Sunday 30 July 2017

Tracks of my Tears

Continuing the body theme, tear ducts added:


OK,  windscreen washer bottle - it doesn't seem to be working at the moment but that may be that,  like the horn,  it doesn't work until the ignition is on all the way ie. engine running,  so I'll try that next time out.

Added a storage net:


It looked a bit bigger on the website when I ordered it but actually fits quite neatly. I noticed on my trip to IVA that I needed something - my mobile phone was all over the place if you just leave it on  the seat. This net is only stuck on with sticky pads which might well drop off - it came with screws if that happens.

So,  with the V5 in the post,  I've ordered some plates which should arrive on Tuesday - first drive video coming up!!

Friday 28 July 2017

Eyelashes

So,  I've had eyes,  ears and now,  eyelashes:


I did have to trim the arms a little in the end but they are adjustable so I just trimmed the adjustable end so they could adjust smaller (if that makes sense). I also had to twist them slightly to make the blades sit perpendicular to the screen. Despite all this and even with some water on the screen,  I can't get both wipers to move (it worked with one).

I've also contacted Softbits to order a hood,  which is going to take 4 weeks or so. For the hood to work,  however,  I'm going to have to lower my seat by removing that extra bar I added a few weeks ago to get through IVA because my head is just above the rollbar and will be up against the roof when on. Softbits tell me it vibrates at speed and will drive me nuts if it's vibrating against my head. Sounds bad so seats to be lowered....

The Light - I see it....

...but I just can't touch it!!!

I must have annoyed some minor deity because the Cosmos is playing with me - I sent off my updated documents last Saturday, 1st class. When does it get to the DVLA? Wednesday!! First class?! A carrier pigeon would have been quicker...

But I called the DVLA today and good and bad news. The good news? It's done - I have a registration - woohooo...

Bad news? They've given me a Q plate! And they only posted the V5 today, so could be middle of next week before I get it and can get some plates made up!!!! (Yes, I can get them done online but not much quicker).

This is the MOST frustrating part of the whole build!!

(sorry for all the exclamation marks - I'm calmer now....)

I don't mind too much about the Q plate apart from the fact I did want to get a personalised plate at some point. However, I'm told I can send the V5 back (after I get the plates done, obviously), send another letter from GBS to confirm the parts were all new, wait another 4 weeks and then get a current age plate, hopefully.

It seems I was too honest on my V267 form and I wrote that the parts were 'refurbished' rather than writing 'new', which is what GBS do.

Not long now...patience, patience...

Sunday 23 July 2017

Too sexy for the drive

A spurious post just to show the pretty much completed car:







Just need those darn plates! I got all excited when I saw an envelope from the DVLA but they had just sent me back all my documentation,  rejecting the application! It was rejected because of water damage to some of the sheets (not my damn fault and it was still readable),  photocopies of invoices aren't allowed (they weren't photocopies; GBS only have online invoices so I just printed them out) and I hadn't sent a Certificate of Newness, a document I'd never heard of and isn't obviously on the list of docs I needed to send. And the V55 doc has to be a proper form with a carbon copy,  not printed off the Internet.

I phoned the DVLA in a right mood and had a real go at the poor sod who picked up - I've phoned them 3 times and EVERY time they said they had taken a look at the docs and said they looked ok.  Could they not have seen the water damage and the supposed photocopies and the wrong V55 and told me 3 weeks ago?! And GBS didn't help - turns out the certificate of newness is just a headed letter from them to say I had bought the kit new from them - why had they not told me about that when I rang up to ask some questions about the forms?

Fortunately,  GBS managed to email the 'certificate' promptly and the DVLA person gave me her direct address so I've posted everything back and she promised it should only take a couple of days from when she gets it. Damn well better be or I'll drive to Swansea and camp outside the building...!!

I started on the wipers and by sheer fluke (I had a 50/50 chance but normally I'm not lucky),  I've got the motor parking on the left as I wanted,  so no mod needed. Even better,  the wiper blade fits the screen without needing any trimming,  as most people seem to need to do. I think this is maybe because I've put the bottom cross bar underneath the frame rather than inside the frame,  so my screen is an inch higher (the wiper is about 5mm off the top of the screen - perfect).

Having said that, after all the mucking about with my switch to get the park,  it isn't working! Switch off and the wipers just stop dead! Annoying but not the end of the world. The wipers aren't on yet because I think I'll need to bend the arm slightly to make the blade perpendicular to the screen - at the moment,  it's at an angle which isn't allowing the motor to move them properly.

Thursday 20 July 2017

All clear ahead

Surprisingly,  the windscreen wasn't too tricky to do,  although I've not done a great job.

First off,  I polished the scuttle as I'm about to cover half of it and it will be difficult to get to in future.


I'm not a big polisher and this took me 30 minutes - I won't be doing this often!

I removed the glass and re-drilled bigger holes in the side pieces - it's really difficult to get the self-tappers in,  I found out with the 2 side screws, so I needed the holes bigger. Glass back in,  gaffer tape to pull the arms in,  son holding the frame in place and slowly screwed in 8 screws. A Stanley knife to trim the rubber and done:



Now, bad stuff - the screws are VERY difficult to get in so none are all the way in. The screen feels rock solid so I don't think it's a problem but close inspection will show up gaps between frame and supports. Worse is the fact that the windscreen guy seems to have cut the glass a tiny bit too small so it doesn't go in far enough on one side. Not horrendous - if it causes a problem I'll use some bond on it.

I went for a short drive up the road and all good - it didn't drop off,  no vibrations,  seemed very solid. Best of all,  it makes the driving experience so much better when your head isn't getting blown off.

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Through the looking glass

Finally sorted the wiper switch wiring with the help of Les off the RHOCAR forum (schematic is on the electrics page ) but it took me ages to get the motor connected through the wiper gearboxes.

The problem was the metal pipe that the wiper wire runs through - I had to bend the first piece slightly but I kept getting a tiny kink in the pipe which stopped the wire going through. I had to trim and redo that pipe several times,  ending up with hardly anything left! It's in now but it's not the smoothest motion,  making a bit of a rasping noise. Hopefully it won't be too noticeable on the move.

UPDATE: Nope, horribly, horribly wrong - see here for how to do it properly.

Attached the mirrors to the windscreen brackets:


Next up is the windscreen - I didn't have a great idea of how hard this would be,  so I decided to try it out despite it getting a bit late. I used some washing up liquid on the rubber trim that comes with the kit from GBS and it was actually quite simple,  with help from my son to hold the frame upside down - the glass slipped into the frame easily:


The hard bit now is to get a self-tapping screw through the side  and into the cross member (this is how the factory do it, it seems). Doesn't seem the greatest method but I can't think of a better way. Next time...

I called the DVLA and I'm starting to get hacked off with them.  They've had my paperwork almost 4 weeks now and,  yes,  they officially quote 6 weeks but they keep promising me one week from now - and they've done it again! I'm just glad the car isn't ready anyway,  otherwise I'd be tearing my hair out.

Wednesday 12 July 2017

Look back in style

When I were a lad,  I loved Cary Grant films and one scene in one of them,  To Catch A Thief,  always stayed in the back of my mind. Cary Grant and Grace Kelley in a very fake car scene:


And what I always was fascinated by is that little rear view mirror.  I do not really understand why but I just knew I always wanted one. So today,  a mini-dream came true (that black one for IVA never counted) :



It may not give much of a view back but I don't care - looks great.

I have wired up the new wiper switch but it blows the fuse so I've not done it right - question asked on forum to work out what I've done wrong.

Wiper gearboxes are loosely in place:


I put the motor roughly in place and marked on the flexible cable where it meets the gearboxes.  I then used that to cut the tube into 3 pieces - I need to slightly bend the first piece. Can't fit it yet until I've fixed the wiring...

Used a company called National Windscreens to measure and cut my windscreen glass:


Finally,  I've prepped the nose for the number plate:


I spoke to the DVLA again today - they hope to get my application complete by this time next week...

Sunday 9 July 2017

Framed

Not much done all week; GBS sent me the wrong windscreen frame (I've got a GT chassis and they sent the narrow-body frame) so I've been waiting for that to arrive. It finally came on Friday and I first bolted the pillars to the scuttle.

Others seem to have trimmed and put the crossbar of the frame inside the main frame. I'm hoping to get a little more height to my screen by attaching the crossbar below the main frame,  if that makes sense. Less than an inch difference but every little helps...

This is it loosely in place:


Spent ages trying to work out how to use my existing wiper switch to work with the wiper motor but,  without a couple of relays,  it wasn't going to work.  I couldn't be sure which Carling circuit would work but eventually a quick call to Carling sorted it. Best of all,  they're sending me a switch for free,  which is very good of them.

I called the DVLA and,  in theory I should get my V5 by this Wednesday.... fingers crossed.

Sunday 2 July 2017

Shark gills

So the bunting has been put away,  the dancing girls have left,  time to return to work.

I found someone local to cut louvres in my bonnet and it looks epic - I love the look of them:



I connected up the wiper motor and immediately blew the fuse - I've got the wiper switch on my dash wired wrong,  as I expected because I didn't put a huge amount of thought into it (wasn't needed for IVA).

The Carling switches are great but trying to understand the technical data sheet about them requires a degree in electronics - which I have but it's not helping me ☺.  Need some quality time with a multimeter.

Bought the windscreen frame and mounts from GBS and I've found a local company who will cut me the glass.

I decided to sort out the issues of getting my car in and out the garage (I've got a 2 inch lip that keeps catching the seat bolts) .  I've been using some simple wooden ramps I made but they're rubbish and have mostly fallen apart. So,  out with the concrete... I've never done a decent amount of concrete before (built a brick BBQ years ago) so I thought the 4 bags of ready-mixed concrete would be enough - oh no! Sixteen bags (!)  later....


I am in SO much pain - mixing all that concrete by hand almost killed me. I hope this works OK,  it's a bit thin in places... we'll see in a few days.