SVA tomorrow.

[Spannerman]

If it is not done now it is not done.

[simon3000]

looks very nice.all the best for tomorrow.let us know how you get on,ill keep my fingers crossed for you

[Robin]

Looks brilliant! Good luck - eventhough I know you wont need it!! ;o)

Robin

[Spannerman]

Well the bad news is that it failed - the good news is that everything is do-able. Might have a bit of work for Mr Tanner to make up and weld bracing for the roll over bar and to weld the spreader plates to the  chassis (unless somebody puts their hand up to lend a hand?). Insulation required on battery and starter live terminals. Handbrake cable fouling chassis, brake fluid leak on front n/s, noise 103 DB, speedo cannot be checked over 50mph and cannot be seen over 60mph.
Brakes just dandy, weights spot on, lights OK, mirrors fine, no bolts needing covers, no wires needing clips, so overall I am quite pleased. I was half expecting the roll bar fail, and I did not weld the spreader plates on just in case they were not in the right place. The engine just did not want to work properly on the day, just stalling, spitting and f*rting all over the place and completely unable to rev passed 3500. I also anticipated having to put a decent exhaust on it, but think about it, if it is only 2 DB too loud and the thing was backfiring and missing all over the place, the tiny cherry bomb was doing a good job! Handbrake cable needs a bit of tube welded in the chassis as well to pass through, and the speedo readings were fine up to 50, so once the engine is running properly the rest should be OK. I was also expecting a fail on the windscreen and or wipers, but they were both ok. Jacked up the front suspension to give 500mm to bottom of headlight, but I did not see him check that. Steering did not seem to self centre completely when he tested it, "it's trying to go straight on" he said and did not fail it.
Overall I am a happy man. A very reasonable and helpful tester as well. We chatted about IVA during the test and it all seems pretty logical, once you have your head around the whole testing beaurocracy, and it should not hinder anyone too much provided they just follow the rule book and don't try to hoodwink the tester or the system.
Oh yes - the Imp style hinges on the boot lid and the Marina boot lock passed the radius test.
Retest within 6 months now I have to find a local welder/fabricator to do the roll bar. Are you up for it Mr Jigsaw? 

[Roger 3OOO]

Not really unexpected, Mr Spannerman, but better than you thought it would be, I suspect, and the list shouldn't take you 6 months - hopefully - given that you can track down some welding assistance locally.

[pccthebreed]

A good fail Spannerman well done. I'm sure Les will come up with some help but make sure he leaves the saws at home

[Spannerman]

Well I am delighted to say that Den Tanner has agreed to do the necessary welding work for me at an agreeable price so that when I take it back for retest I can say that all modifications have been done by Pilgrim Cars. Thanks for the offers of help - especially to Les Jigsaw, who I know has lots of work to do on his Haldane right now just because he can. Nice pair of roll over hoops to fit and all - a winter job - why not start now?

[Spannerman]

Left the Hawthorn at a quiet Small Dole factory today and hope to pick it up next week with all the welding done for the SVA retest.
Had a long chat with Mr Tanner, and it looks like the run down to the factory to celebrate Den's new ownership is not anywhere near the planning stage as yet. To be honest, the factory is not exactly in a fit state to accept a decent number of Pilgrim cars decending upon them, as there are several donor vehicles, or rather what is left of them in the yard, together with about a half dozen Sumo chassis waiting to go for galvanising or just returned and old moulds going mouldy, although the front of the factory was being painted a very attractive shade of white, so things are moving in the right direction. There were two Sumos and a speedster being worked on in the workshops that I saw, and a healthy selection of Sumo parts in the storeroom, and three other customers where there at the same time as me.
Pictures of the reinforced roll over bar to follow next week.

[Spannerman]

This is what a factory modification to brace a Hawthorn roll over bar looks like!
The second picture shows the mounting inside the boot - the bit of studding is the clamp for the fuel tank which will have plastic tubing around it to pretty it up when the tank is re-fitted.

[Robin]

Its coming on - do you have a date yet for the retest?

[jigsaw]

Not to pretty and it hasn't got much of a rake but it gets though the test that all that maters
Good luck spanner man. .

[Spannerman]

There is a bit more of a rake than it looks in the pic, although I admit it is quite shallow. I had a good look at it this afternoon and it is better than I thought at first as it bolts on to existing chassis mounts, one of the rear body mounting points. Fixed most of the fail points now and I hope to fix the rest tomorrow. As with all things kit car the washers have packed up so have to fit another motor, and either the alternator or water pump is screeching! I will only apply for a retest when I am totally happy about all of the fail points so not quite yet.

[Spannerman]

OK retest for next Tuesday 30th June everything done but cannot test Db on exhaust. Fitted another straight through silencer so there are now two straight through boxes there so will that reduce noise by 2 Db? It does sound a lot quieter but deeper now.
Made the big mistake of buying a Maplin Db meter which now indicates around 111 Db, an increase of 8 Db. Rubbish.

 

[Robin]

I thought you had been quiet - now I know why!! Good luck for the retest!

Robin

[jigsaw]

Good luck for the retest if it all ok will we see spanner man in a kit car at the tuesday
meeting  instead of a tin top ? Les.