The Locost7

[Iancider]

The regs say they have to be present and working but I didn't observe a test specifically.  So if the engine hasn't run long it will show cold and if there is virtually not fuel, the gauges will correctly show zero.  Both could pass when not working at all - bizarre.   

P.S. don't forget on older cars gauges and sender must be matched types to get the right indication.

Good luck with it Bri.

[Bulldog Bri]

Argh!!  IVA date postponed by VOSA  Now have to wait till Mid Nov for my re-test

Also a bit more info on VOSA stations (Nicked from a post on the Locostbuilders site)

Vosa test stations

Some info on the test stations

Vosa has confirmed it will cease testing at nine further vehicle testing stations by the end of the current financial year.

The Vosa stations that will cease testing by the end of March 2014 are in Beverley, Cardif, Calne, Edinburgh, Kidderminster, Northampton, Southampton, Wolverhampton and Wrexham.

The exact dates on which each will cease testing have not yet been determined, a spokeswoman for the agency said.

No decisions have been taken for the next financial year, either, she added.

"However, our strategy of taking testing closer to the customer will continue as planned and more tests will be carried out at ATFs [authorised testing facilities], away from Vosa test stations," she confirmed.

In the longer term, she added, Vosa's strategy remains "to transfer all testing to privately-owned sites."

In July, Vosa announced the opening of the 350th ATF, based in Bridgwater, Somerset and run by Morrisons.

The ATF Operators Association said it welcomed Vosa's decision to close test stations but "in order to help support further ATF expansion, we need a schedule of closures from Vosa with dates well in advance otherwise we risk competing against Vosa tets stations but at a huge disadvantage because its more expensive to the end user to use an ATF".

"It's a chicken and egg situation; we are shouting to Vosa to close test stations so that ATFs can open, but they are saying 'you open and then we'll close stations'," said Stephen Smith, president of the ATF Operators Association.

"I opened my first ATF hoping for Purfleet to close early but ended up waiting 18 months which cost me £30,000 in lost revenue," he added.

[benchmark51]

That's a bummer!
Still only a few weeks away

[Bulldog Bri]

That's a bummer!
Still only a few weeks away

AGAIN 

[Bulldog Bri]

All back on again.... They've got another tester coming in from 'Up North'

[Iancider]

Brian,

I feel for you and lived this pain.  I worked like stink to get my car ready for summer and succeeded only to get a test in December on the bleakest day of the winter.  It was minus two (as cold as it gets in Brass monkey terms ) and a 30mph wind.  I could hardly grip my Pass Certificate in the end!  But boy what a Christmas present that was!

Best wishes
Ian

[Bulldog Bri]

This is it! IVA-Day AGAIN! 

[robp]

This is it! IVA-Day AGAIN! 

Good luck, Bri!

[YellaBelly]

Spanners crossed matey

[Daley Down Under]

All the best Bri

[paintman]

Well, did it pass Bri?

[Iancider]

Hope it went well

Ian

['The Gaffer']

And? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Well? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

[Bulldog Bri]

IT PASSED!!!!!!!

We got there nearly an hour early but the guy was ready and we went straight on with the test.I had 1 locking nut missing, And Ed (found one on his trailer that did the job. The speedo was nearly another small problem as the sensor doesn't read from a driven wheel, but as we'd done the appropriate calculations, the tester just took it around the yard and reckoned it was reading about right! .

So it's just down to a paper chase now with the DVLA, hopefully that won't take too long. 

[dave_bence]

That is excellent news

Well done Bri

['The Gaffer']

Well done Bri. I bet thats a relief

[benchmark51]

Well done, wadya gonna do with all your spare time? I know start another.

[Lucky Ed]

I didn't want to steal your thunder Bri and spill the beans before you had the chance.

Bri struck it lucky with the stand in Geordie examiner, he was a friendly and chatty guy and allowed a bit of tinkering along the way. Once Bri got the gist of giving the correct responses when prompted, it all went very well

It was interesting to see how it all worked, and I found it quite nerve racking - and it wasn't even my car

Well done mate - hope to see the car out and about soon.

[Bulldog Bri]

I do want to say a very big thank you to all that have helped me during the build, Pete, Ian, Colin, Ed, Tony, Dave to name a few.

BTW. Lets see that pic Ed. Was great to get me paws on that piece of paper.

[Iancider]

Well done Bri,

Completely deserved after all of this effort!  I reckon a set of thermals is now required to enjoy a few outings.

The tester was wrong about the speed sensor - the preference is for an undriven wheel or they over-read when you spin the wheels!  On front wheel drive cars the preference is for rear wheel sensing for the same reason.  But over all he got it right!

Yehhh!

Ian

[Daley Down Under]

Spot on news Bri - well deserved. 

[Lucky Ed]

HAPPY CHAPPIE

[dave_bence]

That's the happiest looking chappie I've seen in a long time 

[YellaBelly]

Well done Bri!

I've got one of those exact same pictures, at the exact same spot! Great feeling ain't it?

Don't forget to photo-copy the MAC chap, 'cos once the DVLA types get it it's gone forever! I will eventually get mine framed, after all it took 7 years to get it

Well done again mate, looking forward to seeing it in the flesh one day.

JB

[Moleman]

Well done mate. 

[Hairy Santa]

just got an MOT to get it through now then 

[YellaBelly]

just got an MOT to get it through now then 

If it's a new reg Pete then it won't need one for 3 years.

[Sprint 7]

Well done Bri.I was driving the marked police car that you pulled out in front of exiting the test centre and wondered who was the happy or sad  bloke with the BKCC sticker on the rear panel of his '7'.Us boys in blue(police staff) don't miss much you know.
Excellent result.

[garry h]

Well done Bri that grin is justifiably deserved 

['The Gaffer']

Well done Bri.I was driving the marked police car that you pulled out in front of exiting the test centre and wondered who was the happy or sad  bloke with the BKCC sticker on the rear panel of his '7'.Us boys in blue(police staff) don't miss much you know.
Excellent result.

[paintman]

Well done Bri, now you're have to learn to drive a '7'......bit different than a Bulldog!

['Mendip Wurzel']

Brilliant Brian ... top marks and well deserved

[Bulldog Bri]

All's seems to be going smoothly on the registration side, all paid up and just waiting to hear back from the DVLA.

While I've been waiting, I've got on with sorting a windscreen for the car. After trying to bid and buy from Ebay a few that have appeared, and lost I've decided in the true context of building my own car from scratch, so why cheat this last bit?

I've followed the book on making a jig, to make my own.

First off, is to make a template of the screen size I want. from the centre I took out a circle the same diameter as the corners, this will be the wheel on the bending bar.

After that I made up a bar with the wheel this will help keep the channelling straight while it's being bent.






I will be heating up the Aluminium channel (annealing it) to soften it up before bending. Fingers crossed by the end of the weekend I should have a frame ready for some glass

As usual work gets in the way of play

['The Gaffer']

Credit where it's due mate

[Iancider]

Always imnpressed by you resourcefulness Brian - that is a proper bit of Egyptian Technology there.

[Moleman]

Nice one Bri. Stick a few more holes in it afterwards so you can see were you are going. 

[paintman]

That's what I was thinking...lol

[Bulldog Bri]

Nice one Bri. Stick a few more holes in it afterwards so you can see were you are going. 

Sure I wrote 'Template' on there

[Daley Down Under]

Good work Bri

Cheers Adrian

[Bulldog Bri]

The frame turned out ok. Here's a little Video I made while making it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMySHAmI2_4&feature=youtu.be

After the little blooper, I remade the bending bar with steel sides and finished it, a few skaggs and scratches but they'll polish out, on the whole not a bad result.