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Post by SeanW on Feb 28, 2017 19:30:49 GMT
Finished this up a bit. New windshield mounts do exactly what I wanted, dropping the windshield between the frame tubes.  I also changed up wiper mounting again. Dropped the second motor because it really isn't necessary and was causing some issues with fuses blowing.  At some point I'll go back and paint it all black. Next ref appointment is on Thursday morning. |
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Post by steadfast on Feb 28, 2017 20:08:25 GMT
Good luck!
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Post by mattd on Mar 1, 2017 7:18:33 GMT
Did the ref mention how tall they want the windshield? Rule book is fairly ambiguous about this, basically says "adaquate". Wondering if slapping wipers on a 12" sport windshield would work or if more height is needed.
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Post by SeanW on Mar 2, 2017 2:56:58 GMT
Did the ref mention how tall they want the windshield? Rule book is fairly ambiguous about this, basically says "adaquate". Wondering if slapping wipers on a 12" sport windshield would work or if more height is needed. Sadly, the Ref really didn't give me much information on that because he really hasn't got a lot of information on it himself. While he was on the phone with the BAR they seemed to have some issues with how my windshield was mounted, the Ref did go to bat for me and argue the point with the BAR that there's no information at all with regard on how a windshield is supposed to be mounted. I'm going to say that a 12" windscreen should be alright as long as you've got windshield wipers on it. (Which is completely ridiculous and has been what I've been wrestling with for more than a month.) I have an appointment tomorrow morning, I'll ask the Ref about it for you. |
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Post by SeanW on Mar 2, 2017 8:41:51 GMT
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Post by colin on Mar 2, 2017 17:55:25 GMT
How did the BAR appointment go?!?
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Post by SeanW on Mar 2, 2017 20:34:38 GMT
How did the BAR appointment go?!? Long story but it's done, the car has a sticker, and I'm waiting at the Los Gatos DMV to finish it all off.  |
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Post by SeanW on Mar 2, 2017 20:37:53 GMT
Did the ref mention how tall they want the windshield? Rule book is fairly ambiguous about this, basically says "adaquate". Wondering if slapping wipers on a 12" sport windshield would work or if more height is needed. The Ref said that should be fine, but you will need to work out wipers for the inspection. |
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Post by mattd on Mar 3, 2017 4:40:48 GMT
Did the ref mention how tall they want the windshield? Rule book is fairly ambiguous about this, basically says "adaquate". Wondering if slapping wipers on a 12" sport windshield would work or if more height is needed. The Ref said that should be fine, but you will need to work out wipers for the inspection. Awesome, thank you sir. |
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Post by SeanW on Mar 3, 2017 6:15:25 GMT
Sooo...SB100 is done, I can finally move on to other projects on my Exocet!  First, small recap: My experience with SB100 had been going on since November, 2016. I hit a brick wall in December when I had my Bureau of Automotive Repair inspection bounced back at me because the BAR had decided to be more stringent in what they were enforcing as requirements for cars being registered via SPCNS. They were not imposing any new rules, they were simply tightening up enforcement of existing rules previous builders I'd spoken with were able to slide by on. It's frustrating and annoying but also kind of my own fault for trying to slide by too. Live and learn. What they bounced me for, specifically, was the lack of a safety glass (AS-1) windshield and windshield wipers. I fixed that but was bounced again because I'd only installed a single wiper, not two wipers. (That requirement alone could be an entire post.) He also mentioned something off-hand about the hood so I figured I need to knuckle up and just install the hood to make sure that wasn't going to be a loose string for me to trip on. It was also pretty chilly this morning and my fingers went a bit numb on the drive to the Ref. Didn't much matter to me, though, since I got to enjoy watching the sunrise from the driver seat of a car I'd put together myself. Since I was crazy early I stopped at the Starbucks near the Ref station for some joe where I found myself talking to a surprising number of people about it. People just kinda seem to love it. I showed up at the Evergreen College Referee station at 8am with my car sporting an AS-1 windscreen from a Volkswagen based Manx dune buggy, a powered marine wiper and a manual marine wiper linked to the powered wiper, and the hood properly latching/locked/secured. The Ref took one look at my car, the said, "Great! Let's get you processed!" He already had all of my in-progress paperwork from my two previous visits so this stop really was just that easy!    Oh wait. It wasn't just that easy. So, there was sone confusion about the VIN on my car. My SPCNS documents listed the VIN of my car as my Exocet chassis number but the CHP had assigned the car a completely different VIN. Confused about this, the Ref told me I needed to have the DMV change the VIN on my SPCNS application to what the CHP had assigned. He did call a supervisor to confirm that. Feeling a bit dejected, I left the Ref station to go to work with the intention of hitting up the DMV on Friday morning to make the change, then make another appointment with the Ref.  Half way to work, though, the Ref called me back to say he'd gotten clarification from a different supervisors and to bring my car back to be processed! Short story: he processed the car under the CHP VIN, printed the sticker, slapped it on my car, and sent me on my merry way! I then immediately went to the Los Gatos DMV where I waited for an hour and change (no appointment) to finish the registration. At that point I had the DMV change the VIN on my application to match the VIN the CHP and BAR used to process the emissions sticker. All of the planets to fall into perfect alignment, they handed me plates and proper registration!  SB100 is actually a pretty easy process if you have everything lined up before you start. If you don't have everything lined up you're going to have a bad time. If you have a specific deadline that you need to have everything done by you're going to have a bad time. If you think that they're just trying to keep you from getting your car on the road a) you're wrong, they aren't, and b) you're going to have a bad time. If you're easy going about things and understand that you may have to pay them two or three visits to get everything nailed down you're probably going to have a much better time. |
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Post by calibuild on Mar 3, 2017 14:58:50 GMT
Woooooo! Congratulations, that's awesome. Hope to follow you in being registered soon.
Your point on viewing the whole thing as a process is key. Just have to take it in stride, albeit it can be frustrating.
Congrats again
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Post by SeanW on Mar 6, 2017 21:51:54 GMT
Woooooo! Congratulations, that's awesome. Hope to follow you in being registered soon. Your point on viewing the whole thing as a process is key. Just have to take it in stride, albeit it can be frustrating. Congrats again It's also kind of a completely BS process. russ872 completed his BAR inspection last week as well and they didn't make him jump through hoops or require wipers on his car. Like I said, the most frustrating part of the whole process is that they are very uneven in how they apply and enforce the rules that SPCNS cars have to comply with. |
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Post by SeanW on Mar 13, 2017 16:12:54 GMT
Not much of an update but... Finally got the alignment sorted out.  Got the actual title to the car.  Over the weekend I spent zero time working on the car. Instead I grabbed a friend and went out for a drive on Pacific Coast Highway.    Found a couple of bolts that rattled out on the shakedown cruise.  Sorted out how to secure my steering wheel when not in use.  |
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Post by SeanW on Mar 26, 2017 3:11:52 GMT
EGR delete time. I really should have done this when the car was still just a roller skate but I didn't want to touch anything related to emissions controls until after finishing up registration. Took me a little longer than it really should have because somehow I lost the EGR block-off plates that I'd ordered from Flyin' Miata. I didn't misplace the EGR manifold port cap that I bought from them, however. Anyway, since I was missing some parts I had to spend a little bit of time cutting/shaping replacements before I could finish the operation. The EGR cap is basically a big nut that's been welded on one side. $15 to FM saved me the hassle of having to make it myself. Worth the money spent for a nut, IMHO. Smearing a little copper anti-seize in the threads (because I need to make sure I can get it off later when it gets transferred to a different header) and spinning it on with a 27mm socket put that bit to rest quickly enough.    Buying block-off plates, in retrospect, is really kind of a waste if you have tools. They're really easy to make from aluminum flat bar if you've got some tools. (Saw, drill, file) The stock EGR gaskets make perfect templates.   Block-offs installed, waiting an hour for the RTV gasket to set (per instructions on the tube) before final torquing.  I was kind of surprised that the vacuum line from the manifold to the EGR valve pulled off its vacuum nipple, but not really all that surprised. The hose is super old and super hardened at this point. Took almost no effort at all to pull on and off. Was probably causing a bit of a vacuum leak. Anyway, it's capped off now. Should be a great spot from which to MAP when I install the MegaSquirt PnP, though! Removed parts ready for the bin.  I don't know if this is everybody's experience with EGR delete but the car seems to idle a little more smoothly now. Or maybe it's just my imagination. And also totally possible that in deleting the EGR I also sealed up a small vacuum leak. |
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Post by SeanW on Mar 31, 2017 7:13:19 GMT
Installed a fuel level gauge tonight. I'm ditching the stock cluster soon and the fuel level gauge in it was broken anyway. I've been driving around with some anxiety about range having almost run it out of gas once already. Good thing I got around to this now, turns out my tank was practically empty as it was.  I went with a Dakota Digital gauge because it has a built-in ohm rang setting that matches the stock Miata sender. Pretty easy to configure, I have it set to display approximate (US) gallons remain. It can be set to show percent remaining, too, if you prefer that. After the install dumped in two gallons. Happy to see that gauge show an approximate two gallons remaining afterward! |
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