Identifying RTC windscreen uprights/supports

[Oxford Jack]

I write to update the thread.
I have to apologise, I failed to refresh the thread before my last reply and had not seen the intervening posts, my response now seems abrupt.
Thanks for the posts I missed, thanks also for the good wishes, he was indeed fortunate to get away with so little injury. With time to look more closely at the damage, it was the strength of the windscreen support that saved his head, which might have been the next hardest thing to hit the road. It s a little unclear how the back of both arms got the worst of the gravel rash, he says he gripped the wheel tight and hung on for the ride.
The top of the radiator is bent in and the rad cap, is mashed. The top of the scuttle on either side where the irons are bolted through to 2mm thick steel stiffening plates are both bent inwards. The two o/s wings are rather crumpled, as is the front n/s. The rear n/s is slightly bent, but can be straightened. The rear body work behind the rear o/s wing is bent in.
It appears that no where is the ash frame damaged and supported the ali bodywork very well. 
We conclude that having approached the turn-in through a gate at quite high revs in 2nd the car went up on the o/s wheels having tucked the front wheel and although there was some forward momentum, most had been scrubbed off, before it rolled at about 270 deg in i second and total forward progress of perhaps 1 metre. The weight of the engine and forward motion encouraged the car to tip forward on the top of the rad and the windscreen uprights. I am impressed with the strength the uprights exhibited and so for that reason will not try to repair them, in case!!!!
I have managed to obtain two replacements through Morris owning friends and Stuart Roach has found a slot in their schedule to attend to the tin bashing. Meanwhile son Tom, is nursing sore arms and counting his lucky stars and pocket money!
Thanks again for your thoughts, concerns and ideas, all much appreciated. Bring on the 2023 Trials Season

[Ivor Hawkins]

Hi Jack, just returned from a Spanish sojourn in 40 degree heat...just read the thread, I’m pleased Tom is still in full working order, please wish him well!

[Stuart Giles]

Good that you found the spare parts, and better that there was little injury. There's often an instinctive reaction during a rollover in an open car to stick you arm out to 'hold the car up'. I did this when I rolled my special at Snetterton the best part of 40 years ago -so, a broken wrist, and....I put my arm out even though a mate had broken both arms 'holding up' a Frogeye Sprite in a rollover at a speed hillclimb just a few months previous.

still lucky really as from the damage, the car must have gone all the way round at least once, I only remember the start of the roll, and came to with the car  upside down with me sort of holding it up with my full face helmet between the track and the bootlid.

Amusingly, the Scrutineer made a big show of removing the 'approved for motorsport' sticker after the accident. Perhaps he thought I was going to set to with some body filler and an airbrush on this helmet, which was ground down to the kevlar on the front of the chinguard.

[Steve Jones]

Like Stuart, I can only remember the first part of my roll at Loton Park in 2014. In that case, I came out of the car via the passenger side as it went over ending up with me on the track on all fours and the car next to me back on its wheels. Heaven knows how I managed to exit via the passenger side but a watching Vicky Sly (well known to many on here and a former trainer for the England Gymnastics team) said I must have been a gymnast in a previous life   I, too, took a small amount out of the chin protector of my full face helmet. Easily remedied with a new helmet. If, however, I'd have had an open face helmet I'd still, probably, be suffering the after effects of the damage to my chin now. Full face every time.

Good news that Tom wasn't badly hurt. I was at Donington as Steward for the race meeting so didn't visit the Auto Solo but we were told of his 'off'. Because the Auto Solo was on a seperate permit, not something we could get involved with as race meeting Stewards. However, Austin 7s tripping over themselves happens. One of the big factors is that the tyres continue to grip rather than slide when reaching their limit. If the tyre then deflects such that the wheel rim touches the tarmac there is usually only one outcome. Many of us that compete in speed events look to reduce this problem as far as we can by using proper car tyres eg. Longstone and Blockley rather than motorcycle tyres and inflating them to a good, high, pressure so that the tyres slide. I use 35psi front, 40psi rear in the dry and I've a photo of my car at bottom 'S' at Shelsley with the inside front wheel in the air and showing no deflection in any of the other three highly loaded tyres/wheels.

Steve

[Tony Griffiths]

Steve, a very good point about tyre pressures in driving tests. I used as 50 p.s.i. at times, but even then had a few on-two-wheel moments. The only overturn was one onto its side going backwards through a wiggle woggle - a silly thing to try in a 7 at speed - but then I was very young and stupidly daring!

[Mike Costigan]

A lousy photo, but here's Tony testing his 50psi to the limit: