What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[David Stepney]

Ivor, I apologise for the poor resolution of the pictures, but they were taken with my trusty 25 year old Kodak DC20. The resolution is VGA which means a measly 0.3 megapixels. I should really have taken the D-Lux 2 (10 megapixels). But the beauty of the Kodak is the files are measured in kilobytes rather than megabytes, which makes them dead easy to upload. It appears that you can't have it both ways, given that my internet connection seems to come by snail.

[Ivor Hawkins]

No need for an apology David, I still use a Rollieflex camera which takes 120 roll film!

[David Stepney]

No need for an apology David, I still use a Rollieflex camera which takes 120 roll film!

Strangely enough, Ivor, I have a small collection of 'real' cameras, which includes a Rolleicord III which I bought  very second hand (it had been a press camera) when i was 15, and Leica III which I use quite frequently. It is worth the faff of fiddling with it for each shot just to press the shutter release and hear the whisper of the precision machinery. It is a sobering thought, though, that my Leica, when new in 1934, and fitted with an f2 Summar lens was £66.00, or half the price of an Austin Seven saloon!

I still like my little DC20, though. It is the digital equivalent of a Box Brownie and just as simple to use.

[Tony Griffiths]

No need for an apology David, I still use a Rollieflex camera which takes 120 roll film!

Strangely enough, Ivor, I have a small collection of 'real' cameras, which includes a Rolleicord III which I bought  very second hand (it had been a press camera) when i was 15, and Leica III which I use quite frequently. It is worth the faff of fiddling with it for each shot just to press the shutter release and hear the whisper of the precision machinery. It is a sobering thought, though, that my Leica, when new in 1934, and fitted with an f2 Summar lens was £66.00, or half the price of an Austin Seven saloon!

I still like my little DC20, though. It is the digital equivalent of a Box Brownie and just as simple to use.

Very interesting about pre-WW2 Leica prices, The current Leica SL2 Is £7200 - the price of a new if modest hatchback - or half that of a really good Chummy.

[Hugh Barnes]

Some weeks ago some of you may recall I finally, after 50 years of Seven ownership, bought my first Chummy, a bright yellow version described as the itch I needed to scratch. Well the inevitable happened and, like buses, you wait an age and then 2 come along together. 3 days after I got home with the yellow car, I got wind of a car being sold locally on behalf of a chap who no longer was able to drive. I resisted the temptation for a number of days until I finally decided, it would be rude not to. You can probably guess the rest. The Yellow car is now with a new owner in Hampshire (another long term A7 man, I am pleased to say) and this now resides in the garage in its place. It has had very little use over the recent years and has had to have a rear brake rebuild (and a huge amount of excess oil removed from the diff, the root cause of the problems) and the Updraft carb has been ministered unto by Steve Hodgson. After a little light fettling, it seems to be running reasonably enough now for me to venture out for 10 miles this morning. Even that trip saw a huge improvement in its running so I will leave everything else alone until it settles down after a bit more use and starts to 'loosen up'...

   

[Chris KC]

Looks even better out on the road Hugh!

[Steve kay]

   
   
Having split block from crankcase to install a silicon gasket, valve seats were re-ground and tappets adjusted. For a good fifty miles the Ruby was nearly silent and almost totally  oil tight, splendid. Then suddenly a dreadful knocking starts, fortunately barely a hundred yards from the house, so straight back home, and immediately suspecting a run big end, drop sump and split big end bearings. As the picture shows, no evidence whatsoever of big end problems, so further diagnosis required. A couple of phone conversations suggested the next possible noise source might be to do with the camshaft. Before removing manifolds to reveal the valve chest cover, I idly poked a screwdriver between the block and the dynamo bracket. I then picked up a square headed object from the floor, and said several very rude words. The forum over the years has had numerous suggestions as to the replacement of the original, with alan headed set bolts etc, but all seem to require engine out in order to drill and tap the crank case. Any thoughts? I am beginning to fear that those damn Morris's might actually win a prize on Ian Grace's Rally this year, Seven numbers are reducing daily.

[Hedd_Jones]

Some weeks ago some of you may recall I finally, after 50 years of Seven ownership, bought my first Chummy, a bright yellow version described as the itch I needed to scratch. Well the inevitable happened and, like buses, you wait an age and then 2 come along together. 3 days after I got home with the yellow car, I got wind of a car being sold locally on behalf of a chap who no longer was able to drive. I resisted the temptation for a number of days until I finally decided, it would be rude not to. You can probably guess the rest. The Yellow car is now with a new owner in Hampshire (another long term A7 man, I am pleased to say) and this now resides in the garage in its place. It has had very little use over the recent years and has had to have a rear brake rebuild (and a huge amount of excess oil removed from the diff, the root cause of the problems) and the Updraft carb has been ministered unto by Steve Hodgson. After a little light fettling, it seems to be running reasonably enough now for me to venture out for 10 miles this morning. Even that trip saw a huge improvement in its running so I will leave everything else alone until it settles down after a bit more use and starts to 'loosen up'...

Very Nice Hugh

What year is it?

[Hugh Barnes]

'27 and what I really like about it is that it is an original body, admittedly restored and repaired where necessary. The doors shut with a very pleasing 'clunk' It was restored by a chap I know here in Cambridge probably 40 years ago and looks very little different from the day he finished it. It's a credit to him (though he isn't the chap I in effect bought it from) I feel very fortunate to be the current custodian....

[John Mason]

Steve, Where had the square headed stud come from. I can only recall one square head stud on the engine and that holds the camshaft bush what’s more the block prevents it from unscrewing itself.

John Mason