What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Malcolm Parker]

My RL which has been my regular Austin 7 since 1999 has a mildly tuned engine and goes quite well.   The speedo is very accurate, having been rebuilt and calibrated by Ron Bailey.  The other day, following some adjustments and replacing the AN needle in the 1 1/8" SU with an EK, it was going very well so I took it up the fearsome 1 in 4 Sneck Yate just outside the village, two thirds of the climb was in 2nd and the rest in first gear but no problem at all.  Austin 7's with a 4.9 axle can find Sneck Yate quite a challenge.  At the top I turned onto the old drove road along the top of Sutton Bank and it was going so well I was soon nudging 55mph.  Being a single track road with passing places, I told myself not to be a silly bugger and slowed down.   The engine was very smooth and surprisingly quiet at that speed which equates to around 3500 rpm.  In normal use I rarely go over 50mph and cruise at 45 to 48mph.   The tuned engine is more useful for the enhanced hill-climbing and acceleration than outright top speed.
As regards body lean on cornering, I think the RL/RM is not  so bad as it is quite light and the roof is wood and fabric rather than metal.  Having had Austin 7's for 48 years I am still of the opinion that corners need to be treated with respect if you are on highly cambered springs.
It's rather nice to get excited about doing 50mph in a car!