Chatter ............  

eBay  -  eHiccup 

It is sad to learn that one of our Austin Seven fraternity has lost, at least for the time being, a large sum on an eBay transaction.   Having transferred the money for an Austin Seven to a named High Street Bank the seller turned out to be fictitious, and the car did not materialise.   There are some good deals on eBay but only if they go through properly.   Don't get caught - use PayPal or even cash on collection.   Drop the deal if the seller will not comply.

Asset Management

You never know what you are going to see in the course of a day's march .........

FBHVC Drive-it Day

Sunday 23 April - Saint George's Day - was declared Drive-it Day by Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs.   The idea to promote awareness of historic vehicles with the long-term view that this will assist in preventing hostile legislation.   The FBHVC website explains this far better than I.    Happily, this date fitted precisely with Ray West's own Rushton Diesel Run - otherwise probably known as this year's Chairman's Run.   This took the form of a start at Bishops Waltham, a run to lunch at The Ship at Owslebury, and then a visit to see a Rushton diesel-engined pump on an estate near Longwood.   The full story is in the reports page

A Little Bit of Safety

In an effort to make myself, and Veronica, a bit more visible to 'moderns' approaching from behind in the darkt I decided that a contemporary yellow reflective number plate would improve matters.   Obviously not wanting to remove the existing black-and-alloy number plate, especially as I have recently acquired new ones with the correct 3 1/2 inch digits, I hit on the idea of a removable plate.   As one does not need to have two number plates displayed to the rear I decided to make the yellow one even more informative and have it show "AUSTIN 7".    It has a bungy cord from end to end and attaches by slipping this around the spare wheel, as and when necessary.

The big laugh was getting it made.   Neither of my two local retailers would entertain the project since I did not have an appropriate V5 together with my passport and a gas bill.   One of them gave me a nudge-nudge-wink-wink and suggested that a certain Sunday Market was a good place to try.   In the event a quick Google on the web found a man in Ireland who had it to me in forty-eight hours at modest cost.

Try as I might I am unable to make up AUSTIN 7 from any of the several Registration Mark formats that have ever legally existed since the introduction in 1903.   The Law is an Ass; and you may spell that with or without the R.

Plant Oxford

Several Solent members joined a party from Clatford Car Club on a trip to view the new MINI production facility ('factory' - old money), known to it's BMW masters as Plant Oxford.   What a good evening!   

Initially we were shown a very detailed film of the paint shop processes. Then thirty of us were conducted around, in our smart orange overalls, by two very well informed guides.   Firstly we went to the 'Body-in-White area where we saw the body panels (produced in Swindon) coming together and being welded into complete shells – all done by robots;  hardly a person in sight.  

One sees these robots on film or television and it does not really do them justice; the way they are programmed to avoid the infra-structure of the building is almost (but not quite) more impressive than the actual assembly operation.   The way that the panel stops short of it's destined position and then just kisses onto the joining panel would not break eggs.   Then, within a very few seconds the robotic welders have joined the two parts together.

We then walked the length of the assembly line to see the huge number of parts become a finished ‘drive away’ car.  Just about every operation that can be automated - is.    Strangely, it is relatively quiet, there is no radio, very little chat, most of the tools are battery-electric and thus less noisy than air tools, just everybody going about their task in a purposeful but unhurried manner.   

BMW certainly put their money where their mouth is when they elected to go with Mini, and without a doubt do things right or not at all.    It was interesting to compare Oxford with the Rolls-Royce assembly plant which I saw at Goodwood earlier this year.   Whilst it is only possible to compare the final assembly lines - Rolls-Royce are not allowed to manufacture on site, only assemble, under the terms of their planning permission - there is the same air of calm and purpose about it all. The big difference is that the Royce visitors overalls were very definitely 'designer label' stuff !! :)

I was looking recently at a plan of the old Isetta factory (another BMW enterprise) at Brighton.   It is amusing to see that what was then called 'Rough Assembly' in the fifties is now referred to as 'Body in White' at Plant Oxford.   But then, now-a-days we have Environmental Officers rather than Sanitary Inspectors in our PC World.   ( ----- and that's where computers come from!)

VCC Brighton Run 2005

Colin Groves had a safe, satisfying, and trouble free run again this year on Sunday 6th November.   The car to look out for is green, and is number 388.  His car is a 1904 De Dion Bouton Rear Entrance Tonneau with a single cylinder engine of about eight horse power.    

Colin enjoying a snifter on arrival at Brighton last year.

This is more than can be said for the Chairman!!!!!!!   Poor Ray had the misfortune to loose a wheel from his Ruby whilst following the route.   Fortunately there was no damage to any third party, and very little to the Ruby.   Ray tells me that the wheel got a lot farther down the road than the Car.

The Unofficial Website ???

You may well wonder why there has been a recent change in the format to this website.  The reason is simple.   The Club Committee were concerned lest content of the website should lead to some sort of legal challenge.  Thus, in order that the Club should be saved harmless and kept indemnified insofar as this website is concerned I have made the website to be mine rather than the Club's.   Thus all views expressed are not necessarily those of the Club, and content has not been passed by the Committee.

My email address is on the opening page and I will endeavor to respond to any queries.

Mike Whittome    October, 2005  

Centenary Plaques

The Club has commissioned some plaques, as shown above, to commemorate the Austin Centenary.   As you see they are modeled on the early Austin Seven patent plate.   They are available from Mike Tye for the very modest sum of three quid.   The size is 2⁹/₁₆" ( 65mm new money ).   One already graces the nearside front interior panel of the  Webmeister Chummy!   Thanks Mike, for organising these.

Dodgy Brake Cable Caps

Your Webmeister recently had occasion to disconnect  his front brake cable.   On cleaning it up he discovered a) that it was split,  b) that it was so rusted that it was possible to see daylight through the end, and c) the good news that there was a part number stamped on it!   For fuller details go to the Technical page.

The Chairman's Crankshaft

It is sad to learn that the Chairman had the crankshaft of his newly restored Ruby break whilst on a routine local trip to Southampton.   The good news is firstly that he has a spare 'in stock', and secondly that it did not break on his recent trip to Cofton Park.   On that occasion he only suffered a defunct coil ! 

Restoration DVD

The following query has been posted by Philip Bottomley  on the Austin Seven Friends Forum .............

"I overheard a conversation at Beaulieu about a DVD of a RN Restoration in Sussex, I think the talkers were from the Solent Club. They were praising the quality - not sure if of the DVD or Restoration.    Any details available?   Will there be copies at Longbridge?"         Phil.

Has anyone in the Club any knowledge to share???

Seven Links

We now have a listing on Geoffrey Redman's 'Seven Links' site.   This really is the absolute Google of the Austin Seven world.   There must be very little Austin Seven information which cannot be accessed through this excellent site.   Thanks for including us Geoff.

Forum

May I commend to you the Austin Seven Friends website forum.   There is a deal of leg pulling amongst some serious and interesting stuff.   Particularly it is frequented by Sandy Croall who is the Association Registrar.   With the demise of the two Australian forums (fora ?!) this is probably the only place of it's kind where information is exchanged internationally ...................... unless you know otherwise.   I have put links to both the website and the forum on the Links page.

Steering Arm Breakage

After John Pike's nasty moment on the recent evening run, there is some more detail to be found on the Technical page.   Details of the source of these replacement items is also given there.

They are coming to take him away - Ha Ha!

Despite the fact that this website has now 'gone live' (wef. 21 March 2005) there is absolutely no truth in the rumour that the men in white coats removed Mike Whittome from his home in the early hours of Tuesday morning.   They were green coats.

A Blue Ruby

Members will be pleased to learn that the Ruby, which has been so lovingly restored by the Chairman, made it's first official appearance last week.   Parked outside St. Peters Church, Beauworth, it attracted much admiration.   Ray has certainly excelled himself, particularly in the trimming department.   We wish him many enjoyable miles in his new treasure - - - particularly as he still does not know what the final registration mark is going to be! 

Beaulieu Chummy

Members will wish to purchase the April '05 edition of 'Practical Classics' - due on the news-stands on first of March,     Our Secretary - or rather his splendid Chummy - is about to burst into print.   I will let him explain it to you, but suffice to say that his car was treated to a photo shoot in the splendid Beaulieu auto-studio.   If you have not seen the results ask him to show you.  ...or buy the magazine   ...or both.

Yellow ticket – 374 .....

You may well think that the following is a romance, but I swear that every word is the gospel truth!   At the second Solent meeting which I attended I was fortunate enough to win the last prize in the raffle – a jar of Jean’s home-made lemon curd.   Now I am rather partial to lemon curd, and as it is the approved procedure with the best home made variety I put it straight into the ‘fridge when I got home.  

Next afternoon I decided to try some.   I buttered a couple of slices, applied a liberal spread of lemon curd, and got stuck in.   Now, tea in our house is an informal meal taken standing up in the kitchen;  which is just as well.   Having taken what can only be described as a greedy bite out of the sandwich I was forced to spit it straight into the kitchen sink.   Ugh! Err-r r!   I was not at all impressed with Jean’s culinary expertise, and voiced this quite loudly.   So loudly in fact that Christine came from the next room to see what all the fuss was about. 

Not as good as that pot which won you a prize at the village flower show, I told her, this lot tastes all soapy.   And that was the end of the matter.   That is until the last meeting when again the last prize was another of Jean’s pots of lemon curd.   Then someone mentioned hand soap.   The penny dropped!

Sorry Jean.   I am absolutely certain that you proper lemon curd is the very finest.   Thanks, by the way, for running the raffle each month.

In the immortal words of the late Captain Mainwaring  -  “Stupid boy”.  

ps   I have won three pots in the last year though.   Splendid stuff!!! 

Sadly we lost Jean, after a short illness, in February of 2005