DAX - SVA - Leighton Buzzard

[Dave Gilbert]

There have been some posts about the SVA test centre in Leighton Buzzard which have not been too kind (can't find the post anymore) so thought I would report a tough but fair experience. Car failed first time around on mainly minor and easily fixed items. Some seemed trivial (DAX gear knob not rounded enough!) but I don't mind trivial if it's easy to fix. The two areas that needed a bit of work were as follows:
- my efforts at using tape and domestic water pipe insulation to 'blunt' the door hinges and windscreen scuttle mounting in the floor well were deemed not suitable. I can recommend using a 4 pint plastic milk container, cut up and taped to shape, as a mold for fibreglass mat and resin. It really makes a good protective box around all the offending edges and painted black you can hardly see it. In the event of an accident, the water pipe insulation would have been far more effective but there we are...
- the testers go by the book on any part of the car extending beyond the body. The 'infamous' offending part is the wheel rim above the centre line on the front wheels which extends by a few millimetres beyond the wheel arch. Only solution is some sort of extension to the wheel arch. I have a rather natty (!) solution which screws into the underside of the wheel arch if its any use to anyone... it ain't a thing of beauty but it got me through the test.

For folk planning to have their DAX SVA'd at LB here is a list of the minor things I got pulled up on first time:

- wire to rear fog light needed a grommet where it passes through the body
- rear reflectors were contactable by the funny dome thing; just needed moving back a little. Also the ones supplied by DAX needed their edges rounding off.
- the stainless steel 'upside down horseshoe' fitting to smarten up the hole where the side pipes exit the body needs its sharp edges just blunting (not rounding) with wet & dry
- usual story with front indicators needing to be 350mm above the ground (to bottom edge). I wound up my suspension but first time it obviously settled a bit on the way to the test centre and was still under
- door edges inside car needed a bit more rounding off
- fuel pump mounted too low (fully agreed with this evaluation! would have lost it on first speed bump)
- a few wires were clipped to the fuel line to carb - not acceptable.
- the flexible brake hoses from master cylinder to servo did not have the appropriate marking on them to indicate that they were of a suitable type. Removed the lot, after draing the system, to get replacements. Called DAX for advice who said 'Oh, didn't we send you the certficate of compliance...'
- brake servo pipe for vacuum needed fixing down mid-way (just a cable-tie)
- doors failed load test in the half-closed position. You just need to file the groove a little deeper in the part of the door lock that bolts to the body. Understand latest versions from DAX may have this mod already.

I must say that I found the testers very friendly and helpful.
Its a hell of a buzz when you pass!!!

Hope this helps,


Dave Gilbert

D 129 FBD !!!

[mclark]

Hi Dave,

Congratulations on the SVA!

Your seats did go to a good home and have now been trimmed, sadly still no de dion to fit them in though

Michael