Colourful Marginal A7 Motoring - 1954

[Henry Harris]

The original pre-war Pitmans Handbook by Gordon Goodwin dust cover was possibly by the same artist !

This picture might be difficult to restore !

Same book, slightly better dust cover...

   

[Mark McKibbin]

I love the pipe, and he is probably doing something with the carby on that side of the motor. No problem old chap.

[Mike Costigan]

The cylinder head is off, so he's probably grinding-in the valves; that used to be a regular pass-time which we don't seem to need today.

[Tony Griffiths]

The cylinder head is off, so he's probably grinding-in the valves; that used to be a regular pass-time which we don't seem to need today.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s valves still seem to have been made from something resembling hardened Plasticine. On a car used daily, before any competitive event, I always ground mine in - an unpleasant but essential job on a Friday evening as it always perked up the car's performance.

[A G Wood]

The Editor of 'Practical Motorist', F J (Fredrick James) Camm is worth a thread on his own. Probably, the most prolific technical author in the widest of fields.

Steve

How do you reckon he'd stack up against that other prolific technical writer, the ubiquitous A W Judge?

The cylinder head is off, so he's probably grinding-in the valves; that used to be a regular pass-time which we don't seem to need today.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s valves still seem to have been made from something resembling hardened Plasticine. On a car used daily, before any competitive event, I always ground mine in - an unpleasant but essential job on a Friday evening as it always perked up the car's performance.

Yes, definitely still a thing even ordinary motorists had to have done in the late 60s/early 70s. Apprentice's job of course. REPCO's synchro seating gear made it a bit easier, but I still remember doing all 32 valves on a Cummins V8  diesel with the rubber sucker on the stick...

[Tony Griffiths]

The original pre-war Pitmans Handbook by Gordon Goodwin dust cover was possibly by the same artist !

This picture might be difficult to restore !

Same book, slightly better dust cover...

Just about an OK resolution to clean up:

[Henry Harris]

Blimey, that was quick! I was going to offer to send a high resolution scan.

[Tony Griffiths]

Blimey, that was quick! I was going to offer to send a high resolution scan.

Do send another. I'll repeat the exercise this evening and include a link to a high-resolution download that would make a pleasing picture for framing, etc.
If you can scan at 1200 d.p.i. and email it to tony@lathes.co.uk that would be perfect (I can recommenr using smash.com if the file is too large for email). If your scanner has a lower maximum resolution that would be OK as well. If you can vary the settings, 24-bit colour is fine and unsharp mask switched on. Leave everything else off including decsreening, colour restoration, dust removal, etc. i.e. just a bare scan.

[squeak]

There may be the beginnings of a new dust wrapper for you there Tony (Press).

[John Cornforth]

Looks to me as though the artist was working from a photograph.  Note the starting handle correctly at 9 o'clock, the radiator Austin script nicely central and in line with the headlights, and the radiator side plates in place.  The underbonnet wiring is tidy too, including the two rubber rings to hold the HT leads in place.  I once sourced some of these from a Mo**is spares stallholder at Beaulieu.  I do hope he's not going to wipe off his grinding paste with a petrol soaked rag though !