I think its fair to say that it is official - Cars built in the North are to a better standard than elsewhere. I have to say i enjoyed the complete
Gosforth experience today and the standard of the test was very high indeed. I recieved some very favourable comments and in general was highly
complimented over the build. Noise, emissions, brakes, mirrors, self centering etc all sailed through. The big positive id that ive got some fail
points that not many others have achieved so i can teach you all a couple of things!!! Fail points as follows;
1. Steering column upper UJ - no locking device fitted (ive fitted star lock washer and nyloc now).
2. Starter solenoid positive terminal not insulated. Ring terminal now taped up and covered with split conduit. Nut cover filled with sikaflex pushed
over - now capable of passing 4KV earth leakage test!!!!
3. Front brake flexi's not secured correctly to side panel (i put lock nuts on wrong side!).
4. Headlamp bracket not radiussed to 2.5 (i think mine was 2.495mm!!!). Ill fit laower ball joint transit caps over brackets (i hope mac1 have some
spare!)
5. Square edge on nose cone not covered correctly (now radiussed 1.5mm).
6. Evidence required to show fuel filler flexi pipe is suitable for fuel.
7. Bonnet close to exhaust affected by heat - i was too clever here trying to make a fancy cut out - now well clear)
8. Dash switches insecure (dash panel flexes - needs bracket).
9. Drivers view obstructed by steering wheel - very rare failure. Book descriprion is hard to understand. (adj column so no wre-adjusted - smaller
wheel will be fitted, collapsible aftermarket boss required).
10. Evidence reqd to show max MPH that DigiDash2 can read to (i couldnt prove that it reads to 250MPH, will print off from internet tomorrow).
11. Handbrake cable outer sheath touched side panel (easy fix - trim side panel under wheel arch).
12. Parking brake cable fixings unsuitable at lever - i used U-saddles, not allowed at Gosforth even though accepted at other test centres. Only
accepted method is commercially fitted crimped terminations with certification and no joins at lever end. A bit tricky to fix.
All in all nothing major to worry about. Sounds worse than it is. Half fixed already. Iam a bit narked about the handbrake cable fixings but thats
life! Elsewhere i would have passed first time (albeit after 2 or 3 minor coffee time corrections)
Ive done 95miles already!! A1(m) at 06.30 this morning was not fun - trucks are HUGE!!!!. I was apprehensive being first major drive out but car
performed totally faultless. Drive home on A68 was far more enjoyable.
Hopefully will be retested on Friday or Monday.
Good luck for the re-test - should sail through it!
Darren,
Doesn't the DD2 display the max speed when it's turned on!!!?
Rich.
At least it's running well. Should be easy enough to get through next time.
Good luck with it.
Cheers, i hope so. Iam quite confident as long as Marks cunning plan for cables is easy to do.
Being completely blunt iam well f***ed off as i was pulling out the stops for first time pass. Up until the cable conundrum all points were fixable
very quickly on site. I know for sure that some of my points have been passed elsewhere.
Oh i forgot to say - make sure those rear view mirrorsaer well stuck on!!! I nearly lost mine en-route.
Who has the record for lowest Noise - mine was 93dB at 3,900 revs.
What do people get for weights? Mine were 380 front, 320 rear. Tester was adament that VOSA trials have shown seperate front and back testing to be as
accurate as 4 wheel testing!!!! Im not so sure, need to find local weigh bridge some time.
I must say that Mr Gosforth SVA is a top guy - just very very strict. He took time to discuss all points and offer suggestions for countermeasure. He
put me at ease and i actualy enjoyed being there.
Well done Darren
I think David has x-ray vision at Gosforth. Hope you get the remaining items cleared quickly and you'll sail through the re-test.
Mike
quote:
Originally posted by shortie
Darren,
Doesn't the DD2 display the max speed when it's turned on!!!?
Rich.
How have you got your front geometry set up?
Im guessing the Mac1 front end is very similar to the MK Indy's.
With everyone talking about the poor self centering of the Indy recently, I was abit worried about mine as it wasnt exactly great on the road.
Sounds like you havent got a massive list to get on with, handbrake cable could be a bit tricky. Im sure someone said a sailing shop can do proper
fixings on the end of cables.
quote:
Originally posted by DarrenW
...Who has the record for lowest Noise - mine was 93dB at 3,900 revs.
What do people get for weights? Mine were 380 front, 320 rear.
Sorry to hear that Darren. I'll be interested to see the solution for your handbrake. My two ideas were to hide the cut cable in the drum
itself - undetectable as wheels off in SVA centre is a no no or cutting the cable to length on the bias one side and then crimping the connector on to
length. Maybe MAC#1 would be the commercial outlet??
Ive got some lower ball joint transit caps in my box of bits which I'll dig out and post to you today.
Looks like by this time next week we should both have MAC certificates in our grubby mits.
Hi Darren,
Sorry to hear that you will need to go for a retest! It happens to the everyone, including the kit manufacturers!
I did the design work on DD2 and here are my responses to your queries in order to help you for your next test!
Hazards: On every car I've put through SVA I have always used a switch that has the Hazard symbol on and a built in light.
This satisfies the SVA requirment.
Hence my preference was to assume everyone would do a similar thing as most cars have a switch like this.
If you don't want to use an illuminated hazard switch then there is nothing stopping you having a normal switch and applying power to the dash
when the Hazrds are selected! The igintion will be off. e.g a double pole switch.
Calibration Values:
These are reloaded automatically after exit from the setup menus so no need to reboot!
I hope this helps.
Best of luck with the next test.
Cheers,
Alistair.
Greggors - front suspension was set up as follows;
Mushroom hole to the front.
Both front wheels toeing out (i lined my eye up off back wheels and wound steering arms till front wheels just started to look daft).
With just these two settings and 20psi in tyres it just attempted to self centre but drove horridly. At test sentre i blew them both up to 35psi and
self centering was great.
Jos - i cant do the hide the join in drum trick. He has seen the problem now and requires full photographic evidence, certificates from crimp place
and a letter from the Queen. I could have got away with a solder on end at one of the drums had i done that before (silver solder that is). As Mike
has said Mr Gosforth has x-ray vision.
I know everyone has the sctrictest tester in the world on their day but i think us Northern guys defo get the guy who pursuades us to have the safest
cars on the roads. To be honest i have no problem with this apart from the fact it scuppered my first time pass plans.
Ill discuss handbrake with Mac1 today.
Find a local yacht riggers shop, and they'll be able to put crimp ends on the handrake cables. Many styles available.
Syd.
Cheers Syd. Unfortunately there are not so many of those yachting types up here. I have some ideas. Best one so far is that Mac#1 are doing there
usual first class customer service bit and making me what i need to re-fit and pass.
It looks like i need to have an allegro style 2 cable design with T bar at the lever and 2 adjusters.
Single cable idea is great in theory but threading the inner cable with commercially applied crimp end in situ does not sound like fun (if at all
possible). I have to show prrof that the ends have been applied with force - hence no grub screws or soldering!!!
All very strict but for the right reasons. At the end o fthe day i could have my duaghters or wife in the car so need it to be A1 - nothing less.
Handbrake - Mac#1's legendary customer service wins the day again. I collected a whole new handbrake cable system yesterday from mac#1 FOC. How
good is that. I cannot praise Mac#1 highly enough. Cables are now fitted, just need to connect the new adjuster mechanism and that is another job
fixed.
I have to say that i dont have as much confidence over the nipple ended cables as i did with the clamps. Previous method had 3 seperate clamps. One
would hold the cable, the other two lessen any risk of failure. Now iam relying on 2 seperate nipples. It only takes one to fail and i have no
handbrake. However this is what SVA want to see so that is what they get.
Mac#1 also provided me with letters to explain the compliance of the fuel delivery hose. I hope those satisfy the SVA requirement.
SVA retest re-booked for Monday. All jobs should be completed by tomorrow night.
Good luck for Monday Darren. You'll be in and out in no time.
Just tell David "I never use the handbrake anyway!"
Cheers
Mike
Thanks Mike. I dont think he will buy that excuse. I also bet he has been reading my posts! Sad fact is that your comment is true. Being a light car
you dont have to pull it on very far to hold the car as well.
Im looking forward to the retest - if it is half as good as the first one i will have an enjoyable time. My only iffy bits now are;
1. Brakes - just scraped thro first time and have to be retested because iam moving a lock nut on the flexi's. They are all new and i hardly
touched them this Monday so nowhere near bedded in. I was surprised to find that the engine braking is so effective being such a light car that i only
needed to apply them at low speed to come to a full stop. Ill probs drive up A68 this time as that will give me more opportunity to apply them en
route. They feel good on the road.
2. Fuel hose - i hope he accepts the Mac#1 letter. It states all of the relevant standards that the hose conforms to and mac#1 are the supplier. They
have stamped and signed the letter to show that it is official. Im sure some people have construced their own letters on a PC before but at least i
can rest easy knowing that all of my paperwork is 100% right.
I have just recieved a collapsible boss off Jon Beedle (incredibly fast delivery - thanks Jon). I can now fit my 13" wheel. David has already
told me what i have to fit to pass if i use aftermarket wheel. mine was a small fortune and looks to be fully compliant (no holes in spokes, spokes
rounded to 2.5mm etc). Some SVA centres dont allow aftermarket wheels so iam happy in the knowledge that David fully explained how to pass. It has to
be said that he was most helpful when going through the fail points to explain how to countermeasure. Ive followed all of his comments to the
letter.
The drive home on Monday was great. I didnt go mad. Plenty of traffic slowed me down but i was relaxed knowing the car was fundamentally good. Davids
positive comments really made me proud that i have built a nice car. Im looking forward to the cosmetic mods soon so i can make it look good (stickers
and stripes etc).
Im getting excited now. Just hope i dont have a bad hangover on Monday - youngests christening on Sunday. We have a big do planned. You can come down
if you want.
I was just thinking, im hoping Carolyn will be having a drive up with me. We will probs call into Dobbies garden centre afterwards for a coffee. If
you are free it could be a good photo opportunity. Peter Barrats might be closer (cant remember how to get there from the test centre tho'
.
Could you remind me how to get to the test centre from the A1??? I was following my Dad on Monday, it was dark and i was pre-occupied. For the life of
me i cant rememeber the route!!!!!
[Edited on 8/12/05 by DarrenW]
I'd love to come down, but I'll see how it goes. It's my works party on Friday / Saturday / Sunday. We're off to Amsterdam for
the weekend, so I might feel a bit rough on Sunday. Then again a blast down the 68 might sort me out!
I know what you mean about David. I thought some of his points were a bit OTT at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight, I think that as a
total, fixing all of those individual items has made for a better finished car. To be fair to him for every point he could suggest a solution.
I would now be confident if I ever came to sell the car that it had been completed to a good standard.
Cheers
Mike
Sorry, I'll be in work on Monday, assuming I'm not dead / ill.
On the A1 heading North you go up the hill to the Airport turn and down the otherside, with Tesco on the left, towards Morpeth. Don't come off
at the next slip road (Gosforth) stay on the A1. You should be passing the building site that is Great Park. Come off at the A1056, down the slip
road, turn right at the roundabout, and take the exit towards McDonalds / Travel Inn thingy. To the next roundabout you should have the Marriot hotel
straight on, turn left and then right at next roundabout. Should be on Sandy Lane then. Test centre on the left, just past the big sweeping right
hander.
Who needs sat nav eh?
Mike
P.S. Peter Barrats is easy, come out of test centre, turn left, go to opposite end of Sandy Lane, turn almost right around the roundabout and
it's down the lane that is the exit before heading back down Sandy Lane! (Bet I can go quicker round that roundabout quicker than you!)
[Edited on 8/12/05 by Guinness]
Thanks for that. I might take you up on the roundabout challenge when weather dries up (ill have to learn to drive first!). Its strange being so low
to the ground and open to the elements. The cars seem a lot wider than they are.
You seem to know where PB is very well! Do you get dragged round there on Sundays by SWIMBO as well???? Im often at Stockton branch. I blame that for
buying the BMW from Preston Hall!!! (dealer is almost next door).
Hope you have a good weekend. We'll have to arrange a pint (Coke of course!)somewhere, also see if Geoff is free.
Good idea, Northern Locostbuilders Christmas drink somewhere! Pub, cars, coke! Don't forget Chris_R too!
Mike
Here is handbrake solution if anyone is interested
Rescued attachment hbrake10.JPG
and another
Rescued attachment hbrake11.JPG
one more
Rescued attachment hbrake12.JPG
I cut my cable at the drum end and mig welded the original nipple back on.
This seems to be very strong although I can't imagine how Mr SVA will assess it, other than asking me what I have done.
Is questioning by the inspector part of the SVA or is it all based on the inspection?
Stu
Hello whitestu,
mmmmmmm, the plot thickens on this one.
1. Retsest - SVA man was happy with new solution, well almost!!!! Look at last photo, you will see the u-clip (the bit sullied in the kit). The bugger
was opening up and at risk of the cable end pulling thro'. The tester was most gratious in letting me go to the caravan spares place next door,
but some jubilee clips and fit these as a way of preventing further opening (i also nipped up with the molegrips i had with me). This si only a temp
measure and further fix required soon.
2. SVA Head office review - allegedly the tester has since been told that my original method was ok and in future should be accepted. This method was
to cut the Sierra kit and rejoin with 4 u-sadles. (1 clamp will hold cable, 2nd one is redundancy, another 2 is belt and braces)
Does this help you> My fail sems to be a Gosforth isolated incidence. U2U me if you need further clarification.
bizarre, just been reading the directions to the newcastle SVA centre.
reading them leads me to beleive that its right next to a caravanning place, and a tyre place? (and a huge open air car sales place)
if so, thats about 2 minutes from my parent house. wierd! ive drove past that thousands of times and never realised it was a sva centre. just
thought it was some sort of truck weighing place.
incidentally, whenever i need new tyres for my tintop i always go there when im visiting parents, i found it miles cheaper than down here!
ah well, best keep my eyes out for some 'sevens next time im up
As you drive in the first huge building is a truck testing place. The SVA bit is to the right. Very smart, well equipped. Caravan and tyre sales right next door. It was that Caravan shop where i got some clips and ended up passing retest.
Gosforth SVA from space
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/upload/gosforth_sva.jpg
Newcastle's resolution just got upgraded on google maps so this isn't even at full zoom 
Images seem to be 2-3 years old though.
Sorry couldn't resist 
Just need to get my finger out, decide what to build, approve funds with SWMBO and get some garage time in Should
be there myself within 5 years