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Yeah I haven’t got SVA details with the paperwork that came with the car plus I think the engine may have been changed at some point the database the tester used said it had a 4 ltr engine in at some point so I’m assuming If I apply for the certificate it will have this engine info which will be useless at this point!

Yeah I thought I might try this for the long term as I can’t be doing this every year but imagine it may take a long while or a lot perseverance and maybe cash in someone’s back pocket! yep it seems all I can do now is keep ringing around the area to see if I can persuade someone to pass it!

I'd contact vauxhall customer services and ask for a proof of age letter for that engine number - but might take some time and effort unless they've suddenly become helpful... Meanwhile I'd ask (quietly) around local car groups for a more experienced tester to get you through this year.

Yes very!! You can obviously search the web and find historical info on the engine but the tester won’t accept this as proof of age so I’m a bit stuck my MOT has expired now and the weather is beautiful outside!!

Sounds very frustrating, C20XE were nearly all pre-1995 so you should fall all the way to the bottom at a non-cat 3.5% CO/ 1200ppm HC test but obviously they want proof for your actual engine - this should have been provided at time of SVA/IVA - not in your paperwork folder I guess?

Yeah it was registered July 1999! There are no limits on the V5 no engine code details nothing!! I don’t think it’s had a cat fitted in the past but I can’t be sure. It’s fuel injected on TBs. I wondered if a letter/email from a Vauxhall specialist might help to clarify its age? I thought about speaking to my local dealership but not sure if they will have access to databases to confirm the age off the engine code. I’ve read the age is a code embedded within the engine code and it can be deciphered but I don’t know how? Or if this is correct?

Oh dear, so your car was registered after Aug 1998 and doesn't have any limits listed on the V5? Is it fuel injected and previously fitted with a cat perhaps? Which path do you think your car should follow in the flowchart?

Yeah but this was at a different station and I’ve moved house out of the area and the local stations won’t accept the flow chart they are insisting on me proving the engine age or having a copy of the SVA certificate as mentioned in the manual. The V5 doesn’t mention anything on it either so they won’t accept it. It’s driving me nuts tbh!

What went wrong, I thought you had a successful pass last year after showing them the flowchart and V5 information that confirmed your non-cat limits?

Hi all, Im having issues again getting an MOT on my Westy. it’s the age old story of the MOT station refusing to test it as I haven’t got proof of the engine age. It has a C2OXE With no Cat fitted, research on the web suggests that this engine was built before the Cat rules came into place however the tester won’t take anything on the web as evidence of this. I’ve read that you can look at the cam retainers and the date is embossed on them, mine says 90 so I’m assuming it’s a 1990 engine does anyone know if this is correct and how I can prove this to the tester? Has anyone managed to get any other proof like something direct from Vauxhall or a specialist? On the MOT testers database it also said the car had a different engine at some point so I can’t apply for a reissued SVA certificate either. My only joy is trying to find a dodgy tester that will take some extra cash and pass it or someone that will take Web info as proof!? It’s just really annoying and will happen every year so I’m looking for a better solution. Any ideas guys? Many thanks Sam

Re IVA emissions, a Pinto, correctly dated at least, would probably need to pass the least stringent test,

What a bargain!

Not sure if that’s what children under those heights are charged, or if they’re part of the menu.

There are people getting westfield 11's though iva with 1960's engines , if you can accurately age the pinto it should be possible

1.6 pinto with a fast road cam and 32/36 carb is about 100 bhp. Standard 2L Duratec on 45s would easily be 160-180bhp. Well set-up fuel injection and you're probably around 200. Fuel injection means re-working the fuel system. Carbs will be a pain for emissions unless you get a Q plate. Don't know if IVA emissions works to different rules but someone else here will.

Thanks, i think a duratec is probably where I'd like to end up. I've started to read Neptune's posts about the pinto to duratec swap so I can at least get an idea of what's involved. The only reason for considering the pinto is that it seems the quickest way to get the car on the road as I would only need a bare engine to slot in. This is all presuming that it's possible to get it through the iva with an engine that old...

you made a much better job than this guy did .lol

Keep us posted on progress. FWIW, I’d take the opportunity to fit something a bit more modern than the Pinto A Duratec would have the exhaust the same side, a bellhousing can be had for about £250 from Rally Design. There would be other costs too of course, but a box stock Duratec with the Westfield exhaust will make more power everywhere than a reasonably tuned Pinto, so depending on your goals, costs might not end up being very different. It’ll be lighter & shorter too. I confess, I never liked the Pinto much. I built our car with a Xflow in ‘91 and switched to a Zetec back in 2005. So glad I did. Just my opinion, worth what it costs

I’ve had this kit for a couple of years but have been a little scared of attempting it, probably in part due to reading the infamous ‘canoe’ tale about what can happen if you get it wrong! Anyhow, having recently done my headrest, I wanted to sort the seat ahead of our Cornwall trip in a few weeks so that I’m a bit more comfortable for longer stretches. I had to complete the task on my own as Mrs Stu is not feeling too good currently, so made plenty of preparations to ensure that if things did go wrong, the car wouldn’t get covered in the stuff. As it turned out, it was all a bit of an anti climax and it went very well. I used a very large, thick plastic bag which was an option with the foam kit. I wanted a bit of padding under my bum, so put some foam on a very thin piece of ply to act as a base, then popped this in the bag. I cut some cardboard to shape and put this down the sides in an attempt to prevent it locking in to place again the chassis rails which as you will see only partially worked. I had a couple of plastic measuring jugs and bought some cheap buckets specially for the job, and mixed up 600ml of each part first off. Once poured in, I sat myself down on the bag and wriggled around until comfortable. It got fairly warm, but nothing too bad, and I was a bit surprised that the first pouring just reached the back of my bum, so more was needed. After about 15 mins it seemed firm enough for me to get out and mix the remainder of the kit and have another go. This time it filled the space behind me ok, and worked its way right up to above shoulder level. Once out, I left it to set whilst having dinner, then set to work trying to get the b****r out! The cardboard had bent outwards allowing the foam to spread into the frame a little so I had to carefully cut the sides off and free the seat. The back section proved a little fragile, so I cut off the top down to a more useable level, having to glue sections back on which had broken away. Then a fair amount of shaping with a knife, and I also cut the hole for the harness to pass through. Finally, I covered it liberally with the tape I bought as part of the kit, and Bob’s your uncle, a foam seat which is actually remarkably comfortable, even if it’s not very beautiful!

I’ll give this one a miss, too, sorry. (Two hours for me if I do the awful dual carriageway route and considerably longer cross country on nice roads). Have a great day!

Good call, was way to cheap 😁

Having owned my Westy for 24 years, it was time to let it go to a new owner, it will be a sad time, but remembering all the good times, and meet ups with the Scottish lads and lasses, and conversations on here, will be timeless. This pic is me delivering it to its new owner in Lancashire. However, its new owner is no stranger to the car, having actually built it back in 1991, and it may yet see a return to its previous life as a hillclimb / sprint car (which is what it was built for). Wishing Ben all the best with 'ANJ'.....

Hi, I purchased an sew starter kit over 20 years ago with a 1.6 ford pinto engine with twin 40's, a type 9 5 speed gearbox and an english live axle. After many excuses it's never been fully built, and now I'm going to give it a good go to get it finished and on the road. I've recently removed the engine and gearbox and plan to go back to the start of the manual and check all work I've done and make sure it matches any changes to the iva. Seeing advice on other posts I'm keen on checking/replacing hoses and pipes in particular. The first problem I've run into when removing the engine is that it looks like there isn't an engine number stamped on the block. I've been thinking of replacing the engine anyway so it's not a massive issue. At the moment I'm working out what to replace it with. A 2.0 pinto might be the easiest option as the engine mounts and exhaust cut outs are already done. I'm sure i'll come across more issues as i start checking it over. Any tips, advice or ideas are welcome and appreciated.

I’ll probably pop over 👍🏻

Yes, that's easy to get to. See you there at 9am 🏎️