What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I hope it goes well, nice to be reunited!

[Bob Culver]

Hi Peter

I do envy all those minor roads and lanes in the UK. In a fleeting visit a few years ago encounterd more in south England and Devon than here in the last decade, despite regularly going far out of my way to explore. We have few or no alternative routes and most have been ruined to suit artic milk tankers and logging trucks or unskilled tourists. Every family here owns a vehicle or several and many towniesown large vehicles and are unacustommed to narrow roads so there has been huge pressure to upgarde.

[Mike Costigan]

PL 3002 in a former life:

   

[Charles P]

After 25 years, an old flame returns home. Wrong colour and lots not right, but it will be fun sorting it out.

PL 3002 in a former life:

Is it still as "hot" as it used to be or have the ravages of time toned it down?

c

[JonE]

Is that the car or the driver you are referring to?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I believe the car was bog standard - the driver anything but, just as it should be.

[Tony Griffiths]

After 25 years, an old flame returns home. Wrong colour and lots not right, but it will be fun sorting it out.

PL 3002 in a former life:

Is it still as "hot" as it used to be or have the ravages of time toned it down?

c

 Not running yet; so it's the sump off first to check, as we've no idea when it was last run.

[Ivor Hawkins]

I believe the car was bog standard - the driver anything but, just as it should be.

I think that sums up a lot of us!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Precisely my point!

[Tony Griffiths]

I believe the car was bog standard - the driver anything but, just as it should be.

It's almost true (about the car, anyway...). It always used a 24T2 carb (I've no idea if it was the correct version, but it appeared to work). The standard head was planed down a bit to get a bit more squish, and that was it. I did try an Alta head on it once, but fitting that put in into the Modified Sports Car Class, so it was rarely employed. However, the car was used daily, so everything was well run-in and free. The trick to getting a reasonable performance appeared to be a careful preparation together with regular grinding-in of the exhaust valves - those fitted probably being some low-quality, third-party production fitted by the usual impecunious previous owner. It was all great fun; low-cost motorsport with lots of trouble at little cost (though at the time we didn't have the money to do otherwise).
Here's Mike Costigan trying out PL 3002 for the first time at Mallory Park in about 1969. Mike has his eye on the apex, while the terrified passenger trying to get under the dashboard is David Wortley.