What is an reasonable expectation of pace on the roads from an 1931 '7'. My Swallow saloon seemed very slow this morning, straining to reah 20mph in second gear whilst 3rd gear took me to around 30mph. After an age it managed 35mph. I'm sure it was quicker last year or am I expecting to much? Its only carrying me at 13 stone 8 pounds too.

That does seem very slow!

My Ulster rep. will happily do 60 (if the road is smooth enough.)

I have a 'bog standard' 1933 RP saloon and it'll do 40mph all day on the flat. I can push it to nearly 50mph if there's no headwind and I did touch 60 one day on the motorway, (a slight downhill bit) before I lost my nerve and slowed down before it self destructed!

Sounds like yours is either tired or not set up properly.

David, It is difficult to comment with out making sure the car is "set up ". New fuel .points set at 12thou. correct plugs set at 20thou. timing advanced well. good compressions and tappet clearences good. In my case my '31 pulls a comfortable 30 in second and will cruise at just under 50 all day. I have all these settings and have set my valve clearences at 8thou. I have the original solid distributor that is locked. oh... and the brakes arn't binding?

My 30RL with an engine made out of not yet worn out parts also happily does 50, I've got a volkie dizzy and a later zenith, but still with the correct low comp head. As said earlier, check everything, my plugs are set to 18though, 12 for the points.

Sounds to me like it wants fiddling with a bit

Thank you Gentleman once again I am indebted. I will be noting the gaps the engine should be set up at and see what we can find. Last year (before she hibernated) she was much faster, cruising at an easy healthy 40mph.

Mac your comment about new fuel intrigues me, I always look forward to taking the 7 out that has hibernated for the winter with the previous years old petrol, it goes much better till the first fill of the year. I want to know how I can legally store petrol so it can age.

Head in the engine bay this morning and went for a good long run of 80 miles and pleased to say that having taken the advise and 'done the gaps' she is running far better now. Thanks for help.

David M there is no doubt that the efficacy of 95 octane petrol is lost if it is 8/12 weeks old. So I think it is the exuberance felt in driving a "proper " car again after its lay up that gives you that impression. It is possible to buy a stabilizer to add to it if you are going to lay up the car.but my advice is change it. I have lost count of the no. of calls on the line " I put my car away ,running perfectly and it wont start ,I have checked everything! change the fuel I say sagely. it is reportd back. this does the trick. If you take a sample of it and compare with new you will see the old fuel resembles brown windsor soup. However As is always the case the exception proves the rule and many cars start up on old fuel, get driven to the garage and topped up with fresh, so run reasonably well. As my dear old Dad used say"Give it a blow out to get did of the cobwebs!"

Malcolm, of this Forum, has a car salesman neighbour who carries a spare can of petrol in his demo cars, he empties it every few weeks (into a car, for the pedantic) and puts in new fuel, because he says!! it gets tired, it's not so 'good', which seems to support Mac's advise.

Sandy

At a talk given to our Austin Seven Club a few years ago, the BP representative told us that the fully effective life of petrol on the shelf (presumably the same if in a tank) is about one month. Cheers, Bill in Oz

Sorry Mac, one of our Sevens hibernates in the winter the other is in use unless the roads are salted. So it is comparing one Seven with another, they have the same engine build whilst the one that hiberbnates has a 3 speed box, the other a four speed. I get the 3 speed one out and it goes much better than the 4 speed till I fill it up.

I n t e s t i n g.......

Mac,
Would that apply to petrol stored in an air tight can?
John

The oxidising of fuel is very real, and a big problem with garden machinery.
Some small petrol machines have now been fitted with special fuel caps by the manufacturers, which are designed to dispense a measured amount of an additive when required to "keep" the fuel for longer.

Steve.