Hi

I recently bought an Austin 7 that has been tucked away since '59. I was told that it was an Ulster, but one look confirmed that it wasn't (standard chassis and mechanicals etc). The chassis has been dated to Nov 1927. However the aluminium centre body section (ie bulkhead and cockpit) looks quite like an EA Sports (at least to my untrained eye) although I'm not sure on that. The rear end is homemade, and not Sports, the original having been cut away at some time in the 40s. The nosecone is a cutdown aluminium job from (I think) a first series Swallow.

With it came a quantity of A7 parts, although nothing Sports from what I can tell (no trick engines or dropped axles sadly).

A spare chassis also came with it. I found this forum because I did a search for info about a plate riveted to it, saying something like "Property of the Austin Motor Company Limited", with the chassis # stamped on it (and matching that stamped on the n/s/f chassis rail). I found a thread on here about Gordon England bodied A7s and a reference to these plates - did GE bodied cars have these plates attached to the chassis? or did any other A7 variants come with them?? perhaps the body tub on the complete car was once bolted to this chassis?

All info welcomed as I'm new to the A7 world :)

thanks, Rick

Rick, these plates are well known, and the consensus seems to be that they were affixed to the bare running chassis sent to the many outside coachbuilders of the day. The chassis remained the property of the Austin works until the completed car had been sold. I think these plates may also have been fitted to the numerous chassis sent to Australia to have Holden bodies fitted. Ian

Thanks for the info Ian, interesting!

Rick

Rick, would you be able to post some pictures of your car body? It would be interesting to see if it can be positively identified by the forum...

No problemo, some photos of the car as it was removed from it's long-term storage, plus some more back here. Early investigations suggest a late 20s chassis, and a mix of bits from other A7s ending up in a special. It was re-reg'd in the late 40s, probably at the time it was built.

First time in the daylight since 1959. I've looked at lots of A7 photos but I've yet to see one with this bonnet, ie with a full set of louvres with no blank space half way along


Being towed into the garage here, note sticking brakes!


I took it to a VSCC meet a couple of weeks back, and it was suggested that the top of the rad surround might be Swallow. In with all the bits I found two mangled pieces of alloy, which (kind of) line-up with the top of this nosecone, and flare out at the bottom in Swallow style


Alloy cockpit, steel floor and scuttle. Sadly the transmission tunnel has been cut away. The tunnel is curved rather than square and the floor raises up at the rear


Standard engine fitted. Did all A7s have the recess just visible in the n/s bulkhead? it looks original. Which models had the curvy tank?


Remote gearshift - home-made? the recess panel riveted to the n/s bulkhead is also visible, seen from the inside


Early speedo drive


It'd be great to be able to identify the bits that have gone into making this special :) The ride height looks like it has been raised at some point, especially if the relationship between mudguards and wheels is anything to go by.

Rick

Rick,
I heard about your car from a friend who was at said VSCC meeting. I'm local to you, and if I can have a look I might be able to help.

Hi Alan - email sent.

thanks, R

You've got a genuine EA body fitted to an earlier chassis. As far as I can see it also has the correct windscreen supports and possibly the correct hoodframe. You might also have the correct steering box. You'll need to check the number. The body number is stamped into the transmission tunnel right under the home-made remote gear change mounting.

Thanks for the info Henry, much appreciated. Unfortunately part of the transmission has been cut away (under that later aluminium section you can see in the photo), but do you think the number might actually be directly under the lever bracket??

Here are a couple more photos. The gent who ran it in the 50s and took it off the road in '59, was an engineer hence the many mods that have taken place!

There is another screen glass, and a wider screen & frame assembly with it.





Rick

Interesting. Can you show us the tail section please?

Here goes. The back end is riveted together from several sections of alloy, attached to the older main tub and overlapping the remains of the original back body.

The spare wheel is accessed from the top, just behind the seats. The aperture at the forward end I'm told is similar to the EA, as is the structure inside there, where the wheel actually sits. This is accessed through a canvas cover, with lift the dot fasteners (not a removable aluminium panel).

If you peer inside, you can just make out where the original rear body was cut off, roughly level with the axle. I'll try and photograph these areas to better show what I mean!





R.

Here are some better shots of the back end, including several from inside showing what I think are the remains of the original (dark green) tail, and the later back body, assembled from various sections of aluminium. In some places there are three sheets overlapping.

Do the circular holes let into the wooden seat back have any meaning?

Also included, a shot of the two mangled rad surround pieces I found, which seem to fit ok with the domed top section of the car's rad surround. Plus another showing the plate fitted to the other chassis that came with it.

(Apologies to anyone on dial-up!)

Hi, I agree, the windscreen, cockpit sides, bulkhead and floorpan (though cut about) are definitley ulster. Pitty that the prop tunnel has been cut away as it has. Clean the top surface of the prop tunnel forward from the access cover, as far as still exists towards the gearbox as you may be lucky and find the original body number stamped on it, provided that area has not been cut away! Our car clearly shows this number on the top surface.

If nothing else, you have more of a genuine sports austin than many other supposed 'ulsters', 'modified' or 'specials'....stands back and awaits the explosion!

The body number should be here!
On second thoughts the hood frame doesn't look original.
LKL reg. no. is Maidstone (postwar?) anyway the Kent registration ledgers are available for study at Kent County Archives in Maidstone and may reveal some details. Do you know the name of the previous owner/engineer, presumably he was a member of the 750 MC postwar?

Hi Henry,

The previous owner was called Edwin Everett. His daughter told me that he was very anti- the car ever being raced, very insistent apparently, although why I don't know. Perhaps he competed in an Ulster, had a scare and bent it, and went on to build this road car with what was left? Or perhaps the 750MC badge was already on it when he bought it, and he simply left it on? Unless there is a mention of him or the car in a contemporary 750MC club magazine, I guess I'll never find out. The car was last on the road in 1959, the old tax disc was still on it (although the lady I bought it from is keeping that as a souvenir which is a shame).

Interesting to hear about the registration records, I'll make some enquiries when I'm next down that way.

When I get a mo I'll remove the remote shift and clean up the tunnel, to see if anything is revealed.

R.

I think the number is further forward than this, mine is anyway. I'll post a picture if you want? Barry.

I also meant to mention (doh), the back axle has a vent tube sticking out of the top of the diff - is that normal on a 7?

R

Rick,

The vent tube is normal on the short chassis rear axles and can come in different shapes and I may be mistaked but location as well.

Christopher

The holes in wooden seat backs (and squabs) are there to prevent the stiching from breaking or becoming loose when the upholstery is squashed by sitting or leaning on it. Without the holes the air cannot escape.
I'm not being clever, the upholsterer who did the seats and backs on my Chummy pointed this out as the existing ones had no holes. The holes should be covered by this material that will let the air out but prevent mice from nesting.

This is such a good find..

Rick, I'm wondering how you're going to restore it? Are you going to keep it as it is? Indeed, it has been a special for more decades than it had ever been anything else!

I'm also wondering whether the tail section could be taken back to a point if it were so desired?

Thanks for the excellent photos.

That should be "thin material"

Hi Damian,

It's difficult to say really. At the moment I've a couple of other cars in bits, so rather than dive in, I'm going to research this A7 then decide which approach is most appropriate. Like you say, its been a special for such a long time, and is an original example of the post-war special building craze, comprising (mainly) Austin bits from various sources. It got a great reception at the VSCC 'do' the other evening, with many people thinking it should stay "as is".

I'm inclined to agree, as I tend to subscribe to the oily rag approach wherever possible. However the back end is quite poor, both in condition and execution, so perhaps a suitably shaped Sports (replacement) tail wouldn't be too out of order? With the rest of the body tidied and preserved in its current format, and the chassis and running gear rebuilt throughout? Maybe thats the best idea - perhaps with a perkier engine under the bonnet??

Of course it could be built into an Ulsterish, which would also be nice, but as the chassis isn't Sports then would that really be the correct thing to do?

Brian, thanks for the info about the seat back - I wouldn't have guessed that one!

R

I agree with all of that. It would certainly take me a while to work out what to do! What do you know of the engine, by the way?

Hello again Rick, what a fabulous find, it gives hope to all of us! How many more can be tucked away? You would think they all had been found by now.
It would be worth making arrangements to borrow the original tax disc to enable you to reclaim the number; it will be a crucial piece of evidence in that process. A photocopy would not be accepted. Ian

Thanks to everyone who has waded in with information about the car, much appreciated.

A couple of other questions popped into my head just now:

1. Part buried in a collapsed building, I found two aluminium bonnet top panels (no sides anywhere). Length-wise it is spot on for the car, although the profile at the front end is wider and more angular than on the bonnet fitted to the car. Probably to fit the shorter chrome rad surround. Did the Sports have an aluminium bonnet?

2. At first I thought the curved (scuttle mounted) fuel tank was a one-off, but I found a second one so obviously it isn't - is it an A7 item?

Thanks :)

Rick

The tank looks like long scuttle (pre '30) to me.

The earliest had the a screw cap with filler on right of centre, later with bayonet cap, and later still bayonet cap on the left of centre. Sorry but I can't recall the exact changeover dates.

Martin

Rick, I have not had a very good day. But you have just Made it. I love it!!!!! congratulations.

We all like your car. I'm particularly impressed by the boost pressure when stationary!
Just a suggestion which I doubt could be tested; I think the first Swallow 2 seaters appeared in mid-'27.
Could it be that your "coachbuilder's" chassis is the remains of a Swallow? That cowl certainly looks like it.

I think it's just nice the way it is, but it's your car!

Regards, Stuart

I did wonder about that Stuart, but I didn't find anything else that reminded me of a Swallow amongst the parts that came with it. You mentioned the pressure gauge - any thoughts on why that might be there?

Rick

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If thats a special then it realy is a special "special". Best thing/pics I have seen on this site for a long time .

Brakes..... Seem to be rod activated? Handbrake on crossshaft outside?

Whats the pulley under the front crossmember visible in one pic?

Steve

29.9 inches of mercury at sea level = atmospheric pressure

Rick, Can you show any pictures of the steering box, since the wheel is a dished type yet apparently at the correct orientation to the dashboard?

I'll see if I can get a decent shot of the steering box this morning.

I've a thread running on my forum about this, a regular poster came up with these scans that seem to show a similar type of pressure gauge:





Rick

A few more photos, including some of the steering arrangements. The racing number plates were found piled up with the spare engine and crankcases that came with it (some coil ign, others mag), so I attached them to the bonnet for the timebeing :)

Underbonnet view, offside


Steering box


Footwell


Behind the dash


Power house


Quite a mixture of clocks, inc the French-sourced advance/retard and hand throttle, plus an early Renault ammeter


Sat loosely in position, the aluminium bonnet top panels I found. They seem to fit the scuttle ok, but the front end must have been designed to meet up with a more angular rad surround


Rick

Rick,

The round panel with the switch on the right hand side of the dash looks like it could have been made to fill a rev counter hole. This might suggest an ulster engine (or otherwise with rev counter) was in the car at some time. Can you post pictures of the spare crankcases and any crankcase nose pieces?

Regards

Rob

Hi Rob,

There's a mixture of crankcases, plus one engine built up. Some are mag, others coil. Of the mag engines, some have the Austin script on the side, others on the flat web. I've only two loose nose pieces, neither of which has any drive attachments that I can see anyway .. here goes ..



















Bit repetitive I know!! :-) I don't know if the bit in the lower left is anything to do with the car or not, but included it anyway..?

Rick

PS there are a few mags in a box, did the sports A7s use a particular type or make of magneto, not used on the other models? If so I'll have a look to see what I've got with it

Rick,

Looks like a good selection of standard parts, i cannot see anything sports.

As far as mags go, the rotating magnet types are prefered for higher revs ie BLIC, ML, Sintilla (one lucas RG4? the others are fixed magnet). All easy to spot as they do not have a large horse-shoe shaped iron magnet over the top.

Just so you know, the mag engine timing cover castings need to be matched pairs, they have pairing numbers stampted (~1/8" high characters) on the top surface on the mag side of the engine. The shaft centres tend not to line up if they are unmatched.

Regards

Rob

Thanks Rob, I was fairly sure that the bits were standard.

(I've borrowed a copy of the Austin Seven Companion, and it was interesting to read of a team car - not an Ulster - that had the rear end of it's body cut off and replaced early in its life (page 28/29), maybe a common occurrence with sporty A7s!??!)

Rick

Rick, all this about collapsed buildings, long term storage and finding more bits here and then there, and now racing numbers, and one great picture after another I cant stand it anymore! I will ask the question everyone wants to know: how did you find out it was available, was it just by chance or a long hard journey to secure it? We would love to know if you wouldn’t be breaking a confidence. Ian

Hi Ian,

I'll do a bit of a write-up on my site shortly, and I'll include some pics of when it came out into the sunlight for the first time in 50 years. Plus I'm hoping to receive some scans of old photos showing it in the 50s.

Briefly though: the chap who owned and drove the car put it away in 1959, in one 'room' within an old corrugated building, and there it stayed. Over the years it gradually got hemmed in by large quantities of wood, other vehicle parts, engineering equipment, ride on mowers, and so on. I think he was one of life's hoarders, keeping everything "just in case". I've never been to a place like it.

I'm told he passed away a year or so ago, and his surviving relative contacted me recently asking if I knew of anyone who'd be interested in an "Austin 7 Ulster". I've had quite a few old cars, and already have a '32 Minor 2 seater and a '34 Austin 10/4 Cabriolet (both barn finds and off the road for 40+ years). A slightly later racing car transporter is also taking up a fair bit of my time at the moment, as are a few post-war machines. Anyway, it sounded interesting..

I said I'd go and have a look, so off I toddled, to find an once-grand Victorian pile, surrounded by overgrown trees, bushes and so on. The tin building was rather overgrown, the entrance blocked with scrap iron. With that out of the way, it was a case of clambering down the side of an old van, with only torches for illumination, dodging later engine parts and clambering over pieces of wood and general "stuff". The next room, again in total darkness, contained many of the spare A7 engine parts, scattered about and mixed in with lots of old bits of iron, Ford 10 engine parts, steel offcuts, and more clutter. It hadn't been touched for donkey's, many of the metal tins containing nuts and bolts disintegrated as they were moved, it having an earth floor.

A nailed-up door then had to be negotiated, before finally we saw the Austin, parked tightly in a little corner of this out-building, surrounded by yet more wood, bits of steel, the odd engine block, and so on. The relative hadn't seen the car either since '59.

One look confirmed that it wasn't quite the car I was expecting to see, but the cockpit did remind me of the Sports that I'd been told was here. In an Austin book, he'd pencilled various notes over the years, and next to the photo of an Ulster, he'd written "Have one of these" which is how the relative came to describe the car as that when they got in touch initially, although really it is a Special of mixed Austin parentage!

We came to a deal for the car and all the old car parts that were scattered in this building, plus whatever turned up in a much ropier outbuilding, and also in the house, which was full of stuff, in which some interesting motorcar parts were also discovered.

When the general stuff in the house has been cleared the plan is to go over again to see if any other interesting parts have been uncovered.

Rick

Thanks Rick, I would bet just about everyone who enjoys this forum has fell asleep with just such a story in their mind at one time or the other, I know I have on many occasions over the years. You ‘have lived the dream’, and I have to admit to being just a tiny bit envious, though I have had many ‘little finds’ of my own over the years. Thanks for sharing your story and pictures with us. It would make a great piece in the Association Magazine for those who are not aware of this site. Ian

I never cease to be amazed how much is still out there, tucked away waiting to be found. A few years back I helped a friend recover a home-built 50s Austin 7 special, complete with 750MC badge and Cambridge alloy head. I quite fancied it but there was no way I could get my feet down past the steering column. As far as I know it is sat in the new owner's garage, I don't know if he's started work on it.

Yesterday a friend went to look at a mid 30s Morris 8 that had been laid up for 40 years. The '32 Minor tourer I bought had been tucked away in a brick outhouse for 40 years, alongside a Standard Vanguard van which is still there. News of a very ropey, one family owned from new, 1932/3 Triumph 9 came through 2 or 3 years back. I went to view it, in the middle of nowhere, and I think in the end someone from a Triumph club took it on. Chatting to a bloke at a car boot sale over the weekend, it turned out he is fettling an A7 box saloon that he found in the garage of a house he bought!

As for my 7, I now need to try and find out where the bodyshell came from in the late 40s, and how/why it lost the original tail! The owner of the car was adamant that it must never be raced I'm told, so whether he had a bump in it and it scared him a bit, or he got the damaged bodyshell from someone who nerfed it, I don't know..

Rick

Rick

The scans of the gauges in the book which shows your gauge has the description underneath that it is an "absolute pressure gauge". This confirms what others have written ref atmospheric pressure at sea level etc etc... Gauge pressure is measured with the gauge zero point being at atmospheric pressure, wereas your absolute pressure gauge measures from actual zero, and therefore shows atmoshperic pressure as a reading on its face

Steve

Does anyone know if the Sports came with an aluminium bonnet, to go with the alum. outer skin of the main body tub?

I've borrowed a few A7 books but haven't yet found the answer to this one! :)

Rick

Rick,

The 'Source Book' page 269 states that they had "a long steel bonnet projecting forward and fitted with louvred steel side panels."

Great find by the way.

Jeff.

Thanks for that Jeff.

While going through the spare parts, this turned up, it looks like a hand-operated pump. One end has the hand plunger, the other a mesh filter by the looks of it. Is it related to an A7, or just an odd bit that came from somewhere else?

thanks, Rick

It looks like the pump to pressurise the fuel tank. Will call you over the weekend or Monday

Alan