sorted Westfield that has been meticulously built with mods that the factory do not even think of for a great price. You just need to sort the wheat from the chaff.
I was lucky and the right car came along and the car is perfect in every way for fast road and occasional track day use, and it was well within budget.
So I'm a happy bunny, but Cat or Westie?
The choice is yours but either way you'll love both!!
i've had a Caterham for about 11 years now, infact on my second. But only because I wanted a hill climb car and the first one I looked at in Autotrader happened to be a xflow Caterham.
I like Caterhams, but all the heritage bks is for the anoraks, you get great westies and other seven makes as well. If you want it for tracking, then just get a sorted car of either sort, if you want it for ponsing around on weekend drives with club members, then the Caterham Seven club is probably the most active.
I like Caterhams, but all the heritage b
ks is for the anoraks, you get great westies and other seven makes as well. If you want it for tracking, then just get a sorted car of either sort, if you want it for ponsing around on weekend drives with club members, then the Caterham Seven club is probably the most active. Thanks guys - lots of good advice -from which ever camp.
Clearly one good piece of advice is get out there and drive some - but one potential stumbling block I haven't thought through to a solution yet is - if I was going to buy a Porsche I'd know exactly who to go to for an independent inspection, but what do you do for something like this? As others are saying every car is potentially different in spec, and is dependent on who screwed it together to a degree - I guess I'd want someone to look at it who really knows what they're about - how would I go about this?
Clearly one good piece of advice is get out there and drive some - but one potential stumbling block I haven't thought through to a solution yet is - if I was going to buy a Porsche I'd know exactly who to go to for an independent inspection, but what do you do for something like this? As others are saying every car is potentially different in spec, and is dependent on who screwed it together to a degree - I guess I'd want someone to look at it who really knows what they're about - how would I go about this?
When I looked into Caterham vs Westy there wasn't actually much difference in price if you compared like for like specs on new cars. There are lots of nice bits that come as standard on Caterhams. I think the reason that Westies have tended to be cheaper to buy in the past mainly comes down to the use of secondhand engines, gearboxes and diffs in a lot of them.
I went for a Westy as I decided on a BEC - nothing by Caterham comes close to a 10 year old Megablade for bang for buck. But if I was spending £30k on a new car I'd go for a Caterham everytime over a similarly specced Westy - mainly because I find Westfields a bit ugly.
I went for a Westy as I decided on a BEC - nothing by Caterham comes close to a 10 year old Megablade for bang for buck. But if I was spending £30k on a new car I'd go for a Caterham everytime over a similarly specced Westy - mainly because I find Westfields a bit ugly.
You should be able to find someone to have a look at potential cars with you, the L7C would be the best place for that. You may get too much "advice" though
To a certain extent it is easier with a Caterham than a Westfield (on average) because there are a lot more factory-spec Caterhams about (because clearly Caterham owners barely know one end of a wrench from another !) People tend to pay a premium for something that hasn't been messed about with too much.
To a certain extent it is easier with a Caterham than a Westfield (on average) because there are a lot more factory-spec Caterhams about (because clearly Caterham owners barely know one end of a wrench from another !) People tend to pay a premium for something that hasn't been messed about with too much.
Don't know if I'd be that brave.
I too have been a Cat Vs Westie man on and off for a number of years.
I have also owned both (have a Caterham currently).
I do think budget will decree which way you lean towards. I am assuming you are looking at second hand??
If your budget is sub £10k I would say you should be able to find a really well screwed together, good looking well specced Westfield.
Above £10k and it would be a Caterham.
HOWEVER - if you only want it as a toy (and have limited time to use it and some good like minded friends) then you could take my solution, by one with another party.
Probably not a lot of people that can make this work, but if you can it really does leave you feeling very smug!!!
I appreciate the seven reps for what they are, light weight cars built to be driven, and for that reason I am not precious about the car (don't get me wrong, it is kept up together, clean etc, but if it picks up some dents and bumps as is inevitable I shan't loose any sleep).
If you are a decent spanner monkey and know cars well, then the Westie is a good choice. I am fairly technically inept, so the Caterham won on this count. I also prefer the look and feel of the Caterham, and the driving experience just felt a bit more together and special than the Westies I had compared against.
Either choice is good, I think most would agree that value usually drives you to Westfield over Caterham (not always, but very often) in the second hand market.
I have also owned both (have a Caterham currently).
I do think budget will decree which way you lean towards. I am assuming you are looking at second hand??
If your budget is sub £10k I would say you should be able to find a really well screwed together, good looking well specced Westfield.
Above £10k and it would be a Caterham.
HOWEVER - if you only want it as a toy (and have limited time to use it and some good like minded friends) then you could take my solution, by one with another party.
Probably not a lot of people that can make this work, but if you can it really does leave you feeling very smug!!!
I appreciate the seven reps for what they are, light weight cars built to be driven, and for that reason I am not precious about the car (don't get me wrong, it is kept up together, clean etc, but if it picks up some dents and bumps as is inevitable I shan't loose any sleep).
If you are a decent spanner monkey and know cars well, then the Westie is a good choice. I am fairly technically inept, so the Caterham won on this count. I also prefer the look and feel of the Caterham, and the driving experience just felt a bit more together and special than the Westies I had compared against.
Either choice is good, I think most would agree that value usually drives you to Westfield over Caterham (not always, but very often) in the second hand market.
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