What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Ivor Hawkins]

I’ve probably spent ten grand renovating my box saloon and it’s worth eight I suppose, but I don’t care, I’ll enjoy driving it just the same...I’d happily spend the same to get an Opal back on the road.

[jpsmit]

I’ve probably spent ten grand renovating my box saloon and it’s worth eight I suppose, but I don’t care, I’ll enjoy driving it just the same...I’d happily spend the same to get an Opal back on the road.

Not got to my Seven yet but on my previous cars I have not and will not ever total the receipts. (OTOH when I die I do fear SWMBO will sell it for what I told her it was worth) 

[flywheel1935]

Fitted a complete Martin Prior wood kit to my ARQ Ruby door, the machining was perfect, and will look a million times better than the old fence panel wood that was bodged into the frame 40 years ago. Hardest bit was getting some of the old wood out, but cleaned and primed the inner skin, then slotted the MP kit into place, and fixed with stainless screws, so fingers crossed. I'll never need to do it again.

[Steve kay]

   
This was meant to be a full recce for September's historic hillclimb tour. The Ruby is the perfect machine for recceing, prevents the crew from getting pneumonia in the rain or sunstroke at other times, as well as keeping notes and maps on board and dry. This tour will start at Shelsley, however under bonnet inspection revealed that oil leakage had got out of hand, so the plan was abandoned. A scrute spotting a competition car dripping so much would have send it out of the paddock in disgrace. The engine is not that old, having been about the final engine from a workshop that now only does motor bikes. Leak reduction has been discussed on the forum, and advised steps such as injecting  sealant between a slightly raised block and crankcase tried. All to no avail, this day's motoring recorded oil consumption of one litre per hundred  miles, not too bad for a wholly knackered sleeve valve Daimler but rather a lot for a Seven with only a couple of thousand miles on the clock.  So once it cooled down late afternoon, the removal of block began.

[Dave Wortley]

Steve, are you sure it is block to crankcase joint? I fitted a rear main bearing lip seal on my RN and made a silly mistake when I removed the engine to find the seal retainer housing cracked due to my hamfistedness in assembly. You probably have eliminated cove plate over oil pump shaft and leaky valve cover.

[Nick Salmon]

A friend who is starting a wedding photography business has asked to use the Chummy for a staged photo shoot this evening so, much against my principles, I have been doing a bit of cleaning and polishing. Let's hope the bride scrubs up as brightly.

   

     

[Hedd_Jones]

I picked up some new chassis extensions from Stuart Joseph on Tuesday evening. Last night I was at the shed waiting for water to boil, so I thought Id do some trial assembly.

New extensions on, undersize holes, temp bolts etc etc.



Then did some assembly. 1931 SWB



Back springs are a bit curvy for the flat front one. Hey ho!

[Bob Culver]

Hi Nick

Lets hope the bride is correspondingly dainty! People have evolveded in 90 years.

Hi Hedd

The chassis' do look absurdly frail esp considering what many have carried. i have removed tow bars from other makes. Lay persons make a very different judgement of what is necessary for strength. I doubt if Austin could have cut things finer wuth the use of a computer

[Howard Wright]

Hi Hedd

Those rear springs look suspiciously like incorrectly set 8” camber springs.  I’ve just changed a similar set on the RK which made the stance of the car much better.

Cheers

Howard

[Steve kay]

Dave, thanks for your comment. The source of leakage is all too visible! The valve cover challenge has been discussed on the forum many a time, getting a flat tin  cover and not distorting it by over tightening  in a desparate attempt to make oil tight are two important issues. I found a cast ali cover at a jumble, and with the silicon gasket made from high spec baking silicon sheet solved that problem. Now, silicon gaskets between crank case and block have been a source of debate.