What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Steve Jones]

Doing what you should never do - removing the side water branch!

In my defence, I'm getting my very much ignored Trials Chummy ready for next weekends Welsh Trial. The water branch has had a slight weep for ages so, this afternoon, I bit the bullet.  I use M10 stainless set screws suitably cut to length to fasten them on and always have anti-freeze in all my cars and in this instance it's all been together for 12 years. The M10s unfastened without problems and the threads in the block was as they were 12 years ago. Cleaned everything up, new gasket, some jollop and new copper washers under the set screw heads and all back together. Done 18 miles there and back to the petrol station and no water loss. Now need to see if that's still the case tomorrow morning

However, the proof of the pudding etc. so if you're in the vicinity of Prestigne next Saturday and Sunday and you see a maroon Chummy with a half painted bonnet at the side of the road, any water you might be carrying could well be most welcome

Steve