Hi,

I'm getting up & running after a while - and found I needed a new battery.
Looking at the ammeter, and watching the battery voltage, I think that I'm over-charging the battery - it's pushing the battery voltage up to over 8 volts on winter, and summer doesn't charge at all.
The car is a special, electrics are pretty early coil setup (declared reg date is 1927, but it's coil, not magneto) - I think the dynamo is probably a DEL
This is a fairly early dynamo, which I think has a shunt.
I'm pretty confident that all the wiring is correct - when on summer charge,  I can see that the ammeter needle moves up just a fraction when I rev the engine lots - though not enough to charge!
Video explaining issue

I think my choices are: 
1) Try and get the summer charge working and use that
or (probably preferred)
2) move to an electronic charge controller - which I'd be very happy with - it's a special (quite a tatty one!).

If I go for 2) does anyone have experience of one they've used successfully on a DEL Dynamo?

Thanks,

James

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1852262

Due to a lack of good judgement on my part, I have added another car to my "cavern of shame" (ie, unfinished projects and far-too-infrequently-used cars and bikes), this c. 1931 RN Box Saloon, shoehorned into the "storage" side of my shop:

   

I wonder if it's new to this forum as a printout of a thread from this place was in the stack of paper included with the car. I did a search to see if anyone else from Whidbey Island in Washington state in the US (where I am) had posted, but did not see it.

In any case, here's a couple of other general shots (please excuse the "novelty" fake uk plate on the back, not my gig):

   
   

A trio of friends bought this car about a decade ago from the estate of the prior owner. My friends did nothing with it, and decided to sell...but the car needs work, not interesting to any of them. They were going to pay me to do that work, but quickly came to the conclusion it would be easier and more "profitable" to just hand the Seven over to me and let me worry about getting it going. Fair enough, I'll just add it to my "get to it soon" pile.

   
   

The original black headlamps are in the spares, in "needs work" condition. I don't know what model these chrome lights are from, again very low on my list of things to attend to.

The guy from a decade ago seems to have done at least an ok job on the coachwork and the interior (though many detail tasks remain), but the mechanical side is unknown...though in theory the engine is "rebuilt". The clutch is MIA with the pedal flat on the floor. The electrics are diabolical and need to be completely redone, which is ok, as I kinda enjoy auto electrics.

This is car M145631 (it's titled as such, in any case). I'd be curious for your feedback as to how correct the details are.

This is the manifold and carb from a later machine, isn't it? I'm not too worried about it if, when I get to it, it runs OK with this setup. (I believe I may have most of the original carb in the small amount of spares, but not the original manifolds.)

   
   

I think I have the missing panels which cover the transmission.

I have no real history on the car; there is an AA badge from Rhodesia (of all places) in the spares box, but it doesn't seem all that likely this machine spent time there, but maybe?

Anyway, I have some pieces I would like to identify, I hope to post a few pics at some later time. This is probably enough from me for now!

A daft question,  but does anyone have any idea how much paint a chassis needs if it is brush painted? I want to order some,  but have no real idea whether 1 litre will suffice,  or will I need more?

Jamie

       
Having boiled 5/6 times on the way to Curborough and back I've decided to bite the bullet and get my radiator recored.

Before selling a kidney or so, I thought I should check I am starting with a correct rad. My suspicions are that it is in fact an early  version due to the lower outlet pipe angle and is solid brass rivetted on. Has anyone a photo of a correct Sports rad?

Perhaps someone has a duff rad they would be willing to sell?

Photos of current rad attached.

Hello everyone,
I don't know if anyone has any ideas for this one please. I've finally managed to get the "real" Nippy engine inserted into the Nippy. Full of anticiaption, I began filling it up with water with a view to trying to see if it would start. Sadly, water is pouring out of the exhaust manifold studs, mainly appearing to come from the second one back.

I've attempted to re-thread both the stud and the hole (both 5/16 BSF) and initially tried sealing around it with Stag jointing compound without success. I've repeated this using some thick black silicone "goo" which says will seal anything - still the water pours out within seconds of putting the water in.

The second stud back is the most likely culprit and doesn't really go in tight - it feels like it's tightening up with my fingers but then, using a pair of nuts to lock against each other, it becomes "soft" in the hole as soon as a short spanner is applied holding the shaft as close as possible to the stud.

Is it possible to make the hole bigger - say 3/8ths or will this cause more damage?

Is a helicoil the answer to keep at 5/16th? Is it possible to drill this too deep and do something later regretted?

Can the hole be filled with "plastic metal" to allow the stud to tighten properly?

Is there some sort of magic sealant that will stop the water leak in its tracks?

Unfortunately, I have very little time during the week or at weekends to spend messing about with this and have the car entered for some different events beginning with the Sevens to the Sea in a few weeks' time so need to find a way which is effective but also requires very little time, equipment or expertise which I appreciate is probably nigh on impossible.

I look forward to hearing of any suitable suggestions as to how to fix this or, alternatively, who can fix this please. I live just off junction 31 of the M1 for location. Obviously the car is not driveable and I have no access to trailers etc so it's stuck where it is at home.
Best wishes,
Nick

Might anyone have a brush end cover for a late-type 1929 to 1931 CAV starter (not the Bacon-slicer sort) - or a complete motor? We have rebuilt motor that that not only the wrong way, but is fitted with brush end cover that means it won't work on any Austin 7 - somebody must have had fun wrestling with this in the past!

I thought this might be of general interest!

In "Waiting for War" by Barry Turner there is a passing reference to an Austin 7. It is one of a new genre of books about the lead up to the last war, it is sub-titled "Britain 1939 - 1940".

Page 73: 
"In Hyde Park, the site of the 1851 Great Exhibition was excavated for sand quarrying to a depth of 40 feet, revealing the concrete foundations of the original Crystal Palace. This left a huge crater, later to overflow with rubble from bombed buildings. The crater reappeared when the rubble was carried off to East Anglia to make the runways for American Superfortresses. 
 
On Hampstead Heath the sand-diggers created a miniature Cheddar Gorge, which glowed in the sunshine of that wonderful autumn in warm lines of ochre, orange and red. I went up one morning to see the work in progress. Up from the Vale of Health roared and rocked a continuous stream of three, five and ten ton lorries, and then amongst them appeared a small Austin car with a tiny trailer attached. Beside the driver sat his small daughter. When their turn came they drew up beside the giant grab, received a great dollop of sand on their trailer, and drove happily away to fortify their home against the wrath to come."

Happy Days?

Peter Butler.

I found this greasing tool when rummaging through a bin of vintage Austin spare parts. It looks like a marine propellor shaft gland greaser. Does anyone know whether it might also be a greasing tool for an Austin?     

The speedo drive belt on my early Chummy failed over the weekend leaving me without speedo and mileage indications.  I've spoken to the Seven Workshop and Holmesdale Sevens, but it seems the spring belts are no longer available.  I'm considering a few lash-ups to get things working, but I'm extremely receptive to any lessons or experience others have on solving this.

Chris