Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 849 Threads: 123
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I spotted a 1931 3 window coupe in Hemmings on line magazine, for sale in Watsonville CA for $4500. Pretty complete & unusual. will cost about £1500 to get here (much depends on cost of getting it to the port in CA) but what a great project! I can't work out how to get a copy of the ad onto this site, but go look onto "Hemmings Daily" and fight your way through the filters! I had forgotten that the Bantams have much of the engine reversed....so carb etc is back on the nearside & so on!
Not for me...I want to stay married & I have an AG (I think!) tourer on the way from Ohio at the moment.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 3,329 Threads: 372
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Car type:
what's the difference between a three window coupe and a.... short van?
Is it (originally) trimmed nicely, but dark?
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 861 Threads: 74
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The three window was marketed as a delivery vehicle or "Business Coupe". I think some had a simple fold-flat passenger seat to give access to the rear. It would have been a cheap and simple way of producing another body style with minimal tooling. The five window "Coupe" was a 2-seater car. with a substantial bench seat. The three window is much rarer than the 5-window Coupe.
Seems like a good price for an unmolested car.
Peter.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 686 Threads: 112
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I'm curious about how interchangeable the parts might be? I understand the engine is reversed, but what about other parts? The frame of the restored roadster looks the same.
Erich
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Location: queensland
Erich, the head I believe can be fitted to an Austin but the water take off will then be at the rear which may be usefull in some low profile specials using a remote header tank. The block is a 10 crankcase stud type and at first glance looks to be able to be reversed and fitted to an Austin, but I have not tried it, yet.
cheers Russell
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,713 Threads: 47
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Location: Auckland NZ
Car type: 36 Nippy, 31 RM, 38 Special, 24 Works Rep
The two Bantam blocks I have recently had in my workshop have been 8 stud and could be fitted to a seven engine, the earlier engines seemed to have much in common with the familiar Austin design. Later a lot of details seem to have changed, white metal mains, revised cam bearings and timing gears, oil dippers for the big ends, dynamo and distributer drive etc, eventually very little could actually be interchanged.
Black Art Enthusiast
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Erich,
None of the running gear is the same - the layout and dimensions are familiar but the chassis, axles and gearbox are all different. The number of surviving cars is quite low and most are rarely used so I would guess the spares situation could be challenging.
Peter.
