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1932 Austin Seven RN "Jo"
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Richard H



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 2148
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:47 pm    Post subject: 1932 Austin Seven RN "Jo" Reply with quote

This is the first of a few small instalments about the other old crocks in residence at Hughes_Towers. Smile

Having sold his Ruby, my dad fancied an earlier A7. We found this one on Ebay, and ended up going to Colchester to collect in, about 50 miles away and driving it back. The car was running quite badly so most of the way back there were massive queues of traffic behind "Jo", with the speed dropping to 20mph on every incline.

However it's very sound, it was restored in 1998 and has been little used since. It is a very late RN saloon, registered one month before production changed to the RP saloon.

We adjusted the carb to get better running, although there is a problem with dirt in the (scuttle-mounted) tank, so an inline filter is called for.

Plans for it are: Respray the bonnet as it has started to polish through to the undercoat, and recolour the front seat bases to match the original blue upolstery. Oh, and if anyone has a calormeter for sale that would fit the radiator, we would be interested Smile





Back home Smile




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Richard Hughes


Last edited by Richard H on Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:08 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Roger-hatchy



Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Posts: 2135
Location: Tiptree, Essex

PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Should have called in for a cup of tea Richard
I live on route.
Unless you used the A12.

There is a 7 just down the road from me, sometimes a couple out side his house.
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Richard H



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 2148
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Roger, the previous owner lived in Braiswick so it made sense to take the A12. It was very slow going!
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Richard Hughes
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

great to see the pics, I think I saw that one listed, I remember the JO reg.

RJ
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Richard H



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 2148
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, the JO reg is very distinctive, thankfully it is non-transferable, so if we ever sell it in the future we won't have to worry about number-plate stealers Smile
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Richard Hughes
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47p2



Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 2009
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great looking car Very Happy
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Bayliss Thomas



Joined: 25 Sep 2009
Posts: 557
Location: SUFFOLK

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You did'nt fancy tackling 'Bread & Cheese Hill on A13 to get home then Laughing
Great looking little 7.
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 7113
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Richard,

Well! How does the Pugwash compare with JO? Performance? Brakes? Ride?
Noise Level?

Peter.
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Richard H



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 2148
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

PostPosted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

peter scott wrote:
Hi Richard,

Well! How does the Pugwash compare with JO? Performance? Brakes? Ride?
Noise Level?

Peter.


Hi Peter,

Well the people who bought A35's when they were new would have been brought up on Austin Sevens, so I can appreciate what they would have felt! The performance is pretty much non-existant, the ride like concrete, the three speed crash box interesting and the brakes, well.....

Pugwash feels like a modern car in comparison! But that's not what we drive old cars for is it? Wink
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Keith D



Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 1127
Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice Richard!

JO is obviously very closely related to my AMY!

What's been done to the front brakes? Those cables connecting from the top look very unusual.

It was built in August 1932 or earlier. The last month of the RN was September 1932 and that final RN had a 4 speed gearbox, a different dashboard and steering wheel centre, petrol pump on the side of the engine and the petrol tank at the back under the spare wheel. The swages along the rear of the roof were also absent. (Austin installed some presses that were big enough to press the roof out in one piece instead of three.) Not that I would touch it if the chrome is good, but the windscreen surround should be painted black on the RN, matching the headlamp rims.

The Calormeter that you require is a small square one. Unfortunately I do not have a spare, but I obtained mine at a British old car swap meet a few years ago fairly easily. It fits through a hole you will need to drill in the brass chromed radiator cap.

Everything you will ever want to know about Austin Sevens is in "The Austin Seven Source Book".

Keith
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Richard H



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 2148
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Keith,

Thanks, I didn't realise there was anything wrong with the front brake cables. How should they be attached? The brakes work OK, just not quite as efficient as the Ruby was.

"Jo" was registered in August 1932. I have the buff and green log books showing the engine number which corrosponds with the engine fitted. However the bearings are getting a bit rumbly, so will need attention soon.

I didn't know about the windscreen surround, but the chrome is very good on it so I think we'll leave well alone!

Thanks for the info Smile

Richard
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
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Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keith D wrote:


What's been done to the front brakes?
Keith


I seem to recall hearing that A7 brake adjustment is something of a challenge. Something about the cross shaft twisting under load so you need to have tighter adjustment on one side than the other in an attempt to compensate.

Peter
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Keith D



Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 1127
Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Richard and Peter

The cross-shaft most certainly does twist under heavy braking, but this only affects the rear brakes.

The front brakes have a cable that forms a "vee", the ends of which are on the backing plates and the centre of the vee is mounted to a pulley arm on an equaliser that twists to automatically operate the front brakes with equal tension. (I hope this makes sense!) This vee cable runs under the axle and parallel to the ground. In theory this equaliser equalises the cable tension to both front brakes when the steering is turned.

The front brakes consisted of two leading and two trailing shoes in their original form, but I believe there is a modification that can be done to modify this to four leading shoes, which of course, will improve the braking considerably. This may have been done to your car.

The Ruby had the later Girling brakes with cast iron drums which were a lot better than the pressed steel drums on the RN. I know it is possible to fit the later brakes to the earlier cars, but I have never done this so I cannot advise.

Out of interest what is your chassis number? Mine is 146138. The car was built in either the last week of January or the first week of February 1932.

I would advise contacting Dave Mann who is the registrar of the RN Register. He has giving me a vast amount of advice, help and encouragement during my restoration. He keeps an up-to-date record of all known RN's. and I know he would like to hear from you or your Dad.

I will PM his email address to you.

Keith
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Richard H



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 2148
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Keith, thanks for the info. It seems quite likely the brakes have been modified at some point. The chassis number is 157423, the car was first registered on 19th August 1932 in Oxfordshire. The engine number is 158656, we think it is the original engine, unless anyone knows any different?

I will contact Dave Mann with details of this car, thanks for letting me know Keith. The previous owner said the it was on the Austin Seven Clubs Association register.

Richard.
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Keith D



Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 1127
Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Richard,

Your engine number is very likely the original engine in your car. Because the Seven engines were sold to be used for other purposes than powering the cars, the engine numbers are always higher than the chassis number.

Keith
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