Hi all!
I've been building a locost for about three and a half years and it;s almost ready for the SVA. I,ve been reading a lot in to it and have a few questions I can't find the answers to.

* Are you allowed to have a K&N poking out the top of the bonnet?
* Do you need to have a rollbar for the SVA?
* Do you need a cover for the rear luggage space thing?
* Do they work out all the weights, gravity etc..?
* Do you only need a heat sheild on the silencer part of the exhaust or the whole down pipe?

That's it for now, Any help would be great, I'm sure i'll think of plenty more.

Mark

Are you allowed to have a K&N poking out the top of the bonnet?
--- YES

* Do you need to have a rollbar for the SVA?
--- NO

* Do you need a cover for the rear luggage space thing?
--- NO (but easier to protect sharp edges if you do)

* Do they work out all the weights, gravity etc..?
--- YES

* Do you only need a heat sheild on the silencer part of the exhaust or the whole down pipe?
--- You don't need one on pipe, you may not actually need one on silencer (?) but when you burn your leg you'll fit one. Watch sharp edges.

Some food for thought, but could well be cobblers:

K&N: I thought it was a fail to have it sticking out "naked". I could well be wrong - either way, any sharp edges will need covering.


Cover: If you do not have a locking petrol cap on your tank, you will need a locking cover of some sort. If it has a lock, the cover can just be a stretched piece of vinyl (and then all the sharp bits inside is no longer an issue).


Weight: You need to put some axle weights on the SVA form. There is some estimates elsewhere on this site!

Hope this helps!!

Mark

Sorry if I have misled, there must have been SVA changes in the last year.

K&N Filters used to compliant (radii & the like). Mine passed OK.

My car also passed with a non locking petrol cap within the boot compartment, with the boot only covered with vinyl cover. I think if cap is exposed it has to be locking for MOT.

I think we (ok, I) need some clarification on the air filter out of the bonnet bit, mainly because it could save us (ok, I) initially £500 on a pair of webbers. Please anyone know?

[Edited on 25/3/03 by gjn200]

depends on the "hardness" anything hard has to have radiused edges,mine is soft foam(air filter that is)and is ok,anything metal showing may cause a prob.

Regarding vehichle weights - mine failed on this too. The inspector kindly informed my that you should just put in

Front 400Kg
Rear 500Kg
total 900Kg

This should be sufficient for most of our little babies......if i fail again i'll give you all an update.

Thats one heavy Locost! Hasn't your car got a K Series engine?

Trouble with putting excessive weight down on the form is that your braking efficiency requirements are checked (front, back and both) according to axle weights. You need to be on the heavy side but I would have thought that 900kg was too high. Even if accepted you may have problems achieving brake efficiency AND balance.

When I went through my test and (as required) having checked axle weights etc beforehand and filled out on the form, my SVA inspector said that they were "close enough" for him to accept but he would "modify" them a little. I got the impression that unless I had made a good effort he would have failed me.

The procedure for calculating the weights and filling the form in is all explained in the SVA manual.

the Vin plate supplied to me by Tiger has the design weights on ot and they are

front 450kg
rear 500kg

all in 950kg

make of that what you will, i am not saying its right but tiger haveput one of these through the test..i think..

Viper, isn't that with a full Sierra brake set up? Is it using a servo and isn't it with a Pinto?

If so the heavier weights / different brake arrangements are probably OK, I think the Avon is different to a std book type Locost.

The Avon uses a Sierra master cyl, no servo, sierra rear drums and cortina discs and callipers up front....


and a pinto

[Edited on 15/4/2003 by Viper]