My scratch built Locost passed its SVA test at Nottingham this morning! Martin the tester found a few points that need to be corrected and after the
test had finished we were given a little time to fix them. The problems were:
1) Exhaust clamp holding the tail pipe on needed to be turned so the clamp bolt wasn’t contactable.
2) The front mudguard rear stays needed to have self amalgamating tape around the flat strip, I had wrapped the front.
3) The rear edge of the exhaust heat shield needed some trim.
4) The steering column steel support strips needed some trim on the edges as the forward part was below the bottom edge of the steering wheel.
These were fairly easily fixed. To wrap the self amalgamating tape around the mudguard stay I thought it would be easier to remove the front wheels,
but while we were doing this the tester strolled over and told us for ‘Health & Safety’ reasons we couldn’t jack the car up to take the wheels
off! We used four bits of trim instead. These fell off before I left the test station after I had the MAC safely stored away. I got a few nice
comments from Martin about the car. The only slightly dodgy moment was when I drove the car onto the brake test rollers. These are set a few inches
below the floor level and the engine’s sump must have been millimeters away from hitting the floor.
The car didn’t miss a beat on the 160 mile round trip, it didn’t breakdown, nothing fell off and I didn’t get pulled over by the Police for not having
number plates. Although on the coffee stop on the way home I found one of the offside front mudguard bolts loose. One thing I was concerned about
before the test was the speedo accuracy. I had calculated the pulses per mile for the tyre size, diff ratio and the number of magnets on the prop
shaft and set the dip switches on the rear of the speedo according to the data sheet. I was using a home made hall effect pickup and it seems it was
near as damn it spot on.
The test was over in about 2 hours. Martin mentioned several times that he was a bit worried when he saw I had built the car from scratch. He had
seen many cars that needed several sheets of paper for all the fail points and he could tell that a builder had started welding at the front of the
chassis as the welding got better towards the rear of the car! I think I got away with it.
Many thanks to everyone has helped me and for the Northampton Group members for coming over on a couple of Sunday mornings for the pre SVA checks.
Special thanks to David Mahoney for taking a day off work to come with me as my backup car driver. I couldn’t have done it without you all.
Geoff
[Edited on 29/3/07 by flange nut]
very very very well done
i've spoken to martin a few time as thats where i will be taking my car
Well done that man - A first time pass for a scratch built car is a top achievement - You should feel rightly proud
Congratulations !!!! 
Excellent news, you must be chuffed to bits! 
ATB Fozzie
that is absolutely awesome, you must be chuffed beyyond comprehension - I have recently passed SVA, both at Nottingham and with Martin, and with a
couple of the same immediate fixes as you, but I truly believe because of the scratch built aspect that yours is an achievement well well well above
my own - congratulations and all the best in registering now!!!
cheers,
Steve.
Well done - feels great doesn't it?
Well done Geoff.
So you will be driving it to the next meeting then AND I presume you will be going to Stoneleigh to show of your good work.
Well done Geoff
Thats really great news, i was thinking earlier this week that you must be due to take it any time soon.
Lets hope you get it registered as easily and that the weather stays good so you can enjoy driving it.Looking forward to seeing it at the Overstone
arms next month.
Paul.
Well done Geoff
You must be very proud,
That’s absolutely fantastic, its something that even the pros fail to achieve sometimes.
Its a good feeling when he hands you that piece of paper isn't it
Very very well done.
Congratulations mate. Any pictures of the lucky bits i.e. suspension and some of that welding? Well done again.
Edit to say I found some in your photo's should've looked first really. Some nice welding there. Mines more of the better towards the end
stuff with some novel ones thrown in, generally when a weld burned me Bit messy but all hold well.
[Edited on 28/3/07 by mistergrumpy]
Well done geoff, hope to see you in car at next meet, as mine has bin on road about a month and i have done nine hundred miles in it because its so much fun. dont it feel great to pass first time.
Well done mate - I've got lots of respect for you scratch builders.
cool :-)
CONGRATULATIONS!
Exceedingly well done. Now have loads of fun this summer.
Congrats, well done!
Enjoy yourself!
Ali
Well done again Geoff. It's an excellent build and Martin the tester made it clear that he recognised that, making several comments about the
quality and attention to detail.
You need a new helmet though.
David
Congratulations !!
Quick questions - by Nottingham do you mean Watnall..? And how long did your appointment take to come through...?
Cheers
Pete
CONGRATS!
Must be wholly satisfying to get it through first time. I read your other thread on the DVLA process 
shame they're such a bunch of muppets.
Very well done indeed.
As said before a first time pass on a kit build is awesome, to do it with a scratch build is another league.
quote:
Originally posted by PeterW
Congratulations !!
Quick questions - by Nottingham do you mean Watnall..? And how long did your appointment take to come through...?
Cheers
Pete
. Well done mate, hope i get a first time pass when it comes to it.
quote:
Originally posted by DavidM
Well done again Geoff. It's an excellent build and Martin the tester made it clear that he recognised that, making several comments about the quality and attention to detail.
You need a new helmet though.
David
quote:
Originally posted by flange nut
quote:
Originally posted by PeterW
Congratulations !!
Quick questions - by Nottingham do you mean Watnall..? And how long did your appointment take to come through...?
Cheers
Pete
Hi Pete,
Yes it was Watnall.
I got a phone call from the test centre on the 15th March offering me a date on the 28th. Maybe I was lucky
Geoff
quote:
Originally posted by flange nut
David,
That helmet has great sentimental value. I used it when I rode in three IOM TT races many many years ago.
Geoff
Very well done
I thought it was a given that most true locosts failed on first attempt!!
Just hope I can do the same
Well done mate.ATB Trev.