I thought I would start a new post, as I got a bit lost going through the previous 2, or was it 3?

My radiator definitely sucks - and I mean that in the technical sense and not in American slang! The radiator has no cold spots on it, so I think I've got some sludge in the block and I will get to it shortly and flush it out - to start with anyway.

I can't see any marks on the fan, but maybe there is something on the other side. David Cochrame asked for a photo. I see he has a website, so I will send him one.

I trundled up to the next village in it last night and it didn't gurgle or spit at all. Instead it would not go up the hill in top as it normally does and I had to change down. One door closes and then another one shuts, as they say. I came back in the dark and had a blackout (the car, not me) going down a hill. A quick panic thump on the switchboard restored some light and I got home Ok. Another job on the list.

I would not like to go too far in the dark with it - the lights are pretty usless and the battery discharges with the headlights on. Side lights still give a charge and no lights gives me lots - 8ish amps. Is this normal?

Thanks again for all the advice.

I see we have another A7 1935 Tourer in France. There was a picture of it in French News (English language paper) this week. He is having trouble registering it, but as he did not give his address, we cannot help.It is a fairly easy process, so don't know why he has hit problems.

Reckless Rat - is yours French registered?

There is another one which was sold in England earlier this year to someone not 20km from me, but I have never seen or heard of it or him.

8 amps discharge sounds about right. Type in "LED lights" in our search box and you can get info for modern bulbs using less juice and are brighter! mac

Hello Don

I think from your message that you are saying that with all the lights off you can get an 8 amps charge indication on the Ammeter. That would mean that with the lights on and sensible bulbs fitted you would be indicating around "0" amps, or maybe a slight discharge - the ignition takes and amp or a bit more.

On 6 volts, a 24 watt bulb will draw 4 amps
A 36 watt bulb will draw 6 amps etc.

The Dynamos are rated at about 8 amps continuous and I know that some owners are happy to coax around 12 amps out of them.

A good 80 Ampere Hour battery, which has been well charged prior to embarkation is a sound insurance policy.

Best regards,

Barry R.

Whoops,

Have just remembered that you have a Magneto engine and so would be running a CAV "DFL" Dynamo.

Please ignore my previous "senior moment" ramblings about current drawn by the ignition system etc.

The 8 amps you are talking about for this type of set up is around the top end of what you could possibly expect to safely draw from a "DFL" Dynamo.

They were originally rated at around 6 amps continuous.



Regards,

Barry R.

My RP is French Registered, and to be honest it wasn't that hard. If you want to pass on my details to this chap I'll be more than happy to help him out with any advice.

bjl2634@wanadoo.fr

Any cars in France, and thus a new Registration number, I would not mind knowing about for the Register.

I have had no luck with either the UK based Rosenburg Register or any of the french Clubs, so Rosenburgs are sparse on the Register.

German cars seem to keep their Chassis numbers to themselves, something to do with privacy......

Those who have had anything to do with Australian cars will know they are not required to record their VIN (Chassis) number and often change their Reg Numbers, life as a Registrar can have it's complications.

Then again in Switzerland you have one reg plate for all your cars, based on the fact you can only drive one car at a time.

Meanwhile, any details of cars in France always welcome.

I have correspondance at present with a very early chassis 'special' in Finland, hopefully it should be in the Grey Mag. - Ruairidh - I have a CD of pictures etc in the post to you on this one.

Sandy Croall
Registrar A7CA

Don
Which part of France,I am in 22 ,so it may have been me. On the Tour de Bretagne the year before last there was an English owned Box saloon and he had it registered 56. Also there was an A7 special sold on Ebay in July or August and that is only 10 km from me. I do not propose registering mine French and still keep my MGB GTV8 English and have not had any problem (touch wood )

Kerbut, dear ex-pat. Take Rekkers advice and register your cars if France if you are permanently resident.In the event of an unscheduled "controle" by the Gendarmerie or the Police Nationale, I will guarantee that they will go out of their way to make the experience a memorable one. I know a number of ex-pats who are "taking the risk" by not naturalising their GB cars but sooner or later they'll find out to their cost that it's not a good idea. Whilst there are french insurance companies who will give cover to foreign registered vehicles, I'm not sure whether they'll cover you in the event of a mishap.

Why not register your old cars anyway. With a carte grise "vehicule de collection" you only need to have it tested the once, and classic car insurance is dirt cheap (I pay 43€ for the A7 and it includes recovery/breakdown).

Keep your old plates (like I've done) and clip them on top of the new ones once you've got to where you're going, at shows, rallies etc.

If you've emigrated to foreign lands then you should do the honourable thing and conform to the laws of the country which has granted you its protection.

Kerbut,

I'm with the Rat on this one, ref. registering in France. All you need is a bit of bad luck one day and get stopped by a Gendarme who is in a bit of a bad mood - and is not fond of old cars. At a favourite checking point near me, one of them is often a woman who tots a shotgun over her shoulder. Sounds like Dukes of Hazard stuff, but what if she is in a bad mood? And as you know, that could be fairly frequent! I avoid that crossroads, even though I am legal.

You say "it might have been me", but I am not sure what you mean here. Is it the unknown local A7 man that I mentioned? If so, it is not you - I live in 47 and the "unknown A7 man" is in 82. The chap I mentioned who wrote to French News and who was having trouble registering his A7 is called Bernard Juby, but he gives no more details.

Reply to Sandy: My A7 is on your register, with both its old and new registration numbers. If I come across any others, I will encourage them to get on the register.

Lastly, I mentioned in one of my my posts the Ruby that was auctioned for around £3500 near Bordeaux recently. In our weekly petrolhead rag "La Vie De l'Auto", the main point they highlighted about the auction was the bad condition of most of the cars - and that applied to the A7. It just shows you what happens when 3000 people turn up at an auction for 103 cars. In last week's issue, someone was selling an A7 Special (on UK plates) for £18000. I'm not up to speed on prices, but that seems a lot to me.

Thanks for your advice. As I was on my way back from sinking a few frosties at the local café, the amperages I quoted can only be desribed as very approximate. Goodness knows how accurate the ammeter is either. Anyway, I will give the old girl a good checkout when I sober up.

Senior moments, I have them joined up!

Sandy, you've got my car's details on the register with both it's "old" reg no and its new French one.

To register a "classic" in France all you need is an "Attestation" from the F:F:V:E: (Federation Francaise de Vehicules de l'Epoque) which costs about 30€. Then you go and get a Controle Technique (MOT) and then you go to the Prefecture to get your "Carte Grise" (Log Book): You will need to visit the local Tresor Public to prove your residence, as they'll also need an "Attestation Fiscale", and you'll have to surrender your V5 or Cert of export. Once you've done all that, you're fully legal in France - no further need for MOTs, no Road Tax, and cheap classic insurance. The only difficulty you may encounter is that it is almost impossible to re-sell a vehicle which has "Carte Grise Collection", so make sure you intend to keep it, or re-export it to the UK if you want to sell it on. Re-registering in the UK is a piece of cake.

PS

Anyone know why Don's last post has appeared before mine, even though it's out of chronological order?

Don would have replied to the post he was reading at the time, so this sometimes results in there being "new" posts lost in the middle of a thread!

Steve

Don
The Austin Special for sale in La Vie d,Auto was it advertised with an 0296 number,if it was the one that I mentioned which lives near me,I think he is a dealer,as one day when I drove past his house he had several kit cars there,heavens know why,they are impossible to register in France

Rekkers
I am not trying to flout the law not French registering the car, In the 14 years we have been here all my modern cars have been French registered .My v8 carries an English MoT and I tax it for the year paying Uk road tax (yes I know there is no road tax in France but if it is not taxed ,its not insured.) I insure it with a uk annual green card . The 7 will only be in France 6 month per year ,so is within the law (unless you take any notice of Angloinfo) My Traction Avant is under a Carte Gris Vehicule de collection but its a pain only being able to go to one department either side of you without having to submit a volet.I insure the Traction with a company who advertise in L,Vie and pay 52 eur. per year

Kerbut, I don't want to start an argument, and there was nothing personal intended. I was just trying to point out the risks that 'some' people from the UK may be exposing themselves to when they become permanently resident in France, but still continue to run about in their UK registered vehicles year after year. (I know a number of them and sooner or later they'll find out to their cost). If you're happy with your own circumstances, then fine.

In my case, having sold up and moved lock, stock & barrel to France I decided that it was only right & proper to naturalise myself and my toys in my new country of residence. I have a French Driving Licence and all the 'toys' are now french registered and legal.

If your V8 is fully UK legal AND it hasn't been permanently exported then you might be OK, but I'd just like to add the caveat that a UK issued green card normally only covers you abroad for a maximum of 60 days.

If you are permanently resident and have been for over 12 months then you should have a French driving licence. A DVLA licence will still bear a UK address (they won't issue one to a foreign address, I've tried!)so when Mr Gendarme asks to see your Garte Grise for your Traction and then your Permis de Conduire, he could get very suspicious if the addresses don't match up - however, if you're in your V8 he probably won't bother. I just wonder whether taking the cars back to the UK once a year for an MOT is worth the bother (and the expense). Perhaps you're nearer the Channel ports than I am. It took me FOUR days to get here in the A7!

Coppers are Coppers the world over. They might appear thick at times, but they're far from stupid. I know, I worked with them for 30 years!

Reckkers
No argument intended , yes I do have a French Permis and also have a Carte de Sojour which was needed 14 years ago . Channel port is only an hour away ,so no problem with Mot, as It is due in January and the ferry prices are cheap then

Running Hot - Cleaning out the head and Block, in the December issue of Practicle Classics they are recommending Acid Dip and Chemical Washing by a firm called Specialist Engines in Gray, Essex. Cost £47 plus collection/delivery. That is with the engine dismantled (of course).

Just thought I would share that with you. There's also an article on converting to 12V system.

Those in the Cornwall Club will have seen another excellent article by Geoff Hardmann re. Cut out's in the November issue of the Club magazine, expect it to be copied to a few other club mags before the summer........

Sandy

I have searched, but I must have thrown out the relevant issue. But I remember that it was sitting in its own little triangular framed trailer, which looked new.