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Friday, 7 June 2013

First run on the road


All set!

One road legal GBS Zero!

Home built from a van full of parts, a list of extras from various suppliers & a little spare time :)

Just time to take her for a spin this evening, fill up the fuel tank & quick round trip down the lanes to Staplehurst - my daughter volunteered for the test run - windy, but great fun. The windscreen makes all the difference - its still windy - but you can drive without goggles:


I still have some parts to fully complete but we are basically done...  I think it came out all right; in fact I'm very pleased with the result. I'm not a perfectionist - I don't have the patience for perfection, on the other hand I do notice & it niggles me when things are not 'right' - while this might not be a concourse Zero - its pretty close - certainly a pretty car & a damn decent drive!

The learning process as a positive part of the build should not be understated: Research on the internet, drawing on experience from previous builds and club members as well as the physical build are all part of the process. Its not a Lego kit where you learn how to follow step by step instructions, or even Meccano where the instructions are typically more sparse - its more like the mental experience I recall from first getting into computers in the early 80s as a teenager: old bootlegged C64 games back in the day when you had to hack & discover the keystrokes & controls to play -or- Learning to programme - some knowledge from books & magazines, but a lot by thinking through the problem, identifying solutions and then trying things out until you find the solution you are going to go with.


Now what shall I do next?
  1. The fuel gauge is fun right now, it works ok but needs calibrating (read float wire bending) - shows full when the tank is about 2/3rds full, and empty a little early.
  2. Straighten the steering wheel - needs shifting 1 spline over and/or track rod ends adjusting
  3. Rear wheel arch stone guards
  4. High level brake light - ordered but not fitted
  5. Rear number plate lamp wiring re-routing
  6. Behind seat anti bluster screen
  7. Half hood - project
  8. Doors - project
  9. In car basic tools, wheel brace etc
  10. Spare wheel cover
  11. ....




















Perhaps there will be enough to keep me busy. During the IVA process I also had this idea for a boat... not to build... just to "mess about on the water"...hmmm

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