THE ‘UFFINDEL’ 1928 AUSTIN 7 SPECIAL
The first car to cross the start line at the first Australian Grand Prix at Bathurst
Held in current ownership for 54 years
Chassis No: Not specified
Engine No: M63288
The legendary Austin 7 has competed in almost every discipline of motorsport since its inception in 1920 when a young Herbert Austin conceived a small car to meet the needs of young families. The ideas were spurred by the Horsepower tax of the day and was quite a departure from the Swift of Coventry earlier conservative vehicles.  As the company was in dire financial straits. Austin employed the services of 18-year-old draughtsman, Stanley Edge, from the Austin factory at Longbridge, Birmingham to aid in the drawing of detailed plans.
Austin’s son-in-law Arthur Waite, who became a legendary Austin 7 racing driver, began his career with remarkable sporting successes at Brooklands in March 1923 followed at Monza. Notwithstanding the unavoidable run of failures that any racing marque had to endure to find perfection, Waite and Lou Kings (chief tester) persevered. He went on to establish Austin Distributors in Melbourne.  Gordon England also established six new class records at Brooklands in his special lightweight 2-seater body weighing just 20 lb (9.1 kg) and entered the 1100 cc class for the Junior Car Club 200-mile race at Brooklands in October 1923 finishing in second place and breaking five class records. These milestones saw the birth of the Austin 7 racing legend that has thrilled spectators and challenged competitors for almost 100 years.
This intrinsically important racing car with Australian Grand Prix provenance for sale at Motorclassica was built into an aluminium bodied racing car in about 1934 by the South Australian, Ron “the Wizard” Uffindell. Referred to as “the Wizard” for his amazing turning ability, his spectacular trail-blazing is well recorded in Australian Grand Prix motor racing history. He started racing at the Centennial Grand Prix in 1936 which was run on the public roads between Victor Harbor and Port Elliot over 250 miles. Uffindel finished this race in 7th place outright having wisely fitted heavier crankshaft and rods in anticipation of the demands on the car. (Retrospectively, this race became known as the 1937 Australian Grand Prix). The following year on the 18 April the Australian Grand Prix was held at Bathurst on unsealed roads. Uffindell drove his little racer from his home town of Adelaide to Bathurst. The ‘Uffindel’ holds the illustrious honour of being the first car to leave the starting line on handicap against Peter Whitehead’s ERA at Mt Panorama at the first Australian Grand Prix held at that circuit. To ensure he would make the distance without refuelling, Uffindel installed a 7-gallon tank and finished in an astonishing 8th place. Ron Uffindell was a small man in stature at about five feet 5 inches tall. The image of him hanging onto the steering wheel of this little car, flat strap down Conrod Straight on a dirt road at 68 mph while being overtaken by a supercharged K3 Magnette at 105 mph is legendary in the annals of Australian motorsport. He then drove the little Austin 7 back to Adelaide via Melbourne and Mt Gambier along the Great Ocean Road!
In 1939, the Austin 7 was first outright in the South Australian Junior Grand Prix run at Lobethal establishing an average speed of just over 68 mph. Other competition achievements include the Australian Hill Climb Championship at Rob Roy winning the 850cc class. Once again, Ron Uffindel drove to and from the event.
An early member of the Sporting Car Club of SA. Ron Uffindel owned this car for 19 years before selling it to Gordon Walker who continued competing in SCCSA club events. The car has had only 4 owners since Ron Uffindel including Australian Sports Car Champion, Phil Moore. In its current 54-year ownership it has made guest appearances at both the Lobethal re-enactment events in 2008 and 2009 driven by Geoff Redin and Ral Rainsford. The car was honoured for its historical Australian Grand Prix and South Australian motoring significance by being the first car flagged off the starting line in 2008 by highly respected Australian motorsport flagman, Glen Dix. It has also run at the Winton Historics in 2010.
The ‘Uffindell’ offers a superb opportunity to acquire an Austin 7 with unequalled Australian racing provenance held in its current custodianship for 64 years. Its acquisition offers a rare and desirable opportunity for a discerning collector of Australian Grand Prix history. The car is accompanied by a tonneau which zips down the middle; the 4 original mudguards made by Ron Uffindell; an original poster of the 1939 Lobethal races and a CD including significant historical photographs of the car racing in the early days and at the Lobethal re-enactment event in 2008 and 2009. Ron Uffindel’s historic race records are held in safe keeping within the Austin 7 Club of South Australia archives.

https://www.mossgreen.com.au/m/lot-detai...-7-SPECIAL

Could someone please suggest what chemical cleaner I could use to clean Zenith carb bodies?

Hi,
I wonder if anyone can help with some pictures as to the best way, and in fact how, to set up an external oil filter on a 1927 coil engine. I need to know where is best to set up the pipework running into the filter and if there are any modifications needed to the engine to achieve it. Rubber, copper piping or braided? Any modification to the oil pump? 
Any help would be most grateful. 
Thanks in advance.
Tim

I am having difficulty removing the two head manifold studs (see my earlier thread).  I was wondering, before I get to the point where I snap the studs, how much difference it will make to the cars' performance? Just wondering if it is worth all the effort....

Alan

I did raise this on the old forum but have some further questions (and the post didn't make the cut for the archive). Thanks to those that contributed earlier. 

After my block destruction I'm aiming to put at the very least an extra block stud at the rear. The engine is a 1928 magneto crankcase. 
The idea is to tap a thread into the crankcase through to the rear cam bearing. The space to fit the stud between the rear of the block and the starter motor casting is really quite narrow. 
My question is whether it's better to use a long stud bracketed from the head (as Pigsty do in this illustration ) or use another route. 
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The alternative route is to bolt a bracket to the bottom of the block and clamp that down to the crankcase. 

Part of me is attracted the "clamp" approach of the bracket technique but the long stud from the head has a simplicity about it and it avoids tapping into the block (I'm quite keen to avoid any risk of weakening the block).

Does anyone have firm opinions either way?

Also in a magneto engine replicating this approach at the front is very hard if you want to run a dynamo. Any creative approaches welcomed. 

Thanks

Charles

I am assisting a club member with the restoration of a Mk1 Ruby, his car has bumpers and a steel panel fitted where one would find a sliding sun roof on the deluxe models. So my question is would the steel panel be a factory fitment or a later modification as suspected, the panel appears to have been professional produced so may have been a std fitment on export versions. I believe that the export fixed head had a steel roof panel so this car may not be a deluxe and therefore the bumpers could be the later fitment, if it should have a sunroof has anyone got drawings that would assist in reproducing a Pytchley sliding roof?

Perhaps as a relatively new owner, I may be ill informed. Replica Ulsters seem to be gaining in price exponentially. I thought the designation was "EA Sports" rather than "EAS". Seems like it is missing a few bits. https://www.gumtree.com/p/austin/1930-au...1266651971

Erich

Spotted today at Chain Bridge Honey Farm...

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Big Seven wheels too, I think..

Hi all. I have found myself with 2 modified cams. One was given to me be Mark Elder which came from his pigsty 7. The second was reproduced by the austineers. The receipt says 'high inlets'. The exhaust lobes look standard. 

My question is which is best suited for a fast road/race engine. John

SI try the links don't seem to be working from photobucket for me

I have recently started to experience fumes inside my RN box saloon for the first time since I purchased it ten years ago. They cause the eyes to sting and catch in the throat.

The fumes become apparent when the engine is hot and the driver is pressing on - ie, a steady 40 mph for half an hour or more.

I have checked the exhaust, and modified the valve cover plate by blocking off the 3 holes and fitting an extension pipe which extends below the chassis to carry away any by-pass fumes.

The fumes are still present, but seem less than before.

One thing that occurs to me is that they seemed to start becoming apparent when I fitted a 4-blade fan to try to overcome the effects of modern fuel vaporisation, causing the engine to splutter in hot weather when driving slowly or pausing at a junction etc.  I wondered if the greatly increased air being forced over the engine by the new fan could be pushing fumes into the car via the various bulkhead orifices, many of which cannot be completely blocked up. 

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Thank you.