What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Ian Williams]

Nice mile stone to reach Simon!

[Howard Wright]

Excellent Simon

I've been following the build since you started.

Well done

Howard

[David Stepney]

At the risk of playing 'fast and loose' with the title of this thread, this post is not so much "what have you done today with your Austin Seven" but more of "What have you done for the last ten days with your Austin Seven?" The answer is: Used it as my daily.

This week I have managed to do over three hundred miles in it, and, apart from checking the oil and water levels every day, I have had to do nothing at all to it. it has, quite simply, behaved itself impeccably.

Mind you, that does not mean that there has been no excitement. Every journey is a bit of an adventure.

The itinerary looked something like this:

Monday: Over to mountains to Llangynog  to feed the horses and my friend's sheep, a round trip of 26 miles
Tuesday: Over to Cefn Mawr, Wrexham to work, a round trip of some 60 miles plus a bit of running round whilst I was there.
Wednesday: Over to the horses and then on to Llansilin and back, 50 miles round trip
Thursday: I went to the horses with the Landrover, as three bags of animal feed, one dog and me don't fit into a box saloon. In the evening, however, I took a friend down to Llanbrynmair. This required climbing Cader Idris on the A470. Three miles of third gear followed by about half a mile in second to get over the top. Coming back, the Machynlleth side of the pass is a bit steeper but I managed the last 200 yards to the summit in second (just!) at about walking pace with about ten cars behind me. A round trip of 84 miles.. Even so, the running time each way was about one hour twenty minutes, so an average speed of 31.5 mph.
Friday: Work again and this morning over to the horses.

Average fuel consumption 36 mpg and about one and a half pints of oil (mostly leaked).

All in all, a most enjoyable experience. And, after 85 years, the slogan "You can depend on an Austin" was no mere advertising 'puff'.

My only criticism is it's leisurely hill climbing ability. Ruairidh has very kindly put me in touch with Robert Foreman who modifies standard low compression heads to give higher compression, so, if anyone has a low comp head in half decent nick that I can acquire..........

[Reckless Rat]

Following my misfortune with the snapped valve chest block to crankcase stud, the engine of my RP is out of the car the block somewhere in Scotland being rebored. In the meantime I have been slowly going through the rest of the bits making sure that everything is in good a nick as possible before reassembly.
As the bottom half of the engine involves a later 2brg crankcase from a low frame car, getting the engine out isn't that easy as the flywheel tends to snag on the throttle cross-shaft. Although purists may frown, the bulkhead has been "modified" to make the process as easy as possible, including the removal of some metal to permit the unit to be removed without disturbing the clutch pedal (pad removed). In order for this to happen new rear engine mounts have been made that can come out from the underside of the chassis. Due to the fact that I get vertigo if I go grovelling about under the car I have bypassed the need to use a spanner/ socket from below by welding a thick washer under the bolt head and grinding a flat on it to make it 'D' shaped. Once inserted from below the flat on the washer prevents it from rotating and I can concentrate on the awkward job of tightening the nuts from inside the engine compartment. I've also replaced the split pins on the control levers with 'R' clips. (Although the adv/retard is locked off due to the Bosch dizzy, I leave the rod in place just as a sop to authenticity)

[David Stepney]

Bruce, you have my sympathy.

I find that getting the engine in and out of my RP is a bit of a chore as the flywheel snags on just about everything. I dismantle the one side of the throttle shaft and I notice that someone before me has bent the top of the scuttle aperture into a crude flange so that the flywheel doesn't catch there. Mind you, I take the engine and gearbox out together and put them back the same way. I recall difficulties with 'the Devil's spline' from my youth!

I too suffer from vertigo, but not, fortunately when I lie down. My problem in that respect is getting back up again. If I can get into a kneeling position, then I can get up, but getting into kneeling position when one has been on one's back can present it's own problems. But don't ask me to change a light bulb. Even standing on a chair I get giddy. And there is no way you could coax me up a ladder!

It must be an 'Anno Domini' thing.

Good luck with getting the bottom end of your engine repaired.

David.

[dchw1975]

Well yesterday actually but I competed in the VSCC Autosolo at Oulton Park. RAS my special went really well and got a fastest time of the day for a few of the tests. I also made videos of two of the runs which are available on the links below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvUTiujs9cg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeLasJetcbk

[Roger]

  REAR View.JPG (Size: 24.89 KB / Downloads: 363)


I spent the last seven years reconstructing the “Contraption” (as my Mother so accurately described the collection of bits I put in her garage for safe keeping).(Photo above).
I have now done 100 miles in the past few weeks, learning how to stay on my side of the road most of the time. Even though I believe the rebuild to be officially complete, I still find parts that need work doing to them.
But I can at least Drive the car now, and that is what I did today...

   
   
Roger

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Congratulations Roger - great job!

[Roger]

Ruairidh,

Thanks much appreciated.

Roger

[Bruce Nicholls]

Look forward to seeing you about Roger. If you are in Milford Marina area give me a shout on Lone Gerd on G wall.