Steve Dean
Supporter
To Mark Duquette,
You guys in the good old USA would suffer brain implode if us Brits explained all the complications of getting a car through our IVA Test. The IVA documentation alone could be used to build a dam on any US river !
Thankfully the GT40 community here share lots of info that help UK builders, provided they do their homework. Also AK Sportscars and Tornado have a wealth of experience of getting cars through the test. Unfortunately the occasional builder thinks they know best and get a nasty surprise when they achieve a 'Fail'.
You may have read on this forum that I have friends in the US and spent nearly two months this time last in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. I attended several events in Arizona and spent many happy hours chatting to US car guys. None of them could comprehend what's involved in meeting the requirements of our IVA Test. As a life time car guy ...... if I could roll the clock back, I would now be living in Arizona.
Best regards
Steve Dean.
You guys in the good old USA would suffer brain implode if us Brits explained all the complications of getting a car through our IVA Test. The IVA documentation alone could be used to build a dam on any US river !
Thankfully the GT40 community here share lots of info that help UK builders, provided they do their homework. Also AK Sportscars and Tornado have a wealth of experience of getting cars through the test. Unfortunately the occasional builder thinks they know best and get a nasty surprise when they achieve a 'Fail'.
You may have read on this forum that I have friends in the US and spent nearly two months this time last in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. I attended several events in Arizona and spent many happy hours chatting to US car guys. None of them could comprehend what's involved in meeting the requirements of our IVA Test. As a life time car guy ...... if I could roll the clock back, I would now be living in Arizona.
Best regards
Steve Dean.
if you have any questions then ask away, as I'm sure others will have the answers if I don't !!!
One item that caught me out but I only picked up on when going through the IVA in detail is the 100mm seperation between rear fog light and rear side / stop light
Jerry
Ian Anderson
Lifetime Supporter
At my SVA caught me
Fog light height above ground ….I notice now the fog cannot come back on if ignition turned off and on….needs reset manually
Le Mans open style 9 hole on rear deck wanted mesh underneath to stop fingers poking in
My rear lights did not have inbuilt reflectors so needed to add some…..have to be at 90 degrees to level surface.
Fog light height above ground ….I notice now the fog cannot come back on if ignition turned off and on….needs reset manually
Le Mans open style 9 hole on rear deck wanted mesh underneath to stop fingers poking in
My rear lights did not have inbuilt reflectors so needed to add some…..have to be at 90 degrees to level surface.
I have a question with regard to IVA...july 2025 version.
Section 20 Installation of Lights
ref front indicator lights.
Fig 1 shows max angle as 80 degrees
Fig 2 shows max angle as 45 degrees
which is correct ?
Section 20 Installation of Lights
ref front indicator lights.
Fig 1 shows max angle as 80 degrees
Fig 2 shows max angle as 45 degrees
which is correct ?
Steve Dean
Supporter
Hi Jerry, here's your answer, although it's rather difficult to describe in simply words.
As an example .... if we take the drivers side front indicator ..... then it must be visible from 80 degrees to the side of the car. Looking at the car from the front the indicator must be visible from 45 degrees to the right of the car.
In other words ..... there are two angles of measurement.
If you want to discuss send me a PM and I'll give you my home number.
Cheers
Steve.
As an example .... if we take the drivers side front indicator ..... then it must be visible from 80 degrees to the side of the car. Looking at the car from the front the indicator must be visible from 45 degrees to the right of the car.
In other words ..... there are two angles of measurement.
If you want to discuss send me a PM and I'll give you my home number.
Cheers
Steve.
Hi Steve,
Yes I agree with you but then what is the purpose of fig 2 that shows the 80 degrees is now shown as 45 degrees ?
Jerry
am i getting too picky with indicator placement....
Google search reveals the following....
For the UK Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) test, the minimum separation distance between a front indicator and any dipped-beam headlight or front fog lamp is 40 mm (for Category 1 indicators). For Category 1a indicators, the minimum is 20 mm, and there is no minimum for Category 1b.
I dont seem able to buy a CAT 1b indicator !!!! they are all just marked E and a number ref country approved .
But no mention in IVA Manual of this distance.....
Jerry
Google search reveals the following....
For the UK Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) test, the minimum separation distance between a front indicator and any dipped-beam headlight or front fog lamp is 40 mm (for Category 1 indicators). For Category 1a indicators, the minimum is 20 mm, and there is no minimum for Category 1b.
I dont seem able to buy a CAT 1b indicator !!!! they are all just marked E and a number ref country approved .
But no mention in IVA Manual of this distance.....
Jerry
ok, just worked it out... 45 degree to side if have extra repeater lamps on side.
Ian Anderson
Lifetime Supporter
Yes all 3 he wanted mesh…
Steve Dean
Supporter
Jerry ...... re your question to Ian. My ally panels in lower part of the rear clam have mesh behind them (same as the openings in panel in the top of the clam above the carb). There was no discussion about it at IVA, so I guess the inspector reasoned there was no problem re the radius of the edges in the cut-outs due to the mesh underneath. You know ...... just in case someone hurled themselves at the rear of the car !!!
Once you've passed the IVA you'll look back at all this and laugh your head off.
You'll then join me (when at shows) walking round the car explaining all this 'stuff of nonsense' to admirers who just shake their heads in dis-belief.
Happy days to look forward to.
Steve.
Once you've passed the IVA you'll look back at all this and laugh your head off.
You'll then join me (when at shows) walking round the car explaining all this 'stuff of nonsense' to admirers who just shake their heads in dis-belief.
Happy days to look forward to.
Steve.
Steve Dean
Supporter
Doh !!! Sorry Jerry, I've just rolled up the thread and can see it was Murf who asked the question. However, it is good that we all share this stuff as it's very helpful to new builders and currently there are a lot out there. One of the things I would like to see people post is the detail of an IVA fail and what the resolution was to achieve a pass. This type of info is 'gold dust' to new builders.
Cheers
Steve.
Cheers
Steve.
perhaps a new thread required ref IVA then....
Jerry
Well, here goes IVA................
I have gone thru the IVA manual so many times now that i think i know it by memory..
Thursday 18th June was my IVA day.....
all loaded up on trailer on 17th ready for the early start.. loaded up tow car with all tools and documentation..
time to arrive for test at Avonmouth was 08:00, as I live near Pontypool ( Goytre ) I allowed my self 1 hour travel time and intended to arrive at 07:00
18th June.. set off at 06:00... arrive at 07:00... meet up with brother in law to help unload.
Unloaded by 07:30 and parked up ready...
Avonmouth is a very large complex as they do Lorrys as well as cars and is a driving test centre .
As people arrived for work lots of pictures were being taken by the em[ployees as first time a GT40 been there.
08:00 examiner comes out and introduces himself and has a quick look over car...he seems happy.
Drive into large hanger area and test starts....
half way thru he asks me to remove the bottom ally sheet that covers in the engine compartment ( mine is dry sumped ) as he wants to see the engine number and inspect engine mounts )
I then have to explain the electric handbrake operation as not seen one before on IVA car.
11:30 test ends with him taking it for test drive followed by mirror checks....
verdict..........FAIL............
Failed on the following:
seat bolts to floor... on 3 bolts ( out of 8 ) not enough thread showing thru nut.....YEP..MY FAULT..NO EXCUSE
side light and dip beam switch markings incorrect ?..He stated that the pictogram on switches had to be as per table 1 and 2...
I did not argue this point as it had already failed on bolts.. but manual states table 1 and 2 as guidance and markings are not to cause confusion !!!
Rear number plate template did not fit....The aperture is correct but I had added some nice chrome number plate lamps on each side and these protruded into the number plate space that stopped the template from fitting in aperture !... YEP...MY FAULT...NO EXCUSE
Rear cabin window glass not E marked ...This was supplied by AK SPORTSCARS...( so i assumed would be correct so did not check ! )
I rang AK while at the test station and spoke to Neil who informed me that Pilkington had cocked up in supply of glass and had ommited the E mark. AK were aware of this problem but somehow i had an unmarked screen. Neil emailed me a copy of letter from Pilkington expalining the situation...Not sure if this will be acceptable for the retest ....
Retest is a nightmare ....earliest I can get in is 29th July and that's at EXETER....
Avonmouth and Kidderminster could only manage late August ....Crazy as the retest will take about 10 mins tops ...
There are NO test centres in WALES...
Back to rear screen.... AK state that they do not ship glass ( i guess due to breakages ) so I have only 2 options
1. pray that the test centre accepts paperwork from Pilkington.....( too risky )
2, have a plastic one manufactured using the existing one as a template with the required E markings. ( i am awaiting confirmation from a company that specilises in E marked plastic for IVA test vehicles
Thats it so far.......overall ..i would say that was a success....
Jeremy
I have gone thru the IVA manual so many times now that i think i know it by memory..
Thursday 18th June was my IVA day.....
all loaded up on trailer on 17th ready for the early start.. loaded up tow car with all tools and documentation..
time to arrive for test at Avonmouth was 08:00, as I live near Pontypool ( Goytre ) I allowed my self 1 hour travel time and intended to arrive at 07:00
18th June.. set off at 06:00... arrive at 07:00... meet up with brother in law to help unload.
Unloaded by 07:30 and parked up ready...
Avonmouth is a very large complex as they do Lorrys as well as cars and is a driving test centre .
As people arrived for work lots of pictures were being taken by the em[ployees as first time a GT40 been there.
08:00 examiner comes out and introduces himself and has a quick look over car...he seems happy.
Drive into large hanger area and test starts....
half way thru he asks me to remove the bottom ally sheet that covers in the engine compartment ( mine is dry sumped ) as he wants to see the engine number and inspect engine mounts )
I then have to explain the electric handbrake operation as not seen one before on IVA car.
11:30 test ends with him taking it for test drive followed by mirror checks....
verdict..........FAIL............
Failed on the following:
seat bolts to floor... on 3 bolts ( out of 8 ) not enough thread showing thru nut.....YEP..MY FAULT..NO EXCUSE
side light and dip beam switch markings incorrect ?..He stated that the pictogram on switches had to be as per table 1 and 2...
I did not argue this point as it had already failed on bolts.. but manual states table 1 and 2 as guidance and markings are not to cause confusion !!!
Rear number plate template did not fit....The aperture is correct but I had added some nice chrome number plate lamps on each side and these protruded into the number plate space that stopped the template from fitting in aperture !... YEP...MY FAULT...NO EXCUSE
Rear cabin window glass not E marked ...This was supplied by AK SPORTSCARS...( so i assumed would be correct so did not check ! )
I rang AK while at the test station and spoke to Neil who informed me that Pilkington had cocked up in supply of glass and had ommited the E mark. AK were aware of this problem but somehow i had an unmarked screen. Neil emailed me a copy of letter from Pilkington expalining the situation...Not sure if this will be acceptable for the retest ....
Retest is a nightmare ....earliest I can get in is 29th July and that's at EXETER....
Avonmouth and Kidderminster could only manage late August ....Crazy as the retest will take about 10 mins tops ...
There are NO test centres in WALES...
Back to rear screen.... AK state that they do not ship glass ( i guess due to breakages ) so I have only 2 options
1. pray that the test centre accepts paperwork from Pilkington.....( too risky )
2, have a plastic one manufactured using the existing one as a template with the required E markings. ( i am awaiting confirmation from a company that specilises in E marked plastic for IVA test vehicles
Thats it so far.......overall ..i would say that was a success....
Jeremy
Steve Dean
Supporter
Jerry ...... thank you for your report on the IVA Fail. I obviously feel for you, particularly with regard to retest timescales and locations.
One of the reasons I'm thanking you is because hopefully others who are mid-build will read your post and realise that a fail can be achieved on very minor points. Insufficient bolt showing thru a nut is a classic. If it makes you feel better my car failed twice on real nit-picky points.
I'm concerned about your rear glass, particularly as you're going to a different test centre for the re-test. If it were me I would discuss this with them before travelling all the way to Exeter. The inspector would be correct to issue a fail for it not being correctly marked.
You are so close now, so keep your chin up and keep the updates coming.
Cheers
Steve.
One of the reasons I'm thanking you is because hopefully others who are mid-build will read your post and realise that a fail can be achieved on very minor points. Insufficient bolt showing thru a nut is a classic. If it makes you feel better my car failed twice on real nit-picky points.
I'm concerned about your rear glass, particularly as you're going to a different test centre for the re-test. If it were me I would discuss this with them before travelling all the way to Exeter. The inspector would be correct to issue a fail for it not being correctly marked.
You are so close now, so keep your chin up and keep the updates coming.
Cheers
Steve.
