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+--- Thread: 38 Ruby newbie (/showthread.php?tid=5645)
38 Ruby newbie - Pitstoppete - 09-02-2021
Hi there fellow Seven owners, thought I'd introduce myself and more importantly, the Ruby I've had for about three years -
I'm Peter, 50, an MOD Mechanical Engineer from The Cambridgeshire Fens and this little beastie came to me as a kinda barn find, through a friend of a friend of a work colleague, who drove it once, realised it was quite worn out! and passed it on. I do know the guy who helped extract it from storage though, he knew the former owner and it had been there, abandoned, since the late 80's.
The reasoning behind buying this was I have always wanted a pre-war car to fiddle with and one of these seemed the best value for money, also my Dads first car was an Opal or a Pearl (he's not sure which, it was the 50's) so hope to get him in it when he comes to visit and it just came my way at the right time - I had just moved house, had a little in the back pocket for a garage filler and it came on a trailer with a free Lister D stationary engine! something else I've always wanted!
So, I have used it, once I got it going, it even went down the road for the yearly village show a couple of years back, but only because it was about half a mile away! It goes really well, handles really badly and the brakes caught me by surprise! I thought it'll be awful, but it slows and stops ok. Also it's all numbers matching, something that amazed me.
It's been under cover outside for three years while I did lots of conservatory, garage and workshop building and now it has it's own heated and insulated house to live in, I have cracked on with it. As you might imagine, everything rubber is dead and the wiring is green dust held together with cob webs, how any of the lights worked, I have no clue.
Currently have a new loom here to go in and am repairing all the lights so there is something decent to connect it to. The dampers are not doing anything, the bushes are all missing and the tyres are all from the sixties or earlier. I do have the old log book showing 3 owners in the Devon/Somerset area, the last being in Chard and yes, it's still got the local area number plate it was born with.
Hoping to be trundling to some meetings and shows in the summer.
I'm sure there will be much advice needed and plenty of parts being sourced.
Peter.
RE: 38 Ruby newbie - Ivor Hawkins - 09-02-2021
Windscreen washers, there’s posh!
What a lovely Ruby, it looks just right as it is.
RE: 38 Ruby newbie - Robert Leigh - 09-02-2021
Welcome to the prospect of using your Ruby. We would also welcome you in the Cambridge Austin Seven and Vintage car Club, assuming you have not yet joined: http://ca7vcc.co.uk/contact/ Our present meetings are only on Zoom because of the restrictions, and the published meeting place will be revised when we are allowed out again for such meetings. The White Horse has changed hands and is waiting to become a chinese reataurant, so no longer a suitable noggin and natter venue. I hope we will have the pleasure of meeting you and your car when such things are allowed. In the meantime there is plenty of friendly advice available in the club; you only have to ask.
RE: 38 Ruby newbie - Nick Turley - 09-02-2021
Welcome to the Austin Seven world.
I urge you to join a club - you will find people very helpful.
NB
The Austin Seven Centenary 2022 at Morton in the Marsh
A Fun packed holiday with lots to do.
19 - 24 July