Terry,
To a certain extent.
To be honest my tester or Dave as I and his other friends know him by,
was very fair he wanted me to get through and provided me with all the information he could to help that when it failed first time. In fact when I passed at the second attempt he had a bigger smile on his face when he told me it had passed, than I did as it hadn't sunk in at that point.I have heard other testers can be like that, and others can be people who's fathers where bachelors, with comments like, "these cars are race cars shouldn't be on the road", or failing a car on something when their colleagues at the same test station have passed 10 cars from the same same manufacturer previously. That's when you know you are up really against it.
It is bit of a a game and I had a great couple of guys with me to help on both tests Mike Pass and Bob Jones. They kept me calm and as I have mentioned Mike kept emphasising once you have a list you have won, you go through the list, put it in for a 2nd test, if it fails it's a pain but you have a smaller list to go through, if it fails again you go through the same process until Bob's not your auntie and you pass.
I think it is very rare to pass first time these days the day of my first test Mono cars a small car manufacturer in the UK where there putting one of their cars through a second test which surprised me that even a car manufacturer can have faiures. I am a glass half empty guy so my list of fails seemed big to me, again on reflection most were minor. When I told Mick at Southern GT he said they would have been really pleased if they had put a car through and ended up with such a small list. Hearing that was a nice feeling.
Personally I think the test is good when it is about the safety side, in the bad old days you just put the car in for an MOT, and there used to be places were you could get an MOT if the right amount of money changed hands down the local pub
. The bits I object to are what in my opinion are bullshit "rubbish" stuff, headlights at a minimum height, (hard on a low 40), no unprotected toggle switches, mesh over all apertures that someone may stick their hand in, changing my racing approved LUKE 5 point seat belts for lesser 3 point ones because mine didn't have the right required safety labels on etc etc The main thing to remember is the testers didn't make the rules, but their job is to make sure they are passed.
However, despite all this, and still preferring to go to the dentist (even without Mike and Bob to hold my hand ), than do another IVA test, we are privileged in this country to be able to build our own cars and drive them on public roads and long may that continue. I understand this would be impossible in some countries. Some even like the challenge, and see a pass as sticking two fingers up at the establishment, mentioning no names to protect the guilty, you know which farmer you are :lol: .
Actually despite my being totally non confrontation, and wanting peace at all costs, long may that attitude also continue, as long as it's done with a smile or extreme coolness
Attachments
Last edited:
