Description
I decided with all the SVA/IVA hooha that I would have a punt at getting my forms through before the deadline. Next day I went to America. I was thinking, having read about so many problems getting forms accepted that I may miss the cut off if they rejected them because I wouldn't be there to sort it out.
When I got home on the 16th March I found a letter from VOSA informing me they had allocated me a test on 17th April. Wasn't really expecting that!
I set to to sort out what needed to be done:
Exhaust (which I bought second hand and had to extend the headers by seven inches each. Not exactly a straightforward bolt on job)
Propshaft (still to make it)
get engine to run
pipe fuel lines, fit pump and filter, somehow connect to engine fuel rail
Accelerator cable
cooling pipework including oil cooler and expansion tank
brake lines
wings both ends including making front cycle wing supports
lights
wiring
dash
rear cover
seats
bulkhead panels
and as you all know the big jobs generate lots of little ones.
Got on reasonably well and thought I may get somewhere close but at the last minute (two days to test) a brake tee failed and I had to remove and replace quite a bit of stuff. I had forgotten to put the speedo cable into the gearbox before panelling the tunnel (schoolboy error, I know). I tried cutting an access hole but I couldn't get it to fit like that so had to remove the tunnel top and drivers side panel (and make a cover for the bloody hole I'd cut in it. I also had to dig out 27 of the 36 stainless 3mm screws which had apparently been made from chocolate and had sheared off as I tried to remove them. This was Thursday - test on Friday.
Swear; oh yes!
This was the Wednesday night. Based on what you see in this photo I decided to take the next day off work.
Description
Gave up at Midnight on Thursday knowing that I would be up at six to get the car to the Test centre at Beverley for its test at 8am.
Friday morning park up in the test centre car park to unload at 7.40. Got in the car turned the key - started on the button like it does every time I try it. Then it stopped. Then it wouldn't start. The fuel pump wasn't running. twiddling wire had no effect, started stripping things out to check them.
Across the other side of the car park I can see the examiner wandering out every now and again to see where we are and eventually comes over. It's about 8.15 by now. Some random bloke from nearby premises helpfully shouts over the fence 'that doesn't sound very good'. Bloody Einstein.
We decide it should be unloaded anyway and much to his amusement we take the car off the trailer using the trunk of a Christmas tree destined for the tip (but for some reason still in the back of the Landrover) to lift the car over the trailer incline on which the bellhousing had become stuck. He then helps us push it into the test bay. I can only imagine what he was thinking.
The test starts and he has a look round the outside and comes to the drivers side, leans in and tries the Hazard lights. He pushes the switch on and off about four or five times (it wasn't going to help, I hadn't put any wires to them). I explain I ran out of time.
The very next thing he asks about is the fog lamp. The only other thing I hadn't wired up.
To be fair, I had tried to wire it all but genuinely ran out of time. This was not before blowing the end off the wiper stalk, though. Has anyone else ever managed to do this? I think it was to with the confusion between there being a green and black wire leading to the indicators and a similar one to the wipers. Anyway fizz...pop....wispy smoke..... and the push button end is in next door's garden! Oh how I laughed.
Went through the rest of the test OK. He came to do emissions, I had another twiddle with the wires and smacked the pump with a hammer and the damned thing fired up.. as it did for the other five or six times he subsequently stopped and restarted it.
He drove it round outside to do the self centering and the mirrors etc. I thought that even though it needs painting it looked pretty good and sounded good without being silly (blew 96 on the meter).
I gave him a new pen so that he would have enough ink to finish the fail sheet with and off he went to his office.
The examiner was actually a top bloke, he remained good humoured in the face of adversity and wasn't at all critical. I think he recognised that I already knew about what needed doing without rubbing it in.
Some time later he emerged from his office clutching my fail sheet and went through the points with me.
It failed on:
emissions - 0.06% over;
headlight aim;
indicators/hazards/fog - no surprise there;
Radius on front cycle wings and cockpit sides - knew they would fail but ran out of time. Didn't worry too much 'cos I knew there were other fail points;
Circlip missing on handbrake compensator clevis pin;
Spongy brake pedal - bear in mind last minute brake work, although he thought it may be a trapped seal between a pad rather than air;
overall low brake effort - could be related to above but all brakes new and unused,. I may drive it there next time;
Front flexi's pulling tight against panel edge on full lock - just need re-routing;
evidence of engine age. That's a full stop. There is no more.
I was well happy with that, I knew it would fail but that is not bad considering what it looked like just four weeks ago. I left with a big smile knowing I could resubmit it in pretty quick time (I'm having a break from it today).
Interestingly, given that I didn't have time to do any trimming of protusions on the front end at all, he didn't snag it on anything other than the cycle wing edges and cockpit sides.
Just thought I woul share my experience with you.
Neil
[Edited on 18/4/09 by Neil P]
