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Re: Special Project...

Absolutely stunning car

Location: Sunny Devon

Re: Special Project...

fabulous.

oddly, I was just watching the videos for http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C721538 yesterday and thinking about the different visual characteristics of long and short cars.

what is the difference in length between yours and an Ulster?

Re: Special Project...

Well really, that's a cracker! I do like the long bow and stern very much. Very envious indeed.

Re: Special Project...

R,
A really top quality job! Are you expecting any registration problems or is it all sorted?
Cheers,
Dave

Location: Sheffield

Re: Special Project...

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E", not a "T".

Re: Special Project...

Super job all round.
Someone is going to finish up with a well built car that also looks pretty.
Lucky them - years of fun.

Location: The Centre of the Universe

Re: Special Project...

Good grief Ruaridh, seeing that picture of you, suddenly it's 1972 Doone valley North Devon with the Bristol A7 club and the Solent A7 club and your mum and dad. Where's the time gone? You do like your facial hair in your family don't you? Not your lovely wife thankfully. That's a great special you must be very pleased, and we're all jealous. Alf

Location: Hampshire

Re: Special Project...

J'avoue qu'elle soit les couilles du chien!

Or as they say in the Admiral Benbow "Proper Job!"

Location: Gard, France 30960

Re: Special Project...

Duncan grimmond
Well really, that's a cracker! I do like the long bow and stern very much. Very envious indeed.


I concur.
My aim with the A7 chassis I bought some years ago was around something like that. Unfortunately such a project is un-registerable here...
Splendid! Well done Ruairidh.
Renaud

Location: Sunny Brittany

Re: Special Project...

Alf Tudge
Good grief Ruaridh, seeing that picture of you, suddenly it's 1972 Doone valley North Devon with the Bristol A7 club and the Solent A7 club and your mum and dad. Where's the time gone? You do like your facial hair in your family don't you? Not your lovely wife thankfully. That's a great special you must be very pleased, and we're all jealous. Alf

Alf, do you mean he was THAT hairy in 72 already? My god!

Location: Sunny Brittany

Re: Special Project...

renaud
Alf Tudge
Good grief Ruaridh, seeing that picture of you, suddenly it's 1972 Doone valley North Devon with the Bristol A7 club and the Solent A7 club and your mum and dad. Where's the time gone? You do like your facial hair in your family don't you? Not your lovely wife thankfully. That's a great special you must be very pleased, and we're all jealous. Alf

Alf, do you mean he was THAT hairy in 72 already? My god!

No Renaud not Rauridh, he wasn't even thought of then, I think? But his dad Ian, well we all had a lot of hair back then, but Ian was hairier than all of us. Is hairier a word? I still thankfully have a reason to carry a comb in my back pocket, but a lot of my friends and younger ex work colleagues have become bald. I'm not gloating, that's a mark of a mean temperament.


Location: Hampshire

Re: Special Project...

Thank you for all your nice comments.

Another long day today that ended in a short drive (up and down my driveway), engine started immediately (was fully rebuilt, but never run up, nearly two years ago) - quiet and smooth :)

A few little tweaks, a trip to the trimmers and she will be done.

Dave W - car is registered on it's original number - almost all mechanicals come from that car as well.

Tony P - this has taken over two years (most of this was waiting for other people to do things) - main thing is to plan ahead and prepare everything, once everything is ready I can get them together reasonably quickly, very pleased with this one.

JohnE - no idea, will measure for you at some point.

Alf - I will post some photos of my father from that time, all will become clear to Renaud!

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All wiring to lights runs inside the wing stays...

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Body is vey narrow and few bits poke out!

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Under the bonnet...

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Re: Special Project...

Hairiness apart, the car is really wonderful. I'm in love with all the little thorough details of the realisation. The result is simply utterly magnificent.
Congratulations Ruairidh
Renaud
(waiting nevertheless for period photos of Ian Dunford!)

Location: Sunny Brittany

Re: Special Project...

Renaud,

1968

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Gorge Du Tarn 1974 (I am sat on his lap), my mother is nearest on the left...

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1976 with my sister a few days old...

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1977, I am behind my sister on the bike, Paul Hatch to the right...

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Yesterday, with my mum, on the Isle of Bute (taken by my 7 year old daunter whilst I was working on the Special!)...

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Re: Special Project...

Very nice job R,Lovely shape,great attention to detail, period lights and instruments just how a special should be built.
Who made the body?

Re: Special Project...

Rod Yates body.

(Almost) all parts chosen and supplied by Tony Betts.

Re: Special Project...

Wow, I'm so impressed! That is a lovely job Ruairidh and such neat touches and details. Well done that man! I want one!

Location: Ripon

Re: Special Project...

R,
Why have you included a photo of Ricky Tomlinson? (That's the first photo of the set)
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

Re: Special Project...

Yes indeed,that is one pretty car,great job.

Location: 51.9000*N ,0.4333*W (LUTON)

Re: Special Project...

Dave Wortley
R,
Why have you included a photo of Ricky Tomlinson? (That's the first photo of the set)
Dave.


Re: Special Project...

Ruairidh Dunford
Rod Yates body.

(Almost) all parts chosen and supplied by Tony Betts.

Looks like a sister car to yours is for sale on Car and Classics item no C721538, £21000 if anyone likes yours.

Re: Special Project...

Austin in the Shed
Ruairidh Dunford
Rod Yates body.

(Almost) all parts chosen and supplied by Tony Betts.

Looks like a sister car to yours is for sale on Car and Classics item no C721538, £21000 if anyone likes yours.


Here it is http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C721538

Re: Special Project...

Austin in the Shed
Ruairidh Dunford
Rod Yates body.

(Almost) all parts chosen and supplied by Tony Betts.

Looks like a sister car to yours is for sale on Car and Classics item no C721538, £21000 if anyone likes yours.


That's interesting.

Rod has only made 3 of these bodies so far.

The first a light blue / green will come up if you google rod Yates. Was sold out to Germany a couple of years ago. Soon after it was finished. Maybe someone can put a pic up.

The second was built to race, and may need toning down for the road. as this yellow one has no wings. I take it this is the car.

The black car R is building is number three. Kept as simple as possible to show off its lines. But with plenty of period touches to show its stile off.

I beleive rod is building a fourth for a customer at the moment.

The black car does look stunning, now the headlights are on. They suite the car perfect. Especially the spacing. It's amaizing how such small detail like spacing makes such a big difference.

Tony.

Location: HUNCOTE on the pig

Re: Special Project...

Ruairidh,

I can't see any transverse fixing for the front axle/shackles.

I have never added this, but many say it is very necessary for good handling.

Just interested.

Tony.

Re: Special Project...

I love your LWB special, Ruairidh. It looks beautiful in black. I would never have thought of black.

Well done mate, very well done.

Location: Derby

Re: Special Project...

Mr Betts must take the credit for the colour and styling, he chose well.

Re: Special Project...

I think Tony's choice of colour/finish is based on his super sport,as built originally by Barry Argent,I loved that car the moment I saw it.

Re: Special Project...

Fabulous job, a special to be proud of!

Re: Special Project...

Austin in the Shed
I think Tony's choice of colour/finish is based on his super sport,as built originally by Barry Argent,I loved that car the moment I saw it.


hi dave, you are spot on.

wanted to keep the lines nice and slim, as its a 1 1/2 seat same as the supersports. even kept the bell headlights unrestored. so they were not so shinny they would take your eye away from the body.

tony

Location: huncote on the pig

Re: Special Project...

tony betts
(...) even kept the bell headlights unrestored. so they were not so shinny they would take your eye away from the body.

tony


This had not escaped us Tony. Very good idea. I personally hate over restored cars. The soul of the cars leaves with the patina. My modest opinion of course.
Renaud

Location: Sunny Brittany

Re: Special Project...

so is this the sort thing that, in the current climate, one doesn't start doing unless one happens to have an existing Tourer classification on an update logbook? What happens for a V5'd saloon chassis when it gets a new touring body?

The black suits far better than the yellow. The non-receding yellow makes it look massive...

Re: Special Project...

Heartbreakingly beautiful. There must have been a lot of thought going into it in order that it came out as such a well balance package. It looks...right. Hard to explain it. Mk1 Spitfire, Audrey Hepburn, Eagle Speedster and so on. You look at it and realise that there isn't ever going to be anything better.

Just been out to look at mine and now feel a little bit deflated. :o(

Location: Cardiff

Re: Special Project...

This special project to my mind can teach us all some important lessons:

Firstly, make sure you have a rolling chassis/project with a V5.

Secondly, unless you are very talented working metal, go to a professional like Rod Yates for your body. Yes it will cost a few thousand but the value of the finished car will repay the investment over again.

Lastly, by buying a body that will fit straight onto your chassis, you stand a chance of finishing the project before senility or infirmity set in. Once that body is on the chassis, you will crack on and get it finished in no time.

One of the nicest specials I have seen on a LWB chassis, IMHO much preferable to a LWB Ulster!

Re: Special Project...

If you want to emulate the process I undertook totally you need to build up the full rolling chassis first - then send it to the body builder to make sure what they build fits around the equipment you have.

In my experience, even with really good body builders, there is still a lot of work to do when you get the car back to make it fit properly and iron out the finish - don't underestimate the time this can take you.

Assemble everything (everything) before going to paint, then carefully dissemble completely.

Whilst at paint prepare everything you need to complete the car - make sure these parts are properly fixed and painted so that it can be bolted straight on. Mixing of cleaning/de-rusting/rebuilding whilst trying to go for final build is a recipe for disaster.

Leave time to flatten paint and finish it to you liking - it took three days on a recent project, three full days.

I use specialists for electrical and carb rebuild, bodywork and paint - this allows me to stick to mechanicals, parts and assembly - I can do some upholstery but prefer others to do this if at all possible (mainly because I have to turn my workshop into a sewing room and can't do anything else whilst I am on that job!).

I will post the process I undertook on a Mk2 Pearl few years back under a separate post - this may be of interest to those who prefer factory cars to Specials.

Re: Special Project...

For the sake of historical accuracy, 5 year old Poppy took the photograph of the memsahib
and El Grumpo on the Isle of Bute.

Location: Wessex

Re: Special Project...

Hi all,

Thank you all for your appreciation of our little special.

This car was the first austin 7 I ever bought around 25 years ago. The body on it then was seriously knackered. And didn't improve over the last 25 years.

So after all these years I wanted to do the best for it. So that reck of a car donated a chassis and engine.

I spoke to R, after he had quoted a neighbour on building a special. Wich gave me a labour cost.

I work closely with many austin 7 traders around the country, and rod had just finished the first of these bodies. He suggested he could build one including and design changes I wanted for £4,500. So now I have a body.

Easy from here you may think, NO NO NO. that's were the hard work start. I've done over 100 hour in running around myself. Transferring the car from Leicester to Glasgow to vines cross, East sussex. And back. Plus collecting up all the reconditioned electricals etc. and another 60 hour building instruments, dampers, klaxon, lamps etc. and I know R has had many hour sweating well over this car (with no tea breaks )

The build has had the best of everything, including Phoenix in the engine.

Yes there was ALOT of thought put into this build.

To every upside there is a down side, that is I will be looking to sell the car during the summer, once I've run any teething problems out of it.

Just hope everyone's input has done the car justice. And it now has a second chance. The last time the car was on the road, was 1939 when it was laid up for the war. It had 28000 on the clock.

Tony.

Location: HUNCOTE on the pig

Re: Special Project...

Malcolm Parker
Fabulous job, a special to be proud of!


Second that, love the attention to detail, a credit to both of you.

Tom

Location: Eye on the Norfolk / Suffolk border

Re: Special Project...

The Black Special left with Tony yesterday :(

Final shots before it went off to it's new home:

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Re: Special Project...

hi R,

thanks for doing the work.

i started the car up for tracy when i got home. she agrees its got a great tone [understated sports] i like it.

its fantastic to drive, maybe even better than the supersports.

thanks tony



Location: huncote on the pig

Re: Special Project...

The car looks so good that I would NOT have released it to you Tony. Yes, I suppose Ruairidh got something for all this good work, that could be a problem indeed. But no I would most certainly not have let it go, no no, no, never.

Location: Sunny springtime in Brittany

Re: Special Project...

Renaud, the car has gone to a good home!

Re: Special Project...

Malcolm Parker
Renaud, the car has gone to a good home!


Location: Sunny springtime in Brittany