MadaboutKitcars

Congratulations chaps - the car looks superb

What are your plans now about getting it painted?

Simon

Well done chaps, that's terrific news!

The government department logic beats me. You can drive it the SVA before it's even been tested. You can drive it home after it's failed, but you can't drive it to the DVLA office after it's passed the SVA?

As my son says...............der............

Thanks



Going to fit the screen, switch the fog/reverse lamps, change the side repeats and front indicators, make an air scoop for the side and then take it on some shake down runs - its done 80miles already now

After some shake down I'll take it to a few paint shops for quotes. There's a place in Newbury that didn't the paint on the Cobra that was in Total Kit car last year (or year before) pricey but very good.

As for colour BMW Le Mans blue is still our fav, http://www.pfyc.com/m5/ not too many in the light shots on the site but its nice and bright with run reflecting off it and very dark in the shade.



Does not compute - indeed! Now its declared safe for the road but you can't drive it to the inspection, but that's bureaucracy for you I guess. The woman at the DVLA didn't seem to know the answers to many questions, she just said I just check the forms. So I don't know for sure that it's all filled out correctly.

Patrick,
Now you've passed, can you tell us what the correct design weights are on the Marlin letter?

thanks

Peter

The original design weights were not wrong as such, due to the layout of our car there was more weight at the back than expected. Terry said that this happens sometimes. I'm guessing its the heavy exhaust hanging out the back (and the birch ply floor) that's pushed the weight up.

The correct design weight for ours was:
500 axle 1
563 or above axle 2
1063 or above gross weight

Mark the tester said put 563 or more for the rear design weight which is what came out processing on the scales. I asked Terry to put:

500 1
565 2
1065 Gross

In the letter which was fine with Mark - 65 was a nicer number than 63 to go on the form

Basically the design weights needs to be higher than the actual weight of the car as it should take into account luggage / passengers / fuel.

Thanks, Patrick.

One more question, do you always need a letter from Marlin or was this just because the original values were too low?

Presumably, to be safe, I could put 600kg?

Peter

I only needed a letter because the original values on the form were incorrect. So I would assume that it would be OK to put 500 axle 1, 600 axle 2 and 1100 gross with out needing any proof from Marlin on the original form

Just caught up with a few weeks messages, congrats Patrick - thats taken a lot less time than it took me, AND you did it all yourselves - lots of kudos from me for that. Enjoying the driving in the cold ?

Andy

Thanks Andy, hell yes Driving was fun - more fun on the way back when it warmed up a bit. The heater actually does a pretty good job of keeping your feet warm. The problem is your face. I had a hat on and hat/scarf thing with a tiny slit for my eye's to see out of. My glasses steamed up every time I stopped!

But I did figure out if I push my hat all the way down to the top of my glasses it stops your eyes from watering!

Haven't got a heater at all but my feet don't seem to get cold. At least I don't notice them compared to my fingers and face. yep, woolly hat, scarf and gloves help but i'm still getting a draught up my sleeves and I can't tell if the face ache at the end is from the cold or the continuous inane grin!!!

DVLA Inspection took place today so with any luck we'll have a tax disk and reg number in a about a week!
Some final touches to the interior, thanks to Storm Motorwerks for the custom engraving

Very nice finishing touches.
I bet your itching to go for a drive!

well done

Peter

Thanks Peter Ooh yes. It would have been a perfect day for a short blast up to the inspection site in Newbury sun out dry roads would have been perfect - instead it had slow ride inside a shuttle trailer towed by a volvo oil burner!

Been caught up with house move but belated congrats to you two. A job very well done! Love the gear knob.

Alfie.

Well done Patrick i hope you dont have to wait too long for your registration.

You have moved?
Still in Taunton?

Thanks guys

The number plate details and tax disc arrived today. Just need to order a set of plates and were good to go.

Shame I'm on holiday this week and a 1000 miles away from the car!

I bet that's the first time you wished you weren't on holiday!

But don't worry, I'm sure I saw Rich giving it a quick thrash round the M25 tonight, so the engine will be well run in for you when you get back

Happy holidays!

Hi Patrick.

Been away a bit. And struck in garage.

Congrates mate.

Good feeling driving to MOT and SVA. I took my SVA on a 80 mile round trip. And had to do it twice.

Surprised at the DVLA inspection. I took my forms to the DVLA office after passing the SVA to get the forms inspected! But they asked if I could drive the car up! I questioned it, and they gave me a letter, with the date of inspection, in case I got pulled over by the police. As long as I was insured they said.

I sure Richard would like to do that but I couldn't get him insured too young! It will be a different story in a years time when he magically from one day to the next becomes a safe driver on his birthday!

I'm back and I've done 50 miles today before it got dark, only tiny bit of rain but I'm now grinning like this !

Had our first parts failure today. The passenger side front wing mounting broke. The middle part of it is a tube and just outside of the weld the bracket that holds it tore out (the tube part broke).

Luckly it came all the way off only as I pull up to the garage. We've welded it back together and added a brace for the moment but I think it would be a good to have a new set made with much stronger tube!

I'll add some pics when I get a chance! I recommend all builders beef this part up - I think Stuart mentioned this happened to his as well.

Yes mine failed at about 50 mph wing went around with wheel then flew 50 ft into air landing in middle of road behind me. Luckily no one hurt.
I ordered a new bracket from Marlin to find they have changed the design the brackets are now made from metal bar not tube when i asked Kevin why he said they changed because they had a lot of failures. I would recomended anyone who has the tube type brackets to replace them.

Stuart

Went on an 80 mile round trip yesterday after fixing it, and after 40 miles the tube snapped clean off behind the weld!

Stuart, I hope Marlin replaced these on yours under warranty?

No such luck Patrick