harvs

Great, thanks guys - some good stuff. I like the sound of the dome nuts. Not sure if the bolts may be high tensile, so may be a bit tricky to saw off, but will give it a go. For the glass fibre / exhaust wrap - does this stick to it's self or would I need some method of sticking it on? Cheers for the help Harvs

Hi I need to cover the 3 bolts near the cat/silencer... and the nut for the lambda sensor which is welded to the exhaust tube... Obviously most rubber fittings would probably melt, so will likely need something made of metal. I guess I could use exhaust past to 'glue' something on etc. Just wondered what creative ideas others have come up with / suggestions etc?! Many thanks Harvs

Many thanks for the photo Andy - it really helps. Is that a flat bar all the way across, or is it angle bar for some of the streatch? Is it something like 4mm thick? LukieZ - yep, congratulations on your fist time IVA pass! When news of the new regulations came out, I bet there weren't many people thinking they'll be first time passes so soon! Hope you get it registered soon too

Yep. I've got to add some additional trim to the front edge, between the pillar support and the frame. I'd added trim to the other edges of the supports and thought the front edge would be ok, but obviously not. The glass has some etching on which seamed to be ok - think it was E17 in a circle. The wipers worked well, which was handy as I went through a couple of showers!

Had my IVA test yesterday, which wasn't as bad as I had feared! The tester was really fair - talking my through what test he was doing, what he was looking for etc and giving advice on how to make things better. Now, the list of fail points...! 1. Speedo not working (it was working when I set off, but broke when I got to 70mph!) 2. Side lights not working (they had been, so I'm hoping it's just a fuse) 3. Need to have a manufactures plate attached to chassis 4. Need to strengthen the underfloor where the inner seat and seatbelt bolts are attached. (Think this will be the most tricky bit to fix, but could look at adding a steel bar all the way across the car) 5. Rear reflectors need to be 90 degrees to road 6. Need reversing lights (these were not required for SVA, but are for IVA) 7. Wiring near the exhaust pipes - need to insulate for heat better 8. Fuel tank leak - I'd filled the tank up pretty full (as requested for the test) and when the car jumped about getting on and off the test rollers some petrol escaped through the vent - need to route the vent a bit higher up 9. Various additional trim and nyloc nuts to be added and to tidy a couple of bits of wireing, but nothing major. So, hopefully not too bad a list. I'm really pleased it passed the emissions test as I'd heard that some of the superspecs had had some problems. It felt like the IVA was pretty similar to the SVA with a few more requirements rather than a completely new set of daunting requirements! So for anyone else who didn't get their SVA application in on time or is still building, there hopefully isn't too much to worry about. A few of the new requirements (from what I picked up yesterday, not a complete list) are... 1. Seats must have support for the head 2 Brake fluid reservoir must have a Dot 4 label 3. Manufacturers plate (I believe you can make these yourself) 4. Reverse lights Now I've got a to-do list, I can crack on and work through them. Will likely be back soon to ask for some help though! Harvs

good luck with that! I'm hoping to get mine on the road soon too. I live in leeds now, and visit my parents now and again who still live in Barnsley. Once I've got mine on the road, maybe I'll have to do a little detour to check yours out too!

For the superspec, VOSA wanted a couple of things from robin hood.. 1. The quantity of turn key cars that RH have produced in the last 3 years 2. Confirmation that RH were happy to include my vehicle in their quota Ian from RH helped me out. I drafted an email covering the two points above, Ian added the turn key figure and then forward it on to VOSA. I'm really appreciative of the help from RH, otherwise I'd be pretty stuck!

Hi Nigel I stuck them in a boiling kettle for a little time to soften it up first. Just noticed you're in barnsley - I was born there!

It's in mid June. I was offered an earlier slot, but it wasn't convenient. So not too far away! I've been building it for over 5 years so not in a massive rush to get it tested! Quite interest to see how many tress will be required to produce my list of fail points.....!

I've got an IVA test date! RH kindly supplied the required info to VOSA so that my vehicle can be tested as a low volume vehicle rather than as an amateur build. From what I can tell, the test is exacely the same, but should be a little cheaper (hopefully get some cash back from VOSA.....). Better get it finished off!

Hi I've submitted my IVA application and just received a phone call from VOSA asking about the build of my superspec. They wanted to know if I had receipts for the build etc. As it was supplied as a complete kit, I only have the one receipt from Robin Hood. They said they would have to take some guidance and that it may be that it would get tested under the low volume manufacture rather than as an amateur build. Just wondered if anyone knows what the implications would be? Would the low volume manufacturer rules be more stringent? Cheers

Just got a letter from VOSA with the IVA application included . I suppose I've only got myself to blame for not getting the application in on time. Am a bit disappointed though, that being a few days late will now cost me >£500 and require numerous changes (and possible additional expense, eg new screen....). Ah well, at least I'll be one of the first to have an IVA. How exciting

Posted my SVA form yesterday. Not sure if I'm too late for an SVA test, but hopefully they'll just add my application to the backlog of them instead of making me reapply for an IVA test. I couldn't see any IVA forms on the VOSA website anyway, so not sure how they expect us to apply for an IVA test if they only provide SVA forms! Anyway, fingers crossed...

It's taking me so long to finish my build, I'm more worried about what the regulations will change to next, after this latest change....

Cheers Guys That's strange - I called them today and they said they didn't do it.... I'll try them again and see if I speak to someone who knows a little more. Maybe I'll get through to one of these......! Fluxbabes

It's that time of year again and I still haven't finished building it!! I've been using Footman James for build up insurance which they are quoting £68 to renew. Does anyone use anyone else? I've tried a few others (eg Adrian Flux) but they don't seam to offer build up insurance or need a reg number. Just wanted to check to see if I can find a cheaper insurer before I renew with Footman James.... Cheers Harvs

Maybe the wet weather will give you the opportunity to fit the wet weather gear?! Hope you get to go for a good drive in it soon....

I had a 1.8 in an MGF. Head gasket went twice before it got to 80k miles. Really liked the engine though - just should have fixed it myself instead of going to a main dealer!! If you keep an eye on it - checking coolant levels and for any milky stuff in the oil, then I don't think it should be too much of an issue to put you off going this route. If it's in a seven type car then access would be really good, so replacing the head gasket shouldn't be too much of a problem and not too expensive if the worst happens... Good luck with it...

Great, thanks for the info Tony Really glad you got it sorted with the kit as supplied by RH. I've done all my wiring now, so if I have any trouble with emissions at SVA, shielding will be the first thing I look at! Hope you get it registered soon. Thanks again James

Congratulations Tony! Please can I ask a quick question.... Did you use the standard ECU from RH? There are quite a few posts on the superspec failing the emissions test, so just wondered how you did it?! Have fun with the driving! Hope you get a few dry days in before winter gets here! James

I think the best way to know for certain would be to test the wired connection with another computer - any chance of borrowing a laptop to try it out? Guess it would be a pain to test the computer with someone else's internet connection? Have you ever had the computer wired connection working? If it is the computer with the issues, it could be due to the motherboard not being set up correctly. When I build my computer I had to use a CD that came with the motherboard to set up / install the LAN connection.

Congratulations! Enjoy the summer

Hi Dave I've been building my super spec for nearly 5 years now! I keep pushing out the date when I'm going to finish it (original plan was around 3 months!) I'm still happy with my progress through - just go in the garage when I really want to, and don't put any pressure on myself to finish it... If you've got it turning over, then I think you've achieved the biggest milestone. It's downhill from there! If you've got any problem areas with the build, then I'm sure you'll be able to find the answer from someone on this forum. Without this forum, I'd have probably given up by now! Good luck with it... Harvs

Hi John Here's a picture of RH's SS demonstrator.... It's a tight fit, but should go in ok Hope this helps Harvs

I used a bit of silicon sealant to keep the black connectors firmly in place. It gets very tight in the scuttle once the wipers, speedo cable etc are in place so you don't want the connectors being knocked out...!