What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[David Stepney]

Today (4th. July) is the Seven's official birthday. In was registered on this day 91 years ago. However, Leon and I spent the day fitting new shock absorbers to the Landrover, a job which was rather overdue, and which meant ejecting the Seven from the garage for the day. However, that didn't mean that the little car didn't manage to get out, even if its two runs were just to Bala and back, one to get supplies and the other to get diesel for the Landy.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

For the first time, ever, these three cars spent the day driving, together.

BME - our father’s first car.

GG - my first car.

VF - the Dunford Family car.


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[Ivor Hawkins]

Lovely! Keep it in the family, that’s what I say!

[MatthewMyerscough]

Hi Everyone,

Today I have been attempting to re-create an original looking drop link for my Nippy. Sadly one of my originals had sheared in two. I purchased a re-manufactured one but I wasn't too pleased with the overall look of the replacement in comparison to the remaining original link (not to detract from the remanufactured part, its great that people are willing to reproduce them).

So I set about trying to turn the reproduction link into a closer representation of the original. Sufficed to say, I am really pleased with the results.

The third picture is my surviving original and the other two pictures are a 'before & after'

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Nice job!

[Duncan Grimmond]

Looks very nice but those sharp edges are just desperately waiting for the opportunity to start developing a crack...there's a good reason they were not machined originally that has nothing to do with cost-cutting.
Having done it I'd suggest that you run round all the edges with a radius cutter to soften it again?
Pedantic? Moi? As if!

[MatthewMyerscough]

Hi Ruairidh & Duncan,

Thank you.

Duncan, I completely understand your point, to be honest it was more of an experiment to prove that it could be done (form over function and all that). At least when it eventually breaks I know I can make as many as I need. I’m intrigued to use it as it is to see how long it lasts, out of interest. 

Thanks

Matthew

[Howard Wright]

Hi All

You may have noted in a post recently that my Special has been plagued with a misfire.  So yesterday I gave the car a full service, changed; points, condenser, coil, ignition leads. Greased and oiled everything then did a short drive to warm the oil for a change.  It ran abysmally.  Stuttering to a halt a few yards from home.  I managed to revive it and get back.

Then I checked the battery voltage which, to my surprise registered under 4 volts!  I put it on for a quick charge over lunch and when the charger was registering over 6 volts tried another run. Went well for about a mile then misfiring, and I only just got back.  The battery was down to 3 volts again. I eventually found the culprit this morning. The positive battery cable goes direct to the starter switch through a hole in the seat support.  It had a protective grommet which had worked loose and a shard of steel had penetrated the cable insulation.  Putting a voltmeter across the battery terminal saw the reading drop as you watched. Simple fix, insulation tape and replacing the grommet.

Just done a 30 mile run round and the car is working perfectly!

A warning….two other items cropped up on the service.

I always check the king pin cotter for tightness every week or so. However removing the brass cap to grease the bottom of the stub I found the king pin had somehow dropped down.  On early stub axles the brake cam stops it dropping out but on semi Girling stubs I believe the king pin could just fall out!

The brakes on the special work very well and I tend to leave well alone but in the interests of safety I dutifully removed the drums to find one liner cracked almost right across at a rivet point. Luckily I had a set of spare liners in stock so replacement was quick.  I shall check more regularly from now on.

Cheers

Howard

[Mike Costigan]

Last night was the annual joint meeting at Wellow, between the Sheffield and Lincoln Areas of the PWA7C:

   

   

[Howard Wright]

Question of the day!

On inspecting the C Cab van for a minute or two an oldish guy asked if I had had it from new!

Cheers

Howard