Joined: Feb 2021 Posts: 270 Threads: 30
Reputation:
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Location: New Zealand
Car type: Austin 7 Ruby 1938
David, when I wrote this post, I expected to hear from people whose sevens have run for thousands of miles without letting them down. That's most likely a tribute to some careful and proper restoration and I am envious of those who have been able to do that.
Because I don't have the facilities or the budget, I elected to buy a Ruby that was already restored. The person that I bought it from had made a good job of the body and chassis restoration. I now realise that he was not well experienced in the mechanical and electrical areas. In the twenty months of my ownership, I have been towed home 3 times. I am not unhappy about that, though. It has got me into running a nice-looking seven, at a reasonable cost, like the one I owned in my youth. I couldn't have done it otherwise.
Joined: Oct 2017 Posts: 1,398 Threads: 45
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I'm in the process of converting an electric Seven back to original power unit.
Joined: Oct 2019 Posts: 57 Threads: 9
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Location: Hampshire
Car type: Austin 7 Ruby 1937
Really?
I've not seen this configuration. How does it work? Pictures
Steve
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 3,221 Threads: 101
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Location: Darkest Bedfordshire
(13-10-2022, 08:10 PM)Graham Barker Wrote: David, when I wrote this post, I expected to hear from people whose sevens have run for thousands of miles without letting them down. That's most likely a tribute to some careful and proper restoration and I am envious of those who have been able to do that.
Because I don't have the facilities or the budget, I elected to buy a Ruby that was already restored. The person that I bought it from had made a good job of the body and chassis restoration. I now realise that he was not well experienced in the mechanical and electrical areas. In the twenty months of my ownership, I have been towed home 3 times. I am not unhappy about that, though. It has got me into running a nice-looking seven, at a reasonable cost, like the one I owned in my youth. I couldn't have done it otherwise.
Graham, I'm a great believer in making my own luck. Even if I bought a fully restored car I would still take it apart so I could see for myself that everything was done 'properly' or at least to my own satisfaction, and in order to spot anything showing signs of weakness. My own cars are built with touring in mind, and that leads one down certain paths e.g. Phoenix crankshaft. As you say, not everyone has the means to do this, but in consequence one is at the mercy of the previous owner. All that aside, I am still not invulnerable. I did a 3500 mile tour over the summer and broke a throttle cable, lost ignition once, broke an oil pressure gauge pipe, and have since discovered a broken track rod. Those were mostly foreseeable failures, but you can't foresee everything; and if you wait for perfection you will never leave the garage! As they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,256 Threads: 33
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Location: Deepest Frogland 30960
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
14-10-2022, 01:37 PM
(This post was last modified: 14-10-2022, 02:14 PM by Reckless Rat.)
You can only do your best as far as maintenance is concerned. Statistically it has been said that if every part used to make the Space Shuttle was 99.99% reliable it would never be able to take off.
I am happy to be optimistic about the reliability of my little RP. At least it gets used. I don't cover a huge annual mileage but I can just get in it, start it and drive off without worrying that it won't get to where I'm going, irrespective of what I point it at, or for how long. If it doesn't, then I just hope I can sort it, one way or another.
Am I being Reckless?
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 887 Threads: 71
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Location: Essex
Fixing it at the road side was always the bit I enjoyed most when I first owned a 7. I like a challenge.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,256 Threads: 33
Reputation:
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Location: Deepest Frogland 30960
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
I remember once going trials riding with some pals. We were travelling back up the A38 somewhere near Burton on Trent when the Sherpa van we were using conked out due to a failed fuel pump diaphragm. We ended up taking a fuel tank off one of the bikes and gravity feeding the Sherpa's carb with the bike tank strapped to the top of the engine. We had to stop several times to refill the tank as it only held a few litres, but it got us home to Rotherham. I have a Master's degree in bodging!
Joined: Oct 2017 Posts: 1,398 Threads: 45
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The motor drove the propshaft via a 3:1 twin belt drive, the radiator is a photo of mine.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 927 Threads: 52
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Location: The delightful town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
(14-10-2022, 04:45 PM)Reckless Rat Wrote: I remember once going trials riding with some pals. We were travelling back up the A38 somewhere near Burton on Trent when the Sherpa van we were using conked out due to a failed fuel pump diaphragm. We ended up taking a fuel tank off one of the bikes and gravity feeding the Sherpa's carb with the bike tank strapped to the top of the engine. We had to stop several times to refill the tank as it only held a few litres, but it got us home to Rotherham. I have a Master's degree in bodging!
That's a super story Reckers, but if you have a master's in bodging, what do I have? Working for the biggest breakdown service at the roadside for over 22 years there were hundreds of bodges that I did to get people on their way. Maybe thousands.
Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 1,482 Threads: 17
Reputation:
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Location: Bala North Wales
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
(13-10-2022, 08:10 PM)Graham Barker Wrote: David, when I wrote this post, I expected to hear from people whose sevens have run for thousands of miles without letting them down. That's most likely a tribute to some careful and proper restoration and I am envious of those who have been able to do that.
Because I don't have the facilities or the budget, I elected to buy a Ruby that was already restored. The person that I bought it from had made a good job of the body and chassis restoration. I now realise that he was not well experienced in the mechanical and electrical areas. In the twenty months of my ownership, I have been towed home 3 times. I am not unhappy about that, though. It has got me into running a nice-looking seven, at a reasonable cost, like the one I owned in my youth. I couldn't have done it otherwise.
Graham, When I bought my car now 4 years ago, and despite driving it the 70 or so miles from Altringham to Bala, it nevertheless required some work to get it to the reliable state it is in now. Fortunately,two things were in my favour:-
1. As it turned out, the car that I had bought was surprisingly original and appeared to have covered comparatively little mileage for its age
2. I had owned Sevens previously and, indeed chose one simply because of this.
They are, however, high maintenance and I have developed a strict servicing regime that, so far, has enabled me to 'nip potential problems in the bud. I also try to deal with any issues as and when they arise. For instance, I noticed that the brakes were beginning to pull slightly to one side, so I spent yesterday morning completely stripping the front brakes to find that the right hand side shoe pivot pin and become loose. I also swapped one brake shoe from each side to the other and reset all the cables. result_ I now have brakes that pull up straight.
I also use the car regularly. I try to take it out at least once a week and, having sorted the brakes out yesterday, I took it to Wrexham today, a round trip of about 60 miles. It's amazing how using the car regularly improves its reliability.
In writing this, I am also mindful of Chris KC's comments above.
I hope these musings are of some use.
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