IVA test today

Two years on from my original decision to buy a Cobra and this was the big day.

The car had gone to GD a few days ago for Andy to check all was ok. Andy found a number of things and corrected them, in addition to sorting that brake pipe and the handbrake. Thanks for all the hard work Andy.

I went down the night before and stayed in a hotel to make sure that I was on time the next day. I didn't sleep well or enjoy breakfast due to the impending test.

I had arrange to meet Andy at the VOSA test centre in Nottingham at 8.30, but he had made good time and had arrived at 8.00. By the time I had arrived, the car had been unloaded and had had its emission test completed. So first stage passed.

Cobra at the test station

Martin Bailey, the IVA Examiner, then went on to check the VIN plate, speedo reading, the heights of the lights, the general construction, for sharp edges, the seat belt mountings, the electrics and that all the lights and wipers worked as they should. He drove it around the test facility to check it. He checked the speedo, the brakes, etc and finally the noise (and I have probably missed off a few things too). The car was weighed on the weighbridge and turned out to be a svelte 1095 kg.

Martin, the Examiner, checks the pressure needed on the brakes

Andy then said he would put it in the trailer! Was that it? Martin had got on quietly and efficiently with the test and it had passed! A big relief and a big grin from me.

The car gets brought back from GD on Tuesday by Paul Bowden (PB Logistx). Then I have a load of small jobs to do and need to register it, before it can go on the road.