What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Ivor Hawkins]

Looking at Howard’s pictures, I wonder why anyone with a perfectly street legal Austin Seven would take it to a show on a trailer?

Even if the owner can’t drive, there are plenty of people who would love the opportunity to drive it to shows, especially young people, who may not have chance to drive a 30s car.

[Barry Townsend]

In my case the answer is simple.
I tow my 31 RN  behind my motorhome as the shows we attend are just too far from our base in North Wales. Beaulieu and Guildtown are two prime examples.
We therefore have overnight stays covered and avoid the 'race' that is now driving on British roads. Each to their own.
There is a dearth of local rallies to attend

[Reckless Rat]

There's an old Yorkshire saying that goes "There's not much point in buying a dog and then barking thysen" however whilst I am game to drive my car over very long distances I will admit to (just once) trailering it from Sheffield to the channel ports in order to get to a rally in France for the 50th anniversary of the D day landings, in 1994. I left the trailer and tow car with a friend in Newhaven and then shipped the RP over to Normandy on the Ferry, as Baldrick and I only had the weekend free.

As an aside, Baldrick is soon to be renamed "Baldrique" as he's just bought a place in Macronland, not far from Rekkers Towers. He helped me drive the RP down here in 2001. It took us 3 and a half days.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Ivor

We drive when we can but as Barry says some events are just too far away.  We are putting the car in my window van to get up to Glasgow but then using the Seven to get over to Guildtown and then after the rally on up to Aviemoor and perhaps further? Returning to Glasgow when the van will bring us back to Llandod.

However each to his own and whatever way a Seven owner wishes to use their car……driving or trailering it’s OK by me!

Cheers

Howard

[Nick Lettington]

We didn't think we'd make it from Colchester so trailered our car to the centenary but the modern broke down on the M40.

Today I put a Ford Burman steering column in the garage for another day... now I'm wishing I'd taken a few more photos of how the column is fitted to the front of Henry's Forrest special. 


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[Bluebird7]

Ivor, were all not blessed with tons of time to drive everywhere in our beloved Austins, which is why we tow them !!!!!!    
& as an aside this beautiful Bantam Trailer will soon be for sale as I need to tow my Morgan 4/4 to events miles away from home too.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Well that’s told me then!

I suppose it’s better to see them out and and about on a trailer rather than being locked away gathering dust in a garage.

[Bluebird7]

Well that’s told me then!

I suppose it’s better to see them out and and about on a trailer rather than being locked away gathering dust in a garage.

No Tow, No Show !!!!!!!!!!

[Henry Harris]

Today I put a Ford Burman steering column in the garage for another day... now I'm wishing I'd taken a few more photos of how the column is fitted to the front of Henry's Forrest special. 

The Forrest steering box is a modified 1932 Austin 7 (cast steel type). 
It's mounted face down centrally. The drop arm moves side to side and has been altered to take two Ford 8hp ball joints.
The steering column has a UJ to allow things to line up.
All Mike Forrest's handiwork!

   

   

[Nick Lettington]

Today I put a Ford Burman steering column in the garage for another day... now I'm wishing I'd taken a few more photos of how the column is fitted to the front of Henry's Forrest special. 

The Forrest steering box is a modified 1932 Austin 7 (cast steel type). 
It's mounted face down centrally. The drop arm moves side to side and has been altered to take two Ford 8hp ball joints.
The steering column has a UJ to allow things to line up.
All Mike Forrest's handiwork!

Thank you Henry, that's the detail I was hoping for. I know Harry Worrall and Mike Featherstonehaugh's FW Special used the Burman box as they considered it to be superior. I foolishly assumed that was the standard approach! the '32 Austin box having a 360 degree rotation is probably a better option for setting up the steering straight ahead and it may also fall inside the latest the 750MC regulations... I think the one I have is a pre-war design but from a post war Ford. (Harry commented last year that he wouldn't be able to build the FW or Worden under the current regulations). Still I was given the ford one, so it's not a mistake that cost anything [insert winking emoji].

Are the stub axles and steering tube levers Big 7 ones? I'm trying to work out what happens with the tracking when the transverse spring deflects, although if the centre of rotation of each ball joint is aligned with the axis of rotation of the pivots in the split axle, I guess it doesn't change..?  Also scratching my head to visualise what happens to the tracking on full lock as the modified drop arm must decrease the effective length of the track rod as it turns... that may explain the cut away section of the brake backplate allowing him to exaggerate the radius on the steering tube levers so the reduced length of the track rod on full lock doesn't counteract the Ackerman effect... I'd be interested to know!

Thanks again for the pictures. I'm slowly building plans and collecting the parts necessary to rebuild my Silverstone as close as I can to the FW but remaining 750MC eligible, so no coil springs either unfortunately.