What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Reckless Rat]

The venue for the monthly old car meeting has changed, as I discovered whern I got to the race circuit and no-one was there. It's now held in the centre of Alès on the big car park next to the river. Picture of the three amigos. The XK150 belongs to a pal of mine. His father bought it new in 1958 and it is largely unrestored. The Traveller belongs to another friend.

[Duncan Grimmond]

After the Austin I'd go for the R4 with great pleasure! IMHO one of the best (if not the best) small estate cars ever made.
I still hanker after one but, a. I don't need it and b. I've nowhere to keep it. Oh well, never mind.

[Oxford Jack]

+1, I have owned several over the years vans and cars. I am actually looking for one, but less than 100 left on UK roads. Just does everything one could ask of a small vehicle, in reasonable comfort and at reasonable cost. I once owned a four wheel drive version, they were used in the timber industry in Scotland I believe, sadly it was beyond my means at the time to repair.
Vive le Renault 4!!!!

[Reckless Rat]

There's a bloke in our village, fairly close to me who has his father's 4L "camionette". It's only got 30,000km on the clock. Unrestored, runner. Cars don't rust much down here, which is good news for a 4L because they're born from recycled colanders.

I'm happy enough with the Say Kanze (C15 van). It's a great workhorse and comfy enough everyday transport. (and I have a trailer to match!). Only a young 'un though at 27yrs old.

[Dave Mann]

    I took a lady home with her granddaughter as chaperone after her hundred birthday where she was presented with her medals for her service in the WRNS. Her daughter requested a Seven as the lady's father had a Seven.

[Mike Costigan]

+1, I have owned several over the years vans and cars. I am actually looking for one, but less than 100 left on UK roads. Just does everything one could ask of a small vehicle, in reasonable comfort and at reasonable cost. I once owned a four wheel drive version, they were used in the timber industry in Scotland I believe, sadly it was beyond my means at the time to repair.
Vive le Renault 4!!!!

There's an early rhd R4 for sale in Halifax - needs some work, though:

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1430674

[Hedd_Jones]

I fixed the jack that used to be in the grey saloon to go in the chummy. Wasnt as easy as it looks. But I got there.


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Put some double height lift the dots on the arse end of the chummy to use the hood bag and tonneau at the same time

   

Found the tyre had gone flat following puncture 'repair' so ordered 2 new tubes and got a couple of wheels ready. I will put a 400 on another wheel plus the repaired one so will have a good extra in the shed for next time.

   

I put the longer filler on, as Im fed up of missing when topping up. I assume the longer one is a jewell fitment?

   

Then finally concluded it must have a blocked oil jet, given the high oil pressure. Taking the plugs out confirms the rear one is solid. Need to contemplate how to solve.

[Steve kay]

   
   
Today went out to recce the Cotswold Historic Hillclimbs Tour route. Fords have to be included in any tour, less expected is the wildlife that wanders over to look at checking oil levels. No snaps were taken of hills. On some we had to keep going vigorously so as not to get in the way of Ulsters, GNs or in the case of Saintbury Hill, obstruct Slippery Anne out road testing. On other very very steep hills, clouds of clutch smoke or hastily dismounted passengers preventing uncontrolled reverse descent prevented photography. The Ruby, and other jewels have been much praised in this forum, but there can be times when one is reminded that the Ruby power to weight ratio is not quite the same as other Sevens.

[Dave Wortley]

We had a '73 R4 van for a few years when restoring our house. It was ideal for carting demo timber and many sheets of plasterboard and the flap above the rear door  was handy. I tried to teach my wife to drive in it but the gearchange was weird and the handbrake hopeless. We gave up and she had lessons at a driving school. Less marital disharmony that way. It went through quite a few driveshafts.

[Malcolm Parker]

I learned to drive on my Mother's Renault 4, a white one with a full length sun-roof.  On the morning of my driving test, a cold foggy winters day, it wouldn't start so I took the test in my Fathers R4.  This was a newer car and whilst it had the same dashboard push/pull gear lever, the position of the gears was totally different to those on my Mothers car.   The gear lever was spring loaded with, if I remember correctly, 2nd and 3rd gears on the same axis, so if you let it do its own thing you couldn't go far wrong.   I must have done something right as I passed.    I think that was the only time the car wouldn't start in many years of ownership.   The handbrake under the dash was a fearsome device which was always referred to as 'Arkwright's till' after the Open All Hours programme.   To release the handbrake you only had to touch it and it would fly back under strong spring pressure with a tremendous crash.