I had a couple of project classics as a lad. My first car being a 1972 Ausitn Sprite.. yes.. AAN10 vin so relatively rare. “restored” it with my dad.. wel, made it useable. Bundles of fun and enough power to get into trouble. Had a 68, 1300 Beetle too.. more practical, but slow as poop.

Then, left my MechEng degree, built a Westfield and did a ski season.
7 month build, enjoyed (almost) every minute of it and built the car I wanted. 1800cc Zetec, twin 40’s, 155bhp on paper, forget what we had on RR.
Inspired my to go back to Uni to do Industrial Design.

Anyway, I had it down at uni for a bit. put a couple of inches of water in in when on a long trip without the hood, couple of track days, trips to the shiops, but mainly blatting about like a loon.

Completely impractical but I didn’t have 2 kids and a dog back then so what did I care..
I moved out to canada, so left it in my folks garage and drove it everytime I came home.. 2 weeks a year! So ended up selling it to fund the deposit on a house. I still wish I’d exported it over here as it would be great as a summer commuter.. though I’d probably have been run over by a crew cab pickup or logging truck by now!
To repace the fun that I was missing, I got a mk1 Gti. a bunch more practical, half as much fun, but just wasn’t a westfeild!

From an investment of fun, it was great! As far as depreciation… I had it 8 years, did 10k miles and when I sold it, I got 70% of what it cost me back.. I was happy with that!

Would I have another? Heck yes! If I can find a 15yo seiw with a 16v engine on throttle bodies for 5k.. I’d seriously think about importing it over here.

As far as other options.. if I were going to actually build something again (which I doubt) I’d seriously look as above at a wankle engined round wheel arched MG Midget, or a GTM libra.. but I’m well out of touch with whats out there on the kit market now.

Pistonheads is a good place to browse for pre-built stuff.

I have had both a Westfield and a 7 (still have the 7 ) and for a short while the Westfield was my everyday car ,
But only a couple of miles to work or so
But the fun soon goes if u have to run it all the time !

Westfield was not watertight in any way !
Windscreen would mist up
And it will look shaged very soon

Seven is really good for staying dry but not like a normal tin top
It also has a heated screen so a lot less chance to mist up
But it will look shaged to if used all year round as alloy and steel with salt don’t mix well

Right let’s get the snobbery out the way Now

Both are fun what ever bhp you have but u will want more bhp every year / year on year ! The 7 is so much nicer put together than westy no mater who builds it . ( 7 kit is fool proof compared to westy as body work and brake lines and wiring all done for you )
Best advice I would give is if u buy a 2hd 7 or westy 1st use it for a year or so sell it and build the spec of car u like ! As u will change the spec if it’s your 1st car
Best join the club 1st as many change cars each year 1st

But had the westy for 7 years and got my 7 in 2001 ( i was like a kid with all the boxes and new parts when it turned up ) still have it .

GO FOR IT

BUT buy a cheep run around too .

Cat snobbery maybe, but I’m a purist anyway…

A purist, eh?

*pssst. no-one tell him about the Lotus 7*