Waiting for the DVLA

I've posted off the registration paperwork to the DVLA and await their response - hopefully an age related registration based on the donor MG Midget.

In the mean time I've started to work on the transformation of the Eleven

New motorcycle combined brake/rear/number plate light, reverse light and fog lights plus smaller retro-reflectors and number plate (assuming that they allow me to use my retention plate - and we all know what assume means!)

I've also had extra bolts welded to the driver's seat runner so next weekend will be focused on the cockpit.

IVA - Passed

After a couple of frantic weeks juggling work and garage time I eventually finished the car ready for it IVA on the 14 Mar.

cockpit with doors/screen missing, Sport Turbo seats and motorcycle mirrors

Head light pods

front view of seats/harnesses

Number plate bracket and fog/reverse lights

Adge agreed to follow me to Exeter with spares and tools and we headed off at 06:15 for an 08:00 start.

The first impression was how nice the engine/exhaust sounds, second was how bouncy the ride was - the Protechs need turning down a few notches. Finally the speedo stopped working anything over 40 mph so no opportunity to confirm calibration on the drive there as I'd planned.  We arrived with 1/2 hour to spare so I quickly adjusted the gap on the speedo sensor, topped up the fuel and then took the car for a spin around the car park to confirm that the speedo was working.

Outside the test centre - starting to rain

 After introductions the examiner asked me to drive the car into the rear of the test workshop.  The first steps were to conform chassis/engine numbers, test all the lights/horn and internal/external projects.  Overall the examiner seemed happy enough but didn't like the routing of the harnesses through the rear bulkhead.

Next the car was put on a hoist and given a good look over underneath including confirming lock-to-lock steering nothing was catching/touching anywhere - it wasn't and the examiner suggested that the steering limiters could be reduced as there was plenty of clearance.

The car was lower and then driven through to the speedo test - worked all the way up to the test limit of 70 mph but swapped from over reading to under reading very unusual and a fail.

After the speedo the headlight dipped beam was tested, the pattern was okay but the aim slightly so we were allowed to adjust.  Then the emissions test followed by the noise test where the car was reversed out of the workshop, the test was conducted at 3/4 of 5,000 rpm at passed at 97dB whilst outside and the rain was holding off the car was driven to the mirrors test area where all passed, then back onto the workshop for the brake test.

The initial brake test was the standard MOT then followed by a more complex multi-point test to determine overall performance taking into account the cars weight.  Once the car had been weighed (595 kgs including me and a full tank of petrol) the readings were punched into a computer and - a pass.  However, the hand brake was assessed as having no reserve possibly a bit of stretch on a new cable being used seriously for the first time, again I was given time to adjust this to pass.

By this time it was lunch time and the examiner suggested I use the hour to investigate the speedo mis-reading and re-route the harnesses.  He'd agreed that the inner harnesses were okay therefore only the outer ones needed sorting and that the best way forward would be to re-route them between the clam bodywork and the rear bulkhead.  I started with the speedo and determined that the most likely cause was the alignment between the sensor and prop-shaft nuts.  I removed the sensor bracket and Adge drilled the mounting holes and made them slots so they could be adjusted.  I added an extra nut to each of the prop-shaft bolts, the whole thing was then reassembled and adjusted to read off the centre of the additional nuts and tested using the LED on the back of the sensor (accepting that this was not the best of indicators).  Once we'd finished the examiner put the car back on the speedo tester and it read a consistent under measurement across the whole range, so progress.  After a couple of attempts it was over-reading within the IVA requirement so only the harnesses left.

The examiner looked at the re-routed harnesses and, whilst an improvement, thought that it had transferred the problem to the clam rather than the bulkhead.  After some measurement and discussion we agreed that the bodywork would need to be trimmed to allow the harness a straight run from the chassis mount to the rear of the seat.  While the examiner finished his lunch Adge and I drilled and filed the relief slots and while not pretty they did the trick.  The examiner confirmed he was happy and even said I didn't need to re-trim with rubber as the bodywork was nicely bevelled, the rear of the seats is excluded from the interior projections test and the transition from interior to exterior projections is 25mm from the edge of the body - result.

Passenger side - not too bad

Driver's side - not too good!

While the examiner went to his office to write up the certificate, Adge and I packed everything and taped a temporary cover over the passenger side of the cockpit as it was now raining heavily.

The drive home was wet and not the most enjoyable but at least the IVA was passed.

Clam edge slots blended across the whole of the cockpit opening and covered

Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow?

Last weekend I decided I'd done enough and sorting out the reverse switch could wait for a week:

 Well this is a week later! and it's getting worse