Build Update

Finally got a call from the local VOSA centre with a IVA test date, Monday 21st May.  Seems a long time away, wish I had got the papers in earlier.

Build Day 87

Build time today 1.5 hours - Total build time 255.0 hours.

Man time today 1.5 hours - Total man time 284.0 hours.

Last Pre IVA task completed. I had been warned that the RAC roll bar covers could fail on the sharp edge run so have edged them. Don't think they look as good now so will need to decided what to do for a long term solution.

I had also noticed when sitting in the car that my clutch foot was fouling the carpet when lifting it off the clutch. I had put the Velcro strips across the opt and bottom of the carpet in the foot-well on the drivers side and had forgotten to add a length down the forward edge. It was more fiddly in the confined space I managed to put an extra piece in and it's no longer an issue.

Just need a test date to come through, starting to get really worried that the date will be ages away, I should not have followed the advise from Westfield to wait until it was complete before putting my application in I could easily have entered it a couple of weeks earlier and still had time to sort out any remaining issues.

Build Day 86

Build time today 2.0 hours - Total build time 253.5 hours.

Man time today 2.0 hours - Total man time 282.5 hours.

Fuel leak sorted at last, checked it several times over the last couple of days, each time tightening a little more. It looked like the issue was the brass fitting that screws into the tank was not quite tight enough. Once installed it is not particularly easy to get to so difficult to judge the tightness, rather than just trying to tighten up with the chance of sheering the fitting I used the approach of a little at a time until there was not leak and then just a little more for good measure.

The electrical tape I used to secure the cycle wing edging was not holding and kept peeling off so I purchased to duct tape off eBay. I have now used strips of this to secure the edging and it seems to be doing the job.

I also used some on the side screen brackets to help secure the covers in place.









With these tasks done I could drop the car down off its stands and drive it out of the garage into the sun.
There are a couple more tasks that need to be done before the IVA.



First I had another look at the front flexible brake pipe routing. I tried twisting the pipes to get them to run away from the body or suspension but could not so decided to use so protective ducting and secure to top wishbone, checking there is still enough slack plus not over tightening the cable tie securing in place.  (post IVA comment, inspector commented on the this arrangement saying it was better than the factory solution, they nearly always have to adjust the brake pipe routing during the test)

I then trimmed the bonnet catch covers so that fitted better, in their supplied from there is quite an excess of plastic and my worry was this would apply outwards pressure on the catch possibly allowing it to open.

In there trimmed from they fit much better and the catches feel secure.

Last job I need to tackle is to fit some edging around the RAC Roll bar covers, order from eBay.

I sent the forms off for the IVA over a week ago, they were very quick to phone and get payment but seem to be taking there time with an appointment.

I spent quite a while tidying up the garage, putting tools away and assembling the tools and bits and bobs I think I need to take on the IVA test. As I plan to drive and Oli wants to comer I will have to work out where I am going to put everything.

Build Day 85

Build time today 1.5 hours - Total build time 251.5 hours.

Man time today 1.5 hours - Total man time 280.5 hours.

Looks like some progress, no leaks from brake master cylinder area or coolant system. Checked fuel system and there is still a minor leak tightened a little more. I don't want to risk over tightening and snapping something off, easily done in a difficult to reach confined area. I have checked a couple of times since tightening and so far so good.

Then spent some time with the Auto Gym polish making sure I have given all of the body work a coat.

Will check the fuel leak again tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Build Day 84

Build time today 2.0 hours - Total build time 250.0 hours.

Man time today 2.0 hours - Total man time 279.0 hours.

I had dropped an email asking for a couple of clarifications and had some of the needed info.

One thing was not to use cable ties on the side screen mounts as these could have sharp edges. I have replaced them with M5 screws and will add some black duct tape. 

Still not sure how to best protect the flexible brake pipes without securing in place some how, will get further clarification, I did spot a comment on the WSCC forum that it was ok if the flexible pipes touched as long as they were covered and protected.

I ran the engine again for a short while to check the coolant system and all now looks ok. I will check and check again before the IVA test though.

checked the brake master cylinder and that too looks to be now sorted, but will keep an eye on it.

Now to check the fuel leak, I expected that to be OK but it was not, there was the slightest amount in a part formed droplet, but it is difficult to really tell where it is coming from. The only thing is to again tighten everything slightly and keep checking. I may need to drain the tank again and dissemble the fuel tank connections to check those, regardless of IVA this needs to be sorted.

The only things left to do are keep checking for leaks. fit the bonnet covers, decide what to do about the flexible brake pipes and RAC roll bar covers.

Build Day 81-83

Build time today 7.0 hours - Total build time 248.0 hours.

Man time today 7.0 hours - Total man time 277.0 hours.

Its back from Westfield, they actually drove it back on trade plates. Said that it was well built. I have a list of minor rectification and pre-IVA tasks to complete. Nothing major. 

Some wiring needed to be tidied up

• Tidy up wiring 
• in the engine bay, specifically the air temp sensor and fuel injection related wiring
• by the diff needs more securing
• wiring to rear lights and number plate
• under the dash
• alter the route of the flexible brake lines at the front
• fit rubber edging to CPU panel
• fit rubber edging to cycle wings
• move exhaust cover so that it covers the mounting clamp
• fit IVA nut covers around front suspension and RAC Roll bar.
• fit IVA bonnet catch covers
• fit IVA side screen covers
• look at slight brake fluid leak around master cylinder
• look at slight petrol leak around fuel tank outlet
• check to see if the plates I have used to cover the Roll Bar mounts will comply with IVA test.

Nothing major and if the guide was better things that may well have been done.

moving the exhaust cover was quick and easy, just loosened the securing straps and moved it back until it covered the mount.

To adjust the brake pipes I loosened the securing nut and twisted until they no longer touched any body work or suspension components. I am still not happy though as when steering is applied they do then touch body work or suspension components. I need to seek further clarification and wondered if it was OK to cover the flexible pipe and fasten to the upper wishbone.

With the engine bay wiring, I removed the air filter tube from the throttle body and rerouted and re-secured the wires. I used spiral wrap on the injection wires to keep them together. Again had I known more about how wires need to be routed I would probably have routed a number of wires differently.

To get at the rear wires I jacked the rear up and placed on axle stands as high as possible. To even it out I also lifted the front on to stands as the front wheels would need to come off to look at the cycle wing edging.

With the bodywork and wires in place I could see where they needed to be tidied and secured.  With the wires around the diff I spiral wrapped them as best as I could and secured with a cable tie. At this point there was no way of attaching a cable tie securing point. I did add some additional riveted securing points where I could get access with a drill and riveter, underside of rear uprights, and a point to add an additional securing point for the tank earth.  Something I already knew I needed to look at again, it looks a lot neater now with the wires held securely in place, hopefully the IVA inspector will be satisfied.

While under the rear I had a look at the fuel leak. Indeed there was a small leak, I was told that I would probably just need to relocate the jubilee clip slightly, so I loosened it and move it as recommended, while doing it there was a bigger leak and even when complete it did not rectify the situation. Only thing to do was to drain the system and look to re-assemble. I got a petrol can and some empty containers then clamped the pipe.  To drain I disconnected the pipe from the fuel pump to allow me to direct the flow better. Once the tank was drained I took the pipe off completely checked where the clips needed to be to make sure they gripped correctly and reassembled and added some fuel. Still a slight leek, so it is a matter of keep tightening a little at a time until it stops, well I hope that is the case because I am still lightening what feel to be tight fittings already.

Next to look at he leak from the brake master cylinder area, on first inspection it looks there is a very slight leak from the brake pressure sensor, so a tweak with a spanner to tighten it up, checked again later and it feels like there is still a slight leek, trouble is it is not easy to get at all the bits and the leak is only very slight, I  carefully clean the area as best as I can so I can come back later. When I rechecked it felt like it was coming from one of the master cylinder outlets. Another tweak and  all now seems to be OK.

On to the cycle wing edging, I had been advised to use electrical tape to secure the inner edge of the edging as it can easily come off. so this is what I have done. Once the edging was in place I used black electrical tape to secure the inner edge, I have ordered some black duct tape to replace the electrical tape as it is not holding. the real problem areas are around the lower read edges. Hopefully some better tape will do the job.


With the cycle wings done there was just enough of the edging for the CPU panel. Simply dropped the CPU panel down and applied some electrical tape. (I suspect I will need to replace the tape though).

Next on to the nut covers, quick look through the pack and I can see I have different sorts. I knew I had some supplied with the RAC Roll Bar so first to pick these back out. They fit nice and tight. Now on to the suspension. Not so straight forward with these, I suspect they don't all need to be covered as most are actually difficult to get out, decided to cover all those that I could within reason. Some did not fit very well, with these I wrapped a little tape around the nut to increase the diameter a little and applied a little silicon to the end to help secure in place. I'll take the spares with me when I have the test.

Now for the side screen covers, these were really tricky as they are all either a tight fit or an extremely tight fit. If you push them on they just pop off again. I tried a couple of different solutions, first electrical tape, sort of worked for the first, but the second which was tighter would not hold it. I then tried to use an m5 screw as this fitted in the hole ok, but eventually used small cable ties, not sure though.

The bonnet catch covers I will leave until I no longer want or need to open the bonnet.

Now on to the dash, I had been given some advice on getting the wheel off. Loosen the nut but don't fully remove, then bang on either side of the wheel and pull on either side of the wheel and it will come loose. After a while it worked. With the wheel off I could unscrew the dash and re-arrange the wires, using cable ties to secure loose wires into groups and making sure that all the wires followed the main loom.  With the dash off I also took the opportunity to fit a power take off point, splicing into the switched live and earth feeds for the immobilizer circuit. I should have taken time to create the mounting before fitting the carpet because getting it off with the seats fitted is not possible and it makes fitting rivet nuts quite tricky. I did manage it though. I won't wont have to rely on my Sat Nav battery now when I go for the IVA test. If I go to Derby the Sat Nav will be needed to aid in getting there but for either destination it will be usful to asses the speedo accuracy.

I have looked at the regulations again and the Roll bar cover plates and I am unsure, I may just remove them. Depending upon how long I have I could look at the supplied ones, or I may come up with another solution.

Before finishing I did a final check on the brake leek, not sure, think its now ok, but while looking noticed a couple of small puddles under the other side of the car. I had run the engine for a little and I found I had a small coolant leak. So tightened up the jubilee clips a little more.

Build Update

The Car has been picked up by Westfield to check it out before the IVA check.
They will set up the suspension, steering, re-bleed the brakes and give it a good pre IVA inspection.

Knowing that it is now getting close and hearing that there could be quite a wait I have also sent the forms off to get the IVA booked. giving them a couple of test stations. I have one about 10 miles away along a lovely country a road. The other is about 50 miles away with a route largely through cities and towns. It is not so much the distance but the journey that is off putting but if I can get a test sooner it will be worth it.

Build Day 80

Build time today 6.0 hours - Total build time 241.0 hours.

Man time today 7.5 hours - Total man time 270.0 hours.

Reached a point where it is sort of complete though there are things to complete or improve.

First task was to jack up the rear so that I could fit the fuel tank earth and get the rear wheels off.

The Earth tank was a little tricky, working upside down in a confined space, it would have been helpful if the guide had said to do this rather than picking it up from the IVA manual. there is a M6 mount point on the bottom passenger corner of the tank so I made up a length of cable with ring connectors and connected one end to this and the other to one of the fixings holding the rear body work support.

With that done I used silicon to fill up any holes between the mud catchers and the bodywork, these prevent (hopefully) ingress from the rear arches down the sides between the body work and the aluminium panels. A messy job that used a fair bit of silicon.

Now to attach the VIN plate, decided to fit to the scuttle approx where the wiper motor is fixed, lined it up with masking tape and riveted in place.

Next the IVA compliant number plate holder. I used rivet nuts into the bodywork and then tried to measure where to drill the holes in the plate to correspond. Eventually got it fastened, I tried to put spacers between the plate and body work but gave up in the end.

The wires from fitting the repeat indicators were still loose so I spent a little time securing them in place.

Now on to the last task for the day, fitting the pedal cover. I realized it needed to be trimmed so cut it to size and fitted it. I used rivet nuts in the chassis and body work to secure and applied a small bead of silicon to stop water ingress.

It was now sort of complete, it was going back to the factory to get a check over, the suspension set-up and an IVA assessment, I know various things that need to be done for the IVA but there is no rear guidance in the manual. Some of the IVA bits I an not sure about.

To finish for the day I added more fuel and tried to run it for a while. The engine seemed to settle down once it started to warm up.

Build Day 79

Build time today 6.0 hours - Total build time 235.0 hours.

Man time today 8.0 hours - Total man time 262.5 hours.

First task once I had returned the tap to Westfield was to complete the carpet fitting. Getting the driver foot well carpet in place was a little tricky as it is slightly too long to finish in front of the pedal mounts, I had to push the floor down a little to allow it to slide slightly under them. Once that was done it was a simple process to get the other carpets in place and make the holes for the seats. Then on to fitting the drivers harness, having tapped the holes the bolts went in without too much effort.

Before fitting the seats I decided it was sensible to drill the holes to fit the dash. First I had to find the pre-drilled holes in the dash. Starting in the centre I used a small Philips screwdriver to prod the back edge of the dash to locate all the mounting holes, marking them as I went. Once done I used a 4mm drill to clear the hole. I them located the dash making sure it was in the correct location before marking the fixing points for rivet nuts.

Next task was to fit the seats, passenger first, this was the seat we had tried previously and it went in without issue, A little silicon on the large washers under the floor and tightened up the nuts. Driver's next, off with the polythene and bauble wrap, only issue was a missing washer and nut, never mind easy to sort out later.

With the seats in place I re-attached the upper harness mount points through the seats and included the IVA compliant covers.
Quick test and on to the dash.

I first looked at the sequence the connector blocks were on the loom then amended the switch order to be the same. I though best to start like this even if I change at a latter date.

I had spent some time looking at the speedometer and tachometer connections, I had previously made some notes, I only need to find them. The harness as supplied is for VDO clocks and the ones fitted aren't VDO so I needed to add some adapters, or add spades etc, most of which were supplied. The tricky part was the  speedometer , where you have connectors on the speedometer plus wires coming out of the back of the  speedometer , the harness and the feed from the speed sensor. It was a matter of carefully matching the connections, checking you had it correct and checking again. Then on to the Tachometer, this was more straightforward and then the switches and other gauges, again more not difficult it was just a matter of finding the appropriate connector to match the wire colour on the harness.
A lot of spaghetti and something I am sure I can tied up further.

With the dash in place I next had a go a setting the speed calibration, I had obtained the correct setting from Westfield (hope it is correct anyway) and it was a matter of following the instructions, after a couple of attempts I entered what I hope to be the correct value,

With the dash wiring complete it was then onto securing it and sorting out the cover. This is fixed with Velcro so a matter of applying to the full length of both surfaces and putting in place.

Steering wheel came next, getting all the screws, washers and nuts on was not easy as I would have expected, it was though there is a slight warp in the steering mount, the wheel is ok and eventually it was secured and attached. I guess the wheel is not expensive and something to be replace with a better quality item in the not too distant future.

With it nearing completing I took it for a little drive (little being the operative word) with only the drive to manoeuvre on. though I did manage to leave a couple of nice black lines much to Oli's amusement. With it running I checked the various switches and instruments again. All seemed ok except for the headlights which worked on side lights but the right lights then dimmed when the main lights were activated. Bother (not the actual word used).

last little job for the day was to put the rear view mirror in place.

Build Day 78

Build time today 1.0 hours - Total build time 229.0 hours.

Man time today 1.0 hours - Total man time 254.5 hours.

Managed to pop into the factory on the way home, they said the approach I was taking to the harness mounts was correct bolt through flat washer, harness mount, serrated washer and into mount point and that they should screw in without any trouble, I asked if it could be that the threads needed to be cleaned, which we agreed would be a probable cause and that the holes could be tapped to clear them. I have metric taps but they said this was an imperial fitting 7/16" but lent me a tap.

When I got home I spent some time tapping all the mount points and checking that the bolts would go in OK. After some effort with the drivers outer mount point I could get the bolt in OK. As the carpet was installed on the passenger side I installed the harness, putting the IVA covers in place. I could then pop the tape back up to the factory in the morning as it was open, rather than worrying about returning it on the Monday.