Auction including nippy crankcase

[Dennis Nicholas]

The front axle is Bowden IFS.  Twin springs with ends of A7 axle cut off and fixed to springs sandwiched between 2 plates.
Bowden engineering Ottery St Mary Devon.  I have copies of the drawings that they photoed for me.......use them as you wish they said.  Don't know if they are still going, but last visit to their small workshop they were making a batch of tractor  stub axles using an ingenious device that ran along a pattern one and translated the movement to a lump of metal in a lathe so reproducing a copy.
One big snag was the use of early axle ends with the longer king pins so prone to breaking.  I sold my Nippy EJ 4322 with the IFS fitted to a couple who drove it away.......I vigorously warned them that I suspected both king pins were broken, if not just once but possibly above and below the axle ends!!!!
Yes it did have hydraulic MM brakes and it had a BMC A engine (one of the smaller ones).  I was selling it to raise the money to buy my uniforms at the start of my sea going career....1967ish.
There is a photo of it some where with a 16 foot canoe on top on screen and hood frame....happy days.

Dennis

[Speedex750]

Hi,
It looks to me that the chassis has come from under a Speedex Silverstone. The rear subframe for the shock absorbers is definitely Speedex and the front shocker frame has the diagonal supports and the front horizontal extensions that had the hinge for the Silverstone bonnet (similar concept to the Triumph GT6) have been cut off.
Dave

[Rogerfrench]

That draglink suggests an inexpert builder....

[Jeff Taylor]

"It looks to me that the chassis has come from under a Speedex Silverstone. The rear subframe for the shock absorbers is definitely Speedex and the front shocker frame has the diagonal supports and the front horizontal extensions that had the hinge for the Silverstone bonnet (similar concept to the Triumph GT6) have been cut off."

Dave,
I take it you'll be going to the auction then ? The once named North East Club for Pre War Austins used to hold an annual summer rally at Sledmere House, been there a couple of times in the far distant past, nice venue - bit of a long drive to get there if I remember correctly.

Jeff.

[Zetomagneto]

Hi Tony, yes I noticed the broken foot as well.You are right about welding repairs, sme crankcases will weld really well others will not.The sandcastl ones seem to be worse but having said that I had a sandcast one which needed a minor repair at front and back, the front repair went well so on that basis we tried to do the rear and ended up with  making it worse.
I tried a different welder, but same result, ended up putting it on eBay for £20.
It would have been a nice case if the minor repair had gone well.
So yes, original parts in good unrepaired condition are always favourites

[JonE]

For info, I asked about chassis numbers... he replied....
"Hi I have had another look and I cannot find a chassis number on either chassis and there is no paperwork at all.Thanks"

[dickie65]

I watched the Auction. it went for £1500 in the end.
More than I was prepared to pay for it.
I am not sure if I need three damaged Nippy Crankcases.
I have one that will be usable after a little fettling And one that is very dead.

[Tony Betts]

Anyone need a nippy crankcase.

An expensive auction all round.

I expected this lot to be around the £1,200 mark plus the 15% auction fees.

When I had a look at the lot. It came with a good useable ALTA head, and A very very good 9E head. Looks to good to be original. But the PAT number looks orig. I also checked the gearbox and its a nippy sports gearbox. Nobody had cleaned it of to check when I loaded. So I take it most mist it.

Due to this I adjusted my top bid to £1,500 and got it. One more bid and I'd walk away.

And if you are one of those who think austin seven spares are expensive. Please don't look at pre war motorcycles.

The big loss of the day is that the van broke down on the way home  3 hours spent sitting on the M65.

That made it a 17 hour day, after doing 19 hours driving round surry and East Sussex friday.

Time for a break, Tony.

[Charles P]

When I had a look at the lot. It came with a good useable ALTA head, and A very very good 9E head. Looks to good to be original. But the PAT number looks orig. I also checked the gearbox and its a nippy sports gearbox. Nobody had cleaned it of to check. 

Well done Tony. It did cross my mind that the gearbox may be from the same place as the crankcase.

Charles

[Tony Betts]

Hi charles,

This is why interested buyers should always attend auctions.

Buy studying the pictures, I could spot the missing foot. But by turning up you find the rear foot is also missing of the other side.

" two wheels on my wagon "

Again with the gearbox, the picture makes the top look like a 4 speed crank box. But when you turn up and do all the checks, you find its a 4 speed synchro with a big "S" 

If I get time in the week I'll check the rasio on the back axle.

You never know?

Tony.