What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[JonE]

surely that is worthy of posting pics of the pages...

[charlie carpenter]

I was at the 1972 event in my Ruby. Drove down and back from Glasgow, I have my 1972 programme and will be there this summer in the Ruby again. I also did the Lands End John o Groats run as well in a type 65 with Scarlet O'Hara of this forum. Mind you I was only 18 at the time so young and daft.

[Ian Dunford]

Although I do remember that Barbara Moses preceded me Steve, I was unawares that she had been separately entered.

[Peter Clayton]

Yesterday decided to take some pictures of Anastasia in her Christmas finary , got out of the drive to see water leaking, turned out to be a cylinder head core plug. Inserted a self tapping screw to temporarily seal and did my phots. Today, removed corroded c'plug and made a replacement out of a      new penny (tip from Nigel Riccardo) All ok now ready for tomorrows DA7C jaunt.        

[Reckless Rat]

Went for a run round the block yesterday - the weather was fine, but cold. Did the usual 20 miles or so and then put the car away. As the last few miles was over roads that hadn't seen the sun, and were probably salted, I went down to the garage this morning to give the car a wipe down and a tidy up. As I was cleaning the offside rear wheel I discovered what appeared to be two freshly broken spokes, so I now know what I'm going to be doing over the next day or so...

Fortunately I have spares.

[Tony Griffiths]

Today I whipped the instrument panel off the Ruby, popped in a new switch, a rebuilt speedometer and a cosmetically restored oil pressure gauge. Yes, yes, I know, that description would double as a definition of sarcasm.

[Bob Culver]

hi reckless

If the tyres are old and hard and the long spokes broken it will take a good day to get the tyre off and to pursuade the stainless hub cap to separate. In my experience the origianl RP spokes are remarkably strong although do stretch and run out of thread; as the original thread is a quaint cycle form can be awkward to extend.

[Reckless Rat]

Thanks, Bob. The tyres are Longstones which are a lot softer in the sidewall than Avons so I'm not expecting much difficulty. The broken spokes are adjacent, on the inner side of the hub ( the short ones) and I'm hoping I can swap them without additional wastage. The end covers are no longer original and are just located with silicone mastic. No idea why they broke, or when.

[Hedd_Jones]

I was intending to put a spare engine I have in the blue saloon over Christmas so I could keep it on the road while I sort the compression issue in the current one. which may or may not involve fitting the proper crankcase and or a block change. I'm hoping the phoenix and rods in it are ok!.

Anyway the spare engine was a ebay 'chance'. Looking down the bores looked unrun and screwing in some spark plugs a thread and a half suggested compression was good so I thought id strip it for a look see.

Sump off, no gauze!. But the rest of the bottom end looks good, usual mess in terms of sump bolts however.

Now building a list for Jamie for the new year, so christmas will only involve an engine removal. not the transplant planned.

There looks to have been some moisture about the engine, coupled to the fact that there is paint in the head plug holes which means I couldn't screw the plugs in beyond a thread and a half meant that had to come off to chase them. With the head off Bores look OK (but not new), lots of shite in there so good decision as I can clean. The pistons are still shiny under the dried oil and shite thats gone down the plug holes. No soot.

Exhaust manifold fell off, nice new studs etc. All in all good buy for what I paid I think.

However, while tapping the head to get it off, and it wasn't at all stuck. This happened. Bugger. Head kaput. Well I guess it would be fine. But it would look rubbish.

[Bob Culver]

Hi Hedd
Is that not a tube of epoxy glue in the background?
Was it already cracked?
Some years ago a local Seven enthusiast proclaimed he had so many early heads he was going to use them as pavers.
Could fold a sheet mettl cover and have fun answering all the questions.