Had a letter this morning from the Vehicle Inspectorate, appointment for the SVA test I thought, wrong. It was another form for me to fill in asking for information to determine vehicle category. The form asks was any of the following assembled by persons acting on your behalf who are carrying on a business that assembles motor vehicles.
Engine, Gearbox, Axles, Front and Rear suspension or there was a box to tick if they were all assembled by you.
Phoned the VI in Swansea, they said they were sending out these forms and they must be filled in and returned to them by post. I said I had already ticked the 'A' category box on the SVA form, he got my form and said yes, but you still have to fill in the form we sent you and return it to us. Another delay in getting the SVA done.
Then I took the car for it's MOT (pouring with rain) :(
When I got there (soaking wet) the tester said he had just phoned the VI about MOTing a car that was not registered and they said the car needs an SVA test not an MOT. I challenged this and said the car needs an MOT and SVA test before the car can be registered and taxed, so he phoned the VI again. After about 10 minutes he said ok I can do the test on the chassis No. as they said it doesn't matter which is done first.
The tester said he had built a few Duttons and a trike a few years ago continually chatting while doing the test, he even adjusted my headlights for me as they were too low.
An hour and a half later I had an MOT certificate in my hand.
Started raining again on the way home, (with strange looks from other motorists (what an idiot driving that thing in this weather) and I agree.
Problems with cooling system boiling over when I got home, temp. gauge reading cool. I think a system re-design is in order as I was not happy with the radiator and fan supplied when I fitted them.
March 3rd
Got radiator and fan combined from scrap yard for a tenner.
March 4th
Fitted radiator and fan from a Renault 5, much more compact than the ones supplied from Robin Hood. New thermostat and temp. gauge sender also fitted.
Engine run, temp. gauge now reading normal, fan cutting in and out when engine hot.
Had confirmation of SVA test. 8 am on the 14th March.
March 10th -12th
Made up a spare wheel cover from some leather cloth and piping I got from the Stafford show.
Sierra picked up by scrap merchant, cost me a tenner for him to take it away.
March 14th -16th Post SVA work.
Welded some 3/4" dia. tube though the rollover bar for the top seatbelt mount.
Clipped up cable going to rear fog light.
Cut and fitted chrome rolled over edge trim to exhaust tail pipe.
Found brake fluid had leaked from the drivers side rear brake cylinder to pipe fitting and onto brake shoes, problems with flared end of pipe sealing in brake cylinder, changed the lot again
Removed the boot panel over the fuel tank to check for leaks, found that if the tank was full, petrol was seeping up the threads of the fuel tank studs for bolting the fuel gauge sender/pump to the top of the tank. Made up some rubber washers to go around the studs, sealed and bolted them down.
March 17th
Booked SVA retest, 10:30 am March 24th. [ nothing earlier :( ]
