What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[David Stepney]

I have to scramble over the Berwyns on a fairly regular basis and have found that there is quite a large gap on the four speed crash box between third and top which means that some banks taken enthusiastically in third are just that little bit to steep for fourth.

I also notice from RR's video that his petrol gauge remains steady. Mine, although working (well, nearly working) tends to flick about badly when on the move.

[Reckless Rat]

David, my petrol gauge doesnt work. It's like that all the time. I use a graduated lignum divining rod instead and carry a spare can just in case.

[Hedd_Jones]

I thought the Fuel Gauge on a RP was purely for decoration?

TH4219's did work once, literally about that long after its restoration in 1990.

There is a childs cricket set wicket tucked into the drivers side next to the scuttle vent. We never got as technical as graduating it.

[David Stepney]

I must be lucky having a fuel gauge that, at least gives me some indication of when the little beast needs feeding!
Hedd, TH's fuel gauge used to work when I had it but that was nearly 50 years ago!
I shall stop moaning about it.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I only have one Seven with a working [sic] fuel gauge - this car alone has run out of fuel on me twice, all the others not!

[AustinWood]

About 5 years ago my 1929 fabric saloon suffered a blockage in the fuel supply. It was fixed by attaching a pipe to the output of the petrol tap and blowing down it.
The problem never recurred until 3 weeks ago on a run round The Borders with the Borders Vintage Automobile Club we came to rest 3 times with the same problem and applied the same remedy.
There was a recent thread about slosh sealing petrol tanks recently. I contributed saying that I had treated my tank 10 years ago with no problems. I felt perhaps I had jinxed it!
Yesterday my son and I removed the tank and swilled it with petrol and poured it out to see what we could find.
The result was just 2 pieces of foreign matter. Otherwise the tank was completely clear.
It was all my fault of course. I went round the roundabout on the A68 near Melrose too fast so the dirt in the tank moved over to the fuel outlet which is on the nearside.
Slosh tank sealing completely vindicated.

[Steve kay]

   

Before any triumphant Austineer downloads pictures of themselves cresting trials hills, or actually working out how to navigate on Saturday, here is a quick snap of the car park at the Metropole in Llandod on Sunday morning. Like a good marshal I was going to sign on whilst competitors were still having their hearty breakfasts.

[David Stepney]

I only have one Seven with a working [sic] fuel gauge - this car alone has run out of fuel on me twice, all the others not!

I am completely OCD when it comes to things not working. When I first had FG 8659, the petrol gauge didn't work, so , when I had the tank down to get it cleaned out and sealed, I took the tank sender out. What I had on the bench bore more resemblance to something found on an archeological dig than a piece of a running motor car. Someone had obviously had trouble before, because there was a cork shoved in the end of the colander-like remains of the float, which crumbled into a pile of rusty flakes as I withdrew the cork.

I soaked the unit in electrical cleaner, freed off the arm and checked it for electrical continuity. Amazingly, it was electrically intact, so I removed the remains of the float drilled a small hole in the cork and fitted it to the end of the arm.

The gauge wont read below 1/4 of a tank but I know that, when it does, I have about a gallon left and it is time to find a petrol station.

I have a further check. Having done about 1600 miles in the car since I have had it in October, and now that it has a decent distributor fitted, I have worked out that it does on average 36 mpg round here,  so, between the odometer and the gauge, so far I have had no problem.

[Howard Wright]

I was marshalling at the VSCC trial on Sunday too.  I helped a guy in a GN with a broken steering link on Saturday morning by brazing a sleeve over the link arm.  He was the last car on the hill I was marshalling and.... low and behold broke the same steering arm!

Heard in the car park on Friday night..... "Too many Austin Sevens"  a muffled response from someone near... "You can't have too many Sevens!"

Howard

[Steve Jones]

I only have one Seven with a working [sic] fuel gauge - this car alone has run out of fuel on me twice, all the others not!

None of my Sevens have a petrol gauge, working or not! All have a petrol dip stick and, fortunately, working odometers so fill it up every hundred miles is what I aim for. 

I did have a Seven once that had a working petrol gauge - but I sold it!

Steve