Bristol Kit Car Club and Forum - BKCC

Hi chaps. Firstly an introduction to my car i have been building over the past ... well many years!
The chassis is the mk indy with outboard suspension. I decided down the route of taking all running gear from a nissan 200sx s13 chassis. So engine, gearbox, differential, half shafts, brakes, loom (modified), dash and uprights are all from the original car. Any further parts needed were taken off the shelf where possible or designed and manufactured by me. Curvy body work such as the nose cone, bonnet, scuttle, rear panel and wheel arches were bought from MK (front arches are from DAX). Any other panel work was made by me from aluminium, Then wrapped again by myself to its current colour you see in the pics.
I wanted to build everything from the nissan as it has a great following and very assessable aftermarket upgrade parts. I wanted to use as much of the original car as possible to help future proof the car if any spares are needed. The one concession to this rule is the steering rack which is currently from a k12 micra. Its small enough to fit in the mk chassis and works the right way round for the front 200 uprights.
It has been a hobby of mine for the past many years and this year i hope to put it through its iva and registration process.
I would dearly love some guidance with this and would like to meet up with anyone who has gone through this seemingly confusing task recently and with a car of similar nature to mine. There are so many different stories on the internet as to what to do and so a face to face discussion with some one would be most beneficial or at least direct correspondence.
Things i would like to cover are,
Vin number acquiring process
IVA test booking and possible pre assessment
Registration of vehicle for Q plate
and any other parts i may be unaware of in-between the above.
Look forward to hearing from you all and will use this forum to post the journey i have made up until now and hopefully through to first legal road drive some time this year.

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Welcome to the club chap! Certainly a nice looking car there and love the idea of using as much of the Nissan as you can. Cracking cars and yours should be pretty nippy :)

I built myself a Locost over about 7 years, made it through the IVA (after a retest) and had her on the road for about 18 months. Sold her when we moved down to Cornwall, but one of the guys in the club bought her (not sure if he still owns her though). Loved the experience, but wouldn't go through the IVA again!

I don't know what it's like now as things have changed quite a lot since I had mine, but you are best talking to Brian (Bulldog Bri) on here as he has just put his Locost through the test so should be able to give you some up-to-date feedback.

Feel free to put pictures up of the various parts of the car for scrutiny, I did the same prior to my test and it's amazing what simple things you miss even when building it by the IVA guide ;)

Hope you get sorted by the time the decent weather gets here and look forward to seeing some action shots :D

Any questions I can answer I will try, and the guys on here are all very accommodating and I am sure they will help wherever they can.

Enoy the car, and one of the best clubs in the UK ;)

JB

First off, Welcome to the club... ;D

Not sure quite how you get your VIN number now as that was done by taking to your local DVLA office for an inspection, now they are all closed best to give them a call and ask for one. During the inspection the car would be given points, 1 point for each part from a single car that you can prove, Engine, gearbox, steering, axles. And 5 for proof of a new chassis. This is where keeping any receipts and documents comes in. ::) If you score over 8 you can have a age related plate if not then you'll be issued a Q plate (to be confirmed after the IVA).
Pre assessment isn't really worth doing as the IVA itself will do that and give you a list of jobs to do for the re-test. ???

If your local or have some close by that also has a kit car that has been IVA'd get them to cast an eye over the car and look for any loose wires , sharp edges, etc... ;D I sure all light's are fitted to required heights and distances. And 'e' marked (fog light has a 'B' or 'F' mark)

My 7 took 7+ years to build and I had a few others look over it before it went off for testing and I still came back with around 25 jobs to do for the re-test :o

Getting a date can take 4-6 weeks so get the form of asap. Then, registration can take another 8 weeks, so if you want to be on the road this year, start the ball rolling soon ;)

8)
Good luck with it.

"If your local or have some close by that also has a kit car that has been IVA'd get them to cast an eye over the car and look for any loose wires , sharp edges, etc... ;D "

That was the hope in posting on here, to find some one who is and has gone through the test recently :)
From scouring the internet i read that you can make up the vin number yourself (which i have done) or ask the delve to provide you one in writing. With i did twice with no response. I even went to the local delve office in bristol to speak to some one in person and they were very useless about the whole thing. I wasn't surprised as i imagine they have many things to look after and not just my kit car but generally they were a bit of a nause...
Any way once i have a vin number and it is stamped in and on a chassis plate also then the iva centre will use this to associate it with its registration. Is this correct ?
As long as the vin number is so many letters long and unrelated to the car and very unique (as in the only one) i was told previously this would be ok ... (for a Q plate style)

Hello there and welcome to the club. As far as IVA requirements go, you can download a copy of the manual, don't try to print it of as it is 100s of pages long. Just download it and save it for future reference. It it available fro VOSA web site under Manuals M1 IVA.  Good luck with the build. 


IVA inspection manual: passenger vehicles (M1) - Publications ...

Quote from: longtimecoming on 16, January, 2015, 11:33:29 AM
Hello there and welcome to the club. As far as IVA requirements go, you can download a copy of the manual, don't try to print it of as it is 100s of pages long. Just download it and save it for future reference. It it available fro VOSA web site under Manuals M1 IVA.  Good luck with the build.   


IVA inspection manual: passenger vehicles

Yup got that and been following as carefully as possible

Engine and gearbox positioning

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Changing the mc pherson strut of the nissan to double wishbone of the indy. Planning and drawing and manufacture (through water cutting) front suspension.

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The rears (obviously to conform them without the steering need it was a lot easier, however i will be adding toe adjusters to one of the wishbone legs in the future to make better).

Again template from originals took off what i didn't need (drastic reduction in weight from originals) then bought standard mk uprights without any drum or disc carrier on then made my own (computer designed and water cut from steal). the nissan hubs were very similar fixing to the ford style from which the mk uprights are based. Adjustment to the handbrake cable location was needed but not to much of a problem.

Standard Mk Indy wishbones used at rear currently.

Once IVA is passed and toe adjustments have been added i will be zinc plating all wishbones and steel parts as i have done already with some of the items.

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With the suspension made and the uprights in place i could now see if the diff and half shafts from the Nissan would work. Thankfully they did (almost to easy) with the track of an sx and sierra very similar indeed the half shafts fitted brilliantly.
I modified the chassis to accept the differential with when ok and strengthened any parts which i removed from the original chassis.

Throughout the early build i was stripping off the original yellow paint work with was very tatty. I then wax oiled the chassis and hammerite'ed the bare metal. (zinc premiered and painted the roll hoop)

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With all wishbones and uprights manufactured i started on the steering rack mounting (behind not in front as on the sierra setup). Position will probably be moved in future but as i had to start somewhere the geometry has been compromised. This can be amended in future with some grinding and welding. Steering column is from the nissan 200 cut lengthened and re welded with micro UJ at the rack end. Spacers were made to accommodate the extra length needed to reach the uprights. It was a little far away from our quickly made seat but wanted to use a dished wheel in the end so hoped this would accommodate (which it did in the end may still need a spacer)
A smaller oil filter was used from the larger sr20det engine (as used in the nissan pulsar gtir).
It was a momentous occasion and i felt a massive achievement no matter how shit it looked that the car sat on all four wheels. My good friend who i lived with at the time came down to congratulate me and i some how he got the first drive as i pushed him round the small car park like school kids again!
Clutch and willwood brake cylinders were mounted (clutch mc from 200sx and brake mc have been calculated with help from a friend bought and mounted). Brakes had to be re mounted as were sitting too high for the pedal. which i made and included the bias bar tube for smaller adjustment before locking (with weld) for the IVA. The brake systems seem to work very well. Braded pipes made to length by earls of silverstone and the rest were made by me from copper tube and a good swager (BUY RIGHT BUY ONCE don't bother with cheap ones off ebay !!!)

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That's quite an update and interesting read. 8)

Welcome to the club Swampy.

This looks like a very interesting project and well done. 

I've done an IVA and I would be happy to look over you car to see if I can see any problems prior to the test.  It is probably wise to have a pre-check because if there is something fundamentally wrong it could take more time than you are allowed to fix it and you are only allowed small failures on the day.  If a major is found you might have to go through a whole re-check.

On the VIN number- well as you have seen this is a bit of a mess currently because most local offices have gone and everything Kit car is handled by a handful of part-timers in Swansea.  From what I have read it looks like the inspection has gone because they cannot do it any more but ask at Swansea to be sure.  The link for the application process is: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/kitconverted-vehicles (https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/kitconverted-vehicles) but note that the website is not entirely accurate and not up to date.  It is best to be a bit of a nuisance but be very polite to gain attention - there are not enough staff and a lot of knowledge has been lost but I have found people there very willing to help if they can.  In place of the inspection I think they are content if you send photos copies of receipts and the like to demonstrate the the provenance of the car.  As BuldogBri said you gain points to get an age related plate and if you don't have enough of the original components from the donor and ideally the VIN plate reference and engine number then you are destined to get a Q plate.  It is worth trying hard for the age-related plate because the resale value of the car is higher (not that the prospect will be in your mind at this point!) and you will be able to change to a cherished plate if you want later - not allowed if you get a Q.

If I can be of assistance let me know and send me a Private Mail (PM).  You will see at the top of the Home page (Contact) and them you can contact me via my forum name.

Good luck
Ian

Thanks for your comments so far chaps. I will be in touch to ask for some help for sure. feel free to ask any questions on the build if i spark any interest good or bad i will try and stay open minded ;)

with chassis being stripped generally and the engine now in place with the steering column located i could focus on fitting a radiator and intercooler and start working out how to plum them both in. I had bought most of the front end body work previously to work out the height of the engine and so could use this also to work out what would fit behind the nose cone... EVERY THING WAS TIGHT! rad was ok but intercooler needed modifying. The radiator may still yet need to be made bigger but until i do some proper road testing i won't know. It seems to hold temperature correctly at the moment anyway. Plumbing for water routes took a bit of tie making sure the flow was correct through the engine and turbo. I only truly finished this in nov 2014 as the thermostat wasn't working properly (flow problem again). Also the inlet manifold would not fit under the bonnet so a new one would have to be made. This will be the start of tomorrows post as its quite cool and deserves its own bit :)

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Welcome to the club Swampy.

Looks a really good build. And good to see a different donor car.

Sorry to point it out but there have been threads on the Locost Forum about front wishbone failures.
In summery they normally break when braking or/and after curbing on track.

The cause seems to be the stress raiser formed at the end of the gusset plate holding the damper (ie mid way along the tube). There is a large bending moment in the lower arm because the damper is located part way along a 'bridge ' between the inner bushes and outer ball joint. I wouldn't have mentioned it but you have used oval tubes, better for braking loads but weaker than round in vertical bending.

Otherwise a cracking (sorry) build.

Quote from: Camber Dave on 16, January, 2015, 06:57:40 PM

Sorry to point it out but there have been threads on the Locost Forum about front wishbone failures.
In summery they normally break when braking or/and after curbing on track.

The cause seems to be the stress raiser formed at the end of the gusset plate holding the damper (ie mid way along the tube). There is a large bending moment in the lower arm because the damper is located part way along a 'bridge ' between the inner bushes and outer ball joint. I wouldn't have mentioned it but you have used oval tubes, better for braking loads but weaker than round in vertical bending.

Thanks for your comments about the bones and also the comments about the build. :)

I hadn't heard of the wishbones breaking before so thanks for the information. I had changed the design (as mk did also in later wishbones) to allow a slightly longer webbing on the damper pickup plate  (see pics).

(http://s15.postimg.org/ap2es0pbb/Front_wishbone_with_hillary_ring.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ap2es0pbb/)

(http://s15.postimg.org/dmzdlpwyv/IMG_0985.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/dmzdlpwyv/)

Im happy with using the oval section for the moment as it too has benefits from strength in a horizontal plane over circular tube. But I will keep an eye on them (when it finally does get to a track or road at least). If they do bend or fail i will look into other designs.

What i have found with this build and something that has changed significantly in how i do any work is you have to start some where. Any problem with the car (and there were many) even having an idea in my head of how to fix it was a start and from that start i could then make alterations and progression.
There are many things that i would do different on a future build and there will be imperfections in mine and others eyes on this one. I have never tried to skimp on safety throughout the build either and am happy that it will be safe enough to do what i want with it initially. Upgrade may be necessary in the future.

So, the air inlet plenum...

Having set the engine in the car at a height i was happy for ground clearance it was soon apparent that the inlet wouldn't fit under the bonnet. I chose a scooped bonnet to try and help this to no avail (although i would still have chosen this style bonnet whatever as i think it looks cool! ;) ).

A bit of grinding to the original inlet proved i was going no where! I decided to make a new set of engine mounts any way (bit stronger as i wasn't happy with original ones) and lowered the engine slightly from where i had first started.

(http://s10.postimg.org/wiiokxbzp/DSCN0432.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/wiiokxbzp/)(http://s10.postimg.org/cmi3rn5kl/DSCN0434.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/cmi3rn5kl/)(http://s10.postimg.org/ai2c4atbp/DSCN0435.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ai2c4atbp/)(http://s10.postimg.org/hhge3nt9x/DSCN0436.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hhge3nt9x/)(http://s10.postimg.org/j2mh3zoqd/IMG_4484.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/j2mh3zoqd/)(http://s10.postimg.org/o2jxbxud1/IMG_4486.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/o2jxbxud1/)

So with the intercooler mounted and the engine mounted i had two "start points" to build or design something to sit in the middle. I could also delete some unnecessary pipe work from the Nissan system that i didn't want and add some that i did with extra vacuum takeoff's.

With access to a ally fabrication shop I could make what ever i wanted pretty much in sheet metal. Friends at work could then tig together the parts i had made whilst i sat patiently watching my design come together through auto tinting glass.

Again with this i had a start and end point and had persistently browsed the internet for what was commonly available and ideas. Currently the options for the ca18det inlet manifolds are slim. There are options for the 2 litre it seems but i didn't want to chap and change when i could make exactly what i needed from scratch. At the time i also owned a Nissan GTIR and the plenum on this was in the style that i wanted with a sloped reduction towards the ports away from the throttle body. Inside the plenum was also ported as standard much like what you get from velocity stacks. So after researching those i set to work designing what i wanted on cad.

(http://s10.postimg.org/k3i4fdgc5/IMG_6914.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/k3i4fdgc5/)(http://s10.postimg.org/yucwdakfp/IMG_6916.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/yucwdakfp/)(http://s10.postimg.org/uwpmnvxmd/IMG_7158.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/uwpmnvxmd/)(http://s10.postimg.org/tk7xm006t/IMG_7161.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/tk7xm006t/)

I used a some polystyrene to model what i had drawn on the computer to see if it would fit before i made the ally one. I drew the manifold flange on cad also but decided to use the original one to save costs (as the casting was good it could be welded with no imperfections). The ports on the engine were oval and after searching for the correct velocity stacks on the internet in oval form (very expensive normally made from billet) so i decided to get circular ones and then squash the ends to the right size. After squashing some scrap tube of different sizes we found a size that would be perfect to allow the right port size and a decent intake ID for the stack itself.
It was then a case of producing a jigsaw for the fabricator at work (AL the great) to weld.

(http://s14.postimg.org/u6l48co65/IMG_2380.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/u6l48co65/)(http://s14.postimg.org/xz01aceal/IMG_2381.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/xz01aceal/)(http://s10.postimg.org/4l83yc7w5/IMG_0670.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4l83yc7w5/)(http://s10.postimg.org/t0gbze6t1/IMG_0671.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/t0gbze6t1/)(http://s10.postimg.org/44mwbwk51/IMG_2382.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/44mwbwk51/)(http://s10.postimg.org/c8v0gn6k5/IMG_2383.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/c8v0gn6k5/)

Tac'd together at first to double check it would fit then sent back to be finalised.
The finished item looked brilliant and was the completing piece (apart from the exhaust) to allow the engine to run as standard again.
Ideally i will take it off and send it for clear anodising to keep its finish when i have the engine re built after IVA.
Final additions included a throttle cable holder (throttle body was rotated 90 deg to fit better) and various vacuum take off so no T'ing off was necessary. Also i decided to keep the breather re-circ and idle control speed actuator in the inlet. The pre throttle pipe from intercooler is large enough to accept a BOV in the future if i want to add one.
An air filter adapter and pre turbo inlet pipe was also made from ally pipe and mounted directly in front of the turbo.

The build along the way has never been to "sort one piece then move on". It has been about managing all achievable current jobs and projecting what may be needed in the future. This for me included paying for the parts and then also having time to do them around earning money. I will be the first to say that i haven't dedicated every free minute to the project and the time it has taken to get to where the project is now shows this. However juggling the different areas of the project takes a certain skill and commitment of its own and can feel very daunting at times.
Hopefully with posts like this one it will give people who are starting out or perhaps mid way through a build hope that an end can be achieved.

So moving forward. Along side the then current goal of trying to get everything together to make the engine run, I was aiming also trying fit body work, work out wheel choices and achieve the final goal of passing an IVA test to make the car road legal.

I will carry on showing what it took for me to progress with the engine start up and move back to the other areas later on.

With the coolant system set up and the inlet and turbo pipe work made i moved on to the other side of the engine and making and fitting the exhaust.
I didn't know how the sound would be with a one box system. Having the turbo on it would help for sure but the rest was just guess work and aesthetics of looks. Running the standard turbo at the moment but with the potential of upgrading in the future i wanted the exhaust to be adaptable. So i bought an elbow off of ebay for the turbo down pipe flange and added a short down pipe with integrated screamer pipe. Using a V Band clamp i then finished off the exhaust outside of the car with a one box scilencer. I bought straight pipe and cut it into angles to make the bends.
I regret this now and is something i look to change in the future to pre bent pipe. If i was to do it again i would have invested in a decent metal cutting rotary power saw to make good cuts. Instead i used a hacksaw and although the end product does the job it was a bit of a ball ache.

(http://s27.postimg.org/w1emwblnz/IMG_2209.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/w1emwblnz/)(http://s27.postimg.org/k76vyone7/IMG_2312.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/k76vyone7/)(http://s27.postimg.org/whzuir9f3/IMG_2314.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/whzuir9f3/)(http://s27.postimg.org/sgird3h4f/IMG_2323.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/sgird3h4f/)(http://s27.postimg.org/oybcug5m7/IMG_2325.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/oybcug5m7/)(http://s27.postimg.org/wj9sc6b8v/IMG_2326.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/wj9sc6b8v/)(http://s27.postimg.org/zemvj1f8v/IMG_2327.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/zemvj1f8v/)(http://s27.postimg.org/515flhmr3/IMG_2331.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/515flhmr3/)(http://s27.postimg.org/l4hwlaoa7/IMG_2333.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/l4hwlaoa7/)(http://s27.postimg.org/rgx1v4rcf/IMG_2336.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/rgx1v4rcf/)

The body work at this time was also needed. Its like one job needs lots of other unachievable jobs to be completed to progress! I needed the front side panels and the floor to be on so i could make mounts and judge distances. Also the rear arches needed to be finished so i could get the exhaust to sit and look right. When your looking at a chassis with no parts on it seems very daunting indeed however if you just keep focusing on the little bits, a week goes by and if you look back at what you achieve its massive and takes decent chunks out of what you want to achieve in the end!
I made lists of jobs that had to be done. It meant i could keep track of what i should be doing instead of just sitting in the garage crying with my finger up my bum not knowing what to do next. Although the lists got bigger as soon as i tried to complete the jobs they do eventually get ticked off.

I tack welded the exhaust together on the outside and had my friend at work tig most of the parts together to look nicer. I get carried away when mig welding and it can end up quite thick. I did manage to keep a couple of welds i was proud of the rest i sanded back and polished. ;)

(http://s1.postimg.org/9w0z17f0r/IMG_0710.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/9w0z17f0r/)(http://s1.postimg.org/5zo5c4ngr/IMG_0712.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/5zo5c4ngr/)(http://s1.postimg.org/bqdtiy217/IMG_0743.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/bqdtiy217/)(http://s1.postimg.org/5x49pajt7/IMG_0744.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/5x49pajt7/)(http://s1.postimg.org/91eff6763/IMG_0745.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/91eff6763/)(http://s1.postimg.org/uy0yfjkcr/IMG_0746.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/uy0yfjkcr/)(http://s1.postimg.org/882btgukr/IMG_2570.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/882btgukr/)(http://s1.postimg.org/wnajuithn/IMG_2572.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/wnajuithn/)(http://s1.postimg.org/qfz5ucxqj/IMG_2578.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/qfz5ucxqj/)(http://s1.postimg.org/tf5kakdsb/IMG_6496.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/tf5kakdsb/)

I have looked into ceramic coating the exhaust but for now i cannot justify the cost and i would like to replace some of the parts for bends and also may change the turbo so i will probably just heat wrap it for the time being if temps get to hot.  I also didn't want to ceramic coat the silencer and utter parts as i thought cleaning would be difficult.

Moving towards fueling the car. I ordered a £200 fuel tank off of alloy fabrications. I thought i would save time and money buying an off the shelf item that was specifically designed for the indy. NOTHING IS EVER SIMPLE THOUGH IS IT?!
The tank came with my small requirements of filler neck size and feed return pipes added.
And it didn't even fit the chassis! I think the problem was that it was designed for the indy R perhaps ... i couldn't be bothered to find out what the problems were i just wanted it in the chassis . The tank also seemed small so with help of my girlfriend (she deserves a mention as she did intact help a lot with this part) we used the tank as a template and wrote on it new dimensions and angles and sent it back with a written report of what i needed instead. The guys there were so helpful and made a new tank to my specifications. I just payed for postage with was more than fair.
(http://s7.postimg.org/jrjd2znvr/IMG_2407.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/jrjd2znvr/) (http://s7.postimg.org/wb9wczmp3/IMG_2409.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/wb9wczmp3/) (http://s7.postimg.org/w8gtyo49z/IMG_2410.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/w8gtyo49z/) (http://s7.postimg.org/wmmrc0drb/IMG_2411.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/wmmrc0drb/)

(http://s7.postimg.org/hlp28hkfb/IMG_2414.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hlp28hkfb/) (http://s7.postimg.org/i5zhxfo9z/IMG_6568.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/i5zhxfo9z/) (http://s7.postimg.org/hybv0xdbb/IMG_6569.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hybv0xdbb/) (http://s7.postimg.org/6pt2zea3r/IMG_6571.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6pt2zea3r/)

(http://s7.postimg.org/ze612mc9z/IMG_6715.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ze612mc9z/) (http://s7.postimg.org/6r7m6k1bb/IMG_6718.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6r7m6k1bb/) (http://s7.postimg.org/kpzq5a17r/IMG_6719.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/kpzq5a17r/) (http://s7.postimg.org/8pea4jtt3/IMG_6912.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/8pea4jtt3/)

The tank included baffles inside, a feed and return and a spare inlet. After i received it back i needed to modify it further but the plans were in my head. So i took it back to work and made/added a new feed and return ports and bought a outside gravity fed inline pump, pre filter and post earls fuel filters (of different gauze sizes). I also bought an earls roll over valve for a breather.

I wanted the fuel tank to use the same senders for the 200sx dash so i cut a hole in the top of the tank and made an inspection tank with a viton seal sandwiched between. I bought a fuel tank specific fitment from demon tweaks to allow the electronics into the tank with fuel resistant wire also.
In the future i may change the system to use a swirl tank but for now it just acts as a better version of the original in the nissan so should be adequate. I don't know how big the tank is capacity wise but it looks a lot bigger than i have seen in other MK's. I will measure it in the near future and post. Basically i wanted a tank big enough so i didn't have to stop all the time with road driving.
I bought a universal fuel cap which i now realise isn't IVA proof as you can take the key out when its away from the car. So i will make an anchor for it to keep it attached to the tank (IVA acceptable).
Fuel to and from the tank runs in copper pipes through the tunnel. At each end are fuel/oil specific silicone hoses acting as flexible joiners.

Electronics...
I know it can be a sore and even stopping point in some builds but as it happened i quite like messing around with 12v car electrics. Don't get me wrong its frustrating at times but with a more modern car and properly coloured wires with tracers it shouldn't be too hard.
Having said that i think it took me 4 weeks to understand, remove unnecessary parts (like abs electric heating and locking systems), shorten and re fit into the car in some sort of order. It astonished me how much weight i had saved just from the original loom. The engine is running the standard ecu fuse box and relay box it has in the car. There fore should prove helpful to anyone taking the car on after me (or even me in the future) to relate to a standard 200sx s13 wring diagram to make some sense of wires inside some of the bigger parts of loom. I wanted to keep as much of the 200sx loom and wiring in as possible. If i was to do it again i would add my own fuse/breaker and relay box instead to keep things tidier.

(http://s13.postimg.org/5ezf587jn/IMG_3945.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/5ezf587jn/) (http://s13.postimg.org/7l80bv8kz/IMG_4353.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/7l80bv8kz/) (http://s13.postimg.org/cby6vht83/IMG_4455.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/cby6vht83/) (http://s13.postimg.org/6jy2ocjeb/IMG_4457.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6jy2ocjeb/)

(http://s13.postimg.org/m1q65sf8z/IMG_4458.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/m1q65sf8z/) (http://s13.postimg.org/xbeamzuwj/IMG_4460.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/xbeamzuwj/) (http://s13.postimg.org/i43enalv7/IMG_4463.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/i43enalv7/) (http://s13.postimg.org/yhrzk6reb/IMG_4467.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/yhrzk6reb/)

(http://s13.postimg.org/9i052p9v7/IMG_4468.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/9i052p9v7/) (http://s13.postimg.org/igze77tir/IMG_4470.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/igze77tir/)

Al wires where hoped were soldered back together and heat shrunk individually. I used material loom tape to wrap all parts of the loom and attached it to the chassis with TC105 cable tie blocks. I had kept all of the grommets from the donor car and used them for any through chassis areas.
I added stack dials to the dash and a couple of after market switches to turn on fog lights and hazards. The coolest gadget added was the stack water gauge. It has an ecu in it which i programmed to turn the spall fan on (through a relay) when the water gets to hot and off when at the correct temp. This saved having extra sensors in the water plumbing and generally was pretty cool. The other dials on the dash are the standard 200sx ones with kept things simple.

(http://s8.postimg.org/9j4908sj5/IMG_3177.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/9j4908sj5/)(http://s8.postimg.org/dd2an4z8x/IMG_3179.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/dd2an4z8x/)(http://s8.postimg.org/htzpixjsh/IMG_3180.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/htzpixjsh/)(http://s8.postimg.org/plbdkdhm9/IMG_3184.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/plbdkdhm9/)(http://s8.postimg.org/s6ccu5hm9/IMG_3275.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/s6ccu5hm9/)

There was something else that i think is pretty cool in the build and along with the inlet manifold i think its one of my favourite bits on the car. The rear lights (very sad i know). I wanted to replicate or sort of copy the look of the skyline rear lights and the best way to do this was through the luxvision LED ring lights. They went cheap and needed a housing made up which i did with aluminium pipe and lathed the internal diameter for a perfect fit.
They do not sit vertical level and i will need to add a fog light just for the IVA, but i think they look cool and smart at the same time.

(http://s22.postimg.org/c81no09vx/IMG_3261.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/c81no09vx/)(http://s22.postimg.org/e3julf9cd/IMG_3262.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/e3julf9cd/)(http://s22.postimg.org/75kbt80lp/IMG_3264.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/75kbt80lp/)(http://s22.postimg.org/3xfug6ebx/IMG_3266.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/3xfug6ebx/)(http://s22.postimg.org/slln75q19/IMG_3384.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/slln75q19/)(http://s22.postimg.org/pmeqk1gjx/IMG_3385.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/pmeqk1gjx/)(http://s22.postimg.org/e14kcbv2l/IMG_3386.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/e14kcbv2l/)

I am utterly impressed with this.

Can you explain to me what a screamer pipe is - I have not heard of that before.

Regards
Ian

Quote from: Iancider on 17, January, 2015, 06:26:59 PM
I am utterly impressed with this.

Can you explain to me what a screamer pipe is - I have not heard of that before.

Regards
Ian

Hi Ian, thanks for your comment. Is there anything in particular you like?
A screamer pipe is the waste gate pipe from the turbo. It's the slang name really. On some cars people choose to have the pipe venting straight to atmosphere with no silencer (hence the screamer name).
I will continue to post my effort to date over the coming week. I will also be finishing off the small list of jobs left in the near future before the iva and show my process through this also.

With the intake, water system, exhaust (no silencer), electronics (engine side at least) and a string for the throttle cable ;) i started the engine up in january 2013. It had been sitting for quite some time. I had been turning it over by hand now and again through the years sat and had given it a new cambelt, water pump and oil change just as a kind gesture just before starting. With small issues of a slightly dry injector it fired into life (on three to start with then eventually four). It again was a big occasion for me. The pop and flame coming from the exhaust and turbo chatter/whistle did make me grin as to what i had made! It may just seem like an engine running in an expensive cradle (which it was), but for me not having done anything much like that before, only in smaller engined cars like mini's or at work with pre designed wiring kits and people around to ask what went where and actually manuals to follow, it was an achievement.
So far all the wiring was ok apart from i had sent a positive feed to one of the water temp sensors instead of an earth, but i soon found that and all other points seem to be good. I was also happy with this having cut so many wires and taken so long over it going mad tracing wires physicaly and also through old wiring diagrams on the computer from nissan.
Some where amongst all of that time i had a propshaft made from a company in bristol (H J Chard and sons) on the feeder road. They were most helpful (slightly more than i thought it was going to cost but buy right buy once!) and that meant also for the first time i had a self moving chassis. The clutch pivot point was too high and gave quite a hard pedal. I moved it as low as i could on the pedal keeping the master cylinder where i had positioned it but it still would have given me a blister i recon driving through traffic. The master cylinder is 3/4 of an inch and i couldn't make this any bigger. So i looked at the size of the slave cylinder and found that Nissan motorsports or Nissmo made a cylinder that reduced the pressure by up to 14% on a standard car.

"Nismo has developed an oversized slave cylinder
to reduce the pedal load when using a sports clutch, improve half-clutch
operating characteristics and provide proper clutch connection positioning,
the size of the operating cylinder has been increased from 3/4 inch (ø19.05mm)
to 13/16 inch (ø20.64mm). This reduces pedal pressure by as much as 14%
compared to a standard part."

With this knowledge in hand i found that a Toyota Yaris also had this larger cylinder bore and with a low budget in pocket at the time, i had a local machine company increase the size of mine and i fitted the piston of the Toyota to the Nissan housing and plunger and made my own Nissmo equivalent for a lot cheaper. The result was a much more bearable pedal. In future if it is still too tough i will lower the master cylinder some more but this will have to be done whilst the engine is out and it is definitely in for the time being (until its rebuild after IVA).
Here is the video inside the garage not long after i had first got it started. (There are breather problems that were also later sorted)

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YncGSHYvgII" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is a quick walk around video from soon after i got it running and back on its wheels.

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/obKJpI933mc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There is an unknown whine from the engine wit have looked into but cannot yet find the culprit so will inspect further when engine is rebuilt.

Right now to back track a little.
Bodywork.
I had bought Fibre glass body work from MK quite some time ago. Nose cone, bonnet and scuttle to make sure i could mount the engine and radiator in place. However before all of this could be fitted side panels needed to be fitted which meant floor had to be fitted.
When i bought the chassis it had a steel floor on which had been damaged. Also the seats had been bolted to this with shocked me as it was very thin. I beefed up the seat mounts adding some angled steal braces and then fitted a ally floor i think it was 3mm thick. I bought the whole sheet and cut it to size on the guillotine at work. The sides were made from a thinner sheet possibly 1.5 mm. All were riveted and siliconed in place.

(http://s11.postimg.org/7thxbun9r/IMG_2039.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/7thxbun9r/)(http://s11.postimg.org/v51fn7c5r/IMG_2042.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/v51fn7c5r/)(http://s11.postimg.org/44j1kvyhb/IMG_2091.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/44j1kvyhb/)(http://s11.postimg.org/tkw3ot3rj/IMG_2190.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/tkw3ot3rj/)(http://s11.postimg.org/t9enc1nbj/IMG_2192.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/t9enc1nbj/)(http://s11.postimg.org/50oprtmxb/IMG_7175.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/50oprtmxb/)(http://s11.postimg.org/t6q6bgua7/IMG_7176.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/t6q6bgua7/)

I wanted the cockpit to be enclosed and the engine bay to be vented through the side panels. For cooling and for a purposeful look. Again the panels were made at work on the guillotine and hydraulic bender. I then cut the holes for the wishbones and steering carefully with a mixture of hole saws and a jigsaw. The front edge of the panels were trimmed inline with the back of the nose cone which would be added later.

With the floor on i drilled holes for the seats and fitted them as low as possible and on runners. They don't move much but just thought it would be a nice feature. Through the ally and more importantly the angle steel they feel solidly mounted.

I will add to the rear of the floor after the IVA to include an ally diffuser. It will take a bit of drawing up / designing as the fuel tank sits quite low. I feel that there is quite a gap at the rear of the car and it looks a bit ugly so having the diffuser in should help with this (even if it does nothing for areo ;) ).

My plan for the engine side panel exits is to make some ally fins that are housed inside. again more for looks than real aero. Much like that of the back of LM Prototype cars of DTM style arch vents.

QuoteHi Ian, thanks for your comment. Is there anything in particular you like?

All of it!

And now I know it sounds good too!

After the aluminium outer body work was fitted i also made a bulk head to hold the battery, fuse box and brake fluid reservoir. I wrapped this black in the end for looks. An aluminium cover was made for the steering column and riveted with silicone to the bulkhead. This meant i could fit the scuttle panel, bonnet and nose cone. Everything relies on everything else to fit its a constant juggling act!
I didn't want the bonnet to be easily removable from the car instead hinged and proped with a permanent stay. The same when for the nose cone, but i didn't want to join them like some west fields so the nose had to stay separate. I bought stainless piano hinge and a stainless bonnet stay for the bonnet. I bought the same hinge for the nose (smaller obviously) and made stainless rope stays to attach it to the chassis to stop it falling to the floor.

(http://s14.postimg.org/lpp5g0lml/IMG_0441.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/lpp5g0lml/)(http://s14.postimg.org/a1v3lgwhp/IMG_6503.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/a1v3lgwhp/)
(http://s30.postimg.org/gsfnvklm5/IMG_2395.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/gsfnvklm5/)(http://s30.postimg.org/ct99l9i7h/IMG_2396.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ct99l9i7h/)(http://s30.postimg.org/4zhurcp65/IMG_2397.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4zhurcp65/)(http://s30.postimg.org/d11hviijx/IMG_2401.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/d11hviijx/)

The nose is located by two Live lock tridair's on the top of the chassis. The bonnet is fastened by two aero catches glued inside with loctite dp 490 chassis glue. These are also lockable.

(http://s30.postimg.org/6939natm5/IMG_4470.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6939natm5/)(http://s30.postimg.org/98ero5sh9/IMG_4571.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/98ero5sh9/)(http://s30.postimg.org/5amwl0ga5/IMG_4573.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/5amwl0ga5/)(http://s30.postimg.org/srjcxir8t/IMG_4576.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/srjcxir8t/)

With the nose bonnet and scuttle pre fitted and fixings made they could be wrapped Thats a later post (although you've all already seen the colour!).

Fitting the rear panel was next and was fairly straight forward. However with all the fibre glass panels from MK it didn't fit as well as hoped, more so it was a bit thin in some areas which i wished i had re-enforced with a bit more material before finally fitting. Its fitted now though and isn't a problem. Just something i may do in a future winter rebuild and advise others to look out for before fitting.
The wheel arches at the rear needed me to choose a set of wheels. This is so much harder then it seems, also with the correct size tyres. At least i had a start point and an idea. My start point was to keep the same rolling radius as the standard 200sx setup of 195,60,15. I didn't want massive rims on the Indy as i don't like the look as much, i didn't want really small ones either. So i decided on a deep dished 16". Dished wheels always look an inch smaller than they are so i thought this would fit in perfectley. I bought some rear arches from MK but decided they were too skinny as the standard s13 wheels only just fit underneath. So I sent them back and bought there wider option. I can't remember how much wider they were but it was fairly significant. I took measurements from the hub to the outer edge of the wheel arch as i wanted the rims to be at least flush with this (I don't like the "hover craft" look that some kits have where the arches are really wide with skinny wheels tucked right inside ... whats the point?). The rears still required a bit of trimming at the lower front sides for clearance in suspension squat. I would have also liked them to sit a bit higher in the arch at the rear. I will just have to see how they sit after a bit of road use and everything settles. I may end up cutting and re modelling them.
I looked up what sizes other kit cars had including the caterham's and decided on 8" fronts and 9" rears. Quite big generally and i may regret it but when they arrived and were fitted they definitely looked good.
Also style was something i was conscious of and it ended with a toss up between minilight style, rota Grids or these xxr 531.

(http://s24.postimg.org/4cbyhup0x/IMG_0672.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4cbyhup0x/)(http://s24.postimg.org/p93l8rxo1/IMG_0673.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/p93l8rxo1/)(http://s24.postimg.org/716r7vui9/IMG_0678.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/716r7vui9/)(http://s24.postimg.org/t85e5cbox/IMG_0686.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/t85e5cbox/)(http://s24.postimg.org/hqp1dvvox/IMG_2363.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hqp1dvvox/)(http://s24.postimg.org/40z3itxyp/IMG_2367.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/40z3itxyp/)(http://s24.postimg.org/fd73mvh9t/IMG_2374.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/fd73mvh9t/)

XXR 531 16x8 Gloss Black 4-100/4-114.3 [+0mm] 205/50/16 R16 87W Toyo Proxes T1-R
XXR 531 16x9 Gloss Black 4-100/4-114.3 [+0mm] 245/45/16 R16 94W Toyo Proxes T1-R

I looked around for the front wheel arches and decided on the clean look of the dax Rush. I wanted to mount these as cleanly as possible and as close to the wheels as possible as again i don't like the front arches floating high above the wheels at the front praying mantis style. I ended up fitting them on stainless brackets i made up and mounted to my Mc person strut modification parts. The arches were glued with Loctite DP 460 and then further layers of fibre glass and epoxy resin were added. They are very strong and the stainless bar seems to be doing well. I will have to test the vibrations at speed and adjust if needed. Also the front wheels can just be removed without removing the arches which was a requirement i wanted.

(http://s30.postimg.org/qbsm46w6l/IMG_3400.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/qbsm46w6l/)(http://s30.postimg.org/4p909f88d/IMG_3401.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4p909f88d/)(http://s30.postimg.org/dgg13orjh/IMG_3426.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/dgg13orjh/)(http://s30.postimg.org/9gdh56qgd/IMG_3427.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/9gdh56qgd/)(http://s30.postimg.org/7ppupyjjh/IMG_3428.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/7ppupyjjh/)(http://s30.postimg.org/hkll9xcvh/IMG_3429.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hkll9xcvh/)(http://s30.postimg.org/pjpy4zrzh/IMG_3431.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/pjpy4zrzh/)(http://s30.postimg.org/nclph2mp9/IMG_3432.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/nclph2mp9/)

I still have one to mount (just through laziness, not got round to it) and i would also like to find some smack rubber to coat the inside of front and rear arches to stop or help crazing when the undersides are pelted with gravel, any one have any ideas for this would be most helpful!
I am also yet to wrap the front arches ... I'm not sure if i want to leave them in the black gell coat or have them the same as the rest of the car.

For the IVA test i will put the standard Nissan rims and tyres back on as they will be fully covered by the arches with no exception as stated in the rule book (That will look odd!!! 15x6 front and back).

With the outside panels fitted, I wanted cover the top of the rear panel. I liked the look of the mohair items you could get for caterham's but without taking my car to the workshop in oxford the company couldn't do a lot. Plus the price was more than i wanted to spend at the time (focus on getting it through the IVA is priority not niceties). So instead i made an aluminium cover and wrapped it.

(http://s9.postimg.org/52x78ynyz/IMG_3319.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/52x78ynyz/)(http://s9.postimg.org/desya7lcr/IMG_3323.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/desya7lcr/) (http://s9.postimg.org/dwxahjpp7/IMG_3326.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/dwxahjpp7/)

It does the job for now. I also made a rear bulkhead panel out of aluminium and you guessed it i wrapped that also. I have been using satin black for any of the interior panels.

(http://s9.postimg.org/rwq5i7cnv/IMG_3318.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/rwq5i7cnv/)

I then drew up plans for the interior panels (tunnel). I didn't really research how others had done it but i new that i didn't want to many bolts or rivets showing inside the cockpit. I chose to make a front and rear section for the Tunnel, after some card board cutouts had been made i went back to work and cut and bent more aluminium into shape.

(http://s9.postimg.org/dviradyhn/IMG_3253.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/dviradyhn/) (http://s9.postimg.org/7cc4s8i57/IMG_3254.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/7cc4s8i57/) (http://s9.postimg.org/ykdkdbhej/IMG_3255.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ykdkdbhej/) (http://s9.postimg.org/pki5km02j/IMG_3256.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/pki5km02j/)
(http://s9.postimg.org/vrkctah23/IMG_3257.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/vrkctah23/) (http://s9.postimg.org/g3j5mi1gb/IMG_3258.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/g3j5mi1gb/) (http://s9.postimg.org/jec404grf/IMG_3259.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/jec404grf/)

With the two sections made separately it allows me to inspect the tunnel without taking all the dash board and scuttle off. Hopefully this will make engine/gearbox removal easier when it comes to it.

(http://s9.postimg.org/tjarpozbv/IMG_3275.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/tjarpozbv/)(http://s9.postimg.org/kunmi9job/IMG_3287.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/kunmi9job/) (http://s9.postimg.org/ghtodl0bf/IMG_3288.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ghtodl0bf/)

Whilst in the work shop i turned up an outer and button for my handbrake lever as i couldn't find a nice after market one that didn't look utter shite. I had already bought a gear knob with was in ally so they work together quite well. I glued this to the original nissan mechanism which i had fitted whilst doing other chassis work previously.

(http://s9.postimg.org/w9xvs4063/IMG_3446.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/w9xvs4063/)(http://s9.postimg.org/teg77i6sb/IMG_3449.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/teg77i6sb/) (http://s9.postimg.org/f46mw0qfv/IMG_3451.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/f46mw0qfv/) (http://s9.postimg.org/le6hwrf8b/IMG_3453.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/le6hwrf8b/)

I will make a gaiter for the handbrake lever and gear stick this week or next week also with will pretty much finish up the cock pit ready for IVA (with some radius covers here and there).

I also made two wing mirror mounts from ally with will be glued to the inside of the scuttle this week. Again using DP 460 maybe even with a thin layer of fibre glass (impregnated with the same glue) as a token gesture.

(http://s9.postimg.org/4nv47fgt7/IMG_3353.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4nv47fgt7/)

Very nice work 8)

Today had a very helpful visit from Iancider. Nice to see a finished kit car on the driveway (although it was his nit mine).
Talked through some mods i needed for the IVA but generally glad to see that i was on the right track.
This week i also started to add the wing mirrors. The first one went well and seem very strong so will now carry on with the other side (possibly tomorrow).

(http://s2.postimg.org/6idhtp0px/IMG_6818.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6idhtp0px/)(http://s2.postimg.org/ey7noxsyt/IMG_6819.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ey7noxsyt/)(http://s2.postimg.org/qw4mp37c5/IMG_6820.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/qw4mp37c5/)(http://s2.postimg.org/fii3dvwth/IMG_6835.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/fii3dvwth/)

I added an additional rear fog light for the iva, wired it in and disconnected the other one (for test at least).

(http://s9.postimg.org/un07whtej/IMG_6833.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/un07whtej/)(http://s9.postimg.org/xftfgitqz/IMG_6834.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/xftfgitqz/)

Then i added some stainless steel jubilee clips to the steering rack to stop the uprights fouling on the lower wishbones. With out rack stops they were so close but i don't want to risk them failing at the test and it was easy to add them so i did. 18mm-25mm jubilees did the trick.

See the before and after pics for differences (to follow).

Then to finish the day off and test the steering lock i took it for a spin down the lane ... (Gotta fit the front N/S arch soon as got covered in dog shite)

Believe me it was my pleasure - this is a lovely vehicle and beautifully built.

Ian

Believe me it was my pleasure - this is a lovely vehicle and beautifully built.

Ian

Looks very nice. When is your test set for?  :)

Ive got a bit if real work on now untill around may. so will have to wait to see if it settles out some time so i can book a date. untill then ill be making sugested radius modifications and finishing off the job list i have. reality is a road sighting towards te middle / other side if this year. but it will come :)

(http://s24.postimg.org/gmphjlqz5/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/gmphjlqz5/)(http://s24.postimg.org/3xzsdoa8h/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/3xzsdoa8h/)(http://s24.postimg.org/jr4qu4x5d/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/jr4qu4x5d/)(http://s24.postimg.org/xc04702c1/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/xc04702c1/)(http://s24.postimg.org/i0h4ewq8h/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/i0h4ewq8h/)(http://s24.postimg.org/9eduube8h/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/9eduube8h/)(http://s24.postimg.org/e2p9bre1d/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/e2p9bre1d/)(http://s24.postimg.org/u27wvba35/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/u27wvba35/)(http://s24.postimg.org/gb816uaj5/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/gb816uaj5/)(http://s24.postimg.org/l4n6xyhn5/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/l4n6xyhn5/)

I just had the breif thought that i could get some one else to send it through the test for me. But then i slapped myself into sence and although the thought of having on the road is something ive wanted for a long time, doing it myself is something i wish to accomplish along with the rest of the build.

Just a bit of research back to where my side indicators were Ian.

(http://s11.postimg.org/71bl1pp0f/Screen_Shot_2015_01_25_at_09_27_09.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/71bl1pp0f/)

So as long as they pass a radius test, on the front edge of the rear arches is fine (from the rule book).

(http://s7.postimg.org/bkyupvqrr/Screen_Shot_2015_01_25_at_09_26_52.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/bkyupvqrr/)


A second worry of mine was that the hazard warning light had to be red. But it just stipulates that there should be a tell tale light and doesn't comment on its colour. My switch itself emits a dull green light when sidelights are on and a brighter light when active (along with both indicator lights on the dash flashing together).

Can any one tell me how many (if any) switches should light up when side lights are on for IVA regulations. I can't seem to find any info in the manual.
Obviously there are no lights on initially when you get into the car at night for example. So you in theory wouldn't know where the sidelight switch is in the first place! But is this a requirement for other switches???

My lighting switch doesn't light up at all its an old stalk switch from a Mk2 Escort and that passed the only switches I have that any lights are my hazard warning switch that lights up red when in use (flashing) in time with the indicator dash warning lights. And the fog light switch has a small light on it again only when in use.

8)

Quote from: Bulldog Bri on 25, January, 2015, 10:17:23 AM
My lighting switch doesn't light up at all its an old stalk switch from a Mk2 Escort and that passed the only switches I have that any lights are my hazard warning switch that lights up red when in use (flashing) in time with the indicator dash warning lights. And the fog light switch has a small light on it again only when in use.

8)

Brilliant, thanks for the reply...

Hi Swampy, a belated welcome to the club. That's a great looking build you've got going there and interesting to see some other running gear being used, it's really coming together now.

Referring back to Camber Dave's earlier post about wishbone design, I was a bit concerned about the new ones I have just fitted, as they seemed similar to yours. They were supplied by MAC1 Motorsports after a failure I had late last year, when I managed to break off the front lower wishbone bracket, whilst under braking on track. The welds stayed intact it was the 'wings' of the bracket that failed, either by load and or a bit of corrosion - either way I've added a small angle plate to beef it up a bit, proving the wishbones are strong enough in tension, but the vertical loading might be suspect.

I'm sure Dave is correct about the potential weakness, but I'm sure they'll be ok on the road, but you might want to keep an eye on them if you venture out on track. Looking at the difference in the photos, the bracing on my wishbones does appear to run slightly further inboard than yours, which might give them a bit more strength in a vertical plane.

Good luck with the rest of your build and hope to see you out and about later in the year.
(http://s11.postimg.org/ylajtnljz/004.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ylajtnljz/)

Cheers for the coment Ed. I will keep an eye on all bits. I herd about your mod to suspension pickup also. will consider this after i get it through the iva. also like your roll bar and caster adustments. They are both someing else i have been preparing for following iva.
I noticed on Ian's westie that he drove around yesterday the front wishbones ( didnt see the rears ) are also made from ovalised tube ... is this standard on westfields and do they have problems i wonder ?

Hi Swampy,

The only complication on the switch illumination is the rear fog light indicator switch.  It should only illuminate when it is turned on (night or day) and it should be amber.  This one is often missed by the testers but some will be pedantic about it.  So at night you won't be able to find the fog light switch so that is as another way to look at it!

Regards
Ian

QuoteI noticed on Ian's westie that he drove around yesterday the front wishbones ( didn't see the rears ) are also made from ovalised tube ... is this standard on westfields and do they have problems i wonder ?

If there is a problem they haven't told me but the wheels haven't come off yet! The rears are also ovalised.

I had a probe around and there are some failures out there but it seems to be where the wrong materials have been used and it appears to be track day braking loads that cause the biggest risk of failure.

Ian

When filling out the forms for the IVA test what receipts exactly have people sent through with the application letter.
I do not have the donor car receipts nor do i have the chassis receipt. Ive got loads from general items through the build and a crap load of pictures.
Also can some one tell me what forms need to fill out. I got these a few years ago and want o make sure they are still the right ones.

(http://s15.postimg.org/97ghxcykn/IMG_6858.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/97ghxcykn/)(http://s15.postimg.org/kh97sb3lz/IMG_6859.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/kh97sb3lz/)(http://s24.postimg.org/3p60ri99t/IMG_6860.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/3p60ri99t/)

I have IVA4 (amateur built declaration) and IVA 1C (application for individual vehicle approval) filled out.

Do i need a confirmation of vin number from the DVLA also (i have just made up a 17 digit number as had no response from the DVLA originally)?

It is not a disaster if you don't have the original donor receipts but it does raise the risk of you getting a Q plate.  you should be able to link the engine number to the VIN plate recorded at DVLA and if you scrapped it there will be a valid record.  if you bought it from scrap ou would have a problem with provenance.  Have you caught the VIN number in any of you photos - you could recover it that way or have you glass left with it etched on?

Good luck
Ian

Nut caps are slowly turning up from ebay, have got some grill alluminium to cover the front side exits, started making handbrake and gear stick gaiters last night out of alacantara but now starting a buisy time at work so it all slows down again. Still looking for advise on IVA application papers. Im aiming for a Q plate as it will suit my car in that it isnt new and it is odd.

(http://s18.postimg.org/b0vy39d4l/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/b0vy39d4l/)(http://s18.postimg.org/i1evyx8l1/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/i1evyx8l1/)

Maybe give the DVLA another call about your VIN number. You don't need to worry about the build up form till registering. All they need for the IVA is the IVA application form and that can be filled in on online then printed to send. You will need a valid VIN number on the form and on your chassis for the test.

8)

THE SYSTEM WORKS ... well so far ... I went on the delve website to check out to see how to apply for a new vin or hopefully register my selected numbers. It suggests there will be a three day wait for some one to respond and what do you know some one did ... and on a Saturday!!!

(http://s18.postimg.org/4xjuce5d1/Screen_Shot_2015_02_14_at_11_06_25.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4xjuce5d1/)

Have sent a response week see how it goes

(http://s17.postimg.org/is9v64ivv/DVLA_Email_Reply_Page_1.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/is9v64ivv/)

So IVA this year may have nearly escaped my grasp... its amassing how the time flys ... Since my last post back in February I've been busy with work ... When you work away from home its not even like you can potter in the garage to get things done of an evening. However with that said the car has undergone a significant transformation ahead of the IVA test (date of test still unknown).

With the engine having sat around and not done a lot since its ejection from the donor car i decided that i would indeed rebuild it before the test. I was concerned about the internal condition of the engine and on disassemble i was right to do so. The water galleries were full of rusty gunk from different years. The mechanical internals were "the best seen" due to engine rebuilder Dave Yandell, which was a nice thing to hear. I left a deposit and instructions for a complete overhaul with the addition of forge pistons.

(http://s3.postimg.org/4q8qyh3cv/IMG_1090.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4q8qyh3cv/)(http://s3.postimg.org/qrz18inun/IMG_1094.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/qrz18inun/)(http://s3.postimg.org/ptio68ain/IMG_1342.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ptio68ain/)(http://s3.postimg.org/7yd8bipmn/IMG_1343.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/7yd8bipmn/)(http://s3.postimg.org/wy0hf9hrz/IMG_1344.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/wy0hf9hrz/)(http://s3.postimg.org/mwvn5y4ov/IMG_1345.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/mwvn5y4ov/)

The rebuild took approx. 1 month and so i took the time to buy some other goodies for its re installation in sept / oct time.

A new turbo was purchased with meant a new down pipe and turbo - intercooler pipe to be made. I bought a turbo housing to v band adapter which i am pleased with currently. Well see how it lasts when up to temperature and on the road. A mandrel bent pipe was bought for the down pipe instead of cutting and welding straight pipe to produce a curve. The out come was a lot tidier than the first attempt. Added lambda sensor and v-band clamps at both end provide a really nice and easy to install system. With everything getting tight inside the chassis with slightly bigger turbo housing i bought some poly bush engine mounts to stop the engine moving and fouling on its surroundings.

(http://s27.postimg.org/g2u2tcgof/IMG_0311.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/g2u2tcgof/)(http://s27.postimg.org/smg0plq3z/IMG_0319.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/smg0plq3z/)(http://s27.postimg.org/iivw76yr3/IMG_0398.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/iivw76yr3/)(http://s27.postimg.org/3x4viy1yn/IMG_0443.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/3x4viy1yn/)(http://s27.postimg.org/jsp48i35b/IMG_0582.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/jsp48i35b/)(http://s27.postimg.org/4nxloq4bz/IMG_0729.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4nxloq4bz/)

The injectors were ultrasonic cleaned just to complete the freshen up on the engine side, with matched and good spray patterns being the end result.

A crack in the inlet manifold was found and so repaired, shot blasted and sprayed before re fitment to the engine.

A new ecu map was bought from horsham developments to accommodate for the new modifications.

(http://s18.postimg.org/8d3gza6fp/IMG_2136.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/8d3gza6fp/)

A new clutch was ordered and because of the weight differences between the donor car and the kit car i decided on a lightened flywheel. Having fitted and run the engine the flywheel does give bad idling characteristics with the car at static and droping from higher revs. I hope that i can change this in the future with a change in the map, time will tell. The raving of the engine is a lot free'er with the new wheel.

(http://s18.postimg.org/j2h5rji8l/IMG_2633.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/j2h5rji8l/)
(http://s18.postimg.org/vftzyg7x1/IMG_2637.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/vftzyg7x1/)

Other engine related extras include a relocation of the oil filter (again for space restrictions) and an acusump system, however this will not be put on for the iva it will go on after the engine has been run in.

Re fitment of the engine went smoothly as if someone had thought about how it would go in an out when they built it ;)

First engine fire up (of the re built engine) went without a hitch and the recommendation to swap to evans waterless coolant has proved successful so far with temperatures at least 8 degrees lower and a lot more consistent in fan response at static.

Now the list of pre IVA jobs is being worked through ... interior trim such as gear stick and handbrake gators have been finished off by making aluminium surrounds and then wrapped in the same matte metallic brown colour as the body.
(http://s18.postimg.org/6wj8915p1/IMG_2721.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6wj8915p1/)(http://s18.postimg.org/b6xw4mas5/IMG_3010.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/b6xw4mas5/)
Both cycle wings have now been fitted and look great in my opinion. for the iva i will need to add wheel spacers due to the wings being made to fit the new wide wheels rather than the old stock wheels. The new wheels and tyres don't quite fit underneath but this was always going to be the case.
(http://s18.postimg.org/whvg8vswl/IMG_3051.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/whvg8vswl/)(http://s18.postimg.org/6de4zread/IMG_3052.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6de4zread/)(http://s18.postimg.org/quz3beqdx/IMG_3058.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/quz3beqdx/)
Both wing mirror mounts are now fixed in place although I'm still not sure of how good the motorcycle mirrors look.

Fule pipes have been changed from silicone items to bs stamped rubber pipes.

Vin number has been applied for AGAIN due to lack of correspondence from the DVLA (this only happened this week so updates will come for that hopefully within the next two weeks).
On asking for information this time round all members of DVLA staff on the phone were very helpful. Time will tell ...

The IVA test may get booked for early Dec ... Vin number and availability depending. I intend on it failing but just so i can at least have a list of things to change rather than unknowingly be chasing things in my head that may or may not be correct.

After trying to fit the dash and steering column together it seems I've missed a step somewhere as they do not fit together well... With the lack of radius along the bottom edge for IVA knee protection this may require a re design ... but at least the current dash will give me a start point and template for the components i wish to attach to it.

Current pics of the car as it stands are thus...
(http://s12.postimg.org/g6y8dkevt/IMG_3036.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/g6y8dkevt/)(http://s12.postimg.org/3prkqejq1/IMG_3037.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/3prkqejq1/)(http://s12.postimg.org/a7ah9wu3d/IMG_3039.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/a7ah9wu3d/)

Looking great. Some really nice details. One to be proud of and I bet it'll fly. Hope the IVA goes well.

They are both looking good.  8)  Hope it all goes well.

Good to hear from you again Swampy and to see it going so well!

Regards
Ian

Over the weekend i have been looking at ways to improve the dash for a couple of reasons.
1. to pass the IVA radius
2. to integrate it with the steering column

The radius for the IVA is fairly straight forward, however integrating the dash sucsessfully with the column i found harder.
I was going to use the original nissan cowling but it does not lend itself to good fitment and doesn't match any of the other interior plastics. So a new solution was found.
I used a piece of 110 clear tube that i had and shaped it to fit around the column and relevant switches. Using the clear plastic helped as i could see what was behind it before cutting allowing me to draw directly on to it in marker before i cut.
(http://s18.postimg.org/voy0dq2id/IMG_3088.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/voy0dq2id/)(http://s18.postimg.org/pgcok54xh/IMG_3090.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/pgcok54xh/)(http://s18.postimg.org/wd6uwo185/IMG_3092.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/wd6uwo185/)(http://s18.postimg.org/57payf5md/IMG_3095.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/57payf5md/)
I will wrap the surround in a satin black vinyl to mach the rest of the interior when i am satisfied it all fits.

Having made a new surround the dash hole i had created for the nissan item was massive and would require "amending".

I had made the original dash from aluminium and wrapped it with a good looking metal based carbon effect wrap and then covered it with a polycarbonate sheet to protect the dash gauges.

It had always bugged me and was never quite right in my eyes.
So last night i template the dash on Illustrator and in about 3 attempts made a template that i can use on a new dash.
(http://s14.postimg.org/9qdp2274d/IMG_3097.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/9qdp2274d/)(http://s14.postimg.org/h7mwh9wnh/IMG_3102.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/h7mwh9wnh/)(http://s14.postimg.org/oeold57kd/IMG_3103.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/oeold57kd/)(http://s14.postimg.org/6ps97s6fh/IMG_3104.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6ps97s6fh/)(http://s14.postimg.org/hmy6aaikt/IMG_3106.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hmy6aaikt/)

The new idea to make a dash is to buy a sheet of 6mm polycarbonate and apply this template to the top. It should reduce the weight of the old aluminium dash and with the template matching up the old dash and fixings it should fit into place as though nothing has changed! Thats the theory anyway.

Will buy sheet this week and update on situation next weekend ;)

Looking good. And best of luck with the IVA ;D

8)

Great detailed write up 8)

What figures are you expecting from the map?

Quote from: 'The Gaffer' on 09, November, 2015, 10:41:03 AM
Great detailed write up 8)

What figures are you expecting from the map?

Horsham sugest that the car will produce between 260 and 280 bhp with chip and relevant modifications but do not give a torque figure.
The engine standard power is 180 bhp or so i believe which is fairly low for a Japanese turbo engine.

We will see, once the engine is run in i will take it to horsham for a final tune.

See below the link for there website.
http://www.h-dev.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5030

Quote from: Swampy on 09, November, 2015, 11:00:16 AM

Quote from: 'The Gaffer' on 09, November, 2015, 10:41:03 AM
Great detailed write up 8)

What figures are you expecting from the map?

Horsham sugest that the car will produce between 260 and 280 bhp with chip and relevant modifications but do not give a torque figure.
The engine standard power is 180 bhp or so i believe which is fairly low for a Japanese turbo engine.

We will see, once the engine is run in i will take it to horsham for a final tune.

See below the link for there website.
http://www.h-dev.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5030

I would imagine that would be a mid to upper range tune and probably ideal for the car, much more that and the car would probably be a handful to keep on the road due to the light weight... Should be fun :)

Some progress this week. The polycarbonate turned up and it seems i went a bit mad and now have enough for two dashes ... at least it gives me a back up.
Ive finalised the nissan dial sillouette and have pretty much got the steering column hole in the right place ... I decided enough was enough and that i should actually make something instead of computer drawing. So here is the end results. Ive used a 3m silver Brushed metal for the dash instead of the origional carbon. I liked the effect and had some spare from work earlier in the year. I backed the perspex with a black gloss vinyl to stop the behind view of unwanted dash components. This seems to have worked well and adds depth to it. I have also pinstriped where the gauges show through in satin black just to make a crisp edge to the design. I will cut a steering column hole using a jigsaw when i am 100% i know where its going. Will use a scrap vinyl template using the square circle and star as reference. Its not been easy but has givem a different to the norm option wich i like. Need to work out how im going to radius the bottom "knee" edge for the iva and if its a good solution ill keep it for the future. i though i had an idea but its not ideal so looking for other options. Your advise is welcome !
(http://s30.postimg.org/iadszfjml/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/iadszfjml/)(http://s30.postimg.org/yk3z2bual/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/yk3z2bual/)(http://s30.postimg.org/l1x2q1i59/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/l1x2q1i59/)

Will be fitting the dash back in towards the end of this week... am still waiting for dvla responce to vin :( its only been a week i guess .

So a year (plus some) has passed since i started this build blog now wrongly named "ca18det based indy and IVA THIS YEAR . At least for the first time now its booked in for an IVA 23.03.16

Have a couple of things to report.
Firstly to start from where i left off last, the dash is now complete and ready for IVA inspection. The tempting paid off and a sticker was made from brushed aluminium effect vinyl wrap and applied. Necessary holes were cut in pre designed places, so repetition of a new dash can be made without moving components.

(http://s27.postimg.org/uvr6sxvbj/IMG_3141.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/uvr6sxvbj/)(http://s27.postimg.org/f6g1sqdvz/IMG_3150.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/f6g1sqdvz/)(http://s27.postimg.org/ejh537gzz/IMG_3157.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ejh537gzz/)

I added a black backing to the clear perspex so that additional light or other components couldn't bee seen by looking sideways through the sheet.

(http://s27.postimg.org/g55lmi5zj/IMG_3151.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/g55lmi5zj/)(http://s27.postimg.org/q16om5brj/IMG_3152.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/q16om5brj/)(http://s27.postimg.org/530io2bwv/IMG_3153.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/530io2bwv/)

I used the standard 200sx dash components to facilitate the majority of the engine running with the addition of three stack gauges to the left hand side, oil pressure, boost pressure and a water temp gauge, which also has a micro switch built in that can be set to turn on the rad fan (through relay).
I bought some polycarbonate pipe and managed to bend the end to follow the curve on the rhs of the dash. I did this by inserting a silicon pipe inside (to support the molten plastic) the perspex and then heating it and bending it as suited. It worked very well. I curved the rhs of the dash to allow easier access to the ignition barrel.
The pipe was then cut down its length carefully enough to allow it to slot onto the bottom of the new dash. This i will keep after the IVA but is not a large enough radius to pass the knee protection requirements on its own. So i will add additional pipe cladding covered in a premium tape (tessa tape) which will give a good effect that looks permanent and will keep the pipe cladding securely fastened to the dash rail.

(http://s18.postimg.org/go2inx4kl/IMG_3342.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/go2inx4kl/)(http://s18.postimg.org/4apoh0ew5/IMG_3351.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4apoh0ew5/)(http://s18.postimg.org/6mt30v23p/IMG_3352.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6mt30v23p/)(http://s18.postimg.org/jcxbdya1x/IMG_4549.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/jcxbdya1x/)(http://s18.postimg.org/3tzvgu1r9/IMG_4553.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/3tzvgu1r9/)(http://s18.postimg.org/iegybnwpx/IMG_4555.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/iegybnwpx/)

I was not sure how to approach the steering column shroud and i wanted something that would look like it was supposed to be there rather than on some kit cars with just look like an after thought. As i had got on well with the other polycarbonate parts i chose to do the same in this area. I took a measurement of the widest part of the stalk switch gear and bought a pipe with the same diameter and a length to match from the steering wheel down to the bulk head.
I carefully measured and drew on cut outs to the pipe and machined it using my pencil grinder. Because i bought clear pipe it was easy to see where i had to open up any holes or indeed where to start new holes. My intention was to then wrap it in black vinyl to match the rest of the interior trim, also covering any mistakes or scratches made.

(http://s16.postimg.org/51l95ta29/IMG_3086.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/51l95ta29/)(http://s16.postimg.org/66fbb6wj5/IMG_3087.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/66fbb6wj5/)(http://s16.postimg.org/os8vxxuep/IMG_3088.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/os8vxxuep/)(http://s16.postimg.org/enetm4181/IMG_3092.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/enetm4181/)

This pipe would solve a lot of under steering column IVA radius requirements and although it is offset to the steering wheel centre as you look at it from the drivers seat it does not look out of place more finishes off the area nicely.

I added some bobbins to the ends of my milage trip and dash clock switches with protrude and would have stupidly failed the radius test at IVA.

When all mounted and secured to the mk scuttle it seems to all feel sturdy as would hope and i think looks in keeping with the car. Its a different approach and i will only know if it looks right when i finally get it out of the garage and parked next to other kit cars.

Extra modifications for the IVA test have been to swap the new front rims to the rear so they sit comfortably under the arches, and stick the original 200sx rims on the front. New rubber was bought for these and suitable spacers to take up the offset built into the arch mounts. This is not the cheapest way round the problem but it did solve it for now... although it does look strange and a bit like a hover craft.

(http://s7.postimg.org/umwlwuiuv/IMG_4580.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/umwlwuiuv/)

With the car all in one piece i booked the car into a local garage to see if i could get an idea of a couple of problems i may encounter at the IVA centre. With the help of a friend (my current broken back and ankle not ideal at the moment) we drove or rather he drove us down yesterday in the very wet.

I wanted to...
1.Check the Brakes so i could finalise a position for the bias bar and immobilise it pre IVA.
2.Check the headlight alignment as i had herd of failures with the dominator style lights.
and
3.Check the emissions based on the new information from nissan who have now confirmed that the production date of the engine is 07.09.1993 and registration of donor car is 31.05.1994.

Firstly the brake rollers was an issue... I mentioned that the sump was the lowest point on the car and with it being sat right in the centre of the front track we should watch as the car drove into the rollers... sure enough the tester didn't and couldn't understand why one wheel wasn't reading correct... sure enough we were balancing on the sump (i wasn't very happy). Still no damage done and worse things have happened. We jacked up the ride hight and tried again and much to my disappointment the brake rollers started playing up and then was informed that "someone was coming to look at them after the weekend and would i mind coming back" ... again not great but thats how things are.
So we moved onto headlight alignment and as suspected the dominator lights provided a more flat beam pattern then standard uk headlamps. However the beam did also flick up slightly to the RHS.

Has anyone had any problem with dominator headlights going through the current IVA test. I'm happy to put through an american style flat beam unit as its in the IVA manual but would rather go down there with something thats trying to pass.

Lastly we put the car through the emissions test. Im still not sure about if the car requires a cat or not as I'm sure the donor car would have had one fitted as standard. But through listening to the folks on here in another post they have said that my dates should pass a "Non Cat test". I think there is a bit of a leak on one of my V band connectors after the turbo so i will address that as its throwing the lambda reading off. But also my carbon monoxide reading was high. This could be down to a couple of factors.

1. if my v band is leaking then it could be changing the lambda sensor reading and therefore sending in more fuel then is needed.
2. the garage could have been doing the wrong test (forgot to note down the readings at the time as my back was hurting so more concentrating on that).
3. the new map in the ecu could be sending more fuel through on idle (but i doubt that would be the case)
4. my lambda sensor could be faulty.
Ill start with the possible exhaust leak and work outwards from there.

Ill be popping back to the garage next week for a re test of these items and will take some pics to try to solve these areas before i head to the IVA test on the 23rd...

On the trip to the garage my "test driver" had noticed that although he could lock the wheels, the brake pedal was very hard. I have always thought this but also put the feeling down to being non servo assisted. On researching the issue i feel the only way to solve the hard pedal it to move the master cylinders lower down the pedal, nearer to the pivot point allowing a greater pressure ratio. My master cylinders are the smallest i can get at .625 or 5/8 so i can't down size anymore. The clutch too is a hard pedal and so if i have time in the next two weeks before the test i may make another bulkhead to lower both brake and clutch master cylinders further. I have done this once already and its beginning to look a bit messy behind the pedals so the would clear this aesthetic up also.

(http://s17.postimg.org/i7cijmu23/IMG_2665.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/i7cijmu23/)(http://s17.postimg.org/ep0in8t63/IMG_2669.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/ep0in8t63/)(http://s17.postimg.org/6xjsoop0r/IMG_4531.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6xjsoop0r/)

Time is certainly ticking down now !!!

Swampy,

Most people find the pedal on a kit car hard because they are used to servos - you just get used to it.  Not sure what callipers you have but if he feel concerns you in future you could move more fluid and soften the pedal by using multiple pot callipers with the existing master cylinder.  Callipers getting bigger instead of making the master smaller.

If you are concerned at getting the mapping just right and definitively finding the fault you could try Dave Griffiths at Interpro in Thornbury - that would be followed with a rolling road test for the definitive result.

Good luck Ian
Hope you back recovers soon

Cheers Ian, good suggestion on the brakes and emissions. Have looked today at the exhaust and managed to get a better seal on the v band clamps will check on the emissions tester again later this week.
With regards to the Brake feel i have a set of 4 pot callipers to upgrade to (from an s14 model 200sx). The current s13 model callipers are single pot so as you suggested this should provide some relief. However alongside the brakes the clutch too is quite a hard press and after the improvement i had earlier in the year with lowering its position by about an 35mm i would strongly consider doing it again.
I have all the material to do so, its just if i can get into the tight space now everything else is in place and if i can get the time to do it before the IVA on the 23rd. I think it would be worth it, my current peddle ratio is a poor 3.33:1 ratio not a 5+:1 which would be more ideal. The only problem i can see currently is that if i lower the master cylinders i will need to make sure that i have enough room left to fit the push rods in (cut down possibly) between the pedal and the bulkhead.

Whilst doing the emissions test the car seemed to puke a bit of coolant. Today I managed to find the source of two leaks, nothing serious just a bit more tightening needed on the jubilee clips. Ill keep an eye on them all over the next week before heading back on the road.
The emissions test was the first time the engine was brought up to a higher temperature. The fan cut in as needed and kept the coolant at a steady 97 deg c at high idle. Pressure obviously increased enough at this temp to leak at the two points. The evans waterless coolant does seem to be doing its job and i believe it would have boiled if it was standard antifreeze and water mix. I'm happy with this for the moment as obviously no air was passing over the rad or engine so the temps should stay like this or cooler when travaling.

Just found this government "DVSA help to pass IVA guide" whilst looking about for IVA pass info on google.

possibly useful but has been talked about on here too at length I'm sure.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individual-vehicle-approval-iva-for-cars-help-to-get-a-pass/individual-vehicle-approval-iva-for-cars-help-to-get-a-pass

Swampy,

This is a good and helpful guide but relatively new.  It is so much easier to understand in this pictorial way.  It explains why it is important.  The dome test can be easily simulated with a ball of the right diameter. 

Ian

Well that 7 in the 1st picture is never going to pass, it is clearly not yellow enough  ;D

Just a mention here (for anyone following the build) to the work ive done on sorting out my bump steer.

http://bristolkitcarclub.co.uk/smf2/index.php?topic=4635.0

Just a cheap way to get an idea of what my car was doing and a mod to suit it.

Quote from: Facial Hair Optional on 16, March, 2016, 11:19:40 PM
Well that 7 in the 1st picture is never going to pass, it is clearly not yellow enough  ;D

I think for a first time pass it needs to be Orange and black / carbon wrap

If a wrap is all it takes to pass then pfffshshhh i'll piss it ;)

Last thing to adjust on the front end is the Brake callipers. As suggested earlier on in the post a change to multi pot callipers from single instead of changing the brake master cylinder would give a better or softer at least brake peddle feel.
I recently acquired some 4 pot callipers from a nissan s14 200sx and as a direct fitment to my s13 uprights and original disc diameter size they provide to be a near perfect solution. They are made from steel but no heavier then the originals however. In future if i was feeling flush a set of aluminium versions of the same 4 pot calliper are available from the Z32 300ZX twin turbo.
I say nearly perfect upgrade ... i had a slight pants pooping moment when i tried to fit the standard nissan alloys over the new 4 pots and they rubbed ... NO GOOD... however the new bbs style alloys i intend on using after the IVA did fit much t my relief and with the spacers needed to fit the nissan alloys under the cycle wings they will be fine just for the IVA test.
(http://s9.postimg.org/msp5qdbzv/IMG_4673.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/msp5qdbzv/)(http://s9.postimg.org/6t6i6tfy3/IMG_4674.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6t6i6tfy3/)(http://s9.postimg.org/s5e04hzwb/IMG_4675.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/s5e04hzwb/)
They also look better then the four pots and with the NISSAN exposed on the casting it gives the keen eyed observer something to think about with the bonnet closed. ;)

IVA FAIL WOOOPIEEEE!!!!

I am actually glad ... couple of reasons,
1. With my current health situation i didn't think i would be able to walk as soon as i have been able to and therefore get to the IVA itself. I took along two friends who shared the driving for me and performed as test monkey for the test whilst i gave instructions.
2. Its so much easier then its made out to be ... there is a lot of hype about how hard the test is but if you follow the book and use some common sense whilst building (bearing in mind some things may come off after test) its a very achievable test.
3. I now have a list of "errors" to amend (not to long either) rather then trying to second guess the tester without having met him.

The test (in Avonmouth) took about 3.5 - 4 hours, its my opinion it could have been a lot quicker then this but i was happy that they did it at their speed rather then push them. A bit of banter between the tester my friend and myself certainly made the experience more enjoyable and he was very clear and helpful when it came to areas of failure or concern. He had very reassuring comments about my build which was a complement.
Showing up on time with a clean and complete build with plenty of documentation was a massive plus. It showed confidence and a pro active approach that is apparently lacking when people come to the centre, therefore started us off on a good foot.

So the failures.
(I will post pictures and my amendments with details when i have completed them all)

1. Service brake control (foot brake).
The bias bar was not locked and with the intention to set it at the centre if it was the only fail. Roll pins is the preferred method of fixing and is easy to do. Further to this is a balance failure that will need to be amended before re test. I had tried to do a brake roller test at the local MOT garage but their rollers were not working properly and so i chose to accept failure at the test in order to fix the problem properly.

2. Hydraulic and vacuum systems.
Basically i could not prove that the non pressure brake fluid pipe from brake reservoir to master cylinder was suitable for brake fluid. It is and i will be calling earls to ask for a spec sheet of the pipe. I may have to buy a meter just to prove it is the same pipe.

3. Brake performance.
The rears are locking before the fronts. In an attempt to fix this problem or at least improve the front braking efficiency days before the test I fitted a set of four pot calliper to the front (increasing piston area overall from originals). However this did not have the desired effect as the master cylinder also needed changing to compensate for the extra piston area and therefore actually made the rears lock even sooner then fronts. Therefore the standard callipers were again fitted with acceptance that they would probably cause a fail.
I will re fit the four pots and find the correct master cylinders over the next couple of weeks and test on a working set of rollers along with locking the bias bar before i go for re test.

4. Interior fittings.
The ecu which is in the passenger foot well (roof) did not conform with the radius test. Along with the inside sides of the scuttle panel protruding further then the chassis rails. Both an easy fix.

5. Exterior projections.
My adaptation of mc pherson strut to double wishbone part did not have a radius to suit requirements. An annoying fail as it would not cause an issue to some one walking into the car but a rule is a rule and it has to be changed.

6. Speedometer.
I can't remember it ever not working but there again i can't clearly remember it working. On the way to the test i did notice that it wasn't working which was bummer but the tester reassured me that as i had used all parts from a single donor car with no ratio change any where it should pass when re tested and suggested i GPS tested it before hand.

7. Statutory Plates.
This was a F£%@er! I had once welded in and then un-welded a vin plate to the chassis after the DVLA said i was unable to chose my own Vin plate (classic case of ask the correct questions to the right people and don't believe everything written in forums). When i finally got a DVLA issued Vin number i welded it in seam welded all-round so not easy to remove.
When we got to the test the first thing checked was the Vin and plates. The one in the chassis has to be on the RHS of the car !!! It is written in the IVA book and i missed it. I intact put it in the passenger footwell to save it getting stood on every time the driver got in and out. Forgetting you can see it from the right hand side it is technically in the wrong place and again rules are rules and it needs to be changed! The car may end up having two (of the same) Vin numbers in, one for British rule and another for the european market ;)

8. Rear Fog lamp.
Again another common sense failure from the rule book writers. The tester failed the fog light and pointed it out as he did so. I was confused as i had checked the measurement knowing it was only on there for the IVA test and would be integrated into the rear lights after test. The minimum height of the fog light is 250mm from floor. Mine sits at about 220mm but the light top is at 300mm so 50 mm in the allocated area. The tester said that the light emitting area of the light must conform to the rules. I asked if the Fog light has a required size to which "No" was the answer. I asked if blocked the light from inside the lens would this be sufficient (as it would still retain the E mark on the outside)? "Yes" was the response. A complete farce in my opinion even more so considering as the name suggests the FOG light will be used in the FOG and in said FOG the measurement to floor hight will not be easily seen due to the wall of red cloud behind the kit car driving through the low altitude water mass.
An easy fix but annoying.

THATS IT ! :)

Now, after leaving the test i realised that without the speedo test (which i presume is done part on rollers and part in the car park) a self centring test was also not carried out. As i informed the tester that the speedo wasn't working the only time we went outside was to test noise. Technically the car hasn't failed on this and so shouldn't be retested but if the car does go outside with the tester i don't want it to fail if it is not sufficient enough. My indy is not the standard Sierra setup and so does have some self centring, it currently also has some over centre issues near full lock and its my opinion that these would not aid a pass. I will look into it and have rose jointed wishbones to add more caster if needed and to be on the safe side.

(http://s24.postimg.org/hqqzij0f5/IMG_4738.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hqqzij0f5/)(http://s24.postimg.org/4jwy59fc1/IMG_4743.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4jwy59fc1/)(http://s24.postimg.org/6afz6qwv5/IMG_4755.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6afz6qwv5/)(http://s24.postimg.org/sl3u6pu5d/IMG_4763.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/sl3u6pu5d/)(http://s24.postimg.org/nimibxkv5/IMG_4764.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/nimibxkv5/)

Was brilliant to get the car on to the road legally and straight out of the box wasn't a bad first effort (even if it has taken 10 years to get this far !!!). Its a hobby not a chore though. Got a couple of quick snaps and some camera car assisted video shots. With me in the van filming it was a overwhelming site hearing and seeing the car accelerate towards us and when throttle left off the chatter from the turbo was a cherry on top.

Thats the worst of it done though. You now have a list of things to do which is ok, but have an even bigger list of things that you don't have to do! Like the driving test, there's a lot of b****cks involved. As soon as you pass, you can more or less do your own thing.

Yes, that's not a bad list to have to work through - all seems do-able. When is the restest?

Not a bad result at all, Tony down there is a nice chap, and like you said, I think if there was a lot wrong with your car it would take a lot longer as he does explain what they manual says and what needs to be done to fix it. He would have checked your mirrors outside as well when he did the sound check, and part of manoeuvring into position he would have seen some degree of steering self centring, which I believe is all that is needed.

I'm not sure about your brake theory, are you sure you have the front and rear master cylinders round the right way? If you put bigger pistons on the front then they will give more effort than the ones they replaced, you won't have any gain if you change the master to a larger one as well. I have a great spread sheet for calculating brakes (not created by me) if you want it. Don't forget the total piston area will need to be divided by two if it is a fixed 4 pot calliper.

We had a similar fail point on fidodido's 2b a couple of weeks ago, the front indicators were too low by 30mm, so a simple fix of bending the bracket up brought they high enough and passed.

Its seems bazar that you can drive a car that you have built from scratch legally on the road with no number plate to the IVA, but in a good way!!

He will only retest the things he failed it on do you should be ok..

Cheers for the comments chaps ... re test not booked as yet i will ring tomorrow to see what the availability is like then that will at least give me a deadline.
When I've added the four pots to the front the pedal was completely different (softer). The master cylinder (both front and back are .625) was not large enough meaning that the fluid for the rears had pushed through and rear brakes were on and the fronts had hardly moved in the same pedal moment.

But yes, everything is achievable and should be done in a couple of weeks (he says).

Well done Swampy!

I think I am the only member to have seen this car in the flesh so far and I know how much care you have taken and what a beautiful job you have made of it.  As Damouk said they will only retest the (minor) items you failed on.  I am guessing you are going back for a correction re-test and it was not a complete fail.  So if it is the former it is a bit like advisories on an MoT but on this one occasion they have to be done before it gets its certificate.  Your timing is also immaculate and you should have it ready for sunny days.

Some things are a little nonsensical but rules are rules.  The one that gets me is the headlights regulation.  The UK fought for its right to use the kick-up to the left on the dipped beam but in Europe that is not acceptable AND we have to put deflectors on the headlights when we go there.  The Europeans have dip-down headlight beams and can come here protected by EU regulations and drive legally but we are not allowed to do the same under UK regulations!

Good luck with the re-test - Ian

You should fly through next time mate. Good luck with the retest.  :)