What have you done today with your Austin Seven

["Slack Alice" Simon]

That does look the part, Biddlecombe.


I don't often do shows, but I do like it when the kids get in, beep the horn, jiggle the wheel and so on.

If they look really interested I start it on the handle whilst they hold the choke out.


Today I have spent the whole day cleaning the Tourer.




I don't clean vehicles - my van (Mitsubishi) has an entire layer of lichen on the roof as a result, Alice has mud from last year's trial on top of the mud from the year before that.

But the Tourer is required to run someones daughter to her Prom tomorrow …..

So I started at 7 am. and finished at 7 pm. and now it still looks well used, but it is (quite) clean.


Then, of course, it wouldn't start to get put away.   Seemed like the fuel pump was sticking, so I filled the carb from a can, and off it goes.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

[Bob Culver]

Hi Biddlecombe

The car looks good and not over restored. Just how big is the dog?  Does look a mite disdfainfull (like some wives in Sevens). I think it should have reserved the expression for the presumably over restored E type.
Something which goes down well at less serious shows is allowing the car to be cranked. (Although have to make it clear not the only way to start) Possibly best to put some oil in cyls first and turn off the petrol where possible.

[Biddlecombe]

Suchi is a 35 kg Goldie and doesn't like the huge back of the Kia Sorento let alone the front seat of the Seven but she had to come as the family were at the Eastbourne tennis. It  was only a mile each way and was spoiled while there.

[Hedd_Jones]

We went to the Spring Hill Villiage garden festival yesterday (Telford). Mainly to visit my mate Bob who had his traction engine in steam. But for a run out in an Austin. We went in daughters car and we bumped into her mate also and they had a catch up. The cars owner in the driving seat

[Alastair]

Not quite today but last night I got back from a solo trip to Brittany in the Ruby. I was a bit apprehensive having only installed a rebuilt 3 bearing engine a few days before setting out on Thursday, but it performed superbly. Waiting in the queue for the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff I was 'adopted' by members of a car club from Wales who were off on a tour in their XKs, E Types and TRs - as usual it was the tatty old Ruby which attracted most attention from our fellow travellers. After an on-board meal with them we went our separate ways on arrival in Roscoff in the morning and I set off to visit friends in St Brieuc.
I managed to avoid the N12 motorway and followed the old D712 which runs parallel to it but is almost completely deserted - I recommend it.
During my visit one of my friends, who is a journalist over there, invited me to come with him while he interviewed a chap who specialises in Minis - he turned out to be the owner of the '36 Opal which featured either here on the forum or in the grey mag a few years ago. Its immaculate but possibly not to most people's taste, being painted white with metallic purple upper panels! I didn't take a photo as it was hidden away at the back of his workshop, but here's an example of some of his other stock (its a Citroen, one of several):

I only covered about 400 miles in all, returning via the coast road, and thoroughly enjoyed myself -  nothing compared to some of the treks people like Ruairidh undertake but I'm feeling pleased with myself and the car...
I got back in time for a pint in my local and as I got back into the Ruby for the final mile or two home a member of the braying classes asked if I needed a push. 'No' says I. 'Its just got back from Brittany and is quite capable of getting home without your help....'

["Slack Alice" Simon]

   

Don't you just love Sevening!

And the car brushed up pretty well, also.


   

[Nick Salmon]

Hoping to grind in and fit my valves this evening.
Also clean head and block ready for assembly.
Never driven a A7
So looking forward with excitement
Still daft at 70 years

May you be daft for many, many more years to come Tiger!

[Douglas Alderson]

Car stopped due to fuel starvation, swapped the jets over for clean ones, replaced the filter original one was a nice old one but with a hole in it, washed the tank out with fresh petrol not many bits in the tank but runs much better.

   

[David.H]

I did the same for Chitti....it had it's first run out in about 40 years & the fuel  tap inlet blocked. Removed the tap & caught the 4 or so litres, it started slowly & then came out in a rush. Dropped my  little cheapo LED torch in the tank(!) it stayed on despite being half covered in petrol and fished it out with a telescopic magnet that latched on to the steel clip on the strap!!
Wrote off a few more pints of fuel & put it all back together...perfect (until some more crud detaches itself no doubt), my tap has no tube for the inlet, so it in effect draws from two "reserve " holes at about the same level, thus the pick up is in the crud, not above it! Next time it is off I'll have a go at fitting a longer pick up pipe.
The fuel went in clear & came out looking more like weak tomato soup, although the inside of the tank did not look too bad & the magnet didn't pick up anything large.

[bob46320]

DA, TWO carbs - that's just bragging !! (Jealous really)