Quote:I am not convinced they are 'original' or even of Austin supply
I was wondering about that that too. Many Austin Sevens had moulded rubber mats.
Publication 956A specifically refers to rubber mats throughout, but this is a late 1932 guide for the early RP (4-speed gearbox and rear petrol tank). the 1931 'Pioneers' brochure, Publication 847, illustrates the floor covering in upholstery colours which suggests carpeting, but as this is only an artist's rendition it may not be significant...
Quote:I am not convinced they are 'original' or even of Austin supply
I was wondering about that that too. Many Austin Sevens had moulded rubber mats.
Publication 956A specifically refers to rubber mats throughout, but this is a late 1932 guide for the early RP (4-speed gearbox and rear petrol tank). the 1931 'Pioneers' brochure, Publication 847, illustrates the floor covering in upholstery colours which suggests carpeting, but as this is only an artist's rendition it may not be significant...
I will post photos tomorrow of in situ carpet from front to back on both sides along the door sills. Looks very original to a newbie but I will defer to a much better knowledge than I.
07-07-2018, 08:29 PM (This post was last modified: 07-07-2018, 08:53 PM by JonE.)
is there anything mentioned for the de luxe, as this car has the extra bits? I wondered whether the seats were original but the de luxe has leather and the blue would tie if it WERE opal blue (although that seems like it might be later paintwork, from my comment earlier)
It would be most unusual for someone to carpet trim the lower door panels of a secondhand Seven... perhaps just before the war..
Ah a 'new' RN saloon. Somewhere between chassis numbers 148797 and 149456 the curved door pockets were changed to rectangular pockets and a strip of carpet was fitted along the bottom of the door. About the same time the carpet covered trim on the inside of the sills changed from 3 pieces of red fibre to a one-piece steel fabrication. As regards the floor mats/carpets I'm not sure, in 2005 I helped exhume an RN saloon which had been dry stored since 1960 and that had rubber mats on the floor and transmission tunnel. These were properly moulded Austin ones.
Taking into account all the info/photos on this thread, my best guess for the original set up for VL 4193 is a thin carpet material on the bottom of the doors and the side sill trims, and moulded rubber floor mats and tunnel cover. I'm pretty sure the car would not have a mixture of moulded rubber and carpeted floor/tunnel covering. I am not aware of any difference in standard/ de luxe models in this respect.
I might be wrong, never owned an RN, and open to correction!
have you seen the Austin in-the-Shed pic and roadtest pic in this thread I've just bumped... ?http://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=549
08-07-2018, 09:16 AM (This post was last modified: 08-07-2018, 09:24 AM by Biddlecombe.)
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(08-07-2018, 09:10 AM)JonE Wrote: have you seen the Austin in-the-Shed pic and roadtest pic in this thread I've just bumped... ?http://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=549
Thanks Jon, Mine seems to have the full carpet set except flooring rubber mats for the occupants footwells.
(07-07-2018, 10:09 PM)Dave Mann Wrote: Ah a 'new' RN saloon. Somewhere between chassis numbers 148797 and 149456 the curved door pockets were changed to rectangular pockets and a strip of carpet was fitted along the bottom of the door. About the same time the carpet covered trim on the inside of the sills changed from 3 pieces of red fibre to a one-piece steel fabrication.
As regards the floor mats/carpets I'm not sure, in 2005 I helped exhume an RN saloon which had been dry stored since 1960 and that had rubber mats on the floor and transmission tunnel. These were properly moulded Austin ones.
Well, that's pretty conclusive to me seeing those, mirroring the light and dark tones of the road test report second to last pic when the tunnel mat is put back.
Back seats look hardly sat in.
Would be interested to know whether that rubber mat slips easily back under the starter switch housing bracket.
Its interesting the psychology of protecting things versus using them. I'd probably have simple removeable overmats for driver for when in use, but the richness of feeling, being able to get into that car with those original items in and conserved in the optimum way against future degradation, is immeasurable. I guess it's akin to people who want to use seat-covers to protect the car value for future owners but don't enjoy the interior as a result?
(08-07-2018, 09:30 AM)JonE Wrote: Well, that's pretty conclusive to me seeing those, mirroring the light and dark tones of the road test report second to last pic when the tunnel mat is put back.
Back seats look hardly sat in.
Would be interested to know whether that rubber mat slips easily back under the starter switch housing bracket.
Its interesting the psychology of protecting things versus using them. I'd probably have simple removeable overmats for driver for when in use, but the richness of feeling, being able to get into that car with those original items in and conserved in the optimum way against future degradation, is immeasurable. I guess it's akin to people who want to use seat-covers to protect the car value for future owners but don't enjoy the interior as a result?
Those rubber mats are so caked in oil and grease and very brittle, and they are stuck to the floor in places, I fear that taking them out will ruin them, so I either replace them with Seven Workshop, which look very similar, or get shoes covered in grease everytime, or cover them over.
