thespannerman

Passed my SVA on 3a with no windscreen. Bolted some motorbike mirrors through the end of the demister vent slots (no need to drill holes till screen is fitted).

Made up my own vin for SVA March 09 Never got questioned, no probs. Format is manufacturers initials + model code + numbers to 17 digits. Read that if you ask for a vin comes off the list for reshelled vehicles so the police like to stop you for vehicle checks.

Passed SVA March 09 with 11 inch Mountney. Cut out a disc from a piece of foam kneeling mat about half inch thick. With impact adhesive, covered it with leather cloth and stuck it in middle of wheel.

Have a look hear racetep.com for dgv set up

Donor vehicle tax ran out pre sorn. So had no tax reminders in 11 years of ownership if that makes a difference?

Went through Lincoln DVLA. After my new kitcar log book came through got a letter from Swansea to say donor did not exist and no tax liabilities were due. Have to dig out the letter and check wording.

B&Q aint cheap. Up in the North we have Wilkinson's who are a god send. My best friends were Nitromores (paint stripper) and scoaring pads. Don't forget the rubber gloves!!! Get to know your local motor factors, they'll bend over backwards to help (mine love the challenge of a long needs list). All Halfords sell is chrome plastic and led's, tell a lie you can pull all the belts out the packets to measure them without getting hassled. While your feet are up get making lots of lists, don't go anywhere without my note book in my pocket.

If in doubt best to run a solid pipe with rubber bends on the ends. CBS do them with flared ends (stops pipes blowing off), standard lengths and special orders. Then you can make some nice p clips to size out off ally strip and mount to chassis. I used some copper plumbing pipe (solder olives on the outside instead of flaring).

An Adress sticker is the norm, they don't come gift wrapped you know!

Running rad in engine bay of 3a (inboard suspension). Got a cheap puller shroaded fan and water hose( with fan switch hole) from RH. Cut down fan shroad till blades just mist rad fins. Mounted offset to side of rad with cable ties and foam padding (not to touch rad fins). Joined water hose to cut down cortina top hose, used a mark2 fiesta fan switch (has spade connectors). Wired up fan switch with relay and fuse across starter motor (Cuts fan on hot restart ie. stalled). Think wiring diagram is on NW HOODS site? Running a non pressurised header to a millets metal drinks bottle and push bike cage (kept melting plastic ones - can push out a bit off steam when self bleading). Hope this helps Spanner Man

Running a 3a with no servo just fine. Cut up the old servo for the push rod (clips to brake pedal). Mounted master cylinder (suplied RH) with a bit of box section to take up thickness of servo. Ball end of push rod just sits in master cylinder cup, can't fall out with pedal right back. Run one brake pipe to rear through unmodified mini brake limiter, spare outlets an master cylinder and limiter blanked with blead nipples (limiter has concave seat but seals well). Why run without a servo? By the time I had the engine positioned, pedal box mounted (6ft 4in) and the stearing shaft to miss alternator I'd run out of room for one. Drive like a motorbike, apply the brake and squeeze the pedal (good feed back). Can still lock the fronts no problem, PS: passed SVA with good front/Back bias (can adjust by modifying limiter -do a search or post).

Why are some DVLA offices so clueless? Needs addressing. Had mine registered at Lincoln DVLA, where the office manager handles all the kitcars (top bloke). Submitted all my paper work in person and booked my bui. Had to wait 10 days for bui as they only do them on set days of block booking. Had inspection by said manager, then waitted half an hour to get age related plate. Manager passes paperwork onto front desk where they take your money and issue a tax disc. Took 45 mins.

Following a flat bed transit on a motorbike doing 60+, when a setee cushion flew up off the back. Ducked down flat to the petrol tank as the cushion skimmed the back of my crash helmet!!

My 3a had similar prob. Had a vacuum build up in tank. Running the old sierra filler neck, so put a one way valve (CBS) in a Tifosi nut cover over the overflow pipe outlet. Thought i was fine with vented filler cap but vents out only!!

Need the right size slim spanner to slip onto flats on back of fan. Then shock the spanner with a well aimed hammer blow. Leave the cam belt and alternater belt on to help hold the water pump still.

Paid £35.50 mains, £21.96 big ends in 2006. Prime the oil pump with a drill attachment on the pump drive with dizzy removed.

Just read Big Jim's reply about gauges. I run a mark 5 escort clock (supplied with 3a), when running at 70mph the temp points to the M of the NORMAL text. Hope this helps.

Top up the radiator and then start the engine with the rad cap still removed. When the thermost opens the pump will blow any air to the radiator, so keep squeezing all the hoses and topping up the rad as it warms up. When no more bubbles put the rad cap back on. Make sure the rad cap blow off is connected to an overflow bottle with the tube end in coolant, then as the engine cools it will draw coolant from the overflow bottle back into the radiator. I run a Millets alloy drink bottle sat in a bicycle bottle cage as an overflow tank (Drill bottle cap for pipe to radiator and second pipe vent to air). Just shake bottle to check coolant level till system bled and levels settled. PS: Make sure your rad cap has two rubber seals and a little spring loaded return valve in the centre.

If its a Bosch inductive dizzy its just an amplifier (no map). Should be available from your local motor factors. Check your price before bidding.

Check your bearing clearances with PLASTI GAUGE on dry run build up of crank and big ends. Check for extra text on back of old main shells. Some pinto's like mine have +0.4 main jornals (Ford line bored some out of tolerance blocks a bit more). +0.4 jornals with standard shells could move on the shell locating peg and pinch the crank (just a thought.) I paid a bit more for heavy duty bearings (piece of mind). Did you check your thrust washer end float? Hope you get sorted.

Down load form V627/1 -Built Up Vehicle Inspection Report off Vosa website. Then pick up V55/5 (carbon paper) from you local DVLA office. They'll help you fill it in when you submit your paper work and book your BUI inspection. My local office (Lincoln) said I could drive to the BUI with my chassis number insurance, but check with yours. PS: You can't ring them so do it in person, can't ask for help with forms if you trust it to the post office.

Don't change too many things at once or you will miss what the problem was.

Disconnected the cold start rubbish on the dizzy vaccum. Left in the biggest plastic vaccum hold thingy in line straight to vac point on carb. Biggest problem I think was the plastic valve on bottom of manifold not working, so connetced the accelerater pump blead? diaphragm straight to the other vac point on base of carb. Set up the mixture watching the rev counter with a mirror, weaken off till revs drop then richen up a bit. Check the jets, running standard cortina set up (135/130 main, 170/125 air cor). Took for a run and was much improved with alot cleaner advance curve. Got the timing light out and advance from 6 to 8 degrees, instantley gave the feel of more power. Must be getting at least 100bhp now. Back to chasing water and oil leaks now (330 miles on clock), no thought of wind screen and hood yet (having too much fun with a crash helmet). The two bridge pieces that span the ventures on carb throats have different size drillings. The one with the biggest hole I have put in the first choke ie. smallest choke with biggest jets. Is this right or do they need changing over? Thanks The Spanner Man

On my series 3a used a Halfords blind spot mirror. Kidney shaped, plastic mirror surface, stickey pad at £14.99. Got some Z1 motor bike mirrrors from my local motorbike factors, e marked at £19.99. Bolted them through the end of the demist slots. Passed SVA Hope this helps

APNR cameras only pick up plates with straight sides and square corners. So those smile shape plates on the back of Rover 75s and the like don't get recognised. Fit a pair on your hood and you can smile all day too. My other car has two wheels.