Jim Blacklock came up with this image of an "important" Nippy - important in that his photographs have captured some rare boot blocks we have only found on one other car, and would like to research further. It also corroborates the original design of wind deflectors which we have found on one other late car.

Can anyone throw a line to whose it might be? it has particularly characteristic side screens and there is no reason why these shouldnt still be in existence...

Sleuths, on your marks....

[Sachet of air from the insides of a rare, original Nippy crankcase for the best lead...]

Help wanted I'm trying to find an Austin 7  RegOT 4745. It was owned back in the 60's/70's by Carey and Lambert in Southampton and was rebuilt by the apprentices. My father Terry Dowell helped rebuild it and used to take it to carnivals and it was used a wedding car on many occasions. Easter 1972 my dad and his work colleague drove little OT from lands end to John O'Groats. I spent many an hour when I was little looking though his "little OT" scrap book and reading the route that they took.  The picture is a painting of the car that has pride of place at my parents. I would love to know what has happened to this car. It played a huge part of my early years. Unfortunately we lost dad in April and him doing the lands end to John O'Groats run is my favourite memory and of him xxx thank you for taking the time to read this xxx

I have checked the DVLA website and it's still about xxx

Dear friends,

Sunday last my wife and I left our home in Staffordshire in our 1930 RK saloon for a two week holiday in France. Following a hard day's drive to Portsmouth, we crossed the chanel overnight to Caen. Then using minor "D" roads through  Normandy to Blois; then, Moulin, Lyons to the Haut Savior near  Annecy. 

Our route has taken us through beautiful countryside and it has been very hot at times (38c) but the car has coped wonderfully well. Although we have a sunshine roof it has had to be closed at times to protect us from the sun. 

With more than 1200 miles covered I have oiled the kingpins and greased the fan pulley and steering joints etc, togeter with oil drops to the clutch thrust bearing. Following R's episode last year, I checked the gear box level with the engine dip stick and it was just above the mark and as it was when we left home. I have added 1 pint of engine oil at 500 miles and another just now and that is Comma SAE 20/50. Also put  half a pint of water in the radiator. Have been using  unleaded  98 with no fuel vaporisation issues.

We are both at the elderly end of Austin Seven Friends and we are enjoying our adventure in France and the car has been unbelieveably good. We are due back home at the end of next week.

For some reason writing this post has taken a very long time using our Ipad mini.

Best wishes to you all. Bryan and Roberta.

Hi
I have not looked into this, but it might be of interest to someone on here?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C909183

Regards,
Colin

Subject - torque tube ball end felt seal and its housing. (for my 1938/39 rear axle).
Items shown in spares list 1586 (Oct 1937) as - Housing = 1A7640  Felt 2K5560. This appears to be standard to all torque tubes after at least 1936 including being shown on the Big Seven spares list 1598A and B.

Front being the front of the car:- Where does it fit at the ball end of the torque tube?
1. I presume that it fits behind the front ball bearing? .
2. With felt in front of housing next to the bearing?
3. How is it actually held in place?

or is it just behind the pinion shaft prop-shaft flange with the felt around the backward facing spigot
4. Is there a modern lip seal that replaces it?
5. what is its actual job?
John Platts Austin Seven Centre spares list has felt seal for 1939 pinion 2K5560 But no illustration showing for 1939 and it is not shown in their earlier axle illustrations!
Any pictures of the assembly exploded....?  I am using a ball bearing with seal on forward side but not on rear side.


6.  The breather plug.....is that on top of the torque tube or does tube rotation fit so that it is underneath?
  Bizarrely the breather is listed with the back axle under "axle case with nearside tube and end" rather than with torque tube...part 1G7042 air vent plug.
It is actually shown in the Austin Seven Centre John Platts spare parts catalogue...item 47 -1G7042.

It is unfortunate that the late 1938 to 1939 axle is totally ignored in all the books I have on A7 (Bill Williams special builders guide, 750 club special builders guide, 750 club "companion"  It is rather a long time since I stripped the axle and any way I think the pinion seal was wrong or missing altogether.

Finally....what is the best way to ensure front pinion bearing is kept lubricated?


 Dennis

My new to me special has age damaged tyres front and back so I want to replace them. The fronts are 4.00 4.25 - 15 pirelli tyres and the rears are firestone 6.2S13. I can't find out how the coding on the firestones works to find suitable replacements. It has and od of 563mm which is smaller than the 520-13 camac tyres that are the smallest on Langstone I can find.

The front codes I read as 4 inch width, 4.25 inch wall 15inch diameter.

Do the wheel sizes give any clue as to what the car might have been used for? ( it has a cambridge head, twin H1 su, bowdenex, dipped front axle  so it seems like it has been developed for some, now lost, purpose)


cheers

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manifold vgc £15
email for photos
stud/good threaded rod for connection to inlet manifold present


also early valve cover (2 big holes 4 little holes) £15

enquire for dynamo and v. late rear brake rod actuator mechanism

tightening bolt present for gearbox shaft £10
email for photo

Hello Chaps

Dad & I have been working on a close ratio 4 speed syncro box and we've come across two different selector plates for the 4 speed gearbox, can anyone tell us why they are different as this would surely affect how the gears are selected and which would be the correct plate ??

We have trawled though the Workshop Manuals and all the literature we have, but are still none the wiser here....

Cheers
Greig

Sunny South Africa

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The special I am restoring is one of those purchases that in hind sight should have been avoided at all costs, but the up side is that as everything was knackered, it's has been educational.  I have just removed the head and the sump assuming it would be like the rest of the car and was surprised to find the it looks like the engine had been reconditioned as the pistons are 60 thou. OS and there is very little carbon build up in the head and no lip in the bores.

I have attached a photo of one of the big ends (with dodgy split pin work)  and it looks like there is some brass shim between the caps so I assume when it was assembled there was not enough clearance?

Also the big end bolts seem to be a mixed lot although the small end bolts look new and have tab washers.

When I bought the car the engine ran and sounded OK in the couple of hundred yards that I drove it.

As the head and sump is off what would you do?

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