IVA Issues

[timbo]

The more I trawl through the IVA manual the more things I'm finding that worry me/need solving.
1. Fuel cap tether. I'm hoping to solve this with a sink plug chain!
2. Rear number plate lights. Discovered that my spacing between these was only 517mm instead of 520mm. Used a couple of spacers to angle them into the curved sides a bit, so now 521mm!
3. Seats. I've got the same Roadster 7 seats as Patrick, but they have no head restraint. Any ideas, or is this gonna be a new pair of seats?
4. Documentation to prove the immobiliser meets whatever standard. Presumably an email to BMW might get this.
5. Rear wheel arches. Will be fitting some mud flaps to try and get correct coverage.
6. Load spreader plates seem to be needed for the rear seat fixing bolts?
I'm sure I've missed off a load of other things as well....anyone want to add anything to the list?
Cheers
Tim

[Chris Cussen]

Fuel Tank. You need to make sure the fuel can not drip onto the hot exhaust in the event of leaking from the tank.

Wring loom needs to be fixed at regular intervals.

Underside of dash requires large radius. Also you have to make sure the area under the dash does not contravene the sharp radius criteria, so if you have relays or fuseboxes mounted on the underside they need to be covered.

[chrislandy]

Can you add page references? I wouldn't have thought the seats would need spreader plates at the back fixings unless they are being used as part of the seatbelt system

[MartinClan]

I think someone mentioned that the IVA requires that the fuel tank is protected in the case of an accident. I think you also have to ensure that there are no sharp edges that could puncture it. I mounted the tank between the chassis rails rather than below - but I think that for the IVA the diff mount may then be a problem?

Fitting spreader plates for the rear seat mounts is a good idea anyway. The sheet steel floor is pretty flimsy on its own and it wouldn't take much to pull a bolt head through it. I just used some 50mm square plates. (About 2mm thick).

Robin

[timbo]

Seats is p110-111. I think a box or channel section on the underside of the floor would be ok (I used 100mm wide x 4mm flat steel sheet on the floor so need some further strengthening underneath I think).

Also discovered:

The VIN number stamped into the chassis has to be 7mm high (p98). Am I allowed to re-stamp this myself?

The Marlin manufacturer's plate has to have Marlin in capital letters (p98). Need to email Terry about this.

The middle mirror is compulsory.

[peterux]

Originally Posted by timbo

Seats is p110-111.Also discovered:

The VIN number stamped into the chassis has to be 7mm high (p98). Am I allowed to re-stamp this myself?

I haven't read the IVA manual (yet? )but I heard/read somewhere that the VIN number has to be on the right hand side of the car and also in one long continuous strip. I actaully re-stamped my chassis number for the SVA because the original plate was almost unreadable and had too many digits. When asked to see the VIN number I just showed him the one I stamped. No problems at all at the SVA or registration. I stamped it along the passenger door sill but not sure where the IVA says it should be.

good luck,

Peter

[Patrick]

3) Roadster 7 - not looked at the IVA manual myself but I would say they do have a head restraint, it's just part of the backrest. Some clarification needed

[timbo]

More on seats/head restraints: The IVA manual says that the top of the head-rest has to be at least 800mm above the h point, which is measured from the top of the 136 x 53mm block on the seat.
800mm seems a heck of a lot to me, and is much higher than the Roadster 7 seats (There are also some minimum height/width requirements for the headrest itself, but they seem more reasonable).
Has anyone got any seats that fit this requirement (as well as being less than 450mm wide)? If so, any chance of borrowing/hiring them??
These do:
http://www.cobraseats.com/sportscarrecliner.htm
but they are 329 pounds each!
Oh and the head restraint has to be a minimum of 750mm above the H point in its lowest useable position.
Surely this should all depend on the size of the driver?!!
I couldn't find any mention of the '450mm above H point' seat belt anchorage points, so does this mean I won't need to weld in a supporting bar??
Thanks
Tim

[chrislandy]

best bet would be to buy some standard road car seats eg MGF and fit them until after the test

[GreatOldOne]

I think Peter mentioned that there was an article on the IVA in May's Complete Kit Car magazine, along with an in-depth examination of an actual IVA test - I went looking for a copy, and couldn't find one so I was going to order a back issue from their website.

That's when I found this:

http://www.completekitcar.co.uk/svatoiva.html

Basically an archive of all their SVA to IVA articles, free to read and print.

I'll just pop into the General IVA thread and post the link there as well.

[peterux]

hey that's really neat!
(the VOSA guy in the last article was the one that carried out my SVA at Yeading)

[timbo]

Yes, very helpful article, thanks Jason, although its given me a few more things to worry about....
Tim

[timbo]

Update on trawling through the IVA manual (as opposed to the draft one I was working from doh):

Immobiliser, you must have had this fitted by an approved installer (!)

Brake fluid reservoir must have correct markings in yellow and what grade fluid to put in. I have got a cheap cap off ebay and will fix it within 100mm of the reservoir.

Mud flaps needed at the rear. I've fitted some 6 pounds off ebay ones, don't look great and I suppose they might fall off at some point
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33105452@N05/?saved=1

VIN number must be stamped on RHS of vehicle, now only needs to be 3.5mm high or bigger. Marlin plate must still have Marlin in capital letters though. No joy yet from Terry on this.

Collapsible steering wheel boss. I've replaced the airbag with some high density foam. Hope this will be good enough...

Seats. The new head restraint height must be 700mm from the reference point (I knew 800 was too big!). Having measured the Cobra Roadster 7 seats, I reckon they're 1-2 cm too short, so will have to get some different ones for the IVA. Peter, these ones look like yours:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=170340205043
If you've got a minute, please could you check the height to the top of the head restraint on yours?
Thanks
Tim

[peterux]

Originally Posted by timbo

Peter, these ones look like yours:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=170340205043
If you've got a minute, please could you check the height to the top of the head restraint on yours?
Thanks
Tim

My seats are actually very old and were made by a company called Restall Bros. Ltd. I bought them second hand.
I'm happy to measure mine but I don't think you'll get another pair like them.

Those ones on ebay look good for the price.

...peter

[timbo]

Just found this little gem from the IVA manual (I'm up to p121 now!!):

Note 4: All bumpers must have all ends “turned in or integrated with
the body work” this criteria is not achievable by the material itself the
requirement is considered to have been met if the following is
achieved.
A bumper made from tubular material must turn backwards into the
body/chassis or have an end cap fitted that either gives the same
effect (not simply close the end of the tube) or provide a dome
shape equal in radius to the section of the tube or the tube can form
a continuous loop (i.e. be endless such as is the case with a Bull bar
or light guard)
A bumper made from a flat material would require an end that turns
to the body/chassis or completely back on itself forming a loop.
In all cases other than where the dome or loop criteria is achieved all
ends of the bumper must be within 30mm of the body work/chassis.

Can anyone work out from this whether the Sportster bumpers will pass? Or shall I let you know in July
I don't think the front bumper inner ends 'bend in'. Can they be 'adjusted' do you think??
Thanks
Tim

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by timbo

Just found this little gem from the IVA manual (I'm up to p121 now!!):

In all cases other than where the dome or loop criteria is achieved all
ends of the bumper must be within 30mm of the body work/chassis.


Tim

That states that if they dont meet the dome or loop criteria as long as they are within 30mm of the chassis they will pass i dont believe the sportster bumpers are that close over there full length especially the front ones.

Is it actually a requirment to have bumpers? you may get away without fitting them in a lot of cases in SVA if it wasn't fitted it didnt matter and wasn't tested.

Stuart

[Patrick]

doesn't sound like it, the Sportster bumper being flat:

A bumper made from a flat material would require an end that turns
to the body/chassis or completely back on itself forming a loop.

So it sounds like the metal needs to bend further around on itself that the standard bumper. I'd measure how far they stick out as well. The front will be OK but it might be a bit to far at the back.

Sounds like this may be another one of those situation where a substitute might be needed, perhaps made out of pipework?

[timbo]

Thanks guys. The rear bumpers do bend in but the ends are 33mm and 50mm from the bodywork. The front bumpers have one end which bends in but is miles away from the bodywork, the other end is within 30mm but doesn't bend in!!! Maybe Patrick's idea of replacing the flat part of each bumper with a tube with rounded ends would work. I will give VOSA another call I think.

I'm not sure I'll get away without bumpers, as I found this requirement too:

The vehicle structure ahead of the steering rack or box:
Of primary concern is the position of the steering rack or box. If the rack or box is ahead of the axle centreline, there will clearly be less of the vehicle structure available to deform and absorb energy than if the rack is behind the axle. Check for some energy absorbing device such as
1.
an energy absorbing bumper, or bumper mounting (e.g. mounted on hydraulic dampers or telescopic tubes);
2.
a crushable section of chassis comprising one or more deliberate weaknesses;
3.
in the case of a tubular chassis, a deliberately un-triangulated bay or arrangement of tubes likely to deform progressively;
4.
in the case of a composite monocoque an area of bodywork which the presenter can demonstrate has been designed to crush progressively and dissipate energy;
5.
in the case of any vehicle, a non-structural nose cone of any material which the presenter can demonstrate has been designed to absorb energy.

One more (unrelated) question...
When I come to put some notches at the top of the rear tub for the seat belts to go through, do I align the notches parallel with the eye bolts or with the centre of the seats?

[Patrick]

I installed my belts, ran them to the seats then cut the holes so they would clear - at then carefully rounded all the edges so the belts won't get damaged

[peterux]

Originally Posted by timbo

2.
a crushable section of chassis comprising one or more deliberate weaknesses;
s?

I wonder what they would make of a piece of plastic drain pipe with a tennis ball stuffed in each end??