Francisco Carrion
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The new project, a Sylva J15
Perhaps the Westfield does not have a very retro look -although its manufacturer is also dedicated to creating faithful replicas of the mythical Lotus XI of the 50s-, but Alastair's next project does have a more "classic" character ... Or al less that was the intention of the designer of the original Sylva J15.
The English Jeremy Philips founded the company Sylva Autokits in 1981 and a few years ago he presented the J15 model, a small tubular chassis boat clearly inspired by the Lotus of the 60s. The front makes one think of the design of the Elite, Elan or the most current Elise, and in the J15 catalog The kits appear mounted on classic Minilite rims.
The finishing touch is provided by a dashboard with white background markers and chrome surround and a different color line that runs through the center of the body from start to finish, in true AC Cobra style.
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However, Alastair has completely dispensed with the aesthetic suggestions in the catalog and has dedicated himself to creating a car that, except for its forms, is completely current. The purchase of the kit - this time disassembled - was made at the beginning of 2012 and this was joined by a ramshackle Ford Puma with a Sigma 1.7 engine as a donor of the mechanical elements.
The process, which can be followed in full at this blog, started with three different simultaneous operations. The first, have the chassis painted, since it is supplied completely peeled and without any protective coating.
In addition, the engine was sent to the specialist company Sitech Racing, where the necessary preparation was made for it to reach a respectable 160 hp. And while all this was happening away from the Scottish engineer's garage, he spent his spare time creating a fuel tank of his own design.
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No cutting and welding iron plates; the development of its deposit took months and is included in a dossier of more than 300 pages. The J15 kit comes with instructions for creating a fuel tank, but Alastair decided to study a slightly smaller one to increase the passenger's legroom… And still I, who is 1,87m tall. tall, did not fit fully stretched.
Engineering studies are noticeable in every corner of the garage where the Sylva is being built: two lathes and a milling machine, all of them computerized, plasma aluminum cutters, precision welding equipment and carbon fiber scraps everywhere. .
It has even handcrafted removable ramps to save the angle between the lift and the ground, since the height of the Sylva J15 does not allow it to be done without these “aids”. It should also be noted that the paint used in these fiberglass bodies is an epoxy-based resin called “Gelcoat”, more resistant than normal paints but just as bright.
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Homologation
Overall, Alastair says that around £ 15.000 has already been spent on the unfinished construction of this little boat, and one of the most important steps still remains: homologation. In the UK, these home-made cars have to pass VAT, which has nothing to do with the happy tax.
This is a recognition and examination carried out by specialized engineers of the British government in similarly specialized facilities, where each car will have to pass an inspection that takes a minimum of 6 hours after paying about 2.000 pounds "nothing".
It may seem like a cumbersome procedure, but what would be the alternative in Spain? What is a way to demonstrate that this "kit car" of current manufacture has historical interest, and thus register it for RD 1247 in a community where they are not too strict on the subject? Make a project and homologate it, in the style of "tuned" cars, with the monetary outlay that this entails?
Probably not even with these procedures we can ensure that we are allowed to circulate with a vehicle of similar characteristics. Yet another argument about why the hobby of "do it yourself" has developed in both European countries such as the United Kingdom and yet it hardly exists in others such as Spain.
We can affirm that the experience from the small cockpit of these cars has no waste and offers the most classic sensations, despite having been built just 10 years ago. And you don't have to be an engineer to assemble them; anyone with a minimum knowledge of mechanics and with the occasional help of a friend could do it without problems.
Of course, as Alastair commented, there are few kit-cars that all the lights or indicators on the dashboard work correctly, starting with the fuel gauge ... Come on, as can happen to any old vehicle even after a thorough restoration.
Full-size images (1.280 px. Approx.)
