What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Reckless Rat]

Took the RP out for its first run after doing the "big one" last month. Went to the Pole Mecanique in Ales where they have a classic car get together on the first sunday of the month. This was the first one since the summer break and there were a lot more cars than I think the organisers expected. I got the last place and at least twenty more cars turned up after me and ended up having to park on the road outside. There would have been room if they hadn't given access to some modern stuff from the 80s and 90s, but that's the French for you. My pal Phil turned up in his series 2 E type drophead which should have attracted a lot of attention, but unfortunately they parked him next to a GT40, which although it looked good was just a kit car. The gawpers probably weren't aware of that.

[Parazine]

I use 20W50 in the engine and a straight 30 grade in the gearbox. 

+1 on that!

[Tony Griffiths]

Hi. I’m new to the forum. Am looking after my dads ruby as he isn’t able to drive her anymore and he has more interest in his 10 and consul classic. Yesterday I replaced a core plug and started her up for the 1st time in ... 4 years (i think).  The carb jets were booked but she did run quite well.   I have just been lubricating her (started) found the read axle was dry. Funny. I recall filling that up in 2003!  Gearbox oil looked ok and engine has a fresh ish fill. Getting ep 140 was a pain. Had to go online!  I’m in the process of removing the trailer lights dad fitted in favour of a set of led 6v lights on the rear... look light a fair amount or rewording needs to be done! Tomorrow I will attack with the grease gun.

You don’t want EP oil you want Straight Oil for the rear axle.
EP has additives that will attack the brass parts in the axle, Sorry, you’ve got the wrong stuff.

One might imagine that for any sort of gearbox one has to use an EP (Extreme Pressure) oil - but this is not necessarily the case. EP oils contain sulphur - in either an active form - that will attack bronze, copper and their alloys - or an inactive, which won't. If an EP oil has an API rating of either GL-4 or GL-5 then the sulphur is inactive and safe to use in boxes with bronze bearings. However, take the advice on the forum and seek the oil recommended.

[Stephencrisp360]

Thanks for the information.  Much happier now :. Back to reading seven years with Samantha. Dreaming of the possibilities!!

[Duncan Grimmond]

Yesterday was Race Day at the Shuttleworth Collection. Despite the forecast it was a dry day, if a little windy, but there were several Austins present with 3 entered in the sprint. As it was my first visit I was most impressed and glad to have arrived on Saturday afternoon to have a good look over the collection. Due to brain rot I've forgotten the names of the Austineers I spoke to and seem to have left them out of most of my photos...durr!

[Greig Smith]

Looking very "Biggles" there Duncan !!

Must have been a fun day out

Aye
Greig

[JonE]

is that a champagne cork in your steering wheel end, or have you got a cunning method of making a decent horn push without buying expensive repro bits?

[Duncan Grimmond]

It's a Cremant d'Anjou cork. I feel that champagne is overrated as well as overpriced... The Cremant came from a vigneron near le Puy Notre-Dame so it's a bit of a tip o' the hat to the GP Retro there

[Special Bits]

On Sunday, having given the Ulsteroids engine a quick freshen, decoke, refit the better carb, tappets and a different head, it was road test time. Im very pleased with the results. The hill at the start of the video is a typical South Devon coastal climb, average about 1:6. We romped up in 3rd at approaching 30mph. Hope to be out on Bristol Motor clubs Allen Trial in November and of course the MCC Exeter the first weekend in January.

for anyone interested, you can see glimpses of Dartmoor just before I turn left onto the main road and the sea briefly at the next junction.

[Reckless Rat]

Nothing really Austin Seven related but my RP is in the picture... a few months ago I bought a running but MOT failure Citroen C15 van for 100€ with a view to using it as spares to keep my other C15 on the road. Despite the fact that the new acquisition is 7 years younger it has had a hard life and been to the moon and back. However there is a raft of stuff that is useable, including the engine which runs perfectly. The gearbox however is toast. After being parked up over the summer SWMBO instructed that it had to go from its current parking spot at the back of the house, so I started it up and drove it into the garage and out of sight. I'm now slowly taking it to bits and storing all the useable parts. The plan is to transfer some of the "goodies" to the decent van and save or sell the rest. The body panels will also be salvaged and then the plan is to separate the cabin from the back half of the van body and make the back bit into a matching trailer. At least it will give me something to do over the winter.