build diary

November 4, 2007: I went to the Pueblo track day without the Seven, but that doesn't mean I didn't get something out of it!
The Targa Miata was there and that was my main focus. Bill brought along his Westfield (using the same trailer I did three years ago) and I had the chance to do a few laps in that. Janel also got a chance to drive it, and had some interesting comments. I felt the car was working well from a handling standpoint - it was faithful and adjustable, with the fast reflexes you expect from a lightweight. But the engine doesn't inspire. It's a fairly stock 1.8 with good engine management. This gives it great throttle response and it does outgun my car in terms of torque, but it's not inspiring. Both Bill and I agree that it doesn't have the top end it needs. My best description is that it doesn't howl. Bill's working on that, and hard. So for the moment, it's simply very competent but it doesn't have that edge it needs.
Janel took the car out for a fairly extended tour. She did enjoy driving it, but found that there were a few things she preferred about the Seven. The most obvious was the brakes. The Seven has, if I do say so myself, exceptional brakes. The Westfield has a less reassuring pedal. Is it due to a flexing pedal box, a mismatch on hydraulic sizing and pedal ratio (quite possibly considering the lack of understanding apparent in the original clutch hydraulics on that car) or a problem with the donor parts? I'm not sure, but it does take some getting used to. The Seven also doesn't roll quite as much and is a little less biased towards understeer.
So there's the target - make the Westfield feel like the Seven. On the way home, I started to make plans about putting a bike engine in the Westfield. It could be quite a killer!

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