5th May
After collecting the borrowed trailer the evening before and loading the car in, the plan was to get the thing off the drive and take Jan to school and me carry on to Westfield. However, we had not allowed for the poor ability of twin-axle trailers to turn and we got stuck across the road for about 10 minutes and managed to bend the jockey wheel shaft.
Eventually got away about 8 am and got to the factory at just before 10 am. I was introduced to Ian – “star” of a Racing Car is Born – and I went to sit down to watch their new video about building a Megabusa – twice! Went for a stroll, sorted out some bits for Jak and ordered a tonneau for me. About 2.45, Ian called me over to the car and said he’d sorted the headlight with a new lens, fixed two leaks on the exhaust and re-mapped the ECU. It had taken a while as the laptop went belly up, Mark had taken the spare off-site so the sales manager’s laptop was nicked and all the mapping software installed.
After all this the emissions are fine, at least on their analyser. Lets hope Nottingham’s VOSA one is similar.
Ian pointed out a couple of SVA points, some edges that needed rubber edging on. The panel for the ECU was one, and the back edge of the nose cone was the other.
Had a slow journey home owing to an accident on the M6, which made me late in Derby and caught the evening rush. Unloaded the car and took the trailer back. After a pub meal out, home by 10 pm after a long day.
6th May
As we are away for the weekend I sorted out the two edges mentioned above. The ECU panel edging is just pushed on, that for the nosecone is super-glued on the inside.
9th May
SVA day! Dawned a bit cool but dry, thankfully. Jak turned up at 7 15 and off we set at 7 30. Uneventful trip and at the test centre in Watnall by 8 am. We were told to wait in the lane labelled SVA, which I duly did when I had removed the sidescreens and covered the mounting lugs on the screen irons. The shutters rolled up at 8 15 and we were off. Martin Bailey was my examiner and, I have to say, was very fair about the whole thing. He identified a few edges needing protection, some being the nuts on the track rods. I had cut off the dome of the correct size cover but cut too much off, leaving another “sharp” edge. The fuel filler and silencer were two more edges needing attention. These were all minor things. Inn my view more serious was the over-reading speedo. Martin gave me a chance to use their rolling road to re-set it and when it looked OK, passed it and gave me the print-out.
After sorting out the edges, Martin came for another look and then went away to write out the certificate. Result!! Drove round to the car park to sort out tools in jak’s car and take off the SVA bits! The rubber edging on the silencer was already starting to melt!
After getting home and having a celebratory cup of tea, jak went home – many thanks for his help.
After lunch I drove the tintop to Nottingham DVLA to get a missing form and see how to go about registration. It was chaos! People everywhere and a number queuing system. Eventually, as I was trying to figure out a flow chart on their notice board, lady asked if she could help. I explained I needed another form and she quickly went through the V55/4 form – very helpful.
Just need my certificate of newness now...
May 10th
...which duly turned up in the morning post – well done Judy at WF. So I bundled everything together, took my chequebook and set off on the scoot to Nottingham.
Less chaotic this time – being 9 15 may have had something to do with this. Waited about 30 minutes to see someone, whho then took all my stuff, said she wasn’t too hot on kit cars but knew a man who was, disappeared for 5 minutes, came back and started to rubber stamp everything, gave me a tax disc and number plate authorisation. So, less than 24 hours from SVA I was road legal. Called in a Halfords on way home to get number plates, fitted them and tax disc, and there we are – finished!!
May 11th
First trip out to Tony’s so he can have a ride. Jan took dogs in the
Volvo
Blasted past a Scooby on way home – really childish, but fun!
