PBC and IVA Query

[Apollo71]

POBC

 

I'm a about 4 weeks or so from the end of my build and so I'm looking at various options for the PBC and IVA, and would appreciate any views on the best way to go.

 

Obviously CC will do the PBC and can present for the IVA at Gillingham for £425 and would cover any retest fee if necessary, and the logisitics are more straightforward, but baulk a little at the cost!

 

However I am thinking of the following:

Book IVA at Gillingham

Book PBC at CC for the day before

Trailer car to CC for PBC

Drive car to Gillingham for IVA the next day and present myself

Trailer car home

Registration at local DVLA

 

The only problem will be if the car fails and I have to get a retest organised, which may involve getting the car home and waiting for a retest date then trailering back to Gillingham from Dorset!

 

Has anyone done done this or should I just stump up the cash and let CC do everything?

 

Any views welcome!!

 

Ian

[The Pikey]

So the £425 is in addition to the IVA test fee? If so then stuff that, send it in for the free post build check and get the IVA done yourself. Just take a tool kit, Evo stick contact glue, a few different sizes of rubber hoses and a bag of tie wraps and be nice to the inspector

 

Jason

[Roadsport06]

What Jason said. I was not going to spend a fortune for CC to take the car in so I did it myself.

 

As Jason said, be nice to the inspector, get there on time with a set of tools if you need to do anything.

 

I understand some test centres are not so Caterham friendly so it is best to stick with the same one as CC.

[myothercarsa2cv]

I had the PBC done after the SVA... Booked myself in to Norwich, who were very good, even after the washer hose popped off and wee'd all over the chap's leg...

Was a wonderful drive up, and popped in to the DVLA office on the way back home. Lady at the desk was a little surprised to learn that my brand new kit car had 500 miles on it already!

[Rj52car]

I had to get this done in March.

 

I paid for Caterham to do the IVA because we were short of time. They want the car for a week before IVA to make sure they sort out any snags. I also had some warranty work they had to do.

 

They did the check and some tidying of wiring and then submitted it for IVA at Gillingham ... It failed due to a problem with brake balance. Caterham replaced the faulty caliper and re-bled the system. The earliest retest date was 10 days later. Cateham paid the retest fee. Caterham also register and tax the car as part of this service (although you have to pay the tax).

 

So, this would have been a horrible problem too'ing and fro'ing ... but it turned out painless for me ... except for the £425 bit.

[DJ.]

Caterham do make you pay a high price for the convenience of their service.

 

However, it is worth having the Caterham PBC stamp in your service book, because I am sure it will reassure future potential buyers that the car was built correctly. So assuming you need to take the car to Dartford from Dorset it is going to be a lot more convenient to drop it off, and then when it's all done enjoy driving it home registered.

 

I think I read on this forum that Caterham don't allow people to store their car at the factory between PBC and IVA. Also they may well need more than a day to do PBC.

 

There is a test centre in Southampton, but I have heard they aren't good to deal with.

 

In the end I decided I would lose more money in lost working days doing it myself than Caterham would charge, and that was without considering what happened if it failed.

 

Duncan

 

 

Edited by - DJ. on 17 Apr 2012 18:23:51

 

Edited by - DJ. on 17 Apr 2012 18:24:23

 

Edited by - DJ. on 17 Apr 2012 18:25:39

[Rj52car]

Caterham looked after my car from the Monday that they had it for PBC until the following Monday when it was taken for IVA. It failed so they looked after it for another 10 days until retest an then 2 more days. No comments about storage.

[DJ.]

They are happy to store cars while they are doing PBC, IVA and registration, it is art of the service you pay for.

 

However, I have heard that they do not store cars after PBC for owners to come and present the car themselves at IVA.

[Beverlonian]

Hi Ian, the distance might have made me think otherwise but I put mine on a trailer and took it to CC Midlands for PBC and had it booked in a few weeks later for SVA.

 

So long as you followed what the book said and CC have checked it over then it should be good to go. Just make a last minute (week before) call to CC to make sure VOSA haven't added anything to their hit list. As others have said put a scratch set of tools in the boot and go for it. I probably shouldn't have but I actually enjoy it.

 

Which ever way you go you'll be blatting soon and look like this 😬

[Andy Harris]

I think it's worth spending the £425 on something else! If you search BC for IVA info you should get through it without any problems. As has been said already, cable ties, rubber trim, glue etc worth taking. I see you're in Dorset. I would suggest you avoid Southampton (where I had mine done). They _WILL fail you on the steering wheel CC supply as it has no collapsible boss. They feel the IVA rubber pad is not enough. I had to get a European spec wheel from CC to get it through which cost a £90 retest fee and another day off work. It was, however, also a chance to drive it legally to and from the test with no number plates! (I printed out the relevant page of the VOSA guidelines and took it with me in case I was stopped on the way but I passed loads of police cars and none took any notice at all.

 

I think most other IVA stations are more reasonable.

 

Andy.

[Apollo71]

Thanks everyone!

 

I think I'm gonna get the PBC done then arrange the IVA at Gillingham myself. Ive got plenty of other things I can spend £425 on and I think the drive up to the test centre will be a good way to get through some of the running in miles!!