New Eleven owner

[Chris59]

Hello guys,

I've finally bought a Westfield Eleven, in "as new" condition, who need some TLC to be usable.

First of all, the straps who should hold the doors are not present, and I would like to know where I'm supposed to attach them ?

Secondly, I'm not tall enough to reach the pedals : with 1,78m (yes, I'm French, so use the metric system ), I need to find how to adjust the pedals.

I'll not move the "seat", as the distance to the gear lever is perfect, but the pedals (and, at a lesser level, the steering) are really far from me !

This car will be use for club rallies (I already own about 50 others English classic cars), occasionnaly track days, and should be use to go to 2018 CLM.

Cheers,

Chris.

[jonclancy]

Hi Chris,

Congratulations! A nice edition to your rather impressive fleet!

Door straps are like red leather belts that attach to the B-post and door frame (in my car, anyway).

If Westfield don't have stock, you could try a local saddlery.

Jan probalby has a pic of this detail on his Yahoo site. I'm sure he'll be along in a moment to offer advice on the pedals. As a
I understand, the LHD chassis XI kits use the standard MG midget pedal box, and that might well make the job of moving them forward easier. Could also be a case of modifying the pedals, rather than the box, to get them to reach your feet (rather than move your feet nearer.. which is what we will do when my good Lady takes to the road in my car).

Cheers

Jon

[Westfield 129]

I replaced the straps with chain (double jack chain), as the Westfield straps would streatch in our California summer heat, making them useless. Leather is better. You can find leather suitable for this at a good fabric shop or auto upholshtery shop. Chain, you can find at a hardware supply.

As for the pedals on the LHD cars, you can't move them. You can put some blocks onto the pedals, but the best way to deal with the pedals is to move the seat.

I am 5'5", and I have to streatch to reach the pedals. I have padded the seat so that I can attain a near perfect "Lotus Position" of a nearly reclining driving position freminicent of the Lotus 24/25 F1 car. I find that this is comfortable, and allows me to reach the pedals.

When I picked up my car, I knew that I didn't fit, so I stopped off at the upholstery shop, and piced up a thick (5") piece of padding for the seat back that moved me forward enough to reach the pedals comfortably. This is still my solution to the problem, now using padding made of three layer Tempurfoam (memory foam), with a different memory foam seat bottom. Not pretty, but very comfortble, even for 500 mile days.

Does your W11 have flat alloy floors, or the dropped floor? Does it have a bucket seat, or a seat bottom that rests on the floor, and a flat seat back?
My persoal car is an early model with the fabricated pedals and flat floors.

I will try to place an imagte on my Westyxiownersbuildersdrivers site of my seat solution and the door chains for you. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Wes ... ivers/info

Find the Photos, then Albums section and check out the W11 RHD Build (starts with a picture of the crate on the trailer). This is a complete build of a RHD model. It has all the detail images that you need for servicing your W11. If you need anythign else, let me know and I can supply images of my car to cover any details that you might need.

[Chris59]

Thanks chaps for your replies, that I'll read in details, but my Eleven is a RHD, as about 20 of my others cars.

Proper british cars !

[Chris59]

So :

- I already have the straps (no temperature problem here in Northern France !), but don't know where to put them,

- I don't want to move the seat itself, as it would bring me to close to the (5 speed gearbox) gear lever,

- it is a "bucketed" floor model, with flat seat back.

Please allow me to re-read your message, there is so much to read

[Westfield 129]

RHD cars with a Type 9 transmission will have the problem gear lever placement if the car has a bent back shift lever. The lever itself should be a straight lever, or slightly bent FORWARD. For some reason, some of the owners selected a rearward bent lever with their Type 9.
Note: If a bent forward lever bothers you, remember that the D Type Jaguar, and the Cobra have forward bent gear levers. Very fashionable.

You can get new short throw shifters with bent levers or straight levers. You can probably get your machinist/fabricator to cut your current lever and weld on an extension that puts the lever where you want it. Everyone is different, and most W11s have this addressed when the builder fits the car to preference.

Short suggestion: Thicker seat back pad to get your feet onto the pedals. Replace the shift lever with one that is straight or kinked forward. Don't do anything to the pedals other than to set the face angle using the adjustment at the master cylinder rod. This will give you a comfortable pedal travel and feel. Don't forget to make sure that you can heal/toe (ball of foot, side of foot) so that you can blip the throttle when you are also applying the brake with the same foot. This is important to enjoying the car. If there is a steering wheel spacer, remove it to move the wheel forward, about 7~8" from the panel. Some tall guys ordered the bench seat cars for more leg room, and then had to move the wheel back a bit with a spacer or long hub. If you find that the wheel is in your chest, get rid of the spacer if there is one.

Everything else, especially moving the pedal location, is way too much trouble, and makes the car undrivable for anyone else (should you want to share it, or sell it).

I built the last RHD car with a bench seat, and it would fit my 5'5' frame and a 6'1 driver as well, without modifications other than my own custom drop in seat back cushion that I used in my own W11.

I will try to put up an image of the door straps/chains today or tomorrow on my site.

Go to the Westyxiownersbuildersdrivers site and apply. I will OK you forthwith and straightaway.

[Splat]

A couple of photos of mine showing the door straps. Click/tap on a photo to see it clearly.

Mine also has the T9 5-speed 'box with a short, straight lever. I wonder if yours looks similar? I'm 180cm tall and my Westfield bucket seat is mounted on Midget adjustable seat rails. It's positioned correctly for me in these photographs with all the controls being very well positioned as a result.

[Chris59]

Wow, I'm on the right forum, apparently, many thanks chaps !

"W129", I'll follow your link, many thanks for sharing your experience.

My car has a straight, short lever.

Splat, you Eleven is gorgeous, and looks far more "Lotus" than mine, congrats !

Bucket seats seems or cushion seems finally a good idea, if I use a different gear lever.

About your steering wheel, where can I buy one like this ? Mine is ugly !

[Splat]

That's very kind of you to say so, Chris. When I bought my (2006) car in 2009, it was a "standard" finish and already very tired. It has been a slow process to bring it up to a standard that I am happy with. Earlier this year I decided to replace the carpets, which were in very poor condition, but having stripped-out the old carpet the opportunity to polish the alloy panels was just too tempting. It was very hard and extremely dirty work, but I'm very pleased with the results. Later this winter I shall be replacing the "Le Mans" rear for a "flat-back" and hoping to finally achieve a good fit for the front bonnet. The Dzus fasteners will be replaced with leather straps and buckles for that final "period" look.

The Westfield bucket seats are rather expensive. They are a fibreglass shell, padded with cheap foam and covered in vinyl. And they are quite narrow. That said, I am NOT quite narrow, but find them comfortable enough for long(ish) journeys, so long as I can have a brief stretch when it's time to refuel (every 120 miles or so in an Eleven). I found the drive down to Classic Le Mans this year the most comfortable long drive that I have had in the car and realised that it was the hot weather that was making the fibreglass seat more malleable! You may find that the narrow cockpit of the Eleven makes finding seats that fit, difficult (other than the factory ones).

I believe that my steering wheel is also supplied by Westfield. Jan (W129) also has a source, Stateside.

Now then! We want photos/details, not only of your Eleven, but also of the highlights of your (rather large!) collection! Meanwhile, here is my car at a chateaux south of Le Mans this year.

[Si Richards]

Mine are fitted very similarly to splats, the key is to make sure you have the door at a bit of an angle otherwise you run the risk if the strap stretches of it going past the pivot point and flopping to the ground

Would love to see a picture of your Westfield and your garage as it sounds like it's full of interesting toys.

Cheers Si