Radiator cowl/surround

[merlinart]

I can't help but wonder why nobody has mentioned the hassle he will get with the DVLA when it comes to registering, unless of course it's for off road use ?

Hello, I've kept up to date with this debate and have seen the resolution. I am au fait with all sides of registration as I build my own cars and regularly obtain age related registration numbers.

regards

Arthur

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This could get messy...

Welcome and good luck.

I don't expect it to get messy at all. The problems that builders of this type of car had over the past few years have now been resolved, I have seen the correspondence.

regards

Arthur

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Why,Nick?

It may have something to do with the ethics nowadays of using a complete car to build a special.

I for one am waiting for the sparks to start flying!

I don't quite understand your reply!

There is nothing wrong whatsoever with rebuilding/building a "special" on a vintage chassis....unless you are one of those "rose tinted" preserved in aspic type of chap?!

There are many "Ulsters"/EA sports "replicas" around and undergoing build, and magnificent they are....if a certain Mr Chapman hadn't developed from an A7 special, we wouldn't have had the Lotus 6/7, would we?

Incidentally in my previous life, some 30 odd years ago when I operated an overseas removal company, I moved a certain Edward Lewis to Menorca. EL had been Chapman's test driver for both the Lotus 6 & 7.

regards

Arthur

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Why welcome him? Because of the friendly nature of the forum... Why good luck? Because he may need it whilst looking for all the bits he'll need for a half decent Uster replica... Why messy? I'm not sure... Just a feeling that not everyone on a friends of the seven site will welcome the starting point for this build, when so little of a late Ruby will ultimately be suitable...

Another very odd, slightly vitriolic reply!

Let me "annoy" you even further!

I'm not even going to use the A7 engine/gearbox, though might just rebuild it all so that it can go back in. I have 2 Reliant 850 engines/gearboxes and will be using one in this car, again, as you well know, the reliant side valve engine was effectively developed from the A7 engine, therefore the more modern OHV 850 engine can be considered a "distant cousin", and Reliant engines are accepted by the 750MC.

I even have in mind an A7 three wheeler special using a Rod Yates body....why....because I can and I am a nutter who simply enjoys aesthetic shapes and likes to tinker about. Registration will be a different issue with this one, but I know I get there.

regards

Arthur

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One other point Arthur - I would recommend getting the rad. surround prior to Rod making the bonnet, they can vary in shape slightly.

Yes, thanks for that, I've seen Rod's buck/jig for the surround, but I thought it best to get one prior to him commencing the bonnets. The body is due next month, Rod is just 30 mins away from me. I like his "old school" simplistic approach all round. I get my bonnet halves cnc cut and louvred, then I bend them initially around a special cone, then around 6" and 3" plastic drain pipes. For my cars, I could almost bend these in my sleep.

regards

Arthur

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Kit cars generally will get an age-related registration as long as they can fulfil the required "original components" criteria, i.e. engine,transmission, steering, brakes, suspension etc. which will represent a majority from one vehicle.
If it falls short it will be designated a Q plate.
As an avid trike fan I've seen his site before and it looks like a good quality build despite incorporating some GRP body parts. I've not seen one in the flesh but would very much like to.
The BRA trike which I think inspired this was a close second  for me when was looking but I went for the Pembleton instead as, among other reasons, there was more sheetmetal work to tickle my fancy.
I also find FWD is far superior on a trike and I believe Mr. BSA did a better job than Mr. Morgan who shamelessly copied the BSA  with his F-types.
Enough sparks....?

Hi Duncan

I've seen your name many times on the Pembleton forum of course. I did in fact order a kit many years back, paid my deposit, but when the time came to pay the balance, I'd run out of money, and had to let it go!

I sold off a phenomenal amount of Citroen spares to a chap who has 14 2CVs (forgotten his name) but he organises 2CV runs/raids/tours down through France and Spain. I built a number of CV3 kits, but as I hated the design, I stopped it. I bought both BRA companies and developed the motorcycle side tremendously, in fact my chassis/body is totally different in all respects now and I run solely Moto Guzzi big twin drive-trains.

Now, an air cooled A7 Guzzi powered 4 or even 3 wheeled car would also be good.

Actually to correct you if I may, Morgan didn't copy BSA. BSA had an air cooled V twin plus a 4 cylinder engine in their three wheelers, whereas Morgan went straight in with a 4 cylinder Ford side valve engine. The respective bodies were totally dissimilar , but both cars were and are certainly magnificent.

I recently chopped the grp body off a Reliant Rialto and can still drive the chassis around. This is my 850cc engine test bed for my A7 specials.

Nothing wrong with grp of course, many "special" bodies were made out of grp in the 1950s for A7s with rotten bodies, and these have become classics. Think of the Turner car, all grp with a Coventry Climax engine...then the Daimler SP250. No doubt, had we had grp in WW2, might we have had some interesting aircraft partially made with the stuff...the Mosquito and the Arado 240 to mind...and what a bomb the Me 163 might have been with a grp body...as if it wasn't already with its C-Stoff and T-Stoff fuels!

Blimey, all I wanted was info on surrounds, but forums generate good banter!

regards

Arthur

[Derek Sheldon]

Forget the using of a Ruby chassis and Reliant engines. I am interested in what you do to get the DVLA to accept your cars. I really could do with some pointers. I have a matching chassis/logbook , but it reads Saloon , I want to build a special. And. Would appreciatedyour advice.

[John L]

My first a7 is fitted with a Chris gould grp body.

Is anyone willing to pop up some photos of my rad surrounds of I email them?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

You can email them to me John - dunford1@aol.com

[Derek Sheldon]

Forget the using of a Ruby chassis and Reliant engines. I am interested in what you do to get the DVLA to accept your cars. I really could do with some pointers. I have a matching chassis/logbook , but it reads Saloon , I want to build a special. And. Would appreciatedyour advice.

[Nick Lettington]

Oh bother... I seem to have been taken in by another prankster! Lol! Well done Arthur. Hope your website is getting lots of hits!

[merlinart]

Oh bother... I seem to have been taken in by another prankster! Lol! Well done Arthur. Hope your website is getting lots of hits!

Hi Nick

I'm not with you on your replies, could you elucidate somewhat please?

Might I be correct that you disparage anyone building a "special" or even an as I've sometimes seen them referred to...an "Ulsteroid"?

There are many of them about, and why not? I understand that "Ulsteroids" exceed the number of genuine EA Sports/Ulsters....does this matter to anyone?

I have to repeat, the Austin Seven spawned the Lotus 6-7/Caterham 7 and what a car, what an evolution! Any rebodied (in an form) Austin Seven has to be good...preventing a chassis and components from being scrapped, not that I really care if they are scrapped or not, however, I wish to build in similar vein to many others an aesthetic looking vehicle to please myself. When I want a really good Ruby, I will look for one and no doubt find one.

I don't anticipate registration problems. I had a contact at DVLA who was very helpful and I started a campaign to have their INF 26 leaflet rewritten as I pointed out that it is totally illogical in many areas, particularly in respect of motorcycle derived vehicles.

I'm a purist of a kind, but also a maverick, but I like tremendous detail, however, I also take the view that  if some of the more modern approaches to so many areas of automobile engineering were available then as now, they would have been used!

A simple analogy...if double glazing was available to the Georgian builders...they would have used it!

regards

Arthur

[Stuart Giles]

Forget the using of a Ruby chassis and Reliant engines. I am interested in what you do to get the DVLA to accept your cars. I really could do with some pointers. I have a matching chassis/logbook , but it reads Saloon , I want to build a special. And. Would appreciatedyour advice.

The simplest DVLA route on this is a "rebody". But  there are some things to be aware of. Their rules on this  mean that there should be no chassis lengthening / shortening or removal of external mounting points. So  the body needs to be altered to suit the chassis and not the other way round. Any brackets / supports required either need to be  or become, part of the body and not removable from it.

They usually require a photo of the complete original car with number plate showing, a photo of the complete running chassis with number plate showing, and a photo of the finished car with its new body. The manufacturer name can still be Austin, but the model name can't be anything that's been trademarked; not that you're likely to want to call it an Austin Mondeo:-)

The fact you don't have a saloon body now shouldn't be a problem, they certainly have accepted just a photo of a running chassis and a finished car previously. If do you get an inspection of the finished car by SGS (they're the DVLA's contractors)  it will only be to check the vehicle identity, i.e. chassis etc. numbers against their records.

[merlinart]

Forget the using of a Ruby chassis and Reliant engines. I am interested in what you do to get the DVLA to accept your cars. I really could do with some pointers. I have a matching chassis/logbook , but it reads Saloon , I want to build a special. And. Would appreciatedyour advice.

The simplest DVLA route on this is a "rebody". But  there are some things to be aware of. Their rules on this  mean that there should be no chassis lengthening / shortening or removal of external mounting points. So  the body needs to be altered to suit the chassis and not the other way round. Any brackets / supports required either need to be  or become, part of the body and not removable from it.

They usually require a photo of the complete original car with number plate showing, a photo of the complete running chassis with number plate showing, and a photo of the finished car with its new body. The manufacturer name can still be Austin, but the model name can't be anything that's been trademarked; not that you're likely to want to call it an Austin Mondeo:-)

The fact you don't have a saloon body now shouldn't be a problem, they certainly have accepted just a photo of a running chassis and a finished car previously. If do you get an inspection of the finished car by SGS (they're the DVLA's contractors)  it will only be to check the vehicle identity, i.e. chassis etc. numbers against their records.

This is exactly what I expect. They'll either permit the use of the existing number or presumably allocate an age related number and I'm very familiar with age related for my own aero cycle cars. it is a question of keeping good records/photos etc as a builder. As a manufacturer, I find it easier anyway as I provide Certificates of Newness for all of my new parts and most likely will do similar with this idea. The main thing in my experience is not to fear the DVSA as they are now, don't listen simply to previous anecdotal ideas/nonsense/opinions on various forums (no disrespect to the above advice, which is good) and provide substantial evidence, but...don't drop yourself in it! I remember my first 3 wheeler that I built in 1992, a JZR, I was so proud of where all of the different components came from that I identified them all separately and told the inspector that this comes from this Ford, that comes from another Ford model etc, and lo and behold I received a Q plate! I learned my lesson from that.

regards

Arthur

[Nick Lettington]

Elucidate? Nope. I think I'll park it there... We seem to have our wires crossed. Oh and thanks for the history lesson and the english lesson, though I'm not sure where you found vitreol in my inital posts...

Welcome and good luck with your project...