I was told that you can just chop it off loop the rubber tube around to cover the holes and it will run fine however there would be an error code as skov says.

On a different note......

Have you tested to see if the brake switch in the clutch line has enough pressure to operate?

Cheers

Yep, checked it with a multimeter a while ago, and it seemed to work just fine :)

what are you using to read the error codes just an LED kit?

Yep, just an LED. Very quaint :D

Spent some more time on the wiring this weekend.
Just need to add a bit more tape and a few cable ties (both of which I've run out of :rolleyes:) and the wiring's done!

Decided to check my indicator flash rate, and was dismayed to find it was too fast for IVA (due to my bulbs drawing less current than the ones in the MX5).
Luckily someone's already figured out how to mod the flasher unit to correct it, which saved me dicking about adding ballast/correction resistors:

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=335534

Actually the mod was even simpler than the link above, I just needed to remove the resistor and not replace it :D

Well done finishing the loom. It's a sneaky little MASSIVE JOB!! Isn't it!

I've spent hours in the garage this long weekend. Slowly putting the loom back together. Bought a clever little wire stripper from Maplin, worth every penny of £14.99. I love it!

On another note, looking at the IVA manual. If I'm on a Q plate and I can prove the engine date. Then they assume the January before as the "Effective Date" of manufacture as it's an amateur built car and then try to fine an exact match in the analyser database. I assume they "obviously??" don't find one and as the date will be pre July 31st 1995, do a Non CAT Test? Correct?

If I can't prove date of manufacture of the engine or donor car then they assume Aug 1997 and do a CAT test using default limits?

Just asking because I know you've probably done your homework on this. :D

Thanks Chris. It certainly is a massive job, and I'm very happy to have got it out of the way :D
I shot myself in the foot with the wiring too. I thought I'd be clever and replace the fuse boxes, relays, and most of the wiring. All I really achieved in doing that was creating loads more work for myself!

That's how I understand the emissions - except for the Q-plate bit. Whether it's a Q plate or not is irrelevant; the IVA tester doesn't know and doesn't care what plate it's going to have as that's decided by the DVLA afterwards.

Provided the IVA man can't find an exact match for your car in his database (that's the car you've built, not the donor car!) the emissions will be based on the effective date of the engine.

So as long as you can prove the engine was manufactured before the end of 1995 you won't be needing a CAT.
Did you see my post about getting a proof of engine age letter from Mazda? £35 well spent!

I did see that post and I will follow that advise for sure. Thanks for clearing that up. At least you know your loom inside out and back to front if you have a fault.:)

A small correction: the cutoff date is 31 July 1995.

That is the cutoff date, but the effective date for kit cars is moved back to the 1st of January in the year the engine was manufactured.
From the manual:

“Effective Date”
The “effective date” used to determine the criteria applicable is -
the date of manufacture of the vehicle, except for an “Amateur Built” vehicle, a “Vehicle manufactured using parts of a registered vehicle” or a “Rebuilt vehicle” it shall be 1 January immediately preceding the date of manufacture of the vehicle’s engine if this is earlier.

So the engine can be manufactured any time in 1995 and still not need a CAT test.

Nearly done now :D



Just need to paint my bonnet, fit the front wings, add a few bits of trim, and I should be ready for IVA :eek:

Exciting times. :D

Cheers
Stot

man thats looking sweet:)

Brilliant! Just in time for the summer! Well Done that man that must be a record build time! I don't know how you've done it. Congrats!:cool:

Thanks Chris.
Think you must have lost track of time though - it's taken over two years so far :eek:
I'm sure there's been a couple of builds quicker than that!

Not quite there yet, but I can see the end in sight now. I'm almost upset I've got to go on holiday next week, think I'd rather be in the garage finishing the build off!

great work and progress John....wish I was at that stage, it is approaching 3 yrs for me....real bummer going on your jolly's at such an important time:rolleyes:

Cheers Kev. To be fair I have cut a few corners, done some shoddy work, and not worried too much about cosmetics to get this far :rolleyes:

Good going John...:)
So how many Kit Car mags you taking on holiday then...:D
So I guess you will be absent from the forum for a while whilst on holiday (me thinks the shakes might set in).
Well have a good one and when you get back get the bloody car finished and on the road and tell us how it feels...;)

Cheers Johno, we had a great time, and I only had the shakes for the first couple of days!
Spent a chuffing fortune though, and was welcomed home by a couple of large slightly unexpected bills on my door step, so not sure I can afford to get it IVA'd now :rolleyes:

Finally made a start on the cycle wing brackets this weekend.
Got the first one more or less done:

How have you attached them at the bottom there? Can't quite see. And also, do you have any advise on the front brake line length and positioning? I take it you can use the standard mx5 rear pipes? I'll have to dig them out, think they are still attached to the car! :rolleyes:

Hey Chris,
There's an M10 bolt at the bottom that I've used. I think it holds the brake calliper on.
I'll try to get some better pics when they're done.

I didn't bother using the MX5 brake flexis as they were looking a bit beyond their best, so no idea if the rear ones will fit or not.

My front ones are 400mm long with an M10x1 female swivel with 15 degree bend at one end and a straight 10mm banjo at the other.
I'd wait to see if mine passes IVA before copying though as I have a slight concern about them passing...

Cheers John I'll hold off. Are all mazda mx5 unions are M10 x 1mm thread pitch?

Yes, I think so.

That's the other wing stay welded up :D

One thing to be aware of with jap pipe fittings is that the threads are usually all the way to the bottom and have op 2 on the pipe not like normal 10x1mm fittings with a few threads missing at the bottom and of course only op1.

(never could remember what was convex or concave):eek:

Borrowed a sound meter from work this weekend to check my exhaust noise.
Even with the dB killer thing in my end can I'm still 6dB too loud!

Oops! Hahahaha. It is the shortest/smallest car exhaust in the world though! Want to borrow my special creation? Lol.

Haha, that thing certainly is special!
Thanks for the offer Chris, hopefully it won't come to that :D

I think I might actually have a fix for IVA. I took the dB killer thing out and wrapped it in wire wool. Put it back and I'm down to 96dB! (and probably 50 less bhp!)

:D So you basically blocked up the exhaust with wire wool!:D If it works, brilliant!

erm, more or less, yes :D
Actually it's not quite as bad as it sounds...

I haven't completely blocked the exhaust; the dB killer insert thing has a 1"-ish tube down the middle which is still completely unrestricted.
I've wrapped the wool around the outside of that tube, so I think what I've effectively done is reduce the outlet of the can from 2" down to about 1".

I should be alright as long as it doesn't shoot a scorching hot bundle of wire at the IVA man during the test :D

I don't think that's a fail anyway so you should be fine!:eek:

I'm not so sure... I suspect maiming the tester is covered by point 1 in the General Construction section:

1. All aspects of the design and construction of the vehicle must be such that no Immediate danger is caused or likely to be caused to any person in the vehicle or to other road users

But is it an immediate danger? ;)

How did you get on with your brake pipes up front? I see another member was failed for not having them clipped to the wishbones. Is that our worry with them failing?

It is if it's flying towards your face!

The strange thing is I'm sure I've seen people fail FOR clipping them to the wishbones! :confused:

I think mine should be ok, but I'd better check them again next time my wings are back on the car. I'll add that to my "to do" list...

I guess the point is they can't be chaffed or damaged by other parts of the car. If you just zip tie them to the wishbones then it's as bad as having them rubbing anyway. But it's all down to tester interpretation I suppose. Caterham's don't appear to clip them so....

I've clipped mine because they came with a metal collar for a support and I might as well use it.

I guess that makes sense if they came with mounting collars.
I think I'll leave mine dangling in the wind and hope for the best (and take some clips and cable ties with me just in case!).

Slight change of subject, I think I promised to put up some more pics of my front wing stays.
Here's a couple of the passenger side.
It's made from 3mmx25mm strip, a bit of scrap 3mm plate, and some round tube from an old bed frame :D

Excellent. If it rains this weekend I might have a go at making a pair of these.

Not been a great day in the garage today :(
I thought I only had trim left and was seriously considering sending my IVA application off next week...
Then today I found out that my engine's leaking oil, one of my rear calipers is siezed, and one of my driveshaft boots is leaking. I'm not amused :mad:

I've got to find the oil leak on my engine. Not looking forwaed to that job.

I think I've got a spare set of rear callipers in the garage somewhere. You can have them if your cover the postage.

Let me know if you need them and I will pop them in the post

David