My next adventure

[David Stepney]

Well done Bruce! An excellent adventure!

[Reckless Rat]

Thanks everyone. It has been an epic trip and I am slightly more tired than two Traffic Wardens. I've had a decent cup of tea (at last) and a good night's sleep. Still a bit stiff but that's understandable. I'll get over it and probably far sooner than I ought. The car has never missed a beat, and no problems apart from a small leak at the top hose rad joint. There is an issue with the steering I will need to address when I've had a rest - it stiffens up once the engine compartment heat warms it up. Total distance covered was 1974 miles at 44.43 miles per gallon. Three pints of oil. Whilst the majority of the roads in Spain were mostly flat, straight and boring, crossing the Pyrenees was good fun. We climbed a total of 8 cols at over 1000 metres high at 1124m, 1112m, 1170m and 1162m (Spain) and 1794, 1431m and 1253m (France) and the big one, 2404m in Andorra. The car did them all in 3rd gear, easily. Amazing really for something as old and basic. Happy days. What next, one might ask??? Corsica, perhaps.

[Renaud]

Hello Bruce,
I'm just back on this excellent place and I discovered your splendid achievement with the Ruby.
What strikes me is you did it exactly how you would have done in the thirties I suppose. The road you took looks probably just only a lil' bit more macadamized (?)

That was travelling in style! Congratulations!
All the best,
Renaud

And I say hello to all those I knew here too.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Hi Renaud, good to see you back!

[Bob Culver]

Hi RR
Long runs in a Seven certainly give a sense of acheivement unknown in a modern. Although the straights are tedious, esp if any upward gradient. By former standards a mildly modified car as I understand yours is performs reasonably in the somewhat low 3rd. My car in similar state and in the 1960s on a route which climbed to about 750 m three times my car overtook my fathers moderately driven 1952 sv Hillman on the uphill grinds. Top speed on absolute flat in complete calm about 55 and read more on other car speedos so possibly correct. The mpg quite impressive. Not much power lost to the wind climbing! Do you have details of the carb (ie with dashpot?) and needle? Would have been rich at those remarakble altitudes.
The countryside interesting. Must be a mysery in winter. My fathers boyhood books were full of tales of brigands, and some of the country looks likely

[Reckless Rat]

Hello Bob. The engine is "bitsa" with a 1935 crankcase and a 1930 block. Austin crank and rods. I have fitted a late Ruby head, and a reburbished SU H1 (1 1/8") carb with ( I think) an AN needle. Dashpot without spring. Block rebored with a new set of pistons at +.040. Four blade fan. Whilst it will hit a genuine GPS validated 57mph if I push it hard, it's happy and "in the zone" cruising at 40-45. Original 4 speed crash box.

[Tony Griffiths]

The car did them all in 3rd gear, easily. Amazing really for something as old and basic. Happy days. What next, one might ask??? Corsica, perhaps.
If you haven't been, Corsica is an amazing island; the interior is mountainous with narrow, twisting roads and some considerable altitude - high enough for two tiny ski resorts - and with an atmosphere rather like that of France in the 1960s. It would make a wonderful venue (if rather far away) for an A7 Jamboree. The overnight ferry from either Toulon or Marseille to Ajaccio lands you at a port with access a wonderful variety of small roads. Even a tour right round the island is fun; the western coast road being particularly spectacular with the eastern section flat and rather boring - but compensated for by access to hundreds of almost deserted beaches and numerous small ports. The port of Bonifacio in the south is a must; quite breathtaking in its situation. Accomodation is rather expensive compared with the mainsland, but there are lots of  well-equipped camp sites at reasonable cost. I reckon May to June or September to October are the times to go, both being outside the main tourist season and not too hot.

[David Stepney]

Hello Bob. The engine is "bitsa" with a 1935 crankcase and a 1930 block. Austin crank and rods. I have fitted a late Ruby head, and a reburbished SU H1 (1 1/8") carb with ( I think) an AN needle. Dashpot without spring. Block rebored with a new set of pistons at +.040.  Four blade fan. Whilst it will hit a genuine GPS validated 57mph if I push it hard, it's happy and "in the zone" cruising at 40-45. Original 4 speed crash box.

Bruce. It sounds as if your newly rebuilt engine is running very well indeed.  the best verified speed on my own car, which is in completely standard trim with Zenith 26VA carb and 'low comp' head is 51.6 mph, the Magmo speedo indicating somewhere between 45 and 48 (it's a bit on the vague side). Being on solid mounts, the engine gets a bit growly at that speed and, like your car, appears to be at its most content around 40 to 45 mph.

I noticed that, in one of the photos you posted of your trip, your speedo is indicating 50!

Once again, well done. Not only has the trip been a test of your stamina, but is a credit to your engine building skills.

[Chris KC]

I think there's a fairy from Nice to Corsica too isn't there Tony?

[Howard Wright]

I think there's a fairy from Nice to Corsica too isn't there Tony?

I think you would need more than stardust to get across that stretch of water!

Cheers

Howard