Exhausting!

[Westfield 129]

I have had 3 headers recently, and all featured slopy welds at the flanges, and too small a bore to fit the Longman head that was fitted to each car. The slip fit for the exhaust pipe to the header was also a problem in that it leaked. The quality was, well, medium quality aftermarket...

As far as the other parts, no real complaints. The front and rear panels were OK after a bit of polishing, and the bonnet is not rigid enough up front, around the body brackets. When the headlights are installed, the front section collapses, and the thing wont latch at the dzus fasteners after it is dropped onto the chassis.

A pair of fiberglass gussest were installed between the metal brackets and the body to ensure that the nose of the bonnet held its shape when dropped onto the chassis mounts, and fit the chassis properly. This modification also ensures that the brackets stay attached to the bonnet. I had one car where the brackets pulled loose from the too dry fiberglass bonding.

I think that Westfield should fix the bonnet problem in production.

Other parts that have been problematic are the poorly bent anti sway bars (too narrow, with the bend inside the mounting blocks, and silly end link configuration. Often, the bar is a couple of inches too long at one end (one would think that after a few years of this, the jig would have been fixed so that the bends and ends would be in the right place). The bars are useless, the end links are a bit of a kluge, requiring a complete disassembly to make any changes to remove preload or adjust (easy to fix the adjustment, with LH and RH thread rod ends, and new end link tubes). The end link mounting bolts at the lower arm often break as well. This is both a design problem, and a contractor problem (the improperly bent and cut anti sway bar).

Funny, but my sway bar kit, which was shipped to me several years ago, when it was first put into production, fit fine. I did replace the end links and the rod ends with RH and LH threads.

The T9 installation is not bad, but there should be enough room in the chassis to bolt in the transmission mount, which wont fit unless the mounting ears are cut off. I understand that there have been further changes to the transmission mount plate beneath the chassis, but from what I have heard from a builder with a new kit (delivered within the last 90 days) there still is no room for the T9 mount.

All minor problems, really. But some (like the anti sway bar) are really a pain, as replacement parts are just as bad as the originals.

I have had experiences with 7 of the late cars (disassembly and re assembly of completed kits, or assembly from the crate), and have a close relationship with another local builders with a brand new kits. The problems seem to be the same as always, and I gave the builder instructions to correct some of the problems prior to assembly.

[jonclancy]

Maniflow made my custom XI inlet manifold for the HIF44, and I have, via Ben, Charles' Maniflow exhaust manifold. Both seem to work excellently. I have my original WF header in the shed, if anyone needs it. The trouble with even that 2007 vintage WF manifold is the way the pipe constricts as it meets the head flange. To my inexpert eye, this must restrict gas flow. Plus, it's a narrow bore pipe...

The thing needs doing properly. Maybe they should outsource to Maniflow?