PeterM

Martin - IVA to Reg Doc in 'sticky mitt' was 10 days so all the warnings re 3 - 6 weeks are an over estimation. I had bought a plate before the registration (C16 OPM that now looks like C160 PM on the car!) so sent an Assignment Form off with the reg docs.,,,,,,,,,hey Guys, there might be lots of C16 O?? plates still available from DVLA!! Simon - many thanks for your advice on self application of 3M film - I might just do that. Trouble now of course is that it's no good doing it over a touched up chip so the wing will need a proper respray. I should have done it earlier like you - I thought the SS protectors would be sufficient.

Hi All. My reg doc arrived today so I'm 'on the road' and couldn't resist a 'first time' legal spin. Great fun but unfortunately it included a stone chipping the paint on back RH wing ABOVE the SS protectors - email on its way to Premier Paint Guard this very day!

Key - I have also found the key a bit sticky but used some wet and dry to ease the sharp corners, lubricated the barrel a bit and now have the 'knack' of getting it in and out. Oil pressure at idle - mine is close to the red when hot but never actually enters it. But on a red hot day, who knows!

Hard luck on the fuse Simon - I think it's sods law isn't it! But surely incorrect seat belt mounts should have been picked up at PBC. Heard from DVLA today, registration docs were OK except for me not answering two questions and signing on the back page of a part completed (by Caterham) 'V627/1 - Built Up Vehicle Report' - entirely my error. They were very good though, and allowed me to download a form, complete it, email a copy to an personal email address and get a receipt acknowledgment..............all in 15mins. So, weather permitting I hope to be on the road next week.

Martin - sorry to hear you had trouble at the IVA; different people, different interpretation perhaps - try Southampton! Below is my emissions readout; just about readable and I hope it helps. I can't think why one newly built car passes and another doesn't. Same as you; I believe you are allowed to drive to the test station but if you don't have a pass or fail cert and get caught 'going home' I think it's an offence. Incidentally, you don't need number plates for the IVA. Whilst I have a number and fitted them to look less conspicuous on the journey the tester didn't test the corner radii - yes you've guessed it, they need to be a certain size!

Fuse Box Cover - picture below. Basically the hole (where I have put my 12v socket is on the right and the sloping bit is facing into the cockpit tucked up behind the dashboard with the box section under the fuse box. I used Velcro to fix mine; which seems to have worked. You will note that the rubber bung on the left (in the knee plate) has been cut away so the fuse box plate fits flush. And I put some IVA trim down the RH sharp edge. It took Simon and I an exchange of emails to sort it; and still doesn't look right as the passengers knees will thump straight into the box section!

Martin - sorry again the hear your disappointing IVA news, it seems unexplainable and I hope Caterham sort you out sooner rather than later. If it turns out to be their fault I would bill them for the retest cost. I've pointed out that it cost me £12 to post the IVA steering wheel back to them and asked why should I pay for a Caterham design fault .................I'm not holding my breath for a reduction on my PBC invoice - when I get it that is! Simon - best of British today, the 160 builders club need some good news!

/sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Drift.jpg Well done Ned. Aide memiore - the drift I made from a piece of guttering down pipe to drift-in the axle seals so they don't get crushed.

Re Clips on the 'Ford Charcoal Box' - Derek has replied that clips are not needed and if comes up at your IVA ask them to look at the same box installed in a Ford, where clips are not used either. This might not change their mind of course - but good luck anyway.

I have briefed Paul re the 'Ford Box' and will put some piccies on here later but I reckon it was just the Southampton teams thoughts as they don't do many Caterhams and had never done a C160 before. I couldn't abide the abortion of a Momo IVA steering wheel with collapsible boss on my car a minute longer so it's off already and on it's way to Crawley. The car looks nice again with the Motolita. Oh by the way; I put trim on the bonnet louvers closest to the screen, and on the front edge of the silencer heat shield. The trim I put around the back lights is definitely not needed but it looks neat and takes away the cheap and nasty plastic edges so I'm leaving mine there...........hang the weight! I got a trouble free 55 miles out of it on a long journey to and from the test station...................big grins all round. The speedo was about 4mph heavy at 70mph on the rolling road but this was in tolerance. Brakes and emissions - no problem. But what do I do now; I feel bereft, nothing to do after a busy winter when I could always disappear to the garage and find something to fiddle with.

Hi All. The very good news is that my car passed its IVA at Southampton this morning. I had to reset the lights and (strange one this) they wouldn't pass it until I put 3 jubilee type Fuel Hose Clips on the pipes around the 'Ford Box (I think it's called) on the RH aft bulkhead - one where the hard plastic hose enters the larger rubber hose at the top, one where this hose enters the box and one on the hose entering (or exiting!) the box at the bottom. This is a Caterham factory fitted item and I tried to suggest that they wouldn't have left it in an unsafe condition - but (when they offered me the ramp to use to fix it) quickly decided to walk a mile to a motor factor and get some! I have no idea what this is all about and I'm not convinced it needed to be done ..................but hey, I'm through the IVA and all those horrible rubber bits can come off. Martin - I will be changing the steering wheels over this weekend so it should be back at Crawley in plenty of time for you to use Could be a few weeks before I'm on the road but a blat down to Clarks Village sounds imminently doable. Look forward the hearing the details as things develop.

I have not had a bill for PBC yet; but having agreed 1hr 15mins/£100 of work I'm expecting one soon! Just heard from Paul at Crawley they they have had 3 IVA passes on the trot so I reckon Martin's must be done and dusted. Spoke to a local motorsports garage mechanic today who regularly puts cars through Southampton for IVA. He reckons if I fail with less than 6 pick ups it will be a good result as they are known to be very hard........just my luck, but every conceivable sharp edge now has trim on it and a new VIN plate is fitted so by this time tomorrow I will know one way or the other.

Taken from the book 'The Magnificant Seven' 3rd Edition.............all you need to know on Sevens from Colin Chapman's first to the present day.............Chrissie Pressie! Hope you can readit OK./sites/default/files/images/users/11787/1998%20Classic%20VX%20Supersprint.jpg

Other snippets from my IVA check at Crawley: 1. Take out washers under studs holding fan to rad (that manual say put in) so studs 'show' through the nyloc 2. Put washers either side of the rear brake thro bulkhead connector (the manual say use a plain nut). This is a pain as it means re bleeding the brakes. 3. Radius (half grommets) on top surface of door hinges (windscreen fittings) on the side that are flush fitting (for when doors are off). 4. Trim on the exhaust brackets and front edge of the heat shield. Other: I have part labelled my dash on safety items (lights, horn, indicators). Also labelled to show rear fog switch is a 'Press On' not a click type. Ken the Tester didn't know about it being a (new) self cancelling switch and at first thought it would fail IVA - so better safe than sorry in case Inspectors think the same. I have put heat shrink over the long thread sticking out the bottom of the uprights. I also shortened the long thread on the exhaust clamp (apparently the exhaust is a touchy area for IVA inspectors - no pun intended. They were concerned that my car didn't seem to have an adequate centering action when hands off the steering wheel. They eased a screw in the top of the rack which improved things and advised 'take a long run to the IVA centre to work the front suspension'!

Simon - I have passed on my concerns to Paul at Crawley and Derek at Dartford. My hope is that para 4 on the IVA form is 'ORIGINAL Design Laden Weight' and the weight on the plate is the ACTUAL Laden Weight whch, if is below the design, is OK. Martin - as you are next with the steering wheel perhaps we can meet halfway between Fareham and (if my memory serves me well) Wokingham rather than me posting what will be a very awkward shape back to Crawley.

Simon - your phots are interesting and worrying! The blue car has the number chain beginning with 'e' that i mentioned and shows a combined axle weight of 860kg; which is as per my IVA application, as written for me by Caterham. However, my plate (now my 'old' plate') reads 733kg so I wonder what my new plate will say. If it doesn't match the IVA application I reckon my chances of passing are currently zilch!

Went for the PBC today; some washers where they shouldn't be and some not where they should - all easily solvable. Spring washers under the engine bracket bolts is not a problem. Other points of note; if you have a number beginning with 'e' on the riveted plate under the brake fluid reservoir (like me!) you have a C165 (Europe) left hand drive plate that will not get through a UK IVA. So old plate drilled off and I have to rivet on another one when it arrives from Dartford. Also, they remove the top steering column and wheel and put in a temp Caterham Momo that will pass IVA. And I have to fit my own after the IVA and return the 'IVA wheel'..........how daft is that! However, must say the after sales team at Crawley were excellent. Agree Martin; not one car at Crawley has edging around the fog and reverse...............so why does the manual say do it? So onwards and upwards to IVA next Thursday at Southampton

Wonder how they got through IVA with no trim on the edges of the reverse and rear fog light!

Congrats Ned. Your long wait is over

Car on wheels and started 1st time. I drove it up and down the drive so car finished except for stickers and IVA 'titillations'. Unfortunately after 2 other perfect consecutive starts it didn't want to know again, doesn't even try to start so there must be an electrical 'stop' occuring in there somewhere......very annoying. But I reckon it will go again tomorrow. Luckily PBC in 2 weeks and they can solve it. So plenty of time to polish it and having driven it I'm well chuffed! Mrs M already asking what I'm going to do to occupy myself next Winter....I wonder if I could afford a Supersport!

Sorry to hear of your continuing misfortune Simon. I have just emailed Derek re starting, as although I've had mine going 3 or 4 times there are occasions when it just does not want to know. When this happens I hear a click from one of the vacumn/electrical 'gizmos' on the front of the engine. The hose connections to these things seem to go all over the place; into the turbo dump and the fuel intake area and I'm wondering whether I might have incorrectly connected those that you do in the build meaning a residual vacumn is holding off a 'go' permit in the ECU. Pure speculation of course, but I have asked for better piccies and details than there is in the manual anyway.

I fitted my mirrors in the 'IVA position' today as per the manual. But I seem to recall that a blog somehwere said they should be fitted on the top screw. Anyone any thoughts? /sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Doors%20and%20IVA%20Mirrors%20Fitted_0.jpg

Well done Martin; it sounds like a 'sewing machine' doesn't it. Re heater; have you taken the brass nut off the top of the rad; I got quite a bit of air out of it, then moved the heater knob back and forth a few times.

Martin. To call it a 'sequence' is not really appropriate. But on 1st start the engine started straight away. The 2nd start (after oil check) it didn't go and the key went back to P1 while I thought about it. I then reset the IS and tried again. The engine started and ran for 15+mins. On the 3rd start it wouldn't go again and (with no real intent to prove anything) key had remained in P2 when I pushed on the IS and went to P3 for another start and it started OK. So I reckon the IS has a lot of influence on failed starts; as another 7 owner had previously advised me. I also agree the IS doesn't give you a satisfying 'click' as feedback. My plan is not to try another start until car is on its wheels so IS is cushioned a bit and 'settled' - prob next w/e after weather gear is fitted. Sorry I won' t see you on 8th - but having recently experienced early morning traffic (not something retirees do often thank god!) I'm now thinking of taking my car up on the 7th for an early morning arrival at Caterham on the 8th.

Hi Martin. Yes, I did reset the IS whilst in position 2, almost as an after thought when it wouldn't react to a start; but in retrospect it's probably not significant. However, having got my engine running 1st time using an ECU which (potentially) is from the same batch as yours and Simon's, I'm thinking the IS might be adding to your problem. Can it be shorted out I wonder? I also have my PBC on the 8th April, so see you there. And we can discuss a meeting point and date.