Another Dax on the road.......

[futureproof]

It bloomin' passed the SVA on Wednesday, I took the MAC and car still on the trailer to my (not so) local DVLA office on Thursday. I went back on Friday and collected the Tax disc with the new reg no on.
Those of you who want a more elaborated story read on - if not remember to post me in the "spotted" section.

My experience of the SVA was a whole lot better than filling out the paperwork and trying to avoid the "Q" plate would imply. It was tested in Norwich at 8.am. I am of the belief that the tested took an "impression" and worked from there on in. I never asked much the whole test through (so as not to get up his nose). Things like the car starting on the button and all of the lights working and beams being set up etc, all of which was in the first 20 mins, seem to set the tone. I dont think "ah hold on I can fix that...." would have done me any favours.

It took the guy longer to put his safety baseball cap on than he took looking under the car, but again there were no leaks etc and it started and ran with out boiling up etc. The brake check was thorough and there is no way that this can be blagged. All of my brake set up was as Dax suggested except the rear pipe goes to a "T" piece and then to each caliper, which I figure makes the brake balance better, new discs and pads all round. Speedo was electronic (I glued 4 magnets to the prop) and the maths must have been OK.

It failed on the rear reflectors being too far in, some of the wire in the boot was not "tied" down at the specified interval, same with wire sitting on a moving part of the steering mech. Front brake master cyl did not have spring washers or ny-loc nuts. Rear view mirror was suction and had to be stick on (ford type) and the hand brake "handle" was not radiused. All of this the chap was happy for us to fix on the day in the bay. One good thing about the Norwich centre is that it has loads of dealerships and boy racer shops near by. I brought a new mirror and a couple more reflectors and robbed the rubber handbrake handle from the car trailer. The rest was fixed with cable ties.

I should say that the car has yet to be painted so it had no bumpers or overiders on, no reverse light etc - the bare minimum only. It has sort of been trimmed but there is more to do. Also, I have used a ship load of brake pipe clips, fuel pipe clips and "p"clips to hold everything to something every 5 or 6 inches. I tried to blag that the engine was a 1973, but the tester studied the book I took and said that the worst case was 1976, so he would test it as that. He let me adjust the CO emissions to under 4.5 as he did the test. (I was hoping for visual smoke only if it was 73 )

So it is possible, never having built a car before, to pass the SVA test on the day. I would recommend Norwich based on my experience. The tester was doing his job and didn't seem to be an ar**.

I can take it to bits now to have it painted - after the odd road test or twenty.

Hope to see y'al' at Dax on G Friday in the gel coat.

[Purple AK]

Nice One Well Done

[Robin427]

It's a rare thing to pass SVA first time - congratulations!!