hi everyone! first post for me

i have just bought an Austin seven 1931 year, the car formally belonged to bill boddy (mbe), is there anybody on here that give me any advice or history on this car?

it is the first classic car that i have ever owned and i am well chuffed with it


ps... my name is sean, and hello to everyone on here!!!

Hi, Congratulations on your purchase, was it the one from ebay? What part of the country are you from,we will then point you in the direction of your nearest A7 group who will be able to offer you help if you need any. Can you post some photos???
Reagards
Andy Mitchell Chesterfield Derbys

?

As Bill Boddy owned several Austin Sevens, can you tell us which car you have? If I recall correctly the last one he owned was a replica Ulster and he was disappointed to find after purchase it had a fibreglass body. If this is yours it is easy to identify which Bill Boddy 7 it is. Good Luck with whichever Seven you have and I'm sure you'll get great enjoyment, particularly if you join an Austin Seven Club and have a good social life as well as mechanical advice and like-minded motoring. Cheers, Bill in Oz

HI ANDY, i am from lancashire, and yes it was the one from ebay! we agreed on a price for him to withdraw it from sale

HOW DO I POST PICTURES?

HI BILL, its an austin seven box...reg no KJ 2015
i will try and work out how to post pictures tomorrow for everyone

according to the old buff log book it was also owned by a museum down in wales for some time... as i have only had it a day I'm still in research mode at the moment so cheers for any info

Hi Sean. It could well be the Box saloon that Boddy quoted " I used a 1934 box-like saloon almost throughout the war, this one jamming itself across a road, because its front-axle radius arms has fallen down and acted as a very effective sprag when I tried to reverse - but, like a typical Austin Seven, it soon recovered and went on and on, bringing home from maternity wards each of my three daughters in succession..." I hope this is the one you have, just for the amusememt alone. He may have also been mistaken about the year of the model, so hopefully you can find out in due course if that's the same one. Cheers, Bill

According to the Austin 7 Clubs Association register KJ 2015 is a short wheelbase saloon first registered 8 May 1931 chassis No 137789. I think that makes it a RM saloon.

yes dave it is a short wheel base! sorry to sound naive but am right in calling it a box saloon? and what is the difference with the rm model?

bill, its good to here you story about your daughters and the austin

thank you everyone for your kind replies... I'm just going to have an hour in the garage now!!!

sean.

SORRY BILL, just reading your original post... "that Boddy quoted!!! "

Hi Shaun,

Welcome indeed. I too am a novice A7 owner but learning fast. I am like you and have 1931 RM Saloon so if there are any questions I will try to help.

Regards

Chris

Hi Sean, You'll notice by now that there are the odd few Austin seven owners around ready to give advice. Mine is to stay in the garage and only emerge for emergencies or to go for a drive! No need to say have fun because you just will, and when some tiny problem arises there will always be more than enough willing hands.

RM is the works model ref this was followed by the RN saloon in October 1931, then the RP saloon in October 1932, there was no RO saloon. R was the saloon prefix Open or Tourers had another ref. If the transmission tunnel is original you will find the body number stamped on it just behind the cover for the fabric coupling, it will read RM 1234.

Sean, to post pictures, go to Mike Whittome's post AUG 12th 2007 . "Putting thumbnail pictures on the Forum-part 3"... Mac

Mike - re your "odd few Austin Seven owners" ..... We aren't all that odd are we? Eccentric maybe? Cheers, Bill

OK here i go with the pictures
the first picture is one of the car before i bought it, the second picture(not very good) was last night... a bit crappy (sorry), but i will do some proper ones tomorrow!






gentlemen! add vice please?... i don't know if i like the front spot light would you recommend that it should be removed??? would it have been original?

Sean - Congrats, It's a great little car. No, the spotlight wouldn't be original, probably not even an after-market item at the original time. But more importantly, provided you like it and it's useful, why not leave it on? Unknown to you, but the subject of a previous thread, your May '31 car lends more argument to my suggesting that the Source book is wrong about when the pressed (previously a small bolt-on) radiator badge came into being. You may not yet know that Austin Seven chassis, engine, body, numbers were all embraced under one Car Number. My (unrestored) fabric-bodied version of yours is also May '31, Car number B4 120 - so you may find a similar (probably close) number. Just trivial interest. Cheers, Bill in Oz

Forgot to mention - the radiator (winged) cap suggests a replacement rad. core/tank from a later model. If the shell has also come from a later car, it doesn't help my argument at all ! Cheers, Bill in Oz

Sean, It does look like an early RN with the straight doors, rad is from a later model but thats not a problem, also keep the spot light it looks good!!!!
Jon

Definately an RM , not RN , this is a short wheelbase car .

Dear Mr. Sheehan, perhaps 'odd' was an ill chosen word. After much deeper thought the words 'stark' and 'raving' and another one which escapes me, spring to mind. In support of this theory I can offer the fact that once I had a pension and a wee bit saved. Then I met a man with a '7'. Now I have six Austins! Am I happier? Most certainly, and I've got a whole new batch of........friends!

HI EVERYONE!...been out for a drive in the car today its great fun! i have a couple of questions to ask if that's ok,
the engine sounds very rumble,y or knock'y, is that normal?...using the advance and retard i can make the noise go away though, but that causes power loss
2nd, the amps meter is on discharge? should it be reading charge?, and when i put the lights on it reads even less???

and big hills... i have to go up in 1st gear

cheers for any info.
sean

Hi Sean, are you, like me new to the A7, because you seem to have the same fears as I do. maybe we should start a new thread for the new owner .I am going for a drive tomorrow regadless,but i will make sure i have my AA card with me.

On the topic of RM saloon Radiators Bolt on vs Pressed wing variety, I have a march R M saloon Chassis no 132534 with its original Radiator shell/ core and it is Pressed. My other original R M which is January 1931 has the bolt on variety-I think as Bill Sheehan that the dates are wrong and that perhaps both were used for some time?I seem to remember Bill Boddy referring to this car in more Recent times. in one of the classic car mags-or Motorsport-Someone else may remember exactly where

Hello Keith
Well their not the quietest engines in the world and yes they can rumble a bit, but you should be able to maintain a steady forty on the flat without any rattles, hills are a different matter all together!!
Charging, you should see a reading of about five amps on the charging side, when you are running, without anything switched on. With the lights switched on it will always show a discharge this is normal.
Regards
John

It would be impossible to describe or diagnose if your car is running ‘normal’, on this forum as Austin Sevens sound so rough to the uninitiated that you would be sure you had a problem even if you hadn’t. You need to let someone who knows have a ride to put your mind at rest. Don’t try to compare with anything ‘modern’ (made in the last 30 years!) Don’t even ask about the handling! 7s are unique, and like Marmite you love them or hate them. Enjoy your car, I wish I had bought it, as it is my favorite model A7 and it looks to be a lovely example.

Hi Sean, Re big hills and first gear. Don't worry, when you find REALLY big hills you can use reverse!

When I bought our '29 Saloon in 1964,the chief engineer of the ship on which I sailed, told me that Austin 7's lost way on hills invisible to the naked eye. He was right then ,and in certain circumstnces,he's stil right now.

i appreciate all your comments gentlemen, thank you

my car has been on the drive all day and i finally maneged to get the photos i have been promising!!!

i have done lots of pictures , so if you see anything that is not right, i welcome your views

cheers, sean.





















PS, the pipe wrapped round the steering column is from the vacuum wiper (it came loose!)

and can you tell me what the silver colored cone thing is/ attached to the left hand side of my dashboard ???

KayJay looks pretty good with most of her original kit, however I would replace that modern fuel filter before it causes you problems. That type of filter is designed for a pressure feed and may restrict the flow of a gravity system. I know a line filter wasn't original kit but I've fitted small glass bowl type filters after problems with water in the petrol on our RN saloons.

Hello Sean,
Having studied in great detail your fine photos I can confirm that it is definitely a "Silver coloured cone thing!" now we will all want one!

re: 'silver coloured cone thing' looks to me like the base of an ash tray, search for the rest under the carpet! Have fun, Mike.

The silver Cone Thing is the base of the Flower Vase Which seem To remember W B referring to in an article I read somewhere I will find it Eventually!

I forgot to Say That it is a very Nice R M saloon-Identical to my own even the colour of the dash etc. looks to be in really sound condition-they are great cars!-Steve H in N Z

Re silver cone, I would hazard a guess, having seen something similar many years ago on the dash of a very original 1920's Singer saloon - a period accessory at the time - it probably had a second silver upright cone attached to your base, similar to a small ice cream cone to hold your (button hole) flower of choice. It's the remains of a flower vase - strange but true. I have some illustrations of similar accessories in an old 1930's catalogue, will post images when I have time. 'Desmo' and 'Nesthill' amongst others produced them.

Jeff

.


Sean,

you asked .........

'and can you tell me what the silver colored cone thing is/ attached to the left hand side of my dashboard ?'

As others have deduced it seems to be the base of a flower vase.

I have attached a picture of the one in John Harris's 1923 Chummy, snapped at Beaulieu 2005. I do hope that John does not mind.

Mike

I think your rear view mirror has dropped off.(clue: its in the glovebox)
Regards
Andy

sean - one of your questions was about the ammeter showing discharge. It appears to be doing that even when car stopped/engine not running. Hopefully someone on this site with electrical knowledge it's a foreign language to me) will assist, if not consult an auto electrician, 'cos doesn't look right to me. Again Good Luck & Enjoy. Cheers, Bill in Oz

cheers mike the pictures! and everyone for the kind replies i think i am going to remove the remainder of the flower vase
just for safety reasons, mark last night i did manage to fit the rear view mirror back on

i may be getting a bit paranoid but i would like a second opinion on the sound of my engine, so i am looking for some help please gents! is there anyone in the lancashire area that would be prepared to let me have a listen to there engine (to compare sound) ? or you could come and give your views on mine? i live at fence village, in pendle

cheers sean.