Blown Ulster

[JonE]

Can anyone tell from the photos whether the bottom end of the current PL engine has characteristics that confirm it is, or is different, from a factory supercharged crankcase? It has a serial number only a few away from another engine that was in an original Ulster and it may be entirely co-incidence, or not!

[Robin Boyce]

I remember publishing a piece about this car in the Grey Mag, about ten years ago I would think, but can't find it now having filed that period's mags in a safe place. Can someone look please?

[Charles P]

That is a really lovely car. A 10 stud blown engine with 25 stud head is a fine thing, especially attached to such a well preserved and individual car.
I would hope that unless there's some certainty about the provenance of the revolving parts inside the crankcase, reattaching the blower is viewed as more than simply a manifolding challenge.

Charles

[Stuart Giles]

William Wilson seemed delighted at the attention the car attracted. George Vallender was mentioned amongst other previous owners and drivers. Whilst my snappy camera lacks the capacity of an editorial Gandolfi, to the photos above can I add the front brake linkage. No doubt the brains of the forum will immediately identify what it is, but none of us managed it today. M. Vallender may indeed have used it for circuit racing but I can find no entry by him at Shelsley.

To me the braking setup looks to be based on Big Seven backplates mounted upside down with a cable linkage replacing the Big Seven's original axle beam mounted linkage.

[Paul N-M]

Concur with SG re front brakes.

[WillOWilson]

Good morning all, just joined the forum after finding this post. Firstly thanks for posting up about the Austin. New Years day was a very special day, being able to get the car back on the road and driving it for the first time in a long time. It was a very emotional day for me as Dad loved that car.

Dad purchased the car back in 1965, it was his first car, aged 19 and he kept it for the rest of his life. Shortly after buying the car Dad travelled to Guernsey to purchase a 25 stud engine. Dad said the seller told him the engine was ex-works from a lightweight special but we have not confirmed this. Years later Dad spoke to a gentlemen at Shelsley  (surname Dowson I believe) who said his father after changing to a Wolsey engine made up a 25 stud engine from the parts he had put in an ulster and sold it to someone in Guernsey. That is where Dad had purchased it in bits after it had blown.

Dad also purchased a Marshall blower and he also had a Colette supercharger.

During the period of ownership the cowl was modified to accommodate the new engine and supercharger - i do love the look of the cowl. The car also has a number of other modifications to brakes etc as noted. 

We have some pictures of the car competing and we have a record of most of the owners but not all. I would love to find out more about my dads pride and joy so if anyone has any advice and guidance that would be most appreciated. In the meantime here are some pictures through the history of this little car now she is 91.

A number of images below taken from the awesome austin harris site

   


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https://imgur.com/vB9EuhU

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Here are some more recent photos

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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Ownership history

26th July 1930
Sold by Wimbledon Motors to Mr Ashwood-Letts, Surrey
Cream and Green

27th July 1937
Sold to Mr Barrington, Esher Garages Ltd, Surrey
Black and Silver

2nd December 1937
Sold to Mr Rambridge, Kingsbury Road, Birmingham

8th August 1945
Sold to John Wilks, Leicester
Maroon

1948
R Underwood, Kettering

17th January 1949
Sold to Mr Clifford, Northampton
Blue

1949
Mrs M P Pannell, Breston, Nottingham

1951
Mr Vallinder, Gloucester

1955
Mr Clayton
The sold to Mr Turner in Cheltenham

1st December 1958
Mr Vetch, Prestonbury, Gloucester
Blue and Cream

12th December 1961
Mr Jenkins, Richmond, Yorkshire

1961
Mr Williams, The Callow Hereford
Green and Grey

1965
Mr A Wilson who changed colour to Cream and Brown

If anyone has any information on the car or knows the best way of tracking information down please let me know, keen to build up a history of the car now Dad has passed.

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I remember publishing a piece about this car in the Grey Mag, about ten years ago I would think, but can't find it now having filed that period's mags in a safe place. Can someone look please?

I would be very keen to read this article 

[JonE]

Fabulous complete ownership history!
Have a look under the rear wheel cover for the body number stamp, and just behind the handbrake cover plate on the curved surface of the the transmission tunnel for the body number - probably two digits...
They may even be the same.

[Colin Morgan]

The Grey Mag piece is in 08C on page 31. Two photos and...

"John Barker sent this mystery photo (an ebay treasure); the Editor thought he recognised the Ulster (though listed in the A7CA Register as a Special) and Ulster guru David How confirmed the car as still extant, in long-term ownership and now excitingly fitted with blow 25 stud engine ex Issigonis/Dowson. The ledger would confirm it as Chassis 113777 Car No B1 6650, unblown Engine 112757, factory colour cream/green, with rear no plate on wing.
"Austin Harris has LAT Archive photographs of the car in the the '40s [austinharris.co.uk] but took this one in the '80s."

[WillOWilson]

The Grey Mag piece is in 08C on page 31.

Ah thank you so much, where can I get a copy of this article, is it available on line or do you know how I can access a physical copy?

[Steve kay]

You've probably all caught up with the history of the car as discussed on this very forum in 2012, with much input from Andrew Wilson! The photo of the car at Shelsley does not seem to be in Austin Harris's archive, or at least my computer cannot find it. The only car numbered 9 that I can find climbing Shelsley was identified as a blown car in July 1946, driven by B Humphries. Two other numbers 9 are Dowson in '47 and Di Threlfall in '78. However who has the details of the cars that ascended the hill in Golden Jubilee Cavalcade in 1955, did they carry numbers?