Highland Sports Coupe project...

[David Cochrane]

Ruairidh - thank you for pointing out that the drag link needs to be lengthened - an essential bit of information for anyone using a wedge. I also wasn't aware that wedges were still available, so I will certainly include this bit of information when talking to people about this in future.

Interesting that GE elongated the hole in the side of the chassis - this is a weak point as it is (my Chummy's chassis cracked here).

Tony - I was only talking about my experience with the particular wedge that I was trying to use, so I am pleased to note that there are wedges out there that are designed to compensate for the problem that I encountered with mine.

I presume that the drop arm from the steering box should be vertical when the wheels are pointing straight ahead?

I am really enjoying reading about the Highland Coupe project - a great deal of interest there! A side effect seems to be that it's going to encourage you not to put on any weight!! Also the bit about changing your minds on many occasions - it reminds me of what I did with my Cup, doing very many (far too many!) things twice or more. One of the reasons that it took such a long time to build.

["Slack Alice" Simon]

Despite the wedge, my drag link is standard.

Yes, it went over centre once, but that was because I had removed the stops from the track rod arms!

With standard arms, the steering doesn't go over centre.


I'm not saying that you don't need a longer drag link, just that it depends on the geometry of your particular system.


Thinking of this, and nothing to do with the Highland Sports Coupe - presumably, when the track rod arms are bent to accomodate lowered front springs, that moves the position of the stops,

and increases the possibility of needing a longer drag link.

Having said that, Alice originally had a dropped axle, bent arms, steering wedge - and still didn't go over centre.

[Malcolm Parker]

I found that with the lowered track rod arms the stops came into play on a much reduced steering lock.  I filed the stops in order to restore the original amount of lock which as we know isn't brilliant on a Seven.

["Slack Alice" Simon]

Thanks for that.

In my head, the geometry worked the other way.

Explains why the set-up gave no trouble.

[Rogerfrench]

I seem to remember a cast aluminium wedge from the 50s/60s that used to crack. Not very safe, and was quickly withdrawn. Maybe that's what the chap had in mind?

[Peter Naulls]

At the outset of the project we deicided it was going to be a fabric-bodied car. My strengths (and facilities) are very much around timber framing rather than metalwork and a fabric body suited the style we wanted to create.

I wasn't keen on the "floating floor" principle that Cup models and other bodies use so I have gone for a conventional steel floorpan & bulkhead with everything else being timber or ply.

Whilst I believe restorations should replicate period materials and techniques wherever possible, special-building gives a bit more freedom. So before the chassis arrived from Ruairidh I laminated a pair of wheelarches in best quality ply. Three layers gave 10mm thickness for the arch itself and another 6 layers gave 20mm for the battens which follow the edge of the body. 

   

I spent some time working out a technique that holds the laminates extremely tight whilst drying as the final quality depends on excluding any air gaps. The finished arches are far stiffer than Austin type steel ones and make it easier to transfer the strength to the sills.

The sills are similar to Gordon England type - plywood either side of ash battens. In this case straight on the inside, curved on the outside.

At this stage everything is un-trimmed and only clamped together - the arches etc all have to be cut to size. So too does the front of the transmission tunnel.

After years of sketching and planning it was good to actually build something!

[Tony Griffiths]

What a looker!

[Nick Salmon]

I think this is nothing less than a brazen attempt by Ruairidh and Peter to steal the show at the Austin Seven Centenary event in 2022 (19th - 24th July 2022 at The Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire). Can't wait to see the finished article!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Never one to miss an opportunity Nick, I like your style!

[Nick Lettington]

Godfrey,  put the parking brake on you BF. The coupé has rolled into the picnic basket.