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Road Legal at Last

18 Jun 2008, 7:24pm
After passing the SVA 6 months ago and 3 months dealing with the DVLA, inspections and forms and visits to the local centre and a 4 week wait; I today received my age related reg plate.

Yahooooo

Three years after buying an 80% complete kit that was then dismantled and reconstructed virtually from scratch, SVA test and two retests, rejected applications for registration, no invoice for the chassis and threats of a Q ... Tomorrow's run with be very sweet I can tell you.

Credit must go to everyone that offered support, assistance and encouragement, to Great British Sports Cars for providing support at the critical time when no one else could and a family that just put up with my mumblings and dirty hands, towels, feet and clothes.


I am looking forward to a sunny summer and the wind in my thinning hair!


Thank you all that took the time to contribute to that build and the new one!

You still battling on?

All I can say is 'onwards and upwards', the end is worth a whole lot of grief and skinned knuckles.

I am already starting the next kit car now (I normally post in the 5exi area) I must be mad.


I hope this provides some margin or encorragement to thoes still building, there is an end honest!







18 Jun 2008, 10:31pm
Congratulations :whoo:

Nicely timed for the summer as well.

John
19 Jun 2008, 5:30pm
Nice one john. Well done.

How do the two builds compare complexity wise?
20 Jun 2008, 6:28am
Complexity is a difficult nail to hit, the designs and the donors are 20 years apart.

Concept is easy the principles are the same and the actions taken are similar. In this comparison the chassis are vaguely similar, Stainless moncoque vs tubular frame, coilovers and conventional running gear.

As a power unit the Ford Pinto and the Rover K series bear no comparison, no there are four pistions in both!
I think it is the complexity of the power unit that caused the most radical differences. The gear change for example, 'stick in a box' as it passes or complex mechanisms and cables. A wiring loom is still as complex either way.

The quality of the finished product is/was the driver for the second build for me. The Hood is a rough beast with sharp edges (metaphorically speaking) and gritty appearance. No finesse or comfort. A 'bit of an animal' as the advert says. It should be a lot of fun on the track today at Hullavington.

The 5exi is intended to be an every day type of car that I can use to to go shopping or into town.

Neither is a car I could use professionally for mass mile driving.

Me' old bones could not stand it!
27 Jul 2008, 4:53pm
congratulations
i bet you must be over the moon and just as the summer heats up!
reading your post i take it that your rh was not registered when you bought it , that was a bit of a long time gap though between passing sva and getting your registration plates it would have driven me spare!
i was lucky i bought a car that was pre sva and was already correctly registered on a new v5 but it could have not been easy for you
hid you find having to check and then re do everything a pain, i certainly did :icon_rolleyes: but when you take it on the road legally for the first time its the second best feeling in the world thats as long as you can relax and take your eyes off the warning lights, oil presure gauge, etc etc and that odd smell or knock that turned out to be nothing