smartizan

I put poppers on my phone mount (had some left over from the build). These work fine to fix it to the car - there doesnt seem to be an issue with vibration affecting the view of the phone. Also means that you can remove the mount if you want to.

My 170 took 120 hours over last winter. The registration process took longer. Nick

I thought it would be nice to put a small plaque on the Pedal Box in my home-built 170 to record the date of build and that it is home-built. I know others have done this and just wondered if someone has a recommendation regarding where to get this done etc?

I had my IVA (for a 170) in May in Norwich. Krazy Horse had done a PBC and got it well prepared (passed first time). As well as adding the temporary steering wheel, they had also removed the headlamp flasher switch - never got to the bottom of why, and added some rubber hose over the ends of the exposed flexible brake lines. I have the LED headlights and was asked at the IVA for paperwork to confirm that they were less than 200 lumen (a new requirement apparently). Caterham were able to provide the necessary certificate by email during the course of the day but might be worth having this to hand if you also have the LEDs.

Just to urge some caution with Apps for measuring noise. I spent my career working in acoustics (although not in the automotive industry), and as part of that, ran some tests on various apps to see if they were any good. The bottom line was: As Jonathan says, they are better for relative measurements rather than absolute. They are more consistent on Iphones than other devices because the microphones have broadly the same sensitivity as they come from the same supplier. There is a big difference between dB and dB(A) – not all measure the dB(A) level (the level expressed in dB(A) will always be lower). Also, some tests require averaging over time (to measure the LAeq) which is an added complexity some apps cant deal with. They are very sensitive to wind noise so not ideal for measuring out of doors The microphones in phones are directional so how you point the phone is important. The phone case can also make a difference. A professional sound level meter will have an omni-directional microphone so is much less affected by direction (important if you are doing a drive-by test). Its very difficult to calibrate a phone – protocols for noise measurements almost always require the noise meter to be calibrated before and after use with a standard sound source that fits over the microphone. The test we ran in a semi-controlled environment gave a range of +/- 20dB(A) from a mix of different phones and software packages. That’s a big variation.

Just to urge some caution with Apps for measuring noise. I spent my career working in acoustics (although not in the automotive industry), and as part of that, ran some tests on various apps to see if they were any good. The bottom line was: As Jonathan says, they are better for relative measurements rather than absolute. They are more consistent on Iphones than other devices because the microphones have broadly the same sensitivity as they come from the same supplier. There is a big difference between dB and dB(A) – not all measure the dB(A) level (the level expressed in dB(A) will always be lower). Also, some tests require averaging over time (to measure the LAeq) which is an added complexity some apps cant deal with. They are very sensitive to wind noise so not ideal for measuring out of doors The microphones in phones are directional so how you point the phone is important. The phone case can also make a difference. A professional sound level meter will have an omni-directional microphone so is much less affected by direction (important if you are doing a drive-by test). Its very difficult to calibrate a phone – protocols for noise measurements almost always require the noise meter to be calibrated before and after use with a standard sound source that fits over the microphone.The test we ran in a semi-controlled environment gave a range of +/- 20dB(A) from a mix of different phones and software packages. That’s a big variation.

I am taking my 170 for its IVA next week. The test centre is about 70 miles away which gives me plenty of distance to bed in the brakes. However, the weather forecast isn't great and I wanted to know what peoples experience is with the doors. I know the doors need to be off for the test (and the mirrors attached to the front screen surround), but is it OK to turn up with the doors in place and just take them off for the duration of the test? I am possibly going to get pretty wet if I have to drive over there with no doors on. I have taken out insurance for the day, based on the VIN number. Any thoughts / experiences most welcome. Nick

Yes, its yours. Just responded to you PM. Nick

I have just completed my 170 build and have various items that I am not going to have space to hang on to. There are some tools and various partially used consumables (which should still be sufficient for at least one more build). I am in Cambridge and would prefer for someone to pick this up, although willing to drive ~30m or so if we can meet half-way. Message me if you need any more info. I have included a price to take the lot at the bottom. Nick cost me For sale Mobile axle stands £261.00 £182.70 1/2" to 3/8" Hex Head socket (for engine mounts) £17.70 £12.39 Seal drift set £22.94 £16.06 Consumables (part used) ACF-50 £24.98 £7.49 Copper grease £9.69 £2.91 Grommets £7.25 £2.18 P clips £10.99 £3.30 Heat shrink £6.99 £2.10 Instant gasket £18.92 £5.68 Loctite 577 £26.20 £7.86 Locktite 243 £17.20 £5.16 Everything £223.03

Just in the process of building my 170 and am fitting the rear wings. There is a largish hole needed for the connector to pass through the wing and I am thinking this hole is in the perfect place to collect large amounts of grot straight off the back wheels. I am sure there is a method of patching this hole once the lights are fitted that has stood the test of time. Anyone got a suggestion? Many thanks Nick

In the middle of building my 170 and trying to decide which jack to get. I have the build on wheeled axle stands at 500mm high. This jack looks like it would do the job (in terms of lift) and its a good price but I am not sure if it is too high to go under the car. https://www.sgs-engineering.com/tj25-4x4-trolley-jack. The low profile jack mentioned above (https://www.sgs-engineering.com/tj2-5lp-low-profile-garage-trolley-jack) doesn't go quite as high (515mm vs 530mm) and is significantly more expensive. ( £156 vs £70). Anyone know what the clearance under a 170 is? Nick