WAR AND PEACE PART 3
He arrives at the rear and tells me “You’re going to have some fun in it but you'll need to wear goggles due to stones flying up”. I said I’d be wearing a bike helmet and lied that maybe I’d fit mud flaps on the front. He sets up the noise test and it is a doddle 4600rpm 92db! “Easy” I said! I told him I had made an exhaust before that one and that it was a complete abomination that made me laugh every time I looked at it but it sounded great. He smiled and then he was gone again.
I still haven’t fixed that UJ bolt, he comes back and tells me I can load up, “oh right I was just fixing that UJ bolt” I say. I’m shocked that it is done and over it was only 10:30am, so I’m emptying the the truck cab trying to find a good solution and then it hits me. As my inspector seemed to have such a hard-on for locktite I’d just use a thinner nut with some blue stuff. Job done!!
I’m all done when the inspector returns, he has a piece of coloured paper rolled up in his hands he asking if I used a spring washer on the bolt and I say “no loctite”, bollocks doesn’t he like loctite anymore??
"Well" he says “I’m pleased to say you’ve passed!” “Ahh yes, You Beauty! Thank you very much” I say! “Although you would be better to fit another joint in the column it should be fine and will pass over your shoulder in the event of an accident.” he advised me. “You’ve obviously put in a lot of effort and it shows so, well done, not many get a first time pass you know.”
Don’t I bloody know it.
The Inspectors there on the day were friendly pleasant with an air of authority but they weren’t lording it about like you might imagine. They were fair but stringent on the requirements and I now have much better brakes, and a safe steering column and will feel much better about hooning it about on the road.
Thanks Gary (VOSA Inspector)
I hope these posts have been informative for anyone else heading for an IVA. This is also a very good read.
http://www.autobionics.co.uk/IVA.html