SVA at Norwich

[ChrisJ]

Does anybody have recent experience of having an SVA at Norwich ?

How long did it take and what areas did they seem fussy about ?

 

Thanks

 

Chris

[MJS]

Chris,

 

I originally was going to make the trek to Gillingham as I've heard they pass FIA rollbar equipped cars with no bother. However, I've since heard the earliest bookings at the mo are end of October, so I'm either going to go to Leighton Buzzard or Norwich (I'm in Cambridge). Have you contacted Norwich to see what their current lead time is, as I hope to be needing the test around the end of this month. If so, I'd be interested to hear.

 

Cheers,

 

Matt.

[ChrisJ]

Matt

my SVA is 24th Sept.

I applied for this early August so you need to allow some time when you apply.

 

Chris

 

 

[mav]

Why are you bothered about the SVA and an FIA bar?

[Luke Beaumont]

Mav, there exists an annoying situation where it seems that whether an FIA bar will pass the rear visibility requirement of SVA depends on test center/examiner/side of bed he or she got out of. As far as I can tell, there are no hard facts here - the build manual says that Gillingham and Leicester "are known" to pass FIA equipped cars, leaving the innuendo that other centres won't, and that even at G or L it's not guaranteed. "Please note that the FIA bar obscures rear visibility to the extent that you may fail".

 

I opted for Gillingham as my first choice, but I can't wait 'til 17/10/1 for their earliest appointment. So, having sent the SVA form off a couple of weeks ago, I set about booking an appointment today. Chelmsford could get me an appointment in a fortnight, then Norwich surprised the pants off me by offering next Wednesday eek.gif

 

Matt & Chris - I'll report back what I find. Hopefully it will be just the one visit - if I have to retest minus rollbar, I may just be tempted to insert it in the examiner wink.gif

[L777 CMB]

I suggest you may all wish to speak with Ernie Panks, our Norfolk Area Organiser. He had his Superlight SVA'd in Norwich around 9 months ago and he's still having the nightmares. Phone# in Low Flying.

[mav]

I take it that it is overall rear visibility rather than rear view via the mirror that you are talking about?

[L777 CMB]

...I don't remember rear visibility coming into it but they pulled him up on a whole bunch of exterior protrusions (side mirrors, wind deflector amongst others). All were assembled as supplied by Caterham but fell foul of the tester on the day.

[MJS]

Luke,

 

I'll be very interested to hear how you get on in Norwich. I'm going to submit my car with FIA bar in situ and if they fail it, I'm going to ask them to talk to their collegues at Gillingham and ask them why they pass identical cars. This will be a last resort however, prior to this I will be as pleasant and smarmy as I can be...

 

Cheers,

 

Matt.

[Tight fart]

rule 1 don,t argue with the examiners

rule 2 see above etc. etc.

if your worried about the bar take it off

you don't need it for sva

[serimmer]

Just put my car (1.6 K series) through SVA at Chadderton (Manchester) and had a couple of problems. The inspector was very thourough (4hr test), and failed the car because the rear fog light was not at 90 degrees to the vertical. I had to 'pack it out' from behind for the retest which was a pain in the a*se because the fuel tank needs moving in order to unscrew the case. I also had to wrap tape around the front adjustable spring seats as the indents (where the c spanners locate) have a sharp edge.

I did have an FIA roll bar fitted during the test, and this was not a problem, although I had the side screens fitted with the mirrors on thus giving the extra rear visibility needed.

Only other problem was that I had to align on of the headlamps during the test and also there is a breaking test where the rear wheels can lock before the front (a fail) unless bedded in- I had to repeat this part three times.

My car had just had it's post build check at the factory before the test but it seems that there is no guarantee of a pass. There was a big dispute between the inspector and Caterham re. the rear fog light - I even had the inspector phone me at home prior to the re-test. I think Caterham are developing a modification for this problem.

Don't want to worry you over more issues but hope this helps.

[Luke Beaumont]

Right, well that was a bit of an anticlimax...

 

Tester was Dennis Broughton, at Norwich, today. Nice bloke with a wild beard, reminiscent of my old Biology teacher. Cheery enough, and wasn't at all pissed off that I turned up half an hour late (oops). Test took approx 2hrs.

 

Started with various visual checks. Having seen a Men & Motors program on an SVA test, I expected all manner of radius gauges and other paraphernalia, but all he did was run his hand over various bits and use the Mk 1 eyeball. Small talk fairly easy - there were 3 Exiges there to drool at, and apparently they were the centre that SVA'd the twin bike engined Tiger.

 

Next, emissions. I've got a jury-rigged exhaust using a cat & silencer from Tony Martyr, and last night I started fretting that the cat might be worse for wear, or that my starting problems might have shoved enough fuel through to bugger it. Foundless concerns as it happens, emissions test passed.

 

Then lights. Boring indicator on, off, etc., then headlamp alignment and the one and only panic of the test - the headlights were way out, despite Hyperion having ticked the box on the postbuild report! The gods were smiling though, and he went off to shuffle other vehicles around while I adjusted them - fortunately I took the necesary tools.

 

On the ramp next, waggle steering, pump foot & handbrake, then silence as presumably all sorts of visual checks were performed underneath. On the brake rollers after that (boring to watch, no problems in my case despite not having had much bedding in). Then the faintly scary bit as the speedo was checked.

 

Then the outside bits. He drove it out of the hangar and did some twirly manoeuvres in the truck park, then parked it up on the rear view lines. This test he performed purely visually and without comment. Then the mic test on the exhaust, and that was it passed. The extra large grin has just about subsided after 6 hours smile.gif

 

So to recap - preparations I'd done were to fit the full complement of plastic ****e included with the kit; travel without hood or headrests; nyloc & cap the bottom of the threaded door hinge to prevent removal; apply the necessary rubber piping to the cycle wings, indicator bases, fog & reverse lamps, top damper mount; splodge silicone in the screwholes on the front indicators; tyrap rubber around the spring platforms. Hyperion had expressed concern about the x.long wheel studs protruding past the nuts, but obviously not a problem

 

Rather appropriately, the sun was shining on the way back teeth.gif

[serimmer]

Lucky Luke!

 

I arrived on time - after a mad dash from my clinic, to be greeted by the inspector, who informed me that he was going to lunch and would I wait for 30 minutes.

He certainly used radius guages, and tried to fail the car because of the edge of the angle at the base of the scuttle (above the knees in the passenger foot well) untill a colleague told him this was ok.

After failing the car on the fog lamp and spring seats he commented that the weather was so nice but obviously I couldn't drive the car. He also said that for £18,000 Caterham should have designed a car that would pass SVA!

I remained polite and calm throughout the test even when telling him that my last car had passed a Derby no problem and Caterham had over 1000 passed previously. I was even polite and calm when I took another day off work and paid £30 for the re-test!

 

Looking back, maybe I was unlucky - but why this inconsistency between test centres?

[serimmer]

Lucky Luke!

 

I arrived on time - after a mad dash from my clinic, to be greeted by the inspector, who informed me that he was going to lunch and would I wait for 30 minutes.

He certainly used radius guages, and tried to fail the car because of the edge of the angle at the base of the scuttle (above the knees in the passenger foot well) untill a colleague told him this was ok.

After failing the car on the fog lamp and spring seats he commented that the weather was so nice but obviously I couldn't drive the car. He also said that for £18,000 Caterham should have designed a car that would pass SVA!

I remained polite and calm throughout the test even when telling him that my last car had passed a Derby no problem and Caterham had over 1000 passed previously. I was even polite and calm when I took another day off work and paid £30 for the re-test!

 

Looking back, maybe I was unlucky - but why this inconsistency between test centres?

[Luke Beaumont]

FMR, what a total bastard. Severe respect for staying calm through that. I guess you were unlucky and I was lucky. There ought to be middle ground between our two experiences, or at least some measure of consistency. Bizarre. I see what they mean now by the phrase "grim oop north" wink.gif

[Miraz]

What are the known problems with the hood? - is it not better to have it up to cover the nasty sharp edges on the fasteners?

 

Miraz

[Luke Beaumont]

I left the hood off cos I was paranoid about the rear view aspect. I figured that without screen or headrests, you have the maximum field of view from the mirror, and therefore the roll bar diagonal takes up proportionally less than if the hood were fitted.

[Bricol]

I too SVA'd at Chadderton - I even got a Stratos replica thro' the old site last year with loads of help from the inspectors - if there was a way to pass, they tried to find it, invent excuses, etc.

 

With the Caterham, mine too filed on fog light and also spare wheel retaining nits had sharp edges - I'd also forgot the covers over the track rod end lock nuts - hoped it would pass wirhout! Tester rummaged thro' all my spare bits to find bits of plastic to stick over the wrongly assembled sidescreen hinges to cover sharp edges. I was allowed to shoot home and come back for free-retest later in the day - back to halifax, discovered petrol tank would have to come out again (I'd only just replaced the original leaky one!) to alter fog light so packed out the top edge of lense and shimmed reflector - screwed it all back together with longer screws and shot back - passed! Did 130 miles, passed three polic cars, two Gatsos, upset a Dubai plated MR2 on the M62 and still haven't got rg no from Leeds.

 

Bri

[ChrisJ]

Matt&Luke

What a great chap Mr. Broughton is !!

The test went according to Lukes description and was done in 90min. The only issue was my left headlight needed adjusting (by about 1mm !) and that was it.

I've just finished the champagne.

I asked about the FIA roll bar and he said that if wing (door) mirrors are fitted then it's OK. I have the standard Caterham bar.

It looks like it's worth driving from long distances for a test like this.

Chris

 

PS My insurance covernote ran out over the w/e and the replacement didn't turn up so I can't register it yet !!

 

[MJS]

Chris & Luke,

 

Congrats on your passes! I'm still at the 'processing my application' stage, but hope to have the test around the middle/end of October. Car is pretty much finished, with only front wings, mirrors and SVA stuff to fit. I will submit my car with FIA bar in situ, hood off and sidescreens (with mirrors on) fitted. Bit worrying about this rear fog light scenario though - I'll have to check if mine is vertical.

 

Did you guys take your car for a post build check? Still can't decide whether to bother or not - another day off work coupled with the hire of a car transporter.

 

Cheers for the updates.

 

Matt.

[Luke Beaumont]

Chris - congrats! Dunno if you know this, but to register you'll need to roll up with the forms, and then book a time for them to inspect the chassis & engine numbers. Then they process the application, though circumstances conspired against me and it took 3 working days to finally get it through.

 

Matt - I was a bit naughty and drove to the post build check, but then it was only an hours drive away to Hyperion. On that basis I'd say do it, gives you peace of mind. The fog light verticality wasn't a problem for me, or Chris I presume, but know ye that there's one other tester that I know of at Norwich, Les. I'd like to think they both sing from the same hymn sheet, but without empirical evidence I couldn't say.

[mikehoile]

Although my sva was done at hayes middx this year where i had been told it could be difficult, my 7 passed after 3+ anxious hours complete with an fia bar, no comment or problems on this but the examiner found fault with several items that i had no control over such as the projection of the windscreen staunchions which havn't changed for many years and the sharp edges of the front dampers, he was a somewhat miserable b....r who wouldn't be drawn into conversation now matter how hard i tried to grovell - some rubber moulding and foam sticky tape as suggested by caterham in the awfull build guide saved the day, good luck mike hoile

[ChrisJ]

Matt

I took my car for it's post build check at Dartford. I drove it their with no plates on as you legally are allowed to do . If you read the SVA regs it states you can drive it to get it finished or to ensure it complies.

Luke

Yes I discovered that the DVLA want to see it again when I turned up in Ipswich and they told me, I could have strangled the chap!

Anyway I took it today (although the "Inspection appointment" was supposed to be Thurs morning) and persuaded them to have a look.

They then told me it would take 2 days to process, so I moaned again and they did it while I waited .... 10mins! They like to make out it is so time consuming but if you push gently you can speed it up dramatically. So now I have plates, and 400miles on the clock. Nearly had it run in before registration and all legally done.

Good Luck Matt

 

Chris

PS

When we are all done , how about a beer sometime ?

 

[Luke Beaumont]

Chris - a beer sounds grand. Whereabouts are you based? (An east Ipswichian writes)

[MJS]

Chris / Luke,

 

I've finally settled on Chelmsford for the SVA as this is marginally closer. Got a call from them today and we arranged for 8AM Sat 20th Oct, so this should give me plenty of time to finish it and get it down to Caterham for the PBC.

 

Chris, re driving to the PBC and the SVA regs you refer to, how can I get a copy? I've been trying to find someone with a car transporter to no avail so have enquired about getting a transportation firm to carry it down there and it's a bit pricey. Would much rather get up nice and early one Sat morning and blast down there. Presumably obtaining insurance for the car in this state wasn't a prob? Registration sounds like an unnecessarily complicated procedure. Still it'l be worth it.

 

Cheers for your all your help and advice. Would like to meet for a beer also when up and running (I'm in Cambridge).

 

Cheers,

 

Matt.