What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Tony Griffiths]

Mike - you now and the '24 running?

[David Stepney]

After an almost four months off the road, the RP is now back together and went for a gentle trundle around the lake to make sure it was running right. It is.

I actually finished putting it together on Saturday and started it that evening, letting it get warm, setting the carb and making final adjustments to the ignition timing.

My new rear lamps arrived this last week, and I spent all day Sunday fitting them and rectifying the stop and tail wiring which was is in a most curious state once I had stripped the tape from it, with several short lengths of wire with the ends twisted together. It was a wonder that any of it worked at all!

Then engine is still quite tight to turn, but, with 12 miles covered, it became free enough for the starter to start it. This afternoon, I have used it to take young Leon over to a friend’s a Llandderfel to let him retrieve his Beetle, from where it was over-wintering.

The engine appears to have more torque than it did and is certainly quieter than it was. At the moment, I shall put about 500 gentle miles on it before beginning to open it up a bit, but it is sounding and feeling very contented.

It’s nice to have it back on the road. Next job: rebuild the Landrover engine which is now sitting in the garage awaiting a complete strip down.

[Howard Wright]

Hi David

Great news. I thought you’d been a bit quiet of late. Looking forward to some more posts from you.

Cheers

Howard

[David Stepney]

Thank you Howard. It's nice to be missed.

What with saving up for all the bits and three weeks lead time to get the block bored (but at £120.00 cash, it was not expensive and was thus worth the wait), plus the fact that the garage is not the most pleasant place in winter and plays Old Harry with the arthritis and the chest,the job took longer than originally anticipated. Anyway, it's done now and ready for the nicer weather.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Good news, David.

[David Stepney]

Thank you Ruairidh.

[Mick Hobday]

Tony, not 1924, but April 1925 - in fact a century old tomorrow April 9th.  
Attached image of OM4389 at the start of the Herefordshire run, dwarfed by a rather nice Crossley whilst being admired by the city police.  The Lyons' Chummy just part visible to the left.
Also the "Birth Certificate" - a 1973 photostat copy of the "Declaration for a Licence and Application for the Registration of a MOTOR CAR", signed for by "--Nott?" on behalf of the first owners, the Austin Motor Company themselves.  Hence the Birmingham registration OM.....




       

[Howard Wright]

Tony, not 1924, but April 1925 - in fact a century old tomorrow April 9th.  
Attached image of OM4389 at the start of the Herefordshire run, dwarfed by a rather nice Crossley whilst being admired by the city police.  The Lyons' Chummy just part visible to the left.
Also the "Birth Certificate" - a 1973 photostat copy of the "Declaration for a Licence and Application for the Registration of a MOTOR CAR", signed for by "--Nott?" on behalf of the first owners, the Austin Motor Company themselves.  Hence the Birmingham registration OM.....

Hi Mick

Good to meet, if only briefly, on the Hereford run last Friday.  If you send me a photo and a short write up I can feature OM4389 as a ‘birthday car’ in the Association magazine. (editor@a7ca.org)

Cheers

Howard

[David Stepney]

Further to my previous post, having got the little car running, I couldn't resist the urge to take it into Llangollen yesterday to do some shopping and to visit my friend Jim at Pen-y-Bryn. The car is certainly running better after its top end overhaul. It managed the bank up from Acrefair to Pen-y-Bryn, normally requiring second for the steepest part, in third all the way with aplomb, and the climb on the A5 back from Berwyn Station to the Vivod turning, previously a third gear slog, was managed in top at a constant 25 mph with no effort. It was also difficult to keep the car to my self-imposed limit of 35 mph and at one point between Glyndyfrdwy and Corwen I caught the car whizzing along at 45!

There is, however, a fly in the ointment. At low revs, the clutch has a slight tendency to slip. Not badly: if one changes into top at about 20 mph and accelerate a bit too much, one can hear the engine revs rise slightly, but backing of and then reapplying the accelerator cures the problem. It doesn't do it at speed. Given the fact that, in nearly 60 years of motoring, I have never worn a clutch out, I suspect that there is oil contamination on the linings, but, given that it appears to be only a minor inconvenience at present and doesn't impinge on the general driving qualities of the car, coupled with the fact that young Leon has started to dismantle the Landrover engine and half the garage is occupied by engine bits, I am disinclined to tug it all to bits again unless it gets worse and I am absolutely driven to it.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I have found that the linings can glaze over, if left unused for a few months.

Forcing it to slip normally removes this and, if you can put up with the smell, all will be well again.