Merry Christmas all,
While consuming another cup of tea and mince pie, I was leafing through "Vintage Specials" and my eyes fell on the entry for the Lightweight Special. I have heard sketchy information about the original Austin engine but I don't think I have ever seen any photo's or any solid description of the unit.
Does anyone have anything which would shine a bit more light on the subject?
I believe the engine had dual ignition, the configuration of which would be very interesting to see.

All the best

Tom

Location: Guildford

It had a works deep sump 10 stud crankcase with a Duck block and a 32 stud twin plug head. One set of plugs ignited by a Scintilla mag in usual place and the other by a coill distributor on the end of a shortened coil dynamo casing. I believe they had a choice of three engines initially but blow ups forced the change to a Wolsley engine postwar. See article in Automolie about 18 months ago.

Location: Surbiton

Alan,
Thank you for that. Does anyone have a copy of the article from 18months ago? My Dad stoped subscribing to the Automobile and we don't have a copy.
I presume that the timing case was therefore standard supersports with no other particular features beyond what you have mentioned.
All interesting and certainly more engaging than Christmas TV.
Thanks again.

Tom

Location: The south-eastern corner of Surrey

I have in the shed an ex works 25 stud engine that came from the lightweight stable Andrew

Location: Herefordshire

Wasn't the original an Ulster engine- possibly from Alex's Ulster - presumably developed over time before being replaced with an OHC Morris.

Tony.

Location: Dry and sunny Melbourne.

Andrew,
Any chances of any photographs of the head? Particularly the business side as I want to produce an 8 plug head for an upcoming project.

Thanks

Tom

Location: Guildford

25 stud heads have 4 plugs, they are from the Duck engines. The 8 plug heads have 32 studs and are from Jamieson side valve single seater engines.

The 25 stud heads have a tapered 4 branch water take off on the top and the 32 stud heads have a take off on the side of the head above the exhaust manifold.

See John Sutton's site for photos.

There are variants of both types of head

Location: Surbiton

Alan,

'See John Sutton's site for photos'

Do you have the web address please?

Tony.

Location: Dry and sunny Melbourne.

Y'ere tis:

http://www.motorsnippets.com/index.asp

Follow the links for Austin Sevens

Location: South-East Surrey

Heres a picture of the engine and the car.

1947

All from 1947 as well.







Somewhere there is a photo of me standing in front of this car aged about 5.

Location: Buxted

Do I assume correctly that this

is a discharge valve to prevent backfiring to reach the SC?

Location: Nearly in Devon but french side.

Oh! That is confusing- two Lightweight Specials. When I see 'Lightweight Special' I always think of Alec Issigonis but this is a completely different Austin Seven.
I will take me cap and go.

Tony.

Location: Extremely (35c) Sunny Melbourne.

The engine is from the lightweight stable not the car Andrew

Location: Herefordshire

This thread seems to be slightly unravelling, but, here is the pic that Austin was referring to of PL 1629 probably 1981ish, might be Brands, Snetterton, Lydden or Silverstone?



also, these pics of Dowson with the Lightweight at Shelsley in 1947, copyright of the Dacre Stubbs Archive.....

renaud

Yes- I think it is called a blow off or pop off valve.

Tony.

Location: Extremely (35c) Sunny Melbourne.

Henry,

"Dowson with the Lightweight at Shelsley in 1947"

Now there is a blown 8 plug 32? stud head Austin Seven engine - lovely!

Tony.

Location: Extremely (35c) Sunny Melbourne.

Is PL1629 the ex-George Vallender car?

Location: Richmond, Texas

Hi yes Vallinder had the car from 1951to 1955 one of 14 owners until I bought the car in1965 Andrew

Location: Herefordshire

I have a dim flicker in my memory - are you the chap who got in touch with my father years ago to find out some history of the car? If so, I'm sorry for being a bit slow in the uptake!

Location: Richmond, Texas

Hi Roger,
Yes that would have been me. I thought as your father lived not far away from Mr Vallinder he might know the car. ,I missed meeting with George by a few weeks but did get the brown tinged photograph ( no 25) from his sister.By which time I had come across the 25 stud unit (but thats another story) so did not follow up the lead with your father.
Andrew

Location: Herefordshire

Not only did my father know the car,I remember it too, though I was but a schoolboy at the time.

We knew George Vallender well, in fact my father wrote his obit for the 750 Bulletin. Nice chap. He often visited the farm in Elmore where we lived, smoking his Gitanes, or Gauloises maybe. I thought that was him in the picture and I'm glad you confirmed it.

His later 750 special was in the US a few years back -still may be for that matter, its then owner got in touch with me to confirm its age.

To everyone else, sorry for the thread drift, nostalgia y'know, and Happy New Year!

Location: Richmond, Texas

Roger, Certainly no problem about the thread drift it is all interesting.
Andrew I am a bit confused, is a large proportion of the engine from the lightweight in your car? Also what supercharger is fitted to the car?

Thanks

Tom

Location: Guildford

Thanks Roger for the info.
Tom ,sorry to confuse I don't know if any of the parts were used in the lightweight special that's why I said from the stable,as when I bought the engine the seller said it was out of the lightweight special. I did speak to Dowson's (son)at shelsley a few years ago, he said that his father, after changing to the Wolsey engine, made up a 25 stud engine from the parts he had he put it in an ulster and sold it to someone Guernsey, that's where I bought the engine in bits after it had been blown up.
The blower in photo is a Marshall,I also have the cozette supercharger .
One last thing can anyone throw any light on
The first owner of PL 1629, Mr Ashwood-Letts,Postern Court. Dorking
Surrey.
Andrew

Location: Herefordshire