New Seven owner: let me introduce myself

[sinirrop]

Hi to all the members of this forum,

I write from Italy and I became recently the owner of a Seven Sport 65 Arrow, which is in Italy since 1974.
I was interested in Austin Seven by years, and I was looking for a good option to own a sport or special model: I think this one is a very good option.
I am looking for any source of informations and documentations because it needs an extensive restoration and I would like to restore it to as original specifications as possible.
@moderators: is it better to open a new thread dedicated to my car or can I continue here?

[Mike Costigan]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new car. The Arrow is both sporting and special, so I'm sure it meets with your requirements! By all means continue with details of your car here, I can't wait to see pictures of it!

[Mark Dymond]

Jim Blacklock is the Arrow guru and maintains the registrar of survivors. He helped me immensely with the restoration of my Arrow and if you contact him he will send you an archive of photographs that I am sure you will find helpful. I will send you a private message with his email so as not to post it on here (not sure I should post it here without his permission?).

Good luck with the restoration, I think the Arrows are great cars.

[AustinWood]

I came close to buying an Arrow from Ray Walker in Cambridge in 1989. Unfortunately I had agreed the purchase of a Nippy in poor condition the day before I saw Ray's.
Should be an enjoyable car.

[dickie65]

Well done for finding such a rare coachbuilt car.
The Arrow 65 is among the best of the Austin Sevens. Actually a better car than most of the factory built ones.
It has the sports suspension and should have a proper sports engine and a great looking body.
Please post some pictures when you have a chance.

[sinirrop]

Here is a picture of the car just picked up. Some other pictures will follow soon.
I also know the original british registration number: is there a way to know more of its history?

[Martin Prior]

A very nice car! Jim Blacklock may know of it.

Check whether it's listed on the A7CA chassis register at www.ac7a.org - if it is, it may indicate which Austin Seven club it was attached to and they may know something of it.

If you know the original registration, then it will be simple to find where it was first registered and it may be possible to find out who bought it when new. The records of some local vehicle registration offices survive, others do not.

[Mike Costigan]

Lovely car.

[Jim Blacklock]

Good afternoon one and all.

It is really great to see this Arrow Competition 65 back in the responsible ownership of someone who will care for it and bring it back to the condition it was in. 

I have known about this particular Arrow since May 2011.  It was originally registered in Croydon in 1934, but the records are, as far as I know "presumed destroyed".  The running chassis was built in the Austin factory in January 1934, according to Bryan Purves's A7 Source Book. The car was exported to Italy in 1974. 

Thank you Mike, Mark, Dickie and Martin for your appreciative comments about the Austin 7 Arrow Competition design - which I of course do agree with!!  If I can ever be of help with any thing to do with Compton's Arrows, then please drop me an email.  There are 6 Austin 7 Arrow Foursomes entered for this year's Beaulieu A7 Rally - sadly no Competitions as far as I know!
Cheers
Jim

[sinirrop]

Thank you to everybody for your welcome.
I will share the restoration progress with this forum.
I am a DIY enthusiast so the the updates will be slow.