Austin A30 fast lane cruising MOVE OVAH

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

This was doing 75 odd down the Dronfield bypass (twixt Sheffield and Chesterfield) this morning. It was overtaking stuff willy nilly like he JUST DIDN'T CARE YO.

 

Nice to see one of these out and about and not being driven at 47.7 mph but given some beans. I suspect this one had 948 or 1098 big block powaah. The 803 would have exploded at 60.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

My dad's first car was a 1959 Austin A35 - were they basically the same car, or did they upgrade them a fair bit?

 

In the early '80s on a family holiday, we saw an A30 parking up on the seafront in the South of France. In those days quite a few people with powerful cars like an XJ6 or an S Class used to drive all the way down in one go - without stopping. With the emptier roads, people doing this would really put their foot down.

 

I remember my dad's amazement that the A30 had done the same thing - driven all the way from somewhere in the midlands to the French Riviera, only stopping to fill up with petrol and change over drivers.

[dugong]

There was a blown A35 knocking around recently with MG Metro Turbo running gear. I think you may have found it.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The A35 had a painted grill and bigger rear screen, spoiling the styling a bit IMO. 

[castros_bro]

There used to be a couple of A35s in a scrap yard near Oberammergau when I worked near there and drove about in a UK reg A35 van.

[Squire_Dawson]

Thanks for posting this, Rev. It restores my faith in shite and makes me smile.

[seth]

Midget diff in the back axle I'd hope, for sustained high speed cruising.

 

My first car was an A35 but I am not Magnificent Rustbuckets dad.

[STUNO]

75mph+ means deffo repowered and probably a 5 speed box. And hopefully some upgrades to the brakes.

[Bear]

Not visible in shot - very long tow rope caught on Audi A5

[captain_70s]

There is a guy near me who has an A30 running it's original 803cc engine as his daily driver, his wife has a Triumph Herald convertible.

..

I find my Dolomite 1300 underpowered enough to be honest, a steady 55mph cruise is achievable on a flat although I once had it pinned at 75 on a downhill stretch of a dual carriageway...

[Bear]

And yet by the '60s, those two aircooled rolling roadblocks from Europe - Beetle and 2CV6 - were capable of 65mph flat out cruising all day. My Dyane 6 could hit an indicated 80 - once overtook an Astra GTE on a bend with it rather than slow down.

[skoda_fan]

Personally I wouldn't drive something like that in that way as it wouldn't seem "kind". Do like this post though and agree it's nice to hear of one being used in anger. A few years ago I stayed away from home for a while for work reasons. My accommodation overlooked a multi-storey. Every evening this guy would race an old Hillman Minx to the top of it, tyres squealing and engine revving, and abandon it there for the night. Made me wince and smile at the same time.

[captain_70s]

My Dolomite is lacking in compression, worn exhaust valves are allowing a litre of oil to escape every 100 miles, it's not the healthiest of motors!

 

Also Dolomite OHV engines like to eat their big end bearings if you keep them over 4,000rpm for sustained periods of time, and 4,000rpm = 60mph(ish) in top gear. The BMC A-Series is probably sturdier.

[dugong]

I got an indicated 100 out of my Amazon once. 
 

[Vin]

It's a 1098 according to Doovla...

[mercrocker]

803cc ones are a bit wheezy but if that A30 has even a 1098 in it 70 plus would be no problem. A30/A35 owners are an intrepid bunch, too.

[Asimo]

 

Supercharged?

[Taff]

Midget diff in the back axle I'd hope, for sustained high speed cruising.

 

My first car was an A35 but I am not Magnificent Rustbuckets dad.

 

was your the black/yellow flames one?

 

There was one of these kicking about here a couple of years back, BRG, rostyles, midget diff and twin carb 1098, it looked a right laugh

[Jerzy Woking]

My dad had a company A35 van with rear seats, in which we had many happy trips in. Then my brother had a black A35 4 door with grey fibreglass wings that flopped around at any speed.

 

But the one I remember most was one parked up in the garden of a house in Broomfield, Essex many, many years ago. It was black but with a roof chop, wide alloy wheels, and Mk1 Cortina rear lights. It looked just so right for what sounds so wrong. I always wanted to own it (still do!).

[Angrydicky]

That guy is on the A30 forum, I'm pretty sure he lives in Dronfield. It was the A30/35 International rally last weekend at Sheffield, don't think this one was there (surprisingly) but I could have missed it as there were a lot of A30s there. I went in the Zummerzet as my A35 isn't running very well at the moment.

 

About 70 is as fast as I've ever gone in a baby Austin before I chickened out, haha.

[seth]

was your the black/yellow flames one?

 

 

Yes, but it was not the one that Matt Howell did when he worked at Street Machine, which was a four door I think.

 

 

Mine got a 1098 too, before it was written off by a smack up the back from an Escort convertible when I stopped at a Zebra crossing.

[purplebargeken]

Back in the day I was chasing a new Ford Escort XR3 in Cheshire in my K reg Toledo. My speedo was bouncing of the needle and he wasn't that far in front. The Triumph 1500 engine is the more fragile, 1300's are tough little buggers. A Spittie cam, twin carbs and a freer flowing manifold would be fun. 

[anonymous user]

Seth, the like was for the car, not for it being written off.

 

My A35 has not sold, apparently due to the lack of brakes, so it is going in to be sorted out - if I can find local storage I shall keep it, otherwise I'll have to let it go. If I asked nicely my brother might look after it for me, but he has already had my TR7 down there for the last three, or is it four, years now.

[dugong]

Back in the day I was chasing a new Ford Escort XR3 in Cheshire in my K reg Toledo. My speedo was bouncing of the needle and he wasn't that far in front. The Triumph 1500 engine is the more fragile, 1300's are tough little buggers. A Spittie cam, twin carbs and a freer flowing manifold would be fun. 

 

That's good, because a Spitfire 1500 ranks among one of the worst cars I've ever driven - and I've helmed a Nissan Juke with no brakes before.