apart from it's rough engine(!), another intersting feature of our car is that it has a panhard rod to locate lateraly the front axle.
We made it up and fitted it last summer, and combined with thicker disks in the rear shock aborbers, it has transformed the handling, the car feels glued to the road in a way that A7's normally don't.
It's made of 15mm steel tube, with a silentbloc bushes at each end, one end mounts on a bracket hanging down behind the central shock absorber mounting, the other end on two lugs welded onto the front end of the nearside radius arm. It's hidden behind the number plate so it doesn't look too obvious.
Has anyone else tried this? If not, I recommend it!

Page 91, 'Austin 7 Specials' by Bill Williams
Page 186 'The Companion' from 750MC
Both describe a similar arrangement, Bill Williams describing it as ".. a form of Panhard rod".

Basically connecting one of the front arms down to the front axle without the shackle between, but the bush is modified and the forces are taken up by a 3/4" tube etc.

Naomi

This is definetely something I'd like to try on my special when it hits the road. Interesting to hear your observations tom.

I have experience of fitting Panhard rods to rear drive 70's Fords (sorry I know I cant mention that word on this site, but it is relevant).
The Panhard rod whilst locating the axle and restricitng its movement to a controlled arc also has a significant effect on the roll centre height and therefore lateral weight transfer. I found by varying the fitted height of the rod up or down I could make SIGNIFICANT changes to the vehicles roadholding. In fact being a skinflint I couldnt afford a LSD and found that lowering the rear roll centre via the Panhard rod reduced the weight transfer accross the rear driven wheels and gained usefull traction.
I am definetly going to fiddle in this area when I get up and running, the only problem with most of the Austin Seven ones I've seen is that they are all a bit short, realy they should be as long as possible to reduce the sideways shift due to their arc of movement.

Steve.

yes, that is a problem, we got round it by making the pick up on the chassis as far across as possible - by angling to the opposite side of the car. There is inevitably a conflict in the arc of movement, but that is absorbed by the spring shackles, which provide no positive lateral location anyway. In practice it seems to work quite well.