Monday 14 April 2014

Day 28 - Post Build Check

Paul and Peter from LADS (Lancashire and District Sevens) arrived very early this morning to Chauffeur me and my car to Caterham Midlands today for the Post Build Check. As previously mentioned I needed the engine hunting looking at and a few other minor bits.

All in all the build, parts delivery and general sales and service has been 1st class and today was no different.
After the mechanic had finished going over the car he gave me a list of things that needed doing for the IVA (based on what they are aware of via the Nottingham Test Center). As has been discussed many times, each center interprets the regs slightly differently so I may find Chadderton ask for something different. But I have a good base to go at. The things I had not done included :

  1. Done - Fill the lower front shock hole in the lower wishbone.
  2. Done - Put washer pipe over the repeater cable for 2" either side of where it passes through the skin.
  3. UPDATE - I don't think I need the fog light mod if you read various kit car forums.  I'll find out on Wednesday I guess.  The IVA fog light mod is a relay to ensure the fog light goes off and stays off where the car is switched off.
  4. Done - Rubber pipe over the top ball joints.
  5. Done - File down the casting lug on the front brake calipers.
  6. Done - Remove doors and hinges.
  7. Done - Mount mirror in the top hole.
  8. Done - Label the dash if a switch has no symbol.
  9. Done - Set up headlights.

In addition to the IVA items they also picked up some school boy errors <Hang head in shame>.
  1. Done - Steering column clamp is upside down.  The chamfer should be up against the rod.  See picture.
  2. Done - Exhaust clamp too far back.  See picture.
  3. Done - Battery cover missing. 
  4. Done - Battery breather pipe needed.
  5. Done - Seat belt (red bit) mounted upside down, i.e. swap the passenger to driver and vice versa (see picture).
  6. Done - Air box seal the wrong way around.  
  7. Done - Remove IVA trim around the exhaust.
  8. Done - Snip the speedo wiring tie wrap off the handbrake cable.
All in all not too bad.  Very grateful to Caterham for the free PBC and the list of things to sort, tips and advice.  Also a huge thank you for sorting out the hunting and the tip for not starting the car with your foot on the throttle.

Any switches without symbols apparently need labels.  Some go for handwritten address type labels.  I went fractionally more upmarket and took some graphics from the web and printed those out.

More labels.

I fitted a new piece of 3m Film to the nose today.  Having wrecked the last piece with what appeared like dirt, it was quicker to fit this piece and it looked a whole lot better for it aswel.

One of the last jobs, the badge went on.  The badge suits the car well.   Not sure if it works with all colours.

My highly technical headlight set up arrangement.  The back wheels are on bricks to level the car up.  I am sure the lights will need adjusting at the IVA test.

+ marks the apex spots.

I didn't have any more boots from Caterham so I used some spare trim and some tie wraps.  Fingers crossed it's ok for the IVA.

Seat belt with the buckle facing down as it should be.

Mirror in the top windscreen bolt.

Latest picture of the car.  Just need to charge the car on Tuesday before Wednesdays IVA.

The car being loaded onto the trailer.

Caterham Midlands waiting area.

The steering clamp should look like this.

Mine now looks the same.  Not sure why the chamfer has to be that way but so be it.

I had positioned my exhaust clamp a little bit away from the edge of the silencer but it needs to go at the end of the pipe.

Like this.

For the IVA you need to fill lower wish bone bolt hole.

The cast lug is sharp around the edges so needs filing down.

like so.

I found Caterham had put a new battery cover on, thank you.  I also added in the breather tube. 

I turned the trim around so the soft rubber curled outwards rather than inwards.

The mirror is now in the top window fixing hole.

I added washer pipe to the repeater cable where it passes through the skin.  I also added a nut / bolt cap to the upper wishbone front bolt.

School boy error my seatbelt release points up and it needs to point down.

A quick test drive by the mechanic


The car back on the trailer.


I have three items left to do sometime this week then its the IVA next week.




4 comments:

  1. "Also a huge thank you for sorting out the hunting and the tip for not starting the car with your foot on the throttle."

    Do you recall what was causing the hunting and how they adjusted it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The hunting was solved with a remap by Caterham during the post build check.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the reply! I was having a similar problem, but I'm in the US, so no PBC. Fortunately I was able to figure out my TPS was bad and reading as wide-open 100% of the time. Replaced it and now she purrrrs. :D

      Delete
  3. @steve, where in the US do you live, and which model were you able to purchase as a kit?

    - DMac (in CA)

    ReplyDelete