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Adrian Flux ought to be able to do better than £1800! I've got a 1.6 pinto in a 2B and last year they charged me £500 fully comp, 3000 miles - I was only 20 then. I'd give them a ring and have a talk with them about it - the online quote I got was higher than when I called them.

I know the weather's not looking great but is anyone risking it on Friday? I'll be setting off mid-morning and making a few stop along the way. I'll be calling in to see my parents in Newark - I'm sure I could arrange tea and hobnobs if anyone wants to make a stop before getting to the showground?

Hi, I'm planning on driving the 2B up to Newark from Southampton on Friday - is anyone else making the journey from the South? It'd be good to meet some other Hoodies along the way! Edward

Hi, according to an old Robin Hood catalogue your blue springs are 220lbs. Pete's green ones are 320lbs and my red ones are 180lbs. Apparently you could also get black ones at 130lbs but I've never seen those fitted to a Robin Hood. Cheers, Edward

Thanks to Jon and all the other Hoodies we met on Sunday. It was the first show we had been to with the 2B - my brother and I had a fantastic time. Sorry we lost the convoy when we had to make a petrol stop - thanks to the couple with the blue Super Spec (sorry we can't remember your names) who got us the rest of the way there with their GPS! We look forwards to seeing you all again later on in the year. Best wishes Edward

Thanks Jon - see you in the morning.

Hi, I know it's late notice but would it be possible for me to join the convoy? I'll be travelling from Southampton and could be at the Devil's Dyke for 9:00. Edward

We dusted the cobwebs off the 2B this morning and took it for its first drive since January. We went out into the New Forest around Beaulieu - there's a nice mix of long straights and tight twisty bits. Pity that the speed limit is 40 but I suppose it reduces the risk of hitting a wild horse! There was a scary moment when a motorbike decided to overtake us whilst doing a wheelie just before a blind bend . I don't know who was more suprised - me or his pillion passenger! Anyway, here's a picture from a little car park by the side of the road. A few people came over to have a chat - one guy was thinking of building a kit car but his wife didn't seem quite so keen. Who else was out enjoying the good weather? Edward

Well done - hope the weather gets better for you soon! Edward

Hi, knowing some of the people involved with the space shuttle part of last night's show (all very experienced members of the UK Rocketry Association and talented engineers) it probably didn't cost the licence payer very much. As I understand it, they didn't take any payment for last series' Mini / ski-jump stunt and probably barely covered their own expenses on the shuttle. However, even if it did cost a few grand it was surely worth it! The skill involved in making something that heavy and asymmetric fly as if it was on rails is just unbelievable. Nothing that complex has previously been attempted by amateurs (excluding Hoodies trying to make sense of the Vicky Green wiring loom !) Despite the show making it look as if they spent a couple of weeks designing and building the rocket, it actually took four and a half months of hard work. Personally I'd rather the BBC did that and showed what can be done with proper British ingenuity and engineering than spend money on yet another series of celebrity strictly come ice dancing (or whatever they've come up with now). However, I might be slightly biased! Anyway, if anyone's interested in the rocketry side of things, check out some of the links on www.ukra.org.uk Best wishes, Edward

Hi Kev, I'm 21 but was 20 when I took out insurance with Adrian Flux on a 1.6 litre Robin Hood 2B. I paid about £500 for fully comp, 3000 miles per year and full breakdown cover. I struggled to find other insurers to provide cover for anyone under 23 (or in some cases under 25). Hope that helps. Edward P.S. you won't regret buying a RH - they're incredibly fun to drive (particularly when the weather is good)!

Excellent news!! I'm stopping in Southampton this week and I've got Sunday earmarked as a driving day (as long as the weather forecast is accurate!) - if you want to meet up for a mini Hoodie convoy just let me know. Best wishes Edward

Vic and Wendy, we're keeping our Hood going throughout the winter - we're definitely up for some driving. Give us a call when we get a nice day and you're free and we'll organise something - it'll be good to see you again! Best of luck with the registration process. Edward

Congratulations!!! I bet you're looking forwards to getting some miles on the clock! All the best, Edward

Hi Greg, I passed with self amalgamating tape wrapped around the big washers to produce the correct radius. I managed to get edge trim on the edges of the cycle wing brackets. Hope that helps! Best wishes, Edward

Nice one Graham! Just the DVLA to go and then you can get some serious miles on the clock! All the best, Edward

Vic and Wendy, sorry to hear that it didn't pass but it's good that the list of things to do is pretty short. As for the exhaust, is it possible that RH didn't put any silencer wadding in it? I was suprised by how loud our exhaust was even with a 1.6l engine. At the test it only registered 95 dB so 105 must be absolutely deafening! Anyway, I'm sure you'll be on the road in no time. Best wishes, Edward

Hi, I haven't fitted the windscreen so I've been wearing a helmet when driving the 2B. It's not uncomfortable wearing one and the visor already has a few insects splattered on it - glad I didn't get those in my eyes! I lifted the visor today at about 60 mph and it's incredibly windy. I don't think it would be very comfortable driving long distances without one. I got a pair of helmets from Aldi when they had a special offer on. I can't remember exactly how much they cost but I think it was about £25 each . Seems like money well spent to me. Cheers, Edward

Hi, I've been told to clear out the garage! I've got 5 wheels with tyres from my donor Sierra that are taking up too much space. They aren't in great condition but the tyres do have tread on them. They can be collected free from Newark, Nottinghamshire. Please PM me if you're interested. Thanks. Edward

Hi Alan, I've got a 2B/4 and also like the idea of having that part made from stainless. However, I don't think I could justify paying £46 for a pair at this point. Admittedly I haven't really used the car on the road and it hasn't got wet at all but there is only a slight amount of surface rust on the unit - nothing that would make me concerned about its integrity yet. Best wishes, Edward

Hi, thanks for all of your replies! I got a phone call yesterday to say that the paperwork was ready for collection or it could be posted out. I didn't trust Royal Mail with my driving licence, insurance, tax disc etc... so we went to the DVLA office this morning to pick it all up. I'm going out to get the plates made up and get a tax disc holder in a few minutes so it will all be legal and roadworthy! I can't wait to take it for a drive again although I'll have plenty of excuses to get it out the garage - all my friends, family and neighbours are queueing up for that ride I promised them over a year ago . Tim - I'm sure we'll have plenty more cuts and bruises as soon as we start upgrading / modifying bits - it isn't a proper day's work if you don't need the first aid kit ! Thanks again to everyone for your help. Edward

Congratulations Tel! Good luck with the registration - you should be on the road in no time. Edward

Hi, Our 2B/4 passed its SVA this morning at Nottingham . The tester was very thorough but fair. He pointed out a few bits that required slight modification and gave us some time after the test to sort these out. It was mainly non-radiused edges which required a bit of trim or self-amalgamating tape to ensure that they were rounded. One thing that suprised me was that pipe-lagging foam is not suitable for covering bits on the suspension or the indicator extensions so I had to remove the covers. They were replaced with lengths of water pipe which will be much more durable. Also, the pin which the fuel filler cap locks against was accidentally forced out during the test. Fortunately it didn't go into the tank! I managed to replace it and use some epoxy resin to hold it in securely. By some stroke of luck, the man who does the built up inspections for the DVLA was at the SVA station this morning and so he did the BUI there. I then went to the local DVLA office and waited for ages to speak to somebody. He hadn't registered a kit car before and wasn't too sure of the procedure. He said I needed an MOT certificate before it could be registered. I told him I was quite certain that I wouldn't need one for three years. He took all the relevant paperwork I had with me (and a cheque for a not inconsiderable sum!) and said it should be sorted in a couple of days (unless I needed an MOT certificate). On the way home we popped back to the SVA station to clarify with the DVLA man there whether we needed an MOT or not. He said that we definitely don't and that he will sort our paperwork out on Monday. So, it should be fully legal by the middle of next week ! I'd just like to say thanks to all of you in RHOCaR for all of your advice and expertise. We wouldn't have got this far (we probably wouldn't have even started!) without the club and its members. My brother Rob and I have really enjoyed almost every minute of the build and we're looking forwards to seeing you all out and about on the roads. Unfortunately Rob couldn't be at the test today to see it pass - a real shame considering how many hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of hard work he's put into the car - thanks Rob! All the best, Edward

Hi, thanks for the advice Jim. I have now blocked the rear bonnet vents off with rectangles of metal and some sealant. That should be one less thing to fail on . The fan does seem to work ok although I've got it permanently on with the ignition. I accept that this is not exactly ideal, but in 15 minutes of stop-start traffic and over an hour of running at the garage (I think they just liked the sound of it!) it never got past the 'M' of norm on the temperature gauge. I suspect it'll turn out that my temperature sensor is knackered . However, if I take the fuse out of the fan circuit, the temperature does head towards the red end of the gauge quite quickly. Perhaps putting a thermostat switch in the top hose is the answer? Phil, thanks for your kind words. With any luck both our cars will be on the road in the next couple of weeks - see you on the road! Cheers, Edward

Hi, I took the car for an MOT today which it passed. The mechanics at the garage were very professional and helpful (and the service was very good value). In addition to the MOT, they set the headlight aim, adjusted the timing and mixture to improve the emissions and set the tracking to 1.5 degrees toe-in. It now has perfect self-centering and sounds much better than before. The only things they pointed out were a very small amount of oil leaking from the fuel pump and the brake servo vacuum hose is not rigid. They recommended that the fuel pump be replaced reasonably soon but it isn't a major problem yet. As for the vacuum hose, it is Samco reinforced flexible silicone vacuum tubing. The mechanic said that since it can be blocked by squeezing it, the SVA examiner might not like it. Has anybody had a problem with similar tubing at SVA? I've attached a few photos of the car below. I would be very grateful for any suggestions / criticisms if you spot anything wrong. I know that the track rods need covering (I'll cover them like the track control arm and indicator extension) - I left them accessible for the tracking adjustment. Thanks! All the best, Edward