What do I have in my garage?

[Bela]

Hello @ all

I bought an Austin seven special from an auction last year. The preowner said it was a speedy - but that seems to be wrong. People here in Germany told me, in that case it must have an other curved front axle. The pre pre owner in NZ says it has been a Ruby before getting a new Special body. DLVA V756 says first registration in NZ was 1.1.1934.  But first of January is a little bit obscure. As far as I know Ruby started in summer 1934. In Germany old cars with unknown date of first registration but known year are appointed to first of July. It may be that NZ does the same but appointed to first of January.

Because it is a special things seems to be merged. Front breaks and front axle seems to be contemporary. Rear breaks are rod driven. The wheels are 16". 


A VIN plate on the bulkhead shows a VIN starting with 7A80....
The engine block has  a # 229666 and the head has a #M236401. But there is also a plate on the bulkhead with # M 0843486. DLVA denied to let me know more information about the papers they got from NZ.

For registration in Germany data sheed must be shown to the authorities.  The most important data is the chassis number (VIN) followed by the data for the engine like cylinder capacity ( shown as 750cc in the V756), power and dimension/weight but also kind of tires, breaks, gearbox, carburettor and compression ratio.

But where to start? I guess first I have to determine the chassis to get some type related dimensions.

[Stuart Giles]

The VIN prefix digits you put up doesn't align to what the chassis number (factory equivalent to a VIN code back then) would look like. This would have been a straight six figure number from the Austin factory. Does your VIN have 17 digits? if so, it would almost certainly been issued recently by the DVLA or possibly a NZ equivalent; the DVLA issue these when the original chassis number isn't available.

If you could put up some photos of the car, it would probably be easier for members on here to identify the components fitted to your car.

[JonE]

https://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk/austin-7-special

I think you should look on the N/S (UK nearside) rail behind the rear engine mount and find the original number just so you have some confidence it is there. It may be the new VIN incorporates.

Some specials have been registered with new VINs and the original forgotten, but mostly this will be in 50/60s rather than when the car was new. It sounds like this was a 'declared manufactured c. 1934' sort of situation, perhaps to protect a plate or to ensure the age related plate type (in UK it would be 3 letters and 3 rather than 2 and 4) is correct?

[john williams]

The rod operated rear brakes suggest a late Ruby, 1937+. The chassis numbers for late Rubies, are stamped onto an aluminium plate riveted to the chassis just under the stater motor. If the aluminium plate is missing, but the two plate attachment holes are still in the chassis, the chances of determining the chassis number will be difficult. All Austin Sevens prior to the MkII Ruby, have the chassis number stamped onto the left hand side chassis frame just behind the rear engine mounting bolt. Hope this of help. John

[Bela]

Thanks to Stuart Giles , JonE and John Williams!

Yes it is the car from the link and the VIN has 17 digits. I'll inspect the mentioned rail . Because it is speciial body I see no chance to find the aliuminium plate. 

We had contact with the seller before the auction. He told the car is in an execptionell good condition as desrcribed in the auction and that he would provide us with New Zealand register documents after transfer, which shows the car should be a speedy.

After shipping to Germany all seems to be a frault. The car has big dents, the paint has bubbles all around. It couldn’t start because the fuel pump stucked and all bulbs have been burned due to wrong voltage. The bulkhead is cracked because it is not designed to carry the batterie. Missing and loose nuts or cotter and a broken spoke. The n/s radius arm is bend. The brakes will not stop the car sufficient but stops the car in reverse direction and the brake cable touches the tires while turning the steering wheel to the end - no more communication with the owner after paying the bill.

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some more pics

[Tony Griffiths]

If only all sellers used the https://bringatrailer.com/ system of dozens of close-up photographs of both the top and undersides of the vehicle. If they did, then attempting to describe, for example, the running gear as 4-stars and being "Very good Almost pristine / Mechanically & cosmetically sound / Driven only occasionally / Extensive vehicle history" would be seen as far removed from the truth.
Try: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1966-lancia-flaminia/ or, if one would prefer something understated and self-affacing, how about this: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1957-f...ite-pearl/

[Robert Leigh]

From the pictures it appears to be an early Ruby chassis, and the front axle could be from the same original car. If the rear brakes are rod type this is a modification; they are not the type fitted to late Rubies. To date the origins correctly look for a chassis number (six figures) on top of the chassis behind the rear left engine mounting. The word Speedy in the description bears no relationship to a real Speedy as produced by Austin. It would appear to be a one-off special in my opinion.
Robert Leigh

[Steve Jones]

The auction details give the chassis number as 223163. That dates the chassis to May 1935. If you put that chassis number into the A7CA on-line register it brings up your car http://a7ca.org/chassis-register/

Somebody has supplied the Association with those details. Equally, someone has registered it in the UK. Given that the auction details say it 'will' be UK registered by the time of the auction then that has been done quite recently. Such registration in the UK would have needed supporting documentation. Normally, this would come from an owners club registered with the DVLA. I think there are reasonable questions to ask the auction house about the car's life between its arrival in the UK and the auction never mind their description of the car. 

Steve

[Bela]

Any hints what engine it is?

@ Steve Jones

Same behaviour of the auction house as the owner. It is not responsible for data that has been generated by the owner. After very good experience with sotheby's it is very poor.

[Steve Jones]

The engine crankcase number is 229666. That dates from Mid 1935. It isn't possible to confirm whether it is the original crankcase fitted to the chassis. The cylinder block is from engine number 236401, again dated mid 1935 but not the original block fitted to the crankcase. The cylinder head number 25.11.6 simply confirms it was cast on 25 November 1936, again not the original for the cylinder block or the crankcase. That the crankcase, block and head are from different engines is not unusual in any way as they are inter changeable. The engine number is normally considered to be that on the crankcase (229666 in this case). However, the A7CA Chassis Register gives the engine number as 184194 as of details supplied in July 2019 so something else to ask questions about.  

Steve