Lights working

All the lights are wired up and working now. The old rubber exhaust mounts were very worn out (in fact, one set had snapped clean off!) and they have been replaced with new ones.

SVA test preparation work

This evening I bolted on both rear reflectors, both front indicators, put new wing mirrors on both sides, replaced the windscreen wiper, installed a new longer speedo cable from an old mk3 escort (Same connectors at both ends but its much longer) , refitted the coil, put some more petrol in (I think it must have been running on fumes!) I also painted the new grill which needs trimming down to size and securing onto the Jester, that will be done over the next few days along with wiring up all the new lights.

SVA test date - 03/11/05

The SVA test centre at Yeading (West London) contacted me earlier to confirm that the Jester is booked in for its first SVA test at 9am on Thursday 3rd November. Time to accelerate my efforts!

New Headlights

Today I fitted the new larger 7" black headlights to the jester, (only roughly, they still need aligning,) and they look fantastic, really adding to the cars natural character. I also riveted the vin plate onto the chassis. The new front indicators fit straight onto the bodyshell, only requiring holes to be drilled to secure them.

Kit car show

Today was the national kit car show at Donington. There were 52 kit car manufacturers there along with 34 accessory stands. Almost the whole day was spend trawling through the accessory stalls picking out parts that I need to get the Jester through its SVA test and onto the road. Here is just some of what I bought, new wing mirrors, rubber exhaust mounts, black 7" headlights, front indicators, rear reflectors and a new front grill. We also managed to bump into James, another Jester owner who was there with his car. His is the same colour as mine, but with Ka front headlights, and a 1.6 XR2 engine in it.

S.V.A Preparation

All kit cars must go through a government test called the S.V.A (Single Vehicle Approval) This is like a "mega MOT" that can take towards half a day to complete. The test checks for things like the quality of the build, brakes, windscreen, windscreen demist device, seat belts, tyres, speedo, emissions, any sharp interior or exterior projection likely to cause injury, right through to does the steering lock work and even asks that all lights and rear reflectors on the car have approved lenses with relevant approval quality markings on them. This list is nowhere near the full test, its quite daunting to be honest! Today was spent doing some of the easy work for the SVA test, like removing the front headlights along with front indicators and the rear fog light. None of them had the approval quality markings on them, so its off to buy some more. I fixed the windscreen washer motor which was seized solid, but some WD40 soon put that right! I also ordered a mk3 escort speedo cable as the fiesta one is a slightly tight fit in the Jester, I am reliably informed that the escort one will slot straight in as a longer replacement.

Brake and emission test passed!

Jester Delivered!

Only a quick note tonight, the Jester was delivered at 7.30pm as promised. The last hour has consisted of looking at it, sitting in it, dreaming of modifying it, and being besotted by it. Even the girlfriend loves it. (A sign of a sure fire winner.) I am a very excited boy tonight! (So am off to the pub!) Bye!

New Jester

The last few days since Thursday have been a bit of a mad panic finding all of the Jester's in the UK that are for sale. (At the right price!) This morning I went to a place near Southend on Sea who have a mostly complete Jester for sale. It is not yet road legal, needing to go through its SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) and needs registering with the DVLA. The SVA is kind of like a "super mot" where every aspect of the car is checked, it takes about two and a half hours normally. (EVERY kitcar needs to go through this.) The reason it's for sale is that it was part exchanged for another kit at this dealership. I will still use most of my donor parts, stripping off the current running gear from the Jester. This includes the engine and gearbox and full suspension ect...... The asking price including delivery of the kit was very low indeed, much less than the cost of the chassis and bodyshell when new. It does have its flaws, but they will be ironed out over the winter. It does have to be said that the colour is much better than the photo's look, it is a slightly pale yellow colour, but it is quite bright and very glossy when you see it in the flesh. Delivery of the Jester will be at some point next week. Check back soon!

Delivery update

Due to unforeseen circumstances between the manufacturer of the Jester and their suppliers, the delivery of my kit in a timely manner has no longer become an option.