Reliant engined Ulster build

[Special Bits]

My Father having a Reliant Kitten sitting there, waiting to become a classic, got me thinking.......

Kitten, Gould GRP Ulster body, a few hundred hours, a few more hundred pounds, and you could have a fantastically pointless car, worth a fraction of the cost of building it.

[merlinart]

My Father having a Reliant Kitten sitting there, waiting to become a classic, got me thinking.......

Kitten, Gould GRP Ulster body, a few hundred hours, a few more hundred pounds, and you could have a fantastically pointless car, worth a fraction of the cost of building it.

Gould bodies are now no longer available and have been superceded by the likes of Rod Yates' aluminium bodies. Actually both you and I missed an unused Gould body last week, it went for £750, a bargain as I wanted to cut it about and visualise a hybrid three wheeler....not that you Austin chaps would appreciate such a thing of course!

Do I detect a pointless bit of cynicism and/or sarcasm on your part?!

My Ulster body is No 174, so Rod Yates is doing pretty well I'd say.

It is a shame that you seem not to have anything useful to add though.

Arthur

[merlinart]

Who on earth or in New Zealand is Ian Williams?

Apparently he has said of me, and I quote "Rude, arrogant and patronising toward extremely sensible advice from respected and experienced sevenists."

Oh dear, when I joined Austin Seven Friends, the word friends seemed appropriate, however, little did I realise that I would be rocking the boats of a bunch of smug self satisfied bastards!

What is it with some of you....an individual joins the forum and tells you what he is building....yes building, and what from, using what....and some of you simply don't like it?!

I have every right to join, I have every right to build what I wish, using what ever I wish.

Now, some of you have offered splendid advice both on the forum and privately, and I'm very grateful.

Some of you, in this most recent thread have offered bizarre and thoroughly pointless/stupid...and certainly arrogant views about my project, why...because I am rocking your smug self satisfied viewpoints, or whatever, but what I fail to comprehend and particularly from Ian Williams is that I fail to see that I have been rude or arrogant, and certainly not patronising in any way, and if the so called sensible advice is not to build what I am building, not to use my choice of engine, not to upgrade my brakes if I so wish....then might I suggest that all those who think likewise simply stuff your smug and self satisfied views right up your collective fundamental orifice, for what the hell has it to do with any of you, other than those who have offered somewhat gracefully, some good advice, that is those of you who are building similar "Ulster" specials!

Let me put a little more perspective on this if I may. I don't suppose for one moment, that other MG TD/TF owners give a monkey's cuss as to whether some owners fit Ford Type 9 5 speed gearboxes....similarly, Morris 1000 owners who do likewise and also upgrade their braking systems to MG Midget status, likewise owners of TR 2/3/4 who also upgrade to other gearboxes....yet the sacred few in this rather "friendly" forum seem to think that they have the absolute right to be rude, negative, cynical, sarcastic and downright plain stupid to a fellow enthusiast who simply wishes to build an Austin 7 "special" of his choosing.

I fail to see that I've been remotely patronising, if I have said certain things that some of you are already aware of, so be it, but there will be others joining this forum perhaps with lesser knowledge than some of the high and mighty of you.

So, Ian Williams, how about taking your rather large foot out of your equally large and loud mouth, and offering an apology?!

Fortunately for all, I find this all rather amusing to be honest...I've ruffled a few of your feathers, why because I've dared to be different perhaps, which of course is rather strange since I am among another 173 "Ulster" body builders, some of whom are doing or have done precisely what I am doing.

For your information, I build cars for a living, it is my daily bread and butter, I build three wheelers with Moto Guzzi V twin engines....some of you would look down your noses at them (hopefully!), but some might like them.

How strange, what an odd bunch some appear to be, but what a nice bunch some of you are too!

Arthur

[AustinWood]

I don't like being called a smug bastard.
I have never commented on your posts and shall not open any of them in future.

[Ian Williams]

You are obviously a very nice chap, extremely well read and as you have told us a skilled professional to boot, I am extremely sorry to have miss judged you, I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for taking offence at your posts on here....Yeah right!
I rated you negatively because I believe your responses to perfectly reasonable comments are extremely rude and I stand by that, I will not be intimidated by you and your bullish antics for feeling that way.

[Duncan Grimmond]

I don't recall seeing any foul language on this forum over the past three or so years of my membership.
It is inappropriate and completely unnecessary. If members cannot exchange views without it the value of opinions and experience is devalued in my humble opinion
I have built one and am working on my second special. I have accepted that they may not be to everyone's taste and when I have asked for help and advice I have always taken from it what I felt to be relevant and discarded the rest.
Offensive language has no place here.

[squeak]

You are obviously a very nice chap, extremely well read and as you have told us a skilled professional to boot, I am extremely sorry to have miss judged you, I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for taking offence at your posts on here....Yeah right!
I rated you negatively because I believe your responses to perfectly reasonable comments are extremely rude and I stand by that, I will not be intimidated by you and your bullish antics for feeling that way.

+ 1

[merlinart]

You are obviously a very nice chap, extremely well read and as you have told us a skilled professional to boot, I am extremely sorry to have miss judged you, I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for taking offence at your posts on here....Yeah right!
I rated you negatively because I believe your responses to perfectly reasonable comments are extremely rude and I stand by that, I will not be intimidated by you and your bullish antics for feeling that way.

Interestingly enough, I haven't told you that I am extremely well read, neither have I told you that I am a skilled professional, why would I wish to be quite so "arrogant" in so doing.

So, you cannot be in disagreement with me that your opening line above is highly sarcastic?!

What exactly is your point?

Which of my responses to "perfectly reasonable comments" are extremely rude... please identify them!

Please note, I am not intimidating you, and my "antics" are not bullish. I am not a bullish character, I am forthright, I speak my mind, and if I am wrong, I find it easy to apologise.

What I cannot understand is quite simply, why a few of you on this forum seem so disdainfully dislike those who might wish to build a special version to their own taste, of an Austin Seven?

My opening post in this thread was clearly not aimed at those who dislike what I am doing, therefore I find it difficult to understand why those people found it necessary to comment, many in a sarcastic fashion?

I was aiming my thread at similarly minded people who are or have built an Ulster type special/replica, whatever you wish to call them.

So, I repeat, why was it necessary for some of you who clearly have no interest in building Ulsters or specials, feel that your interests are in any way being diminished, they are clearly not.

If I think that a response to a perfectly posited question is incorrect, sarcastic, stupid, daft or misunderstood, then I am entitled to comment. This forum cannot be a sacrosanct place merely for those who dislike certain types of Austin Seven...or is that the intention of a certain coterie of you?

Something I said or you completely misinterpreted, clearly made you see red...I've no Idea what it was, but you felt it necessary to do so in such a semi hidden format for you own personal gain, and I find that extremely amusing!

[Martin Prior]

From two months ago........


"01-10-2017, 11:00 AM


It may have something to do with the ethics nowadays of using a complete car to build a special.

I for one am waiting for the sparks to start flying!"


Well, I got that one right!!!!

[Special Bits]

Arthur

To address a few of your points, not all.

Over the last few years the building of specials has become a slightly contentious issue, Mainly because quite a lot of original cars are still being broken up in the pursuit of a 1950's dream. This, Im sure you can understand, is not overly popular with enthusiasts for the mark. Im not suggesting you are doing this this, but merely trying to explain the background. The fitting of Reliant engine has often resulted in irreparable damage being done to Austin Seven chassis components, which unlike the 1950's we now recognise are in finite supply!

Many of the people who have commented on your post have been around A7s for decades, and more than one have built MANY specials over those decades. Whilst you may not see their comments as helpful the opinions expressed are base upon real experience, with A7s, not other choppers or outlandish specials. My comment about building a Reliant special was intended as a cautionary tale, which you decided to take exception to... Its your money, your time, your problem.

If you have asked how to get 40bhp from an Austin engine to go in your Ulsteroid Im sure you would have gained a far more positive response!

Anyway, you have now fallen out with half the people who might have helped you if you had taken a slightly less gun-ho attitude. I dont expect you will like this comment either, but there we go. Good luck and please dont destroy another car or chassis!

Stuart