Driving an Austin seven.

[andrew34ruby]

After a few decades of work on my Austin seven Ruby mk1 it finally went on the road a couple of years ago. I enjoyed driving it till I came to the first hill and it slowed down so much, but I think I've finally figured out how to drive it.

Realising that a 1934 Ruby has the worst power to weight ratio of all sevens, with a heavy body and low compression engine, I have now removed excess weight. Spare oil and water have gone, along with various other things. That helps.

The engine is now thoroughly 'run in' and a bit looser. That helps.

But driving technique also helps. Previously I was going fast to get a good approach to a hill, and hoping I wouldn't need to change down a gear, but sometimes a gearchange is essential. Changing gear is not a problem, but I then accelerated away hard in the lower gear. That's where I seem to have been going wrong.... Drop down a gear and scream away in the lower gear was uncomfortable. It sounded as if both engine and gearbox would explode. Sometimes I managed to speed up enough to go back up a gear, just to change back down again.

Think I've cracked it now. Change down a gear as the hill dictates, then continue gently in the lower gear. Just keep it going at that speed. Don't try to thrash it any faster. Much more pleasant!

[Reckless Rat]

Whilst the gear ratios in my Box saloon are slightly different to the later synchromesh ones (mine is 4 speed crash so 3rd is slightly lower than the 2syn box - 1:1,73 against 1:1,66), the car is quite competent at hill climbing as it has a HC head and an SU carby. It can tackle most gentle gradients in 4th gear without losing too much speed, but on a steeper grade once road speed had dropped to below 30mph it's time for 3rd. With the crash box it's a matter of having to bite the bullet and stay in 3rd until you're over the top because you lose so much speed due to double clutching that there's no point in it. However, the car will happily slog up some serious climbs at 25-30mph (indicated) in 3rd gear without any undue problems and without overheating, even when doing some serious Alpine and Pyrennean climbs that go on for over 20km or more. Patience is the key. Just let it go at a speed it's happy at and it'll keep going for ever.

And wear ear plugs!

[Bob Culver]

I suspect that is how most Sevens were driven in their pre war day. My father ran his/mine 1940 to 1957;  used to drive  at 45 mph and not more than the equiv in 3rd and that was brisk for a Seven and very many others at the time. He only once took it to top speed of 50. On long trips (200 miles) he settled for 40 mph as less fatiguing. From the 1930s there has been an uninterrupted motorway style road along the shore linking Wellington with its sister city/suburb the Hutt. My father said that just post war at 45 mph was the fast lane!
Mixing it with all traffic including main road in the 1960s was different and involved flat ourt everywhere; a tootle around earlier style back roads was far more pleasant. Trucks and buses very slow on hills were common so were not in such danger in a Seven as today. Did have to perfect ultra rapid double declutch to preserve that precious momentum. The later head and an SU was a big improvemnt; within city limits it enabled 30 mph to be maintained on more grades. But the engine is more harsh and the revs less pleasant cf 1930s style driving. And the crank does not benefit.
Main roads here were quite winding into the 50s. Many corners only 30 mph or so and often at end of straights; accounted for many A40s and VWs. From 1950 to 1970 I very regularly travelled as passenger or driver in the Seven 60 miles north out of Wellington.  I can still  draw a map of every corner and grade and notable bump.  Today all very straight and bland and hopelessly tedious at 45 mph. Here often no or no reasonably direct secondary routes.

[John Cornforth]

Hi andrew

I find that even with SU and HC head, there is a critical gradient. Any steeper and you cannot sustain top gear. The revs progressively drop as you come down a little off the torque peak, and once you have dropped below about 2000 (30 MPH) a change down to 3rd is the only option. This then sends the revs up to 3400 due to the considerable gap between 3rd and top.

Although applying full gas can then sometimes push things back up to 4000 (35 MPH) it's hardly worth the extra commotion.

If I am carrying a passenger or the weekly groceries, one particular regularly tackled hill changes from "just get to the crest in top gear" to "change down halfway up" status. As you say, weight is critical.

Another long hill regularly tackled is just that bit gentler in gradient, and the Pearl can keep up 3000 RPM in top (44 MPH) all the way up.

I guess in the 1930s crawling up hills at 25 to 30 MPH didn't inconvenience anyone, there was probably a lorry just ahead going even slower !

[Steve kay]

On Saturday I spent a lot of time driving a four litre Crossley 19.6, and quite bit of time driving my Ruby. In the Crossley gear changing is rather unusual, in the Ruby it is very frequent! Steep banks in South Wales often need going down to second when two up, but it keeps going. Are the cars mentioned above featuring SUs and hc heads running with specially set up bottom ends, or is there confidence that a bog standard engine will happily run with a hc head?

[Roland Alcock]

Interesting. I have an APD 2 seater tourer 1933 , LC head and standard carb 4 speed crash box. It pulls like a train from my cul de sac up the bank in Severn Stoke (A38 a bit south from WorcesterJ mainly in top gear. Takes a while on the level once hot to go much faster than 40 mpg.

The other car is a RN with a 3 bearing engine with a LC head, Su carb and 4 speed box. It will when hot travel happily at 50 mph. But ascending the same bank needs 3rd gear. It was a far more sprightly performance with a HC head but despite skimming regularly blows head gaskets. So I reverted back to the LC head that was fitted when I bought the car.

They both have exactly the same feel of kickback when hand starting.

As they both feel happy trundling along I leave well alone.

Roly

[Vancevr]

In my seven manual it says to change gear at bottom of hill as to not stress gearbox.

[Bob Culver]

The exit from Welligton city climbs a few hundred feet directly. We used to crawl up in the Seven in 2nd. There was a large  above ground water pipeline alongside the road. I could draw it in detail now. Trucks (not then common, goods had to go by rail) and buses were similarly slow and worse. Trucks had at most 90 hp whereas now 600 which gives them a better unloaded performance than my 1964 1600cc Minx.
The suburb I later lived in is served by a km or so of steady gradient. The original RP used to crawl up at about 17 in 2nd. with an SU and later head it held 35 in 3rd which, with a copper exhaust, used to impress mates as it swept  past the bus. Until the carnk broke.

[Dave Mann]

Ah that's where Andrew Bird's close ratio conversion for heavy box saloons pays dividends. As soon as the car loses speed in top on a hill it's into third, or on a long shallow incline the car can be accelerated up into top. No more chugging away in top or screaming the taters off it in third.

[John Mason]

My 35 Ruby is reasonable on hills yes you sometimes have to drop down to third if the hill is steep but then in third it copes with it well without having to give it full throttle. Comforting to know you will have a bit more in that gear if needed.

John Mason.