1930s hood fasteners evidence - plea

[Steve Jones]

I had a Type 65 in my early teens in the sixties. Fitted as many were with a Ford 10 engine, it had a red canvas hood that sat as that in Ruairidh's photos and fastened to the inside of the screen with forks and turnscrews again as the photos appear to show. No fastenings of any type on the doors. It cost £5 as a runner from someone in the village and was eventually sold a few years later for £10 via 'Exchange and Mart' to an enthusiast from Manchester. I can still visualise it leaving!! 

My great regret is that I have no record of its registration number but given it made it to the sixties, I imagine it might well have survived. It might even be that I know it. If your car was at sometime painted light green, had a red canvas hood, a Ford 10 engine and was owned for a time in the sixties by someone in Crigglelstone near Wakefield I'd love to hear fom you. 

Steve

[JonE]

I'll keep my eyers open, Steve!

Ruairidh, I've seen some other angles of that photoshoot! That look conclusively like a female press stud at the position at the back of the door, which ties with the grainy enlargement of a 1933 press car in that same position. No mid securing either between that one and the edge of the deck, which a lot of cars have now.

But would you agree that the hoodcover fasteners look larger than conventional press studs we know of now?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

My advice to review as much period (first hand) evidence as you can lay your hands on and draw your own conclusions.

My experience is that if you are drawn to be definitive, someone will always provide evidence to the contrary.

Austin Sevens were cheap, mass produced cars, - stock often changed due to availability and price

[Mike Costigan]

David Howe has confirmed the Lift-the-Dot fasteners were available at this time; here's his comments:

Re subject of Lift the Dots on Austin Sevens these were used from late 26 to hold the two folding front sidescreens either open or closed.
There was a small leather strap screwed to the side screen with a 'female' lift the dot at the end. The close the side screen this is clipped onto the 'male' Lift the Dot screwed into the door frame above the inside door lock. The 'male' Lift the Dot to hold the sidescreen open is screwed into the outside of the bodywork alongside the windscreen mounting. The Chummy also uses Turn Buckles the hold the handbrake/fabric joint cover in place and under the rear seat to hold the hood bag straps in place.
 
You can see these straps on the original front sidescreens on enclosed snap of my Chummy.


  lift the dot.JPG (Size: 226.74 KB / Downloads: 207)

Sadly David doesn't want to join the Forum, but at least he is happy to pass on his knowledge.

[Malcolm Parker]

Many years ago I was on The Eskdale Reliability Trial in North Yorkshire in my Reliant engine Big 7 special.  We had had lunch at Rosedale, famous for Chimney Bank, at 1 in 2 1/2 the steepest gradient in the UK.  An elderly couple, Bill and Greta, were in Bills Wolsley Hornet Special and Greta was struggling to remove the tonneau cover.  Bill calmly watched his wife struggling for a few minutes, then ambled over to the car.  Greta immediately had a go at him about the tonneau being awkward.  Bill pointed to one of the fasteners and asked 'what does that say?'.   Greta looked closely and read the words 'Lift the Dot'.   'Yes' said Bill, 'Lift the Dot, not Rive the Bugger!'
From then on I have always referred to them as Rive the Buggers.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

This shows the hood bag arrangement for the previous model (AD); I think your model should have a pair of thin metal clips which hook over the hood irons to hold them down, but the simple solution if you haven't got them is a pair of leather straps to bind the irons together.

The illustration is from the Gallery section - a perfect example of how this feature will help owners!

Mike,

I was looking at this image earlier in relation to the side screen strap post - it is not lift the dot on this model, the earlier cars in your gallery are however.

[Mike Costigan]

I'm sure Austin will have used whatever supplier was 'flavour of the month' for their trim bits; however, that fastener needs to fasten in both directions so Lift-the-Dot is the obvious choice...

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I'm sure Austin will have used whatever supplier was 'flavour of the month' for their trim bits;

I totally agree.

[Tony Press]

This shows the hood bag arrangement for the previous model (AD); I think your model should have a pair of thin metal clips which hook over the hood irons to hold them down, but the simple solution if you haven't got them is a pair of leather straps to bind the irons together.

The illustration is from the Gallery section - a perfect example of how this feature will help owners!

Mike,

I was looking at this image earlier in relation to the side screen strap post - it is not lift the dot on this model, the earlier cars in your gallery are however.

And the side screen strap is back in the above picture as opposed to forward on David Howe's car !

Lets not get too precious as to what and how body parts were used.

Cheers, Tony.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

There are lots of differences in the way the cars were built, some find these details interesting.

The more we discuss them, the more we learn.

Those not interested in the details should write about things they are interested in instead, surely? There is plenty of space for all of us here, without the need to shut down conversations.