1932 Instrument panel?

[Dave Mann]

That's a good point Tony, I have a friend with an 1933 RP saloon that was a rep's car, it was rolled in 1934/5 wrecking the windscreen. We presume Austin's didn't have any spare RP windscreens because it is fitted with Northern Windscreens windscreen which is more like a brass RN one.

[Henry Harris]

So, if it's 1933 with a PA speedo what gearbox and rear axle would have been fitted?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

That is a very good question - I will let Charlie tell you, 'tis interesting...

[charlie carpenter]

Thge van has a 4 speed sports crash box with the speedo re calibrated. It is 5,625 sports back axle as fitted to vans to help with the load. They are both the original items in the van.

[Tony Griffiths]

Thge van has a 4 speed sports crash box with the speedo re calibrated. It is 5,625 sports back axle as fitted to vans to help with the load. They are both the original items in the van.

...so that's why my knackered van used to climb the steep Greystones Road easily in third, but Anne's Ruby would not.

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Later vans are different - the panel at the start of the thread is fitted to Vans like Charlie's - with the older style gauges and the RN type petrol tank - plus a few other earlier items.

I really do think they were using up leftover parts and then moved to the later stuff when those ran out - I appreciate that you may disagree but I cannot see why they would intentionally continue to use older (i.e. items not in general production line use) parts, then switch to the modified tanks and newer instrumentation for any other reason?

This is a real puzzle, for Austin obviously operated a spares service with items drawn from what must have been a very large parts store. That being the case, if a number of items were kept back to build vans, how did they decide what to keep - or did they wander round to the parts department and ask the brown-coated, bad-tempered, clipboard-toting parts guys what they'd like to "disappear"? Would it not have been easier to use regular, up-to-the-minute production items, rather than muck about trying to cobble together something old and new? There must have been some logic to this farrago - but what, I cannot, for a moment, imagine.
As an aside, I wonder for how long parts were available; for example, in 1935, could a garage order the wings and radiator cowl for a car built during 1925?

Replying to my own reply: "Ernie, wot gauges you got sitt'in around?"
"Got these pre-31 oil. Never asked for one in three years. 'Ere, take the lot."
"Any front axles?"
"Yup. A couple them racing types. Low, y'know. Prototype magnesium finned brakes drums they reckon. Van owner'd never notice. Now, bugger off, it's tea break."

[Henry Harris]

Thge van has a 4 speed sports crash box with the speedo re calibrated. It is 5,625 sports back axle as fitted to vans to help with the load. They are both the original items in the van.

So it has an early '65' close ratio gearbox with 5.625 rear axle and a PA speedo? There's certainly no using up of outdated parts there! 
It seems a very odd choice for a van.
First gear 19.61:1 whereas with a standard 4 speed box 24.975:1

[Mike Costigan]

That's a good point Tony, I have a friend with an 1933 RP saloon that was a rep's car, it was rolled in 1934/5 wrecking the windscreen. We presume Austin's didn't have any spare RP windscreens because it is fitted with Northern Windscreens windscreen which is more like a brass RN one.

In 1934/35 the RP saloon screen was still in current production for the vans, though. Presumably a suitably parsimonious Yorkshireman decided he could repair it with a locally-made screen and spend the balance of the insurance on beer to steady his nerve!

[David.H]

Not only vans I suggest. My AG tourer is a mixture of older components.  It is1932, built on the old SWB chassis with Chummy style small doors but using all steel panels. As an aside I only realised that the body is about 4 inches wider than the AD when I checked the AD hood cover to copy it for the AG! Back to dashboards - it has the two side glove pockets I think as on the current saloons.
I have not been able to work out how many AG were made and from when and for how long.Any ideas? 
David

[JonE]

there are about 49 listed as AG on survivors database... just download the file sorted by body type....from Association site... all there...

[Dave Mann]

The windscreen isn't a repaired Seven one Mike, it is an entirely an new manufactured one presumeably, I've come across a few of them over the years.