While visiting relatives near Stirling I spotted photos of a Nippy at speed on a circuit. Ah yes, says Calum, that's me at Brands Hatch in the 50's when I was at Cambridge! He was involved in motor sport with the University Motor Club. The car was CZ 3075. According to the records it may have also have been WP7433. Chassis 215136. It is now (last recorded 2013)) in the USA. He has photos of the car & tales to tell that might interest the current owner. I can put them in touch.
He also owned another: GK (CK?) 6768, but neither registration is on the list as far as I can see.
Can the Nippy Register help?

The idea behind this thread is to share ways we've come up with to improve on shortcomings of this wonderful little car to enhance our enjoyment of its virtues.

As I slowly restore my Seven I am constantly looking to see if there are ways to improve how things work or in many cases last.

Some activities or maintenance activities will eventually cause things like old tired threads to fail etc. One of the things I don't like about the Seven engine is the way that the sump  is held on with bolts into the cast aluminum crank case. Trying to get a good oil tight seal (if that is possible) with the old technology of paper gasket and oval washers to spread the compression on the sump face when you tighten the bolts up after each oil change and screen cleaning eventually leads to thread failure and stripping. More so if your sump's mating face isn't flat or in good shape with no gaps when the face is resting on a flat surface.

So what did I do to improve matters you ask? 

Well first of all I made sure that both mating surfaces were flat checking with a metal straight edge and adjusting the offending surface with either a file or a hammer and anvil (for the sump). When satisfied with the fit  I made up brass BSW studs that would be put into the crankcase permanently.  To hold the flange of the sump flat I fabricated a 1/8" thick by 1/2" wide retainer insert that sits in the flange of the sump.
   
This ensures that the sump stays flat when tightened to the crankcase. Retaining everything  in place are new  deep long neck nuts that would be easier to grip with the spanner.  The old paper gasket is not used but a new one will be made from a silicone  baking sheet from your local  Safeway or Tescos. 
   
All this ensures that you'll get a good oil tight seal with no leaks (hopefully) without wearing out your crankcase sump threads by having to resort to over tightening things and having a reusable gasket that should last for a long time before you have to make another.
   
Oil changes should now be easier and not something that gives you concern over bolt and thread failure.

The nuts and studs in the last picture are not installed but put in place just for the pic.

Cheers,
Stephen

Thanks to all forum contributors who have helped me source missing bits for this axle build.  I'm nearly there but just realised that I've got a mismatched set of brake shoes.  These are the 1 1/4 inch shoes and as you can see I've got three correct ones and a stray (stray is third one down in the image and has a canted limb to it - not sure which model it came from but certainly isn't going to work).  Is there anyone out there who can help me find one more to match the set.  Happy to pay of course, so this goes in Sales and Wants too.  Does anyone know what the odd one is from?

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Hi All

I'm a bit worried by the current draw shown on the ammeter when I switch on the ignition on my 1930 RK.  It reads 6 amps discharge (without the engine running). I've established that when the points are open the discharge is pretty much zero so I reason that it can only be the ignition circuit that is causing the high current draw.

I thought I'd found the answer when I tested the coil and found the resistance between the + and - terminals was 1 ohm. I reasoned that from ohms law 6 volts divided by 1 ohm gives 6 amps. I thought the coil was faulty. So I purchased a new coil from a reputed supplier and found that too had a resistance of just 1 ohm and apparently that is normal for the coils they sell.

The car starts, runs and has no ill effects from the high ignition current apart from the fact the dynamo struggles to counter the discharge unless its revved.

Question is 6 amp discharge normal?  Is there anything else that could be drawing the current?

Cheers

Howard

Is there anyone out there in the East Suffolk (Aldeburgh) area? Two members of the Bristol club are venturing east (with Sevens of course) for a week next week, Sunday 7th to Friday 12th. It would be good to meet at a pub for lunch or something.

Am attempting rebuild of late C35A dynamo that previous owner stripped down and left in a box of bits. I have no idea what he butchered/snipped. (Bear in mind that I don't really do electrickery. My understanding is limited to: Thing works=Good. Thing doesn't work=Bad. Thing smokes and catches fire=Very Bad).

I have just fettled a less deconstructed C35M (following the Cornwall A7 club notes on testing etc) and it's now working fine - but the connections are a little less obvious on the A.

I appear to have two wires from the field coils , the red one (ignore that it is poking out of the casing) and and bare one - there is continuity between them.

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I know that one brush is to earth and I have identified which one it is.  The other brush presumably has a wire from it to the POS/D external terminal.  Then the smaller, moveable, third brush is connected to the field coils and then to the F2 external terminal.

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But I  have two wires from the coils, the red and the bare. Which goes where?

I need to get hold of a few small bits - a brush spring, the two screws that hold the shoe plates in place between the coils, a woodruff key for the drive end, and a spring to hold the end cap in place. Any ideas where they might be obtainable?

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"There are two types of distributor: manual advance (on the steering wheel) or automatic advance.
Ignition timing: manual distributor: points open at 11⁄2“ BTDC measured on the top of the flywheel.Automatic distributor: points open at TDC on flywheel." is on the Dorset Club Technical Sheet which is generally quite useful.

I'm just trying to get my head round this for the manual setting. Does this mean that the manual setting is set when the setting lever is fully extended to ADV?

I'm presuming the lever has a set amount of movement to Adv and R, or is there ability to tweak/optimise this? And the lower advance (than later cars) explains the difference between 1 1/2" BTDC and 1 7/8" which is quoted elsewhere for the later ones?

In my research of Austin Dealerships  I have come across a number of unusual adverts but I did not think I would find an advert for a dealer which promoted both American Austin and English Austin, or an Austin Seven which was not in any of the books such as The Source Book.

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Haircut anyone?

Hi All, I am thinking of a roof rack for my 33 rp box, does anyone have one they would like to sell ?, or pictures \ plans \ ideas for making one, would need to be quite light, also looking for a vintage taxi sign \ meter \ what ever.
               Thank you Dai, in a very wet Argyll.