Joined: Nov 2023 Posts: 142 Threads: 13
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Location: New Zealand
Car type: 1936 A7 Special
Lovely patina, and it's good to see a few early rego stickers along the top of the windscreen too!
Cheers, Geoffrey
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 3,518 Threads: 108
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Location: Darkest Bedfordshire
I'd love a car like that Graeme, but dare I ask how many mpg?
On the subject of height & Sevens, I'm 6ft1" and drive an Ulster rep. without any difficulty. It's true that I keep 'special' shoes for driving, and I have almost no seat cushion. Interestingly I swapped seats with a friend of similar stature and found I had tons of room in his car, but he could scarcely get into mine. I guess what I'm saying is if you are really keen to drive a Seven there are a few things you can tweak to make it possible.
Joined: Dec 2022 Posts: 12 Threads: 3
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Location: New Zealand
Car type: 1928 Austin 16/6
04-01-2024, 06:36 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-01-2024, 06:58 AM by ghce.)
6 foot 4 this way, its mostly as you will have discovered leg length, I am probably being a little unkind and blaming 7's as the same design specs were probably used on the entire range of Austin cars pre war as I had similar difficulty with my 10-4 and 16/6.
There is a technique for folding your self in and out but on many 7's it was just too difficult, custom engineering would do the trick !
The drive quality in the larger Austin's suits me better than the smaller cars, the 16/6 (and I guess by default 12/4's) tend to get singled out for the ride quality and specifically for the 16/6 the smooth power delivery.
Not to sure about the fuel consumption but other sources put it at around 26 to 27 MPG though I am guessing that could be easily ( but not cheaply) improved.
Graeme
** EDIT**
The fuel efficiency question brings to mind one of the local lads here in Christchurch New Zealand who has done extensive motor modifications to his 1928 12/4, separate ignition coils and modified existing OEM carburetor for fuel injection, bored out inlet and exhaust ports hugely lightened flywheel and a fully mapped ign/fuel with appropriate O2 and fuel sensors plus of course electric radiator fan and reprofiled cam!
Rods have been swapped for proper hardened aftermarket ones to prevent the block from exploding and I am sure a host of other things too BUT its not about power increases though those have inevitably occurred in the process but the focus has been on reliability and drivability and efficiency.
Graeme
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 108 Threads: 3
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I owned a 1929 16/6 Burnham (MY 9392) in the 1970s and used to tow a caravan, and my Nippy to race meetings with it. A beautifully built car but desperately slow! One could count to 5 between gear changes with a top speed slower than a (mildly modified) Seven, for all its 1800cc. I'm sure a lightened flywheel and a few thou of the cylinder head would make it more useable in modern traffic. VAR members may disapprove...
Joined: Nov 2017 Posts: 3 Threads: 0
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A question about the 16/6 also from a VAR member in NZ [An Invercargill member
has a nicely restored 16/6 but having lots of trouble with extreme oil leaks.
Does anyone have any diagrams or info on the oil slingers. Comments on how they are mounted, the gap between
or any other comments would be gratefully received. Pictures in situ?????
Thaks Peter Hardy
larger diameter tyres help I also know of a better geared diff ratio that would speed things up but you are of course always limited by the period braking system but there are improvements to be had in that regard with different cast drums etc.