Crashed Ruby today.

[andrew34ruby]

The Ruby looks good Andrew. Your garage is like mine. Not an inch of space wasted just enough room for the car.

John Mason.

You are only looking at half the garage here, more space to the left, room for three cars in total. I bought the house 45 years ago because it had a big garden - big enough for the big garage that I then built.

---

Is that a pair of A frames and beam for an engine lift? Most useful!

Yes Duncan, it is. It came out of the training school at Octavious Atkinsons when they closed down. Father in law was a director there. He's 91 now and still driving.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Had a pal who used to work at Octopus Atkinson way back in the late 1960s...

[andrew34ruby]

Had a pal who used to work at Octopus Atkinson way back in the late 1960s...

Father in law was there from 1964 till about 1990. He is one year older than my seven.

[andrew34ruby]

Repairs moving on. First coat of colour on the wing and headlight. All the mechanical bits are done.
   

[Ivor Hawkins]

Excellent, my favourite Austin Seven colour as well!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Great work.

[Tony Press]

Just like a bought one - 

[Martin Prior]

We recently took in two accident-damaged Sevens in the same week.  

The tail-ended Ruby was insured with RH, who were a model of speed and efficiency.  We reported the car as repairable; it was inspected and deemed to be an economic write-off.  The owner swiftly received the full agreed value and salvage of the entire car.  Repairs are now well underway.

The RN had suffered front-end damage similar to Andrew's Ruby.  We submitted a detailed report to the insurer (I've been asked not to not them, as settlement is still dragging on, but it isn't RH), confirming that the car was repairable.  After much messing around, we had a visit from an engineer who admitted that he knew nothing about cars of this age.  To cut a long story short, they eventually classified it under modern rules as a "Category B" write-off, meaning that although parts can be salvaged, the car must be dismantled and not repaired and the registration cancelled.

Mysteriously, payment of several hundred pounds to the insurer would miraculously reduce the classification to a repairable Category S.  How does that work?

[Dave Mann]

Welcome to the 21st century. Whilst at a glance the RN looks bad i'm sure it's repairable as Andrew has demonstrated with his excellent Ruby repair.

[David Stepney]

I am sure that the decision to class the RN as a category B write-off could be challenged. A report from an independent assessor with experience in classic cars might be a way forward. Very little is beyond repair. I recall a thread concerning a Seven saloon with a badly bent chassis beautifully restored.