ChaosMS's Ultralite Buggy Build Discussion Thread

[ChaosMS]

Wagon, I am so sorry mate, not checked the thread for a while and forgot all about it! - I will dig them out today and put them all together for you (drawing for the 2 arms, main frame, and cable) - and yes the covers are all mild steel, i got some 2mm plate and 8mm bar and some 1.5mm perforated steel and fabbed them all up

Other news from me - I have struggled to get a trailer sorted for the buggy to take it to its test (design flaw on my part) basically its too wide to get it up the ramps of a car transporter!! (its still under the maximum width though of 2.1m so I have decided to drive it to the Carlisle test centre!! to ensure the buggy is at least MOT level road worthy (emissions / nothing loose / legal lights / brakes up to spec /belts etc etc) I decided to put it through its MOT before taking it to the IVA test, which you can actually do and your MOT is done against your VIN number - I took it over to my local garage (Also allowed to drive it to and from MOT station without registration) who put it through a full MOT, It passed everything apart from the Lamda test which was down to an air leak in the exhaust system (which we found on the day) - I got the station to use the emissions levels assigned to the IVA test to ensure it would pass emissions on the day and everything else was way under CO level was allowed up to 0.2 and the buggy was running at 0.02-3 and the HC level was equally as low ( so the CAT was working well), but the Lamda reading which needed to be between 0.97 and 1.03 was running at 1.035 which failed

Like I said everything else was spot on brakes registered well on the rollers and were a clean pass and given the pads have not bedded in yet i was very happy - so just need to lock off the balance bar now and that bit is done.

So the buggy is going back next Wednesday once ive re-sealed the exhaust and should then get a clean bill of health and a MOT pass - I will then feel happy to drive it for 1.5 hours up the motorway to the test centre!!!!!!

One step closer!!!!

 

[Phaeton]

Just a point, although it might be too late now, if the buggy is MOT'd before IVA then it will need an MOT from year 1 not year 3 as any other newly registered buggy, whether that matters to you or not.

 

[Mini Mad Max]

Just a point, although it might be too late now, if the buggy is MOT'd before IVA then it will need an MOT from year 1 not year 3 as any other newly registered buggy, whether that matters to you or not.

That's an odd logic. Am I right in guessing it's silly DVLA or VOSA's fault?

I have decided to drive it to the Carlisle test centre!!

So the buggy is going back next Wednesday once ive re-sealed the exhaust and should then get a clean bill of health and a MOT pass - I will then feel happy to drive it for 1.5 hours up the motorway to the test centre!!!!!!

One step closer!!!!

Nice one Rich! Let me know when you're heading past. The kettle can be primed if you need a pit stop! I'm not round at home much now-a-days, so chances are I won't be in, but I'm booking a week of holiday off in March to try and finish the buggy once and for all. I'd love to pop by and have a nosey and a catch up in that time if you'll be around.

Max

 

[Danny]

Yup alan is right....

I did not have to MOT mine for 3 years... I still think it s a good idea to MOT it every year or at least do the checks

 

[Phaeton]

Just a point, although it might be too late now, if the buggy is MOT'd before IVA then it will need an MOT from year 1 not year 3 as any other newly registered buggy, whether that matters to you or not.

That's an odd logic. Am I right in guessing it's silly DVLA or VOSA's

Yep, just like the logic that you can drive an untested kitcar to VOSA for the IVA test, drive it home if it fails, drive it back again until it passes, but you then can't drive it to the DVLA to allow them to examine it for registration.

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[danny2]

Just a point, although it might be too late now, if the buggy is MOT'd before IVA then it will need an MOT from year 1 not year 3 as any other newly registered buggy, whether that matters to you or not.

That's an odd logic. Am I right in guessing it's silly DVLA or VOSA's

Yep, just like the logic that you can drive an untested kitcar to VOSA for the IVA test, drive it home if it fails, drive it back again until it passes, but you then can't drive it to the DVLA to allow them to examine it for registration.

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I did though

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[wagon]

No problem, I'm glad that you haven't forgotten! I look forward to them !

I haven't yet done anything with my buggy phase 2 - assembling bits really, and I've been repainting my Corrado which is slow!

Very good news about the MOT pass - a significant move in the right direction!

 

[ChaosMS]

Blimey - i didnt expect all that!! lol

OK so I knew putting it through its MOT before the IVA may cause me to MOT it every year (although depending on which person you speak to or forum you read - that might not be the case - we will see), But as my buggy had no proven track record i.e. other buggies of the same type running around road legal already, and the fact the the farthest its traveled ever was up and down the same bit of road at my local college where it didn't get out of 2nd gear, I thought it would be prudent and and at the same time put my mind at rest that I hadn't built a big red and black death trap!! I had no idea if the brakes were going to be good enough, if the emissions were going to be ok etc etc, I know the MOT is very basic but the guys at the local garage gave it a good going over so I feel happy now to drive the 1.5 hours or more up the motorway to Carlisle and back knowing that the basics on the buggy are sound, I suppose its more for me than anything else

Max, ill be around mate, I work from home mostly now so pop round when your back and have a look and ill make you a brew, and ill also let you know when i'm passing! in case your about!!

Ive been re-reading all the documentation I can find now including every detail of your IVA visit Wagon, my new worry is that i used a cat C insurance write off to supply the engine and gearbox so the V5 for the car was returned to DVLA when it was written off, so I dont have one for the engine, what I do have is the bill of sale for the write off and the Vin plate from the original Suzuki Swift, I bet I have problems coming!!

 

[wagon]

Well if there's any think i can do to help.... well.... if i can remember what actually happened on the IVA :S

Just make sure you suspension nuts are tight

 

[ChaosMS]

Quick update, MOT passed (very happy) glad I did it now as it pointed out an issue with the Emissions, the Lambda was reading on the high side - it turned out to be an air leak in one of the joints!! re-sealed all the system with high temp silicone and all good!

Wagon, I have the drawings for both actuator arms but I changed the frame they sit in on the final iteration so I will need to update it then you can have the lot

 

[wagon]

Great news - iva will be a doddle now!

Also thanks - I look forward to seeing them

 

[Danny]

cant wait

 

[ChaosMS]

Quick update fellas - I had the buggy up at Carlisle for the IVA test Tuesday this week the 26th - I took Monday and Tuesday off work to do any final prep for the test and drive it the 160mile round trip on Tuesday!! - To say I was a little nervous was an understatement !!!!

So before setting off I knew I would not pass anyway as the emissions were giving me a lot of issues Lamda was high once again due to a leak on one of the pipes which I had already sealed up!! - turned out that the o2 sensor was faulty and giving a bad reading, got a new one installed it on the Monday and the Lambda was low but it started running really rich which screwed up all the other settings so Tuesday morning pulled the new sensor and dropped the old one back in, and set off for Carlisle.

Got there in good time with no major issues on route (BIG Relief) stopped once at the Westmorland services at Tebay to warm the hands up and get a coffee and discovered that the high temp seal on the exhaust near the manifold had burnt away so had even more air leaks!! still pushed on and then did the run up to Carlisle testing station, A very nice chap called Andrew then set to and spent the next 3.5 hours going all over the buggy asking questions and looking at just about everything (tense moments I can tell you) - he got me to show various pictures of the buggy during its construction to show things like fuel tank earth point etc, check lights (aligned them for me then held them whilst I tightened them up) gave me advice on lots of stuff - He wasnt happy with the padded steering wheel as it was classed as a temporary pad in the centre (glued and hidden cable ties holding it on) so told me to remove it as he thought the steering wheel would pass the test without it anyway (which it did) however it didnt have a picture of a horn in the middle so i need to add one when I go back

Overall I was well happy with the test, Andrew basically told me what he wanted to see on the re-sit and came up with a new location for the side repeaters that i would not of thought of although the buggy failed nothing was major apart from the emissions which I already knew about, the bits to fix are as follows:

Emissions - knew about this before I set off!
Fog light rocker switch replace - edges of the rocker were not 2.5 radius
Track rod end nuts - Although covered with a rubber boot the edges could be felt under the boot, Basically wrap the nut in rubber and put the boot back on
Air intake jubilee clips edges - Rotate them round under the filter and thats fine (this is the air intake on the roof)
Rear edge of the air filter on the roof not 2.5 radius - Front edge was, back edge wasnt so bit of rubber edging glued in place should sort it
top edge of the cooling fan motor mounting - one section wasnt 2.5 radius so more edging
rear shock adjuster knobs were contactable and had no radius - plastic dome covers will fix it
top harness mounts, harness clips contactable and had no radius - eyelets were fine but the actual harness clip wasnt so need to cover them with padding
Edge of Hub adaptor within the rear wheel protruded outside of the wheel and therefore needs a radius - bit more rubber edging!
Side repeaters could not be seen from the rear at all angles - re-locating them to the black side guards behind the cabin (didnt know I could put them there!!)
Horn not marked on steering wheel - Put a sticker in the centre with the horn symbol on it
Licence plate bracket not big enough - Alloy back plate to hold the licence plate was 10mm smaller than the actual plate (so it didnt stick out and cause a radius issue) however as it was smaller than the actual plate it failed to support the entire plate which was a problem so just need to make a bigger one

And that is the complete list! - should get it all done this weekend ready for the re-sit - given this car is scratch built i think i did pretty well

I took some photos during the test so will post them soon along with photos of what failed to show the areas to watch out for (as I thought I'd got them all!!)

Oh and even though she might not be the fastest machine on the road it was fantastic to drive even when it started to rain and snow!!!

Caused chaos on the M6 too - lots of cars running alongside taking photos waving and thumbs up etc - awesome fun!!

Rich

 

[Phaeton]

Brilliant news, very well done, as you say you now have your list & can work towards it.

Caused chaos on the M6 too - lots of cars running alongside taking photos waving and thumbs up etc - awesome fun!!

Get used to this, it happens wherever you will go, nobody gives a Severnesque a second look, but buggies seem to attract crowds.

 

[Mini Mad Max]

That's great news Rich! When is the retest? I'm worried that all those little points will trip me up when I come to get mine tested haha. Will you be attending stoneleigh this weekend?

 

[Danny]

Quick update fellas - I had the buggy up at Carlisle for the IVA test Tuesday this week the 26th - I took Monday and Tuesday off work to do any final prep for the test and drive it the 160mile round trip on Tuesday!! - To say I was a little nervous was an understatement !!!!

So before setting off I knew I would not pass anyway as the emissions were giving me a lot of issues Lamda was high once again due to a leak on one of the pipes which I had already sealed up!! - turned out that the o2 sensor was faulty and giving a bad reading, got a new one installed it on the Monday and the Lambda was low but it started running really rich which screwed up all the other settings so Tuesday morning pulled the new sensor and dropped the old one back in, and set off for Carlisle.

Got there in good time with no major issues on route (BIG Relief) stopped once at the Westmorland services at Tebay to warm the hands up and get a coffee and discovered that the high temp seal on the exhaust near the manifold had burnt away so had even more air leaks!! still pushed on and then did the run up to Carlisle testing station, A very nice chap called Andrew then set to and spent the next 3.5 hours going all over the buggy asking questions and looking at just about everything (tense moments I can tell you) - he got me to show various pictures of the buggy during its construction to show things like fuel tank earth point etc, check lights (aligned them for me then held them whilst I tightened them up) gave me advice on lots of stuff - He wasnt happy with the padded steering wheel as it was classed as a temporary pad in the centre (glued and hidden cable ties holding it on) so told me to remove it as he thought the steering wheel would pass the test without it anyway (which it did) however it didnt have a picture of a horn in the middle so i need to add one when I go back

Overall I was well happy with the test, Andrew basically told me what he wanted to see on the re-sit and came up with a new location for the side repeaters that i would not of thought of although the buggy failed nothing was major apart from the emissions which I already knew about, the bits to fix are as follows:

Emissions - knew about this before I set off!
Fog light rocker switch replace - edges of the rocker were not 2.5 radius
Track rod end nuts - Although covered with a rubber boot the edges could be felt under the boot, Basically wrap the nut in rubber and put the boot back on
Air intake jubilee clips edges - Rotate them round under the filter and thats fine (this is the air intake on the roof)
Rear edge of the air filter on the roof not 2.5 radius - Front edge was, back edge wasnt so bit of rubber edging glued in place should sort it
top edge of the cooling fan motor mounting - one section wasnt 2.5 radius so more edging
rear shock adjuster knobs were contactable and had no radius - plastic dome covers will fix it
top harness mounts, harness clips contactable and had no radius - eyelets were fine but the actual harness clip wasnt so need to cover them with padding
Edge of Hub adaptor within the rear wheel protruded outside of the wheel and therefore needs a radius - bit more rubber edging!
Side repeaters could not be seen from the rear at all angles - re-locating them to the black side guards behind the cabin (didnt know I could put them there!!)
Horn not marked on steering wheel - Put a sticker in the centre with the horn symbol on it
Licence plate bracket not big enough - Alloy back plate to hold the licence plate was 10mm smaller than the actual plate (so it didnt stick out and cause a radius issue) however as it was smaller than the actual plate it failed to support the entire plate which was a problem so just need to make a bigger one

And that is the complete list! - should get it all done this weekend ready for the re-sit - given this car is scratch built i think i did pretty well

I took some photos during the test so will post them soon along with photos of what failed to show the areas to watch out for (as I thought I'd got them all!!)

Oh and even though she might not be the fastest machine on the road it was fantastic to drive even when it started to rain and snow!!!

Caused chaos on the M6 too - lots of cars running alongside taking photos waving and thumbs up etc - awesome fun!!

Rich

Nice work

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[Danny]

That's great news Rich! When is the retest? I'm worried that all those little points will trip me up when I come to get mine tested haha. Will you be attending stoneleigh this weekend?

You will doing yours in your retirement max so you will have bags of time

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[wagon]

Awesome chaos! Quick list and u are there!! Think it was Andrew that did ny test too

 

[wagon]

Keep us posted

 

[wagon]

oh and get some pics up!