Has anyone ever changed the steering column in a Chummy? I’d like to know the best way to proceed. Will it come out from below in one piece, or will I have to remove it in bits. I don’t particularly want to take the body off!

Hi, I am new to the forum and I would be interested to know if anyone knows of anywhere that will insure me as a 17 year old on an Austin 7 Ruby?

I have searched around and most insurance companies who will insure Austin 7's wont go near anyone under 25.

Thank you very much
Regards, Jake

I ordered and received a new rear main oil seal and cover plate. I've Speedi-sleeved the flywheel boss already for the seal to run on. 

The new rear cover plate doesn't have the half circle cut outs in it's flange like the original scroll type and it looks like the flange on the new one will block the drain hole in the crankcase.

Do I need to file a cutout into it? 

With that fitted I want to do a test run of the oil pump to check the jets are correctly pointed and that oil is getting to all the right places.

Simon

After 10 years of email, phone and Friends post we have met Reckless Rat in person, at last!

Rekkers and Mrs R have welcomed us into their spectacular home for a few days in Gard region of France.

I was able to make some brake and steering adjustments on the Pearl ready for our journey towards the Tarn and then Toulouse.  Thankfully he has an air conditioned workshop as the heat is exceptional.

We met through this Forum - great stuff!

Rekkers and me indulging in a little Pastis before moule frites...

   

He has the largest bidet I have ever seen!!

   

Thank you to our exceptional hosts.

   

Having built a special in the past I now want to build another but this one will not be roadgoing, built from various parts left over from the first so not breaking an existing car.

I have a chassis, 19” wheels, early steering box/col, gearbox, axles etc already sitting. 

I want it to be lightweight with an air-cooled engine and have chased both a Coventry Victor and Wisconsin V4 engines on Ebay with no success.

I wonder if anyone can suggest a suitable engine (and even better a source for one)?

I am travelling to the Beaulieu Autojumble at the start of September in the hope that I might pick up something there, and am happy to put in a few miles thereafter to source an engine and save on carriage etc. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Good morning.

Having read many a horror story on various forums (fora? - never sure) about difficulties dealing with DVLA, I was pleasantly surprised with my dealings.

I bought a Ruby chassis and V5c recently, but found that the number on the chassis and the V5c differed by one digit. I sent of the V5c with the corrected number, a photograph of the clearly original chassis plate and number plate together with a print of an entry from the A7 register showing that the numbers on the car were together at least up until 2000.

Three weeks later, and one simple phone call, and duly amended V5c arrived.

Regards,

Jamie.

Usually non synthetic 20/50 from the local motor factor, but I spotted this on the shelves at Waitrose. Any use perhaps?

   

Available from today, 1.8kW 10 bar 50L capacity air compressor with low noise motor for £119. Includes 10m hose 3m flex and pressure gauges. Delivery rate 260l/min. Might be worth a try at that price. I have no connection with Lidl by the way, just idly browsing.
Cheers,
Dave.

Has anyone had any trouble starting their car( Zenith 26va) in this hot weather, it will not go on handle unless I manually fill the float bowl then it fires first time, it appears the priming lever in the fuel pump doesnt work.Before filling it, the bowls almost empty after just standing 24 hours, once running its fine

Hello
I have a '37 Ruby engine M244... with a 2 bearing crank and h.c head.
Could someone please tell me if a starting point for setting the timing is TDC or 
11/2" BTDC at the flywheel?
I usually have it at TDC but to make it run at it's smoothest I need to slightly retard it which can't be good
so I end up putting it back to TDC.
However, I do wonder whether I should be starting at the 1 1/2" BTDC point which I thought was for the earlier engines.
Or have I got that all wrong? which isn't unknown for me.
Many thanks for your time
Graham.