What would you include in the perfect Austin Seven workshop?

[andrew34ruby]

We must have been poor when I was a teenager, we didn't have a table in the kitchen. I rebuilt a few engines on newspaper on the floor in the living room.

My large brick garage that I built forty years ago houses 3 cars, 4 bikes, a workbench, much shelving, and still has room to work on one of the cars. The problem is the door. The modern car drives in and out easily, but it has to be driven out whenever I want either of the Austins out. With the modern out of the way the 1955 Austin can be driven straight out. But to get the seven out involves driving the modern out and then using a trolley to move the back of the seven sideways, then drive it out.

The ideal garage needs doors in the right places.

[Austin in the Shed]

It does put you off getting the 7 out when you have to do that first.Skates any good ?

[Reckless Rat]

On that particular subject I was present at the official opening of Sheffield's new fire station on Charter Row, when all the lads from the old one at West Bar were invited to see its magnificence. Someone asked the proud city engineers who had made the decision as to the siting and width of the roller shutter doors on the new edifice. The reply was "We just took the measurements from the old station and incorporated them into the design of the new one."

"Bloody marvellous!" Came the reply. "We can't get an engine out of the old one without first folding the bloody mirrors back because the doors were designed for a horse and cart not a modern fire pump. It costs us valuable seconds on each call because someone has to fold the mirrors back out every time we go on a shout!"

Never assume anything.

The "new" station has since been demolished.

[Ray White]

Eee by gum...  we may have been poor....but we were happy!

[phillips]

Hi All, don't mention Monty Python sketch about the shoe box, poor  that was luxury, etc.  S&P

[andrew34ruby]

It does put you off getting the 7 out when you have to do that first.   Skates any good ?

After a lot of thought I made a special skate, incorporating a bottle jack with a socket on top. Push this trolley under the diff. Jack up till wheels are off the ground and push. With suitable marks on the garage floor it's clear just how far to push.

The problem is that sometimes it doesn't wheel easily, don't know why. Maybe a small pebble? Anyway, last week it was difficult to push and twelve hours later I woke with such a painful neck that I struggled to even get out of bed.

Now considering an electric winch to move the car sideways.

[Austin in the Shed]

What about leaving the modern outside where it's meant to be...

[Nick Lettington]

What about leaving the modern outside where it's meant to be...

+1 for that! On the last few frosty mornings, when the modern has had a frozen windscreen, my stepdaughter decided she'd rather get a lift to work in the open topped seven in the garage than risk being late... I haven't let on how quick the heated windscreen clears!

[Nick Turley]

For me to allow a complete A7 restoration I would consider the following very desirable :-

Means of having the chassis at waist height
An engine stand with a ledge underneath for bits
A parts washer
Oxcy /Acetylene
A decent lathe
A decent Piller drill
A big compressor
Plenty of LED tube lighting
Heating
Good firm benches with at least one big vice
Power grinders/ polisher/ big wire brush

[Dennis Nicholas]

Parts washer..
I was considering one (using the GC's inheritance money).  They are not very expensive.........then I saw the price of the pukka cleaning fluid!!!!!  WOW.

Dennis