Building update from the Netherlands.
 

Hi to all of you.

It has been a long time but I'm back and just updated my site with building5 before I announced it to you here now.
www.marlinsportster.nl

Not that I haven't been building, indeed. My house has been improved and that took me a long time but it was worth it. Sorry for my not so correct english all the time, but hé, I'm from the Netherlands and at least try to keep up!

I used the search button yesterday to see my log-in-name and saw that it was 2007 oktober for the last time... Uploading my site by ftp took me half an hour to get the settings right.

Thanks to all of you, I've been watching you and your progress. Compliments to ALL OF YOU.
Special word to Gooster, I love the colour of your car but there are so many pictures and different colours (even on google) that it is hard to see the exact colour. I loved the Ford thisthel purple but when I may choose between a colour more likely to red than purple, I am thinking of the Jaguar black cherry metalic too. Hope you don't mind ?

I did a lot of work, started 6 months ago !
I'm still happy with my ford V6 cosworth, hope to hear it in a few months. Have never heard it, bought it in 2004 !

Most important to announce here reagrding registration is that there are yet 2 kitcars approved by the RDW over here in the Netherlands. That's more like your IVA but with even more rules to worry.
- I need to approve the seatbelt connections. I believe a written statement that they can keep up with a force of 5000 kg if I'm correct.
- Also the sound: in 2nd and 3th gear with full throttle not more then 76 db if I'm correct.
- Also tax has been changed over here. We call it 'slurptax' which is a formula to get more tax if you have more power realted to weight => who makes the air dirty needs to pay.
Fair rule itself; but @#$*&^% if you have 197 BHP !

Nevertheless, I'm more than happy to build at this point. Relief 2 weeks ago when the batterie got connected and lights were there at the front !
If I have my alternatorbracket changed I'm to the point of starting in the next months. Fingers crossed.

Quality up till now is good.
One thing I hope to buy when I have the plates on it and am allowed to drive on the road is wired wheels. I've seen them and really love it. Rims now are painted and correct for the first setup and "burning rubber". After it I think I will be more civilized or at least more controlled and think that I treat myself with wired wheels.

Just saw the red Marlin from Peterux for sale. Thanks to you too for detailled pictures on your site.
Not to forget THE REST of you like Patrick and Richard which helped me at the initial start.
And ALSO the Cabrio builders : nice to see.

At a certain point I was more looking at your websites then doing anything by myself, but all of you kept me willing to work on it again.

And it will be beautiful !

Peter-Jan

I don't mind at all. :)

It's a great colour. Looks black in normal light, but when the sun hits it you get a deep red flake come through.

Welcome back PJ!
I used to check your site regularly but I'm afraid not recently :wink:
You've made some good progress but your RDW test sounds quite a challenge :eek:

Anyway, keep us updated on your progress......

Welcome back :D

Congratulations!
 

Not sure if Peter-Jan still visits this forum but just noticed he managed to get his Sportster approved and registered in Holland!

http://www.marlinsportster.nl/
(then go to Building Part 8)

He passed the RDW (IVA on steroids!!)

Congratulations and full marks for perseverance :first::peace::high5::eusa_clap::eusa_clap:

(But please don't tell VOSA about the RDW test....)

Sweet well done :)

Hello to all off you.
YES, I look at this forum once in the two months or something.
I updated Terry from Marlin with the result but had no reaction, I was not so far to inform you about it.
You've seen it very well, I updated my site. The website will be live this year and then it will stop.

It was really hard to get it registered. I have been very lucky. The result is amazing and first driving at 0 degrees gives a lot of funny reactions here in the Netherlands. It's big fun to stand at a traffic light and the drives in the other (normal) cars look at me with a hat/cap and gloves and wonder if I'm cold. No, the thrill and fun-factor warms me completely.

200 bhp is more than enough to have fun. First trip got me at 45 degrees to the left after taking a roundabout. I was lucky the there was no car at the other lane....
Managed to touch the rev.limiter two times already. Yesterday I made my first donut. Big fun !

On the list is the steering geometrie which is good with self centering but not perfect to my opinion. I lowered the pressure to 1,7 bar now. 2 bar is too much it seems. The donut gave small black stripes of rubber instead of 225mm :-)
I'm curious if any of you know more about camber, caster and toe-in for a Ford setup?

By the way, as far as I know this is the fourth Marlin Sportster in the Netherlands.

I don't have plans to go to the UK to a show, but if I have I will contact you because then I want to meet some of you.

I must admit that your websites gave me the courage to go on. Thank you all for that !

Peter-Jan