A7 V8!

[John Mason]

Great engineering and imagination. I would love to see it again when the bodywork is completed.

John Mason

[Tony Griffiths]

Some clever engineering - and one can understand it in the context of the 1930s and 1940s when huge quantities of Austin 7 parts were available for a few pounds and people had little disposable income. However, what many did have instead was a completed engineering apprenticeship, self-taught skills, boundless enthusiasm in the face of adversity - or access to "homework" facilities at their place of work.
Buy a few army-surplus machine tools, gather up parts for almost nothing and set to work building something interesting, perhaps even competitive. But why do this today using spares that are ever-harder to find? Because I want to? Because I can? Because it's my choice?
Instead, why not go the whole hog and buy a couple of 1.8 litre V6 Mazda MX3s - or easier-to-find V6 Golfs - and make a V12?
Here is what can be done with limited facilities but much hard work: kawasaki-v12/
Now, where's my tape measure and that sheet of cardboard....?

[Reckless Rat]

Having ridden a Kwacker 6cyl in the days when they were state of the art, as well as the Honda CBX (although personally I think that the Bennelli 6 was better) this v12 creation is awesome. It's a work of art, and it runs!. The A7 v8 looks amateurish in comparison. I see right at the end of the v8 video that the guy had already done a flat8 austin too. A well, shame about using up useable parts but whatever floats your boat.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

My own view is that it is entirely up to the owner what he does with his parts - I think this fella is pure gold, the conversation at the end of the first film had me chuckling in my sleep last night.

The engineering is not to everyone's taste but hey - I cannot see anything much original that could not be removed and reused i.e. most of the frame and bespoke parts are made up - the original parts have just been bolted on.

These back road creators are a dying breed - I say, enjoy it whilst it lasts!

[Chris KC]

The flat 8 sounds positively healthy! - inspiring...

[Hugh Barnes]

plus, I think you have to put it into an American context, where the V8 rules supreme. I can see the old fella's motivation and inspiration. It may look odd to our eyes, but...

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for instance, no one in America will complain about what this guy did to his 1933 American Austin. We might frown upon here, but the context is different.. As it happens, I think the Hot Rod is fab!


  austin hot rod.jpg (Size: 70.34 KB / Downloads: 397)

[Peter Naulls]

I believe the American Austin factory in Pennsylvania had a useable V8 Austin Coupe in the early '30s. From memory 2 or 3 were built by someone unconnected to the factory and supplied to Austin for evaluation. They gave it serious consideration but decided not to pursue the project.

One of the engines (but presumably not the car) survives.

Peter.

[John Mason]

Thanks for the photo Hugh. Is that the completed car the old fellow built his 8 cylinder engine for ?

John Mason

[Hugh Barnes]

No - the photo is unrelated to the video. I'm afraid I don't know the engine in the Rod, I snagged the photo from the Bantam pages on Facebook..

[Alan]

I remember ages ago, a Video clip of a Ford Pop fitted with a gipsy queen aero engine - complete with propellor. This reminds me of that. Why do it? Simple. Because you can. The world needs people like this.