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Clarification. Thanks.
Charles
No suspicion or evidence about a number 5 fitted to a Duck. Thank you for the explanation why not. So we know number 5s were not fitted (?) to the team cars in 1930 or 1931 or the Ducks. So why was there a crankcase manufactured to take a number 5 in the first place? What car was it to be fitted to? Beyond the 1931 Ards TT certainly not an Ulster.
Simon Thomas
Near Ballystockart
Location: Comber County Down
OK folks
Here's what I know about Cozette No5's
Austin ordered 4 of them in early 1931. At the same time Austin ordered a batch of 33 No 4's so they were rare.
The attached letter gives details. It also shows that perhaps Cozette were a bit slow with their deliveries!
The second letter shows the capacity of the No5 in relation to the rest of the sequence supporting the view that it was an oddity since it doesn't fit the sequence
And finally some tests of boost pressure. Largely valueless unless every engine ran the same camshaft profile, inlet manifold, exhaust design, timing, CR and head design.
Fun though
Charles
On the basis the letter from Gallay was dated 27/4/31 maybe Austin intended to run the larger supercharger? However entries closed on 30/4/31 for The Irish Grand Prix and will have closed earlier for the Brooklands Double Twelve. Would the works have contemplated using the larger supercharger for just The Light Car Club relay event on 25/7/31 at Brooklands and the Ards Tourist Trophy race on 22/8/31? The cars had been humbled by the MGs already and were at the end of development and nearing the end of production. All very interesting.
Regards
Simon Thomas
Comber
Location: Comber County Down
If it was the intention to run the larger supercharger the sales catalogue for the production car needed to show this. The sales catalogue at the beginning of 1931 stated, "A larger size, or other type supercharger may be fitted if required, at an extra charge".
Can it be assumed at the start of the season it was the intention to run the Cozette number 5 on the works cars with 4 crankcases manufactured? Only the delay in supply of the supercharger by Cozette prevented this? Did the works ever actually run cars with the number 5 in 1931?
Simon Thomas
Comber
Location: Comber County Down
Dear Simon,
The picture in "Austin Racing History" by Roland Harrison headed " A close-up of the " Ulster " power unit showing the Cozette Supercharger". Is NOT an Ulster Engine but a Duck Engine and the Supercharger is a Zoller Z3. The gearbox shown in the photograph is an experimental 4speed.
In the "Autocar" dated 14th August1931 there is a line drawing of the front of a Duck Chassis which shows a Zoller Z5 fitted, perhaps this was fitted for the first Record Runs at Brooklands.
As far as I am aware the Duck blower was never fitter to an "Ulster" unless you count Aurther Waite's 1931 Racer an Ulster,which was fitted with a Duck Engine. Ian Moore,
The picture in "Austin Racing History" by Roland Harrison headed " A close-up of the " Ulster " power unit showing the Cozette Supercharger". Is NOT an Ulster Engine but a Duck Engine and the Supercharger is a Zoller Z3. The gearbox shown in the photograph is an experimental 4speed.
In the "Autocar" dated 14th August1931 there is a line drawing of the front of a Duck Chassis which shows a Zoller Z5 fitted, perhaps this was fitted for the first Record Runs at Brooklands.
As far as I am aware the Duck blower was never fitter to an "Ulster" unless you count Aurther Waite's 1931 Racer an Ulster,which was fitted with a Duck Engine. Ian Moore,
Ian
Thank you for this. I have just looked up The Autocar for 14th August 1931 with the line drawing you speak of. However I still wonder if the works fitted a number 5 Cozette to any of their entries for either the LCC Relay race, which they won, or the Ards TT in 1931? Just a point of interest for the TT, all three works cars finished but MGs were first, second and third in the class. I have just ordered a copy of the Harrison book for reference.
Regards
Simon Thomas
Location: Comber County Down
Simon,
It is interesting to see the spec for the Cozette Number 5. All the Cozettes I have seen, have the outlet and inlet in the middle of the body of the main casting. The outlet for a Cozette Number 4 connects directly to the Y manifold above, therefore the bottom manifold of a Cozzette Number 5 would have to be an offset one, either by fabrication or a new casting. I have never seen one of these bottom manifolds. From the date of the letter I doubt that the Superchargers had been delivered by the dates of the races.Ian.
It is interesting to see the spec for the Cozette Number 5. All the Cozettes I have seen, have the outlet and inlet in the middle of the body of the main casting. The outlet for a Cozette Number 4 connects directly to the Y manifold above, therefore the bottom manifold of a Cozzette Number 5 would have to be an offset one, either by fabrication or a new casting. I have never seen one of these bottom manifolds. From the date of the letter I doubt that the Superchargers had been delivered by the dates of the races.Ian.
Good point Ian. Hadn't thought of that. It would be odd if the outlet was offset to suit the Austin 7 implementation but it can't be ruled out.
Has anyone ever seen a picture of a real No5 to confirm or deny the layout?
Were they ever fitted to anything else other than an Austin? If they were an "Austin Special" then an odd arrangement might be more likely.
Charles
Ian
Thank you for the details. Regarding the car Charles Goodacre raced at Phoenix Park in 1935 as pictured in Beatrice's book page 262. I have a problem getting my head around the description as "Works Development Ulster". Why would the Works develop a car that was years out of production? It is interesting to look at Goodacre's fastest lap in the car, 3m. 4s. a speed of 83.4mph. The next year Dodson lapped in 2m.44s in the single seater. The Goodacre car was clearly fast and well driven. Was it fitted with a Cozette Number 5 I wonder?
Simon Thomas
Location: Comber County Down
Charles, a very interesting letter. Although Austins had on order four off number 5's as of 27th April 1931, what we don't know is whether Austin had been supplied with any number 5's before.
Who knows maybe even Charles Goodacre even used one in the Mille Miglia
Location: Deepest darkest Kent.
Robert
I think we can be sure that the four Number 5 Cozettes were the last, the First Duck ran at Brooklands on 6th April 1931 and that had a Zoller Number 5, followed by a Zoller Number 3 and subsequently these were replaced with Austin's own design of Supercharger.
T Murray Jamieson joined Austin in mid 1932 and it should be remembered that his previous employer was Amherst Villiers.Ian.
Sorry Robert, my notes from my interview with Charles Goodacre clearly says Cozette No.4 with 9psi boost for the 1931 Mille Miglia.
Location: South-East Surrey
Julian
Did Charles Goodacre mention anything about racing at Phoenix Park in 1935? I have wondered if he substituted his own car for the original works entry?
Simon Thomas
Location: Comber County Down
Sorry Simon, when I interviewed him the major part of the time was spent on the Mille Miglia. I knew even less about Austin Sevens then than I do now and I didn't appreciate that no-one from the Austin world had talked to him much before and that there were a whole lot of things I should have asked about.
He was prepared to talk to me as I worked for the Department of the Environment at the time and he wanted to be put in touch with a senior engineer to promote his fireball cylinder head design. I was able to put him in touch with the right bloke, but sadly government departments are not the right place to influence industry in innovative matters and nothing more seems to have happened to the design.
Location: South-East Surrey
Julian
Thank you. With the benefit of hindsight and greater knowledge at the time I had many opportunities to ask important questions of those who were involved with motor sport in the 1930s in Ireland. Desmond Montgomery who competed in Austins was a friend of my parents and I met him regularly in the 1970s. Perhaps my biggest recent regret was not making direct contact with Nyal Wilson who took my car Canada in the 1960s?
Simon Thomas
Location: Comber County Down