Cleaning up after a trial

[falcott]

Hi, this might be a really dumb question. I'm in New Zealand, and I've seen folks in the UK trialing their roadgoing cars. I was wondering how they might clean up under the car and how they keep the car in good road order. I've recently bought an A7 (after selling one 40 years ago) and I can't drive it anywhere without being on a dirt or gravel road -- unless I trailer it. I live in remote rural countryside. So my problem is, a) drive on a gravel road, and b) drive on a major highway at or near 100kph. It has no aircleaner (at the moment), so the engine possibly won't last too long with that dust treatment. But more immediately, is cleaning it as simple as getting under the car with a water blaster?

I remember that in my misspent youth I had a 1938 Ford 8 which I thrashed mercilessly through muddy roads, and I never cleaned it underneath. The handbrake sometimes would stick on, so I would park it in gear (engine switched off!) while I crawled underneath to jiggle the handbrake mechanism to release it. Perhaps with a little cleaning and grease it would have been like new, but hey, when you're young and having fun, who cares, right? But anyway, that experience has made me somewhat paranoid about keeping the underside of the car clean -- i.e. not letting it get filthy in the first place so as to keep everything in working order.

Anyway, I knew when I bought the Austin that it was the most impractical purchase possible, so please humour me, help me out and encourage me.   Thank you.

[Steve kay]

New Zealand is a long way from Ludlow. You need not fear those weekend mornings when the duty manager at what is now the Co-op petrol station looks out and sees the car park of the Squirrel pub full of trials cars and motor cycles. They then immediately whizz out on put up “closed” signs on the car wash, sending us off to give distant car washes the benefit of much Salopian mud. Under the event’s new arrangements, not a single Seven entry for the Clee Hills yet, and Ecurie 2CV will not be taking part.

As for imagining that any sort of Seven is even faintly impractical, I am confident that there will be many responses challenging that idea!

[Howard Wright]

Hi Geoffrey 

Austin Sevens are tough little beasts to have survived over 80 odd years.  Some put this down to oil leaks which coat the underside of the car.

The biggest threat is salt which local authorities here spread wilfully at the first sign of frost.  I’m not sure if if you use salt in New Zealand? In the UK many don’t go out in their cars if salt has been used, others rely on a good hosing down after a run.  

However a build up of any kind of crud under the car can trap water and this might cause problems so a hose down regularly is a good idea.  I’m not sure I’d use a pressure washer unless on a very low setting. Our cars were never particularly well sealed and high pressure jets of water can find their way into places you don’t want them to.  Even hosing down my cars can sometimes lead to wet upholstery and soggy carpets.

Early export cars were fitted with an air filter but UK cars were not.  I tried using a foam filter on my RK fitted with an export Zenith FZ22 but it restricted the carb too much. I know David Mann uses a foam filter successfully.

Hope this helps?

Cheers

Howard

[falcott]

Thanks for your replies. I have a special, built about 20 years ago, and is starting to show a little patina. But on these unsealed roads the chance of stone chips will be increased many times. I suppose that the fact that my car has survived for almost 90 years already should put my mind to rest.

I live in the north where it never gets anywhere near cold enough for snow, so no salt on the roads. But every time after taking the car out, it is covered with a layer of dust from the unsealed roads. I'm aware that these cars were made at a time when most roads were unsealed, especially in the colonies, so I suppose it is okay. Sealed roads have made us modern folk somewhat soft. 

Perhaps if they had vintage trials in NZ, my concerns would be put to rest more easily!