What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Mike Costigan]

... It appears from the tourist blurb, that Austin test drivers used this road to test the cars
The Englsh is a bit obscure, but the Welsh reads: " If you were standing her in the 20's or 30's, you would have been in danger of being struck by an Austin car, because this road was used by Austin drivers to test the cars."

From the shape of the hills on the skyline, this looks like the same road:


  Chummy in Wales.png (Size: 597.36 KB / Downloads: 287)

[David Stepney]

Hi Dellie,
You should also have a flat channel stay that runs under the central bonnet hinge and bolted to a lug on the radiator shell with a similar lug on the scuttle.

-oOo-

Hi Mike.
You could very well be right!

[Dellie]

@David, Yes, you are right I forgot about that. but its only 1 point so it can still move a lot.

you can see in this picture that it's not aligned.

[David Stepney]

Hmm.That would suggest that the lower flitch panels (to which the bottom of the radiator shroud is bolted) are not properly aligned. I notice on my RP saloon, that the holes in the flitches are slightly elongated to allow for a little adjustment. Every time I have had the radiator off, I have had to tinker to get the radiator aligned and the bonnet to fit satisfactorily.

[Malcolm Parker]

I think the period shot of a Chummy in Wales is on Bwlch-y-Groes, a well known test hill that featured in many pre-war reliability trials. Sad to relate it is a road I have never driven over but one that is on my bucket list.

[David Stepney]

I think the period shot of a Chummy in Wales is on Bwlch-y-Groes, a well known test hill that featured in many pre-war reliability trials.    Sad to relate it is a road I have never driven over but one that is on my bucket list.

 
Its the drop into the Dyfi Valley that's the real killer Once you are over the top and past the turning for LLyn Efyrnwy, the road descends sharply (the sign says 17 1/2% but I am sure it is steeper than that!) for about a mile and a half. Even in a modern car, you can end up with no brakes at the bottom. I haven't had the courage to descend it in the Seven, but I have climbed it from the LLan Mawddwy direction and it was bottom gear all the way up! It was at night and at first I thought it was a bit foggy at the top until I realised that the 'fog' was coming from the radiator cap!

[Dellie]

You mean these panels? They are in not that good of state. Can they hold the torque of the radiator tubes?

[Malcolm Parker]

Aligning the flitch panels is a tricky job, as the front end sits on the curved cow-horns. These vary in profile and may not be correctly mounted.   Until tightened down, the cow-horns can move fore and aft a bit which can cause problems.   Elongated holes in the flitch plates and radiator cowl help and everything should be assembled loose until the end. The radiator should be under no strain at all, it can be almost held in place by the hoses alone, and the radiator cowl should not be a force fit otherwise it will be subject to strain and will crack.
Even people who have built many Austin 7's over the years have fun and games fitting the radiator cowl, sometimes you have to resort to making new flitch plates.  It is a case of persevering until it  looks right and everything bolts together nicely without having to fight it.

[Mike Costigan]

Both the flitch plates and the radiator shell should have oval holes to allow for adjustment; if you slacken off the bolts and twist the radiator shell clockwise (seen from the front) that will straighten the shell and align the starting handle hole more centrally. By triangulating the location with the top channel it should be adequately rigid.

Edit: Malcolm beat me to it!

[David Stepney]

And, Yes, Dellie.The panel you have circled is the one we are talking about.