May sound funny but im so glad to have got it to this point after years!!!

Nice short (27mile) drive to the centre through a cold foggy morning. Got there early and the test was at 810. Only the tester decided to retest an import before going over mine. This meant only starting around 915. Going through the test he was very quiet but seemed quite nice…. I think…

Any way it wasn’t to be (although I knew that before I even went) but it was a good failure none the less.

EMISSIONS: Only just over, will tweak the idle settings for the ECU. 4age ECU has a manual mixture screw instead of an oxygen sensor. I’ve never set this up properly.

SERVICE BRAKE: Brakes were a good pass, even with my bias-by-eye set up. But he noticed that the brake did creep when held under pressure. Any ideas on this one? Could it be air in the system. There aren’t any leaks as far as he saw….

PARK BRAKE: The ratchet was intermittently engaging.

INTERIOR FITTINGS: My standard dash lights from CBS (the panel mount lights that fit through 12.5mm hole) were projecting 3.4mm from the surface and weren’t 2.5mm radiised… hmmm.. ill just put an ali surround around all the lights.

EXTERIOR PROJECTIONS: Throttle body was an obvious one and one of my seat belt mounting covers fell off on transit. Doh. But the one that I didn’t get, and this is where it comes down to interpretation, my front suspension protection was not good enough. He says that the rubber protection is not a permanent solution and yes he is totally correct but I don’t see much different to how I’ve done it compared to other people who have passed recently. Anyway the man is the law and when he argued that the whole point is to get kit cars to try and emulate their mass produced brothers, and THEY wouldn’t wrap suspension bits in rubber and cable ties, etc, he is totally right. Now this brings onto a new subject, will passing open suspension become harder because we now have to have parts ‘built for purpose’ not ‘made to fit’. Might see kit manufacturers come out with a line of moulded protectors that fit the kit properly. That’s what I’m going to try and put together anyway. Any ideas on this one?? Be critical please of the photos, do you think i was kidding myself trying to get that through?

SPEEDO: Speedo was spot on but out…. if you get me. It was out but consistently so the suggestion was to take the needle off and put it back on a few degrees clockwise…. Simples…

VIN PLATE: One of my list of things to do that I didn’t….. I’ve got a plate with chassis number but not full manufacturer details. Any way should take 10mins to knock together. Totally my fault this one.

DIRECTION INDICATORS: Too fast, I’ve got 10W fronts and 5W sides. Tried twice to find higher wattages locally, will get some off the tinterweb. My side repeater isn’t seen by the 5% to the rear rule because its blocked by the rear arch. Now I asked about this ruling and it was stated that it’s for other road users who’ve gone past the rear indicators and can’t see your fronts but still need to know what’s going on. Well in that case my rear wings wont be in the way at all…………… might give them a call and see about this one but might need to move side repeaters.

FORWARD VISION: Fail and pass…. I wasn’t paying attention when he tested this bit but supposedly my steering wheel was about half an inch too high. It’s the standard large sierra wheel. Anyway, while he was detailing the failures he mentioned this one, so I bent down and operated the adjustment lever and pushed the wheel down by and inch or two (sierra adjustable column) he just muttered “oh f@%k sorry” haha, I said no worries it’ll definitely pass the retest then.

ID OF CONTROLS: Start button needs a label



So all in all a pretty do-able amount of work. Nothing major (maybe apart from the front suspension protection, total rethink there) so it should pass first time second time!!!!!! The things I was worried about werent issues.

A thank you to the tester at VOSA Yeading!!

On the drive home started to gain a lot more confidence in the car and really gave it some welly on the straights… It scared me just with 130 odd brake, those of you with high power engines must have balls of steel!! Then got into my normal drive, Mk4 Astra 1.8 sport, and it felt very woolly, very underpowered, underbraked and just horrible. I usually think its quite a good handling car.

A few photos for your perusal……

As you say a good fail, bit like mine at Edmonton last week. A few sillies to resolve then onwards and upwards. When is your retest?
On my front suspension I used rubber shrouds and heatshrink to cover the steering rack arms, didn't have any protection on shocks or upper wishbone area and passed this bit with flying colours
Cheers
Ricky

Thats a shame, at least you can get it right for next time. Regarding the rubber covering the wishbones, suspesion etc what are you meant to do about that? From the pictures it looks pretty neat. The side repeater positioning sounds a bit off, where are you supposed to fit them to comply?

Overall a good day

the front suspension protection was never going to pass, its just too temporary a soloution.

I'll try and find some pics of mine..Used drive shaft gaiters with cable ties for the shocks.

Paul

Thatd be great, cheers Paul

Well done on the good fail.

The side repeaters got me also so I am fitting small lights to the rear arches on the outer edge. Fail sheet and what I have done to date is here: -

iva.html

I am thinking of changing the repeater lights, basically as these stick into the wing area, not much but just not sure about clearance.

I used universal CV covers cut down for the springs at the bottom, nut cover for the adjuster and some heat shrink tube over self amalgamating tape over the front steering arms.

Trying to match time from work with another retest now to see if I can be second time lucky.

It is good to get a definitive list to work to.

All the best for next time.

Adrian


Looking through the pictures I am only guessing that the rubber padding does not have the air or permanence to the testers eyes.

[Edited on 11-11-09 by AdrianH]

Nothing too major there. Good job.

I like the idea of fitting a dummy plate, it lets them test it for view, and also lets plod know where you are going if they are behind you

Sean

[Edited on 11/11/09 by londonsean69]

Your brake problem is most likely down to one of the recuperating seals in the master cylinder leaking back to the resevoir.

But before junking the master cylinder check every single brake union very carefully.

Had my SVA at VOSA Yeading, in April (1st time pass). Found them really helpfull.

I used some track rod covers (prob get on ebay), these where just a slide fit.

The transit drag link was covered with a cover bought (ebay again) for the purpose.

Use 1/10 RC car tires to cover coil over adjusters.

Then just nut covers on the rest (but the MK nose covers the U brakets on the chassis, not sure the best way to cover that).

Dan

[Edited on 11/11/09 by Bluemoon]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Findlay234


DIRECTION INDICATORS: Too fast, I’ve got 10W fronts and 5W sides. Tried twice to find higher wattages locally, will get some off the tinterweb.

---

for the suspension I used large electrical glands cut the bottom of and put over the glandno need for tie wraps

thats a good fail ,,you'll soon be on the road for real

warning lights were too raised? balls...

Could not believe the interior warning lights, so just re-read the manual and note less then 3.2 mm Thought it was 5 mm as per external. What a pain.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Findlay234
May sound funny but im so glad to have got it to this point after years!!!

Nice short (27mile) drive to the centre through a cold foggy morning. Got there early and the test was at 810. Only the tester decided to retest an import before going over mine. This meant only starting around 915. Going through the test he was very quiet but seemed quite nice…. I think…

Any way it wasn’t to be (although I knew that before I even went) but it was a good failure none the less.

EMISSIONS: Only just over, will tweak the idle settings for the ECU. 4age ECU has a manual mixture screw instead of an oxygen sensor. I’ve never set this up properly.

SERVICE BRAKE: Brakes were a good pass, even with my bias-by-eye set up. But he noticed that the brake did creep when held under pressure. Any ideas on this one? Could it be air in the system. There aren’t any leaks as far as he saw….

PARK BRAKE: The ratchet was intermittently engaging.

INTERIOR FITTINGS: My standard dash lights from CBS (the panel mount lights that fit through 12.5mm hole) were projecting 3.4mm from the surface and weren’t 2.5mm radiised… hmmm.. ill just put an ali surround around all the lights.

EXTERIOR PROJECTIONS: Throttle body was an obvious one and one of my seat belt mounting covers fell off on transit. Doh. But the one that I didn’t get, and this is where it comes down to interpretation, my front suspension protection was not good enough. He says that the rubber protection is not a permanent solution and yes he is totally correct but I don’t see much different to how I’ve done it compared to other people who have passed recently. Anyway the man is the law and when he argued that the whole point is to get kit cars to try and emulate their mass produced brothers, and THEY wouldn’t wrap suspension bits in rubber and cable ties, etc, he is totally right. Now this brings onto a new subject, will passing open suspension become harder because we now have to have parts ‘built for purpose’ not ‘made to fit’. Might see kit manufacturers come out with a line of moulded protectors that fit the kit properly. That’s what I’m going to try and put together anyway. Any ideas on this one?? Be critical please of the photos, do you think i was kidding myself trying to get that through?

SPEEDO: Speedo was spot on but out…. if you get me. It was out but consistently so the suggestion was to take the needle off and put it back on a few degrees clockwise…. Simples…

VIN PLATE: One of my list of things to do that I didn’t….. I’ve got a plate with chassis number but not full manufacturer details. Any way should take 10mins to knock together. Totally my fault this one.

DIRECTION INDICATORS: Too fast, I’ve got 10W fronts and 5W sides. Tried twice to find higher wattages locally, will get some off the tinterweb. My side repeater isn’t seen by the 5% to the rear rule because its blocked by the rear arch. Now I asked about this ruling and it was stated that it’s for other road users who’ve gone past the rear indicators and can’t see your fronts but still need to know what’s going on. Well in that case my rear wings wont be in the way at all…………… might give them a call and see about this one but might need to move side repeaters.

FORWARD VISION: Fail and pass…. I wasn’t paying attention when he tested this bit but supposedly my steering wheel was about half an inch too high. It’s the standard large sierra wheel. Anyway, while he was detailing the failures he mentioned this one, so I bent down and operated the adjustment lever and pushed the wheel down by and inch or two (sierra adjustable column) he just muttered “oh f@%k sorry” haha, I said no worries it’ll definitely pass the retest then.

ID OF CONTROLS: Start button needs a label



So all in all a pretty do-able amount of work. Nothing major (maybe apart from the front suspension protection, total rethink there) so it should pass first time second time!!!!!! The things I was worried about werent issues.

A thank you to the tester at VOSA Yeading!!

On the drive home started to gain a lot more confidence in the car and really gave it some welly on the straights… It scared me just with 130 odd brake, those of you with high power engines must have balls of steel!! Then got into my normal drive, Mk4 Astra 1.8 sport, and it felt very woolly, very underpowered, underbraked and just horrible. I usually think its quite a good handling car.

A few photos for your perusal……

---

I think the issues with the dash lights were possibly down to them being mounted on vinyl which is squeeze fit into the hole. Might just clear some of it away around the hole.

Found some top ball joint covers from ebay so thats one thing sorted already. Couldnt find any track rod covers. Would thick heat shrink tubing do for the track rods? Again this probably comes down to what a pro manufacturer would do... so probably not.

[Edited on 12/11/09 by Findlay234]

What do caterham use from the factory?

Thats a question that popped into my head... They seem to have used a ball joint rubber boot to cover the track rod nut in this image...
http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/r500high/1001164155


Just had a look at the CBS catalogue and it states that the thick heat shrink tube that they sell is 'IVA OK' so if I go with it done like that and the catalogue in hand it should be ok.

As for the wishbone brackets ill probably rivet an ali sheet along the front of the foremost vertical chassis tube and along the top chassis rail that sticks out the side by 50mm or so and then put some edge trim along it. Someone else has done that on here I believe. Should cover all those parts up nice and permanently. Then ill take drive shaft gaiters (along with ford/toyota/etc reciept) and put them on the tops and bottoms of the springs. They cant argue with genuine OEM parts. Now to find suitable gaiters.

I think the only major thing im worried about is the side repeater. Where to put that that wont require cutting bodywork and putting in huge lengths of wiring....

[Edited on 12/11/09 by Findlay234]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Findlay234


I think the only major thing im worried about is the side repeater. Where to put that that wont require cutting bodywork and putting in huge lengths of wiring....

---

Tifosi do track rod shrouds for SVA/IVA, here:

Tifosi

Pete

I had the same trouble with the indicators and was advised to go to the local motorcycle shop. They do 21 or is it 23 watt small bulbs. Try taking one with you and then ask them and check that they have the same pin layout at the bottom of the bulb.

regards

Re front suspension pivot brackets -- what about something like the grp indicator housings Westfield fitted in the days before SVA on the side nose but reversed.

I modified the nose cone on my car to cover the top suspension mounts . It shouldn't be too hard to make a cover that's held on by the bolt?