Its a bloody good idea. Ive bent the floor on my RL since fitting the luggage rack. I shall probably take it off.

Hi,
My employer, Mentor and Friend was Len Southward.(LBS).
He was very kind to me and taught me most of my intimate knowledge of Sevens. The main reason for the chassis Strengthening trick was to prevent the chassis bending forward of the steering box and giving the car a nose up appearance. the relatively big hole for the steering box /brake pedal was the reason for weakness in this area in his and my opinion . I have seen many chassis which support this fact.
Len told me he did variations on this modification which enabled the seven to be fitted with a tow bar. He reckoned the increased torsion of the chassis was a good thing and stopped the cars breaking their backs on the rough country back-roads prevalent here in the '30s.
Len used to re-bore Austin Sevens with the engine in - situ with a van Norman portable bar which he kindly gave to me when I was an apprentice.
The cost in 1935 was 5 pounds (including new Pistons) and was done same - day. Five pounds was around two weeks pay if you had a job then!

Location: Wellington NZ