What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Newtonmore, Kingussie, Loch Insh, Feshiebridge and Coylumbridge in the RK today, 4-up.

Was lovely.

               

[Duncan Grimmond]

Happy Birthday (belated,I've been away) Ruairidh. 50 is good as far as I can remember...

[Denis Sweeney]

50! A mere slip of a lad…….

[David Stepney]

Nothing exciting today, but, it being such a nice day, I used the Seven for my general running about. Went into Bala to post a parcel and do a bit of shopping, as my great granddaughter Sarah is staying for a few days. Then l went over to see the friends from whom I rent my horse grazing (and fed the horse whilst I was there) and then over to Llandderfel to see another friend who wants me to do a bit of towing with the Landrover for him in the near future. Got home and found that the cutout had suffered a derangement (see my post on the ‘Disaster’ thread). So I fitted my spare cutout and adjusted the charging rate back to its customary indicated 10 amps, as, when I fitted the replacement cutout the charging rate shot up to an indicated 14 amps! Getting that right took longer than fitting the new cutout. This evening I had an invitation today some snooker. I enjoy snooker but I am appalling at it. I had to find out whether the charging circuit was working correctly so took the Seven over to Llandrillo, coming back in the dark with the ammeter showing a healthy (?) 4 amp deficit with the headlamps on. At least with the new 36 watt bulbs I can drive the car with confidence at night.

All boring, mundane stuff, I’m afraid, but I do enjoy driving the car. And, yes, before anyone asks, 
I lost all three games, my best score being 23!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

There is nothing boring in any of this, all delightful - many would think it lost. Keep up the tradition, David, very few others do.

[Steve kay]

Dave, perhaps I should have looked you up in Bala and offered a lift to Loton Park. Hadley & District care not where you went to school, and offer a range of entries from Goulds that reach over 120 mph at points of the hill, to 50s motor cycles that do not. I had gone to watch a magnificent bunch who make us look sensible, Morgan Three Wheelers. Them and the 500s mean the noise of many JAP V twins and the Easter perfumes of Castrol R. For various reasons no spectators came in Sevens, but the numbers of us were able to discuss which Sevens had survived the trialling season which were ready for summer events, oil pressure relief valves and the challenges of modern spark plugs. And remarking that Dunford pere seemed to have just about reached the age to claim his bus pass!

[Frank Stoll]

It's getting warmer... slightly and so I took the decission to take the car on a little tour... Southern Germany in spring.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Lovely

[David Stepney]

Dave, perhaps I should have looked you up in Bala and offered a lift to Loton Park. Hadley  & District care not where you went to school, and offer a range of entries from Goulds that reach over 120 mph at points of the hill, to 50s motor cycles that do not. I had gone to watch a magnificent bunch who make us look sensible, Morgan Three Wheelers. Them and the 500s mean the noise of many JAP V twins and the Easter perfumes of Castrol R. For various reasons no spectators came in Sevens, but the numbers of us were able to discuss which Sevens had survived the trialling season which were ready for summer events, oil pressure relief valves and the challenges of modern spark plugs. And remarking that Dunford pere seemed to have just about reached the age to claim his bus pass!

Thank you Steve for the kind thought. I haven't been to Loton Park for years, even though it is (comparatively speaking) just up the road from me. Sounds as if you had fun.

[Malcolm Parker]

Belated Happy Returns on your big birthday, Ruairidh, I wouldn't mind being your age again.

On Friday I took the Pytchley out on my quite arduous test circuit up and down the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors.   Whilst it was running well, when I opened it up on the old drove road along the top of Sutton Bank, pictured, it was reluctant to pull much over a true 45mph in top, surprising given its light weight and 5.25 rear axle.     
I suspected that the cylinder head was holding it back.   It was fitted with a bronze 9E1 head that although it has been skimmed, does not appear to have a particularly good compression ratio.   I decided to change the head for a late Ruby type.  Having got the bronze head off I compared it with the Ruby head and it seemed clear that the bronze head had a much deeper combustion chamber.   The depth at the valves was 12mm with the bronze head compared to 9mm for the Ruby one.             I then looked at a new aluminium Ricardo head that I had in stock and this looked to have a better compression ratio than the Ruby head.    I am running my RL saloon on a Ricardo head and am very pleased with the performance.
The new Ricardo head was duly fitted to the Pytchley with a new 'early' gasket and the car was taken up the road on my 'test' hill, a steady climb of 951 yards with a couple of easy bends.   With the Ricardo head the Pytchley made the climb in 68 seconds on the first run, a full 4 seconds faster than the best I had been able to achieve previously.  The speed up the hill was altogether faster, cresting the summit at 38 mph whereas the best was 30 mph previously.     
Suffice to say I am a happy Easter Bunny!