Highland Sports Coupe project...

[Ruairidh Dunford]

   

[Peter Naulls]

I have spent much time thinking about the easiest way to assemble the body. Starting at the bottom and establishing the door post positions seemed the best approach so I've made a jig. It also fixes the correct height for the structural rail around the gutter-line (which will be parallel to the floor).

   

It sits on the floor pan and has a bulkhead (the one with the hole in) to support the B-posts which are vertical in both planes - that's the easy bit. 

The A-posts are inclined backwards which (if I'm to avoid a twist in the side windows) means they want to lean outwards at the top by about 1/4 inch. I don't like windscreens that taper - I don't think they look very "Austin", so I plan to loose the 1/4 inch in the curve of the door post. Inevitably to some extent these things have to be resolved as I go along. The exact width of the screen has changed on paper several times as I dither about how much I want the sides of the body to belly-out at the waistline. Because the screen is much further back than other Sevens the screen and dash will be significantly longer. Ruairidh will need to find plenty of instruments to fill the space!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Time to get this thing ready to be taken up to Peter's Highland workshop....

   

   

   

   

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Just so we are clear - this project was started during lockdown and is further ahead than the photos we have posted so far.

Our aim is to document the build and how that progressed, we hope you are enjoying as much as we are - lots more to come!

[Renaud]

We certainly are Ruairidh!

[Ivor Hawkins]

Brilliant, I agree and can’t wait for the next installment!

[Howard Wright]

Hi All

I might just wait for the box set  .

(Cup in a box and Highland Sports Coupe project)

Cheers

Howard

[Tony Betts]

Hi R,

I notice you have used a steering wedge on your excellent build.

I've had two customers come to me this week, that have been told by a very well known austin 7 parts supplier that steering wedges are DANGEROUS   and they should be fitting a sports box.

Is there something this well known Austin 7 parts supplier knows that you don't.

Or is there something about steering wedges you know  that the well known austin 7 parts supplier doesn't.

Enjoying the build, get on with it. Tony

[Tony Griffiths]

I've had two customers come to me this week, that have been told by a very well known austin 7 parts supplier that steering wedges are DANGEROUS   and they should be fitting a sports box.

But why dangerous? Did the "well-known parts supplier" explain the 'engineering' reasons why a steering box mounted at an angle would be dangerous? Does he have a cache of genuine sports boxes to flog?
The builders of early 750 Formula cars must all have been living in fear - yet I can't remember any references in the build-it-yourself guides that pointed out problems with such a set-up.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Having looked at fitting a wedge I decided that the repositioning of the brake pedal pivot was "not to my taste" and I went for a reduced angle replacement casting and rebuilt both my steering boxes. Probably self-indulgent blind prejudice...