A bit of shite - Austin Seven update

[horriblemercedes]

I've found that the brakes are nowhere near as bad as the reputation. But the brakes on this have been set up well. I can believe that most are worse than this one.

 

Also, the pedal operates front and rear brakes on this late one, unlike earlier ones where it operates only the rear.

[horriblemercedes]

Good progress on the Austin today!

 

Removed the radiator to get the leaking drain tap out. Freed it up and reinstalled. Also gave the whole thing a flush.

 

The only thing is that the bottom hose basically disintegrated as it came off and I didn't have anything to replace it. Unfortunately by this point, the shops were closed so I still need to get a hose for it. No big deal.

 

 Also found that pretty much every electrical connection was loose, as well as bits of corrosion, so I've cleaned them up and tightened it. I should also replace the HT leads. All this will quite probably fix the way it seems to bog down under load.

 

All in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon working in the sun with my neighbour, even if the car isn't quite ready to take out. I just need to get a small piece of hose!

 

 

 

 

[Matty]

8 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

The only thing is that the bottom hose basically disintegrated as it came off

Better now than when you're not looking!

[horriblemercedes]

I need to get some coolant to fill this when the hose arrives but I'm not sure exactly what I need. 

 

Would this be suitable? Research indicates so, but I'm not sure. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203849291127?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=YmhtqaI-RZ2&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wPwtqsq1QhC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Matty]

34 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

I need to get some coolant to fill this when the hose arrives but I'm not sure exactly what I need. 

 

Would this be suitable? Research indicates so, but I'm not sure. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203849291127?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=YmhtqaI-RZ2&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wPwtqsq1QhC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

Tbh I just throw that Prestones universal in everything but the fiesta (OAT). That includes the Austin and it seems happy.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, horriblemercedes said:

I need to get some coolant to fill this when the hose arrives but I'm not sure exactly what I need. 

 

Would this be suitable? Research indicates so, but I'm not sure. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203849291127?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=YmhtqaI-RZ2&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=wPwtqsq1QhC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

Any normal ethylene glycol antifreeze will be fine.  As will OAT if you make sure to thoroughly flush the system first (mixing types can cause issues with the additives reacting and turning into a gel).  

So if I were in your shoes I'd just go with whatever is most readily available locally where you are, and just make sure to flush the system to get any remains of whatever whoever last filled it put in there out.

[HMC]

Loving this little austin. I like how all the dimensions and simplicity mean its fun and satisfying to sort things (mostly!)

[SiC]

They're definitely coming down. This looks a pretty decent condition one that is reasonably local to me.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/385425547907187/

 

[somewhatfoolish]

That looks great; vintage shite.

[horriblemercedes]

Collected this Saab today. Feels like I've done really well. £870 on an Ebay auction. 

 

Condition is good, drives excellently. Being really picky, it has a couple of bubbles in the paint, but otherwise I can't fault it. 169k miles. I'm really happy with it so far

[horriblemercedes]

I need to rebush the gear linkage and have ordered the kit.

 

Looks doable. Has anyone actually done it? If not, I'll try to dive in next week. Seems that all manual 95s after 2004 need it eventually. That's about all that's wrong with this car

[horriblemercedes]

Well, I thought I'd put a bit of an update. No pictures sadly!

 

Haven't driven the Austin for a couple of weeks, but it's all ready for a drive. Just life gets in the way.

 

I've been away in the Saab for a few days with the seats down and loaded up to the roof - a great motorway cruiser and economical too.

I've rebushed the gear linkage and that has made it much more pleasant to drive.

Thinking of doing something about the bubbly paint on the arches and the little bit on the tailgate (might as well nip it in the bud since it's not too bad yet).

 

Other than that, my car life has been pretty simple. I'm really enjoying having this pair of cars.

[horriblemercedes]

Well, looks like that little bit of work paid off. The little Austin is running much better since I cleaned up the contacts and tightened the connectors 

[horriblemercedes]

I'm looking for a thermostat for the Saab - what do we think of Napa? Or the other options below?

This is about £35 delivered with postage:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235611645652?fits=Car+Make%3AVauxhall|Cars+Type%3A1.9+CDTi&_nkw=thermostat+vauxhall+1.9+cdti&itmmeta=01J718YM4B2WQHPCPF73WJV5CB&hash=item36db8c66d4:g:QbgAAOSwtntmb-v0&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKltuxAxOSiUnErezjhlO7XhsQdhgilf1CFaOtuxv2thUXPISFnEMAbAQS5xb2dxAAdH2cNkIiu%2Ff7pseerScBN7DM99D2RVZfRrNep19uHlmd2OWplgVu8qpex7W7XEzFX1H%2BSIpPr%2BkJvsVf0GDP8X8pnGjH6wzc0hLauxCJMPRfaq%2FModppciZ%2BWhsH00uFTmVE3gEwAcUjDqVym8eaEfBmBVakIdlPD%2BEike9r5nZu0p7VwqQc7Qa3Nzlbu9%2BQz0ExIxrviAAKwzqShP4ayc|tkp%3ABk9SR6TC-qi4ZA

 

I may be able to get Mahle from Autodoc for £60 or so, but I would prefer to buy from Parts in Motion if possible due to previous good experience.

 

Parts in Motion also lists the following brands in various prices ~£60 or so:

 

Apec

Febi Bilstein

Gates

NRF

 

Or, I could see if Vauxhall dealers still stock original ones.

[Saabnut]

1 hour ago, horriblemercedes said:

I'm looking for a thermostat for the Saab - what do we think of Napa? Or the other options below?

This is about £35 delivered with postage:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235611645652?fits=Car+Make%3AVauxhall|Cars+Type%3A1.9+CDTi&_nkw=thermostat+vauxhall+1.9+cdti&itmmeta=01J718YM4B2WQHPCPF73WJV5CB&hash=item36db8c66d4:g:QbgAAOSwtntmb-v0&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKltuxAxOSiUnErezjhlO7XhsQdhgilf1CFaOtuxv2thUXPISFnEMAbAQS5xb2dxAAdH2cNkIiu%2Ff7pseerScBN7DM99D2RVZfRrNep19uHlmd2OWplgVu8qpex7W7XEzFX1H%2BSIpPr%2BkJvsVf0GDP8X8pnGjH6wzc0hLauxCJMPRfaq%2FModppciZ%2BWhsH00uFTmVE3gEwAcUjDqVym8eaEfBmBVakIdlPD%2BEike9r5nZu0p7VwqQc7Qa3Nzlbu9%2BQz0ExIxrviAAKwzqShP4ayc|tkp%3ABk9SR6TC-qi4ZA

 

I may be able to get Mahle from Autodoc for £60 or so, but I would prefer to buy from Parts in Motion if possible due to previous good experience.

 

Parts in Motion also lists the following brands in various prices ~£60 or so:

 

Apec

Febi Bilstein

Gates

NRF

 

Or, I could see if Vauxhall dealers still stock original ones.

Check with Bill Jones at www.saabits.com Good quality, good price and excellent service, my first stop for Saab parts. If you are a member of UKSaabs there is a 10% discount available.

[SiC]

Napa and apec stats I've had fail within a few thousand miles of fitting. So I avoid them now for stats. 

Personally it would be Mahle, Gates or Febi for me. Mahle I've had a few that have been genuine stats with the OE name ground off and would be my first choice. Often also branded Behr and I think are the same company.

[DSdriver]

On 27/08/2024 at 18:58, horriblemercedes said:

Thinking of doing something about the bubbly paint on the arches and the little bit on the tailgate (might as well nip it in the bud since it's not too bad yet).

 

Front wings are bolt on so as one of mine was dented when I bought the car I waited until a perfect one in the right colour came up on ebay.  

[horriblemercedes]

14 hours ago, DSdriver said:

Front wings are bolt on so as one of mine was dented when I bought the car I waited until a perfect one in the right colour came up on ebay.  

Unfortunately my bubbly paint is on the rear arches! The fronts are so far spotless

[horriblemercedes]

14 hours ago, SiC said:

Napa and apec stats I've had fail within a few thousand miles of fitting. So I avoid them now for stats. 

Personally it would be Mahle, Gates or Febi for me. Mahle I've had a few that have been genuine stats with the OE name ground off and would be my first choice. Often also branded Behr and I think are the same company.

Yes, normally I go for Mahle and that seems to be OE supplier in this case. I've also had Mahle/Behr thermostats that are as you describe

 

It just seems they're not that readily available for this car. I'll give my local Vauxhall dealership a call, since it's the exact same part. It may well be that they stock them.

Edit:

 

I think that this seems to be pretty cheap, and the OE part. I'll go for this.

https://www.alfashop.co.uk/products/4111014

 

[horriblemercedes]

Well, I'd better update things. The Saab is fantastic. A great daily. Good MPG, fantastically comfortable and great air con.

I sold the XJ6 to @Schaefft and also the Maserati. He is a gentleman and very honest.

I regretted selling that XJ6, but really I have wanted a manual XJR for the last 30 years, so when I saw @straightSix's ad, I jumped on the opportunity. He is also a true gentleman and very honest.

I collected his manual XJR on Saturday. I'm very happy with it. My dream of 30 years has come true. I'll add some pictures. It passed MOT today.

It's certainly not perfect, but is good in all the important ways. I have to thank @straightsix for being a good guy and he has first refusal on this car. I know he was sad to see it go.

 

My dad had a brand new XJS when I was a kid, and this has the same smell. He doesn't drive any more as a result of a stroke and dementia, but he really enjoyed seeing this car and having a passenger ride in it. He always liked Jaguars.

[Schaefft]

Once again, what an awesome car. It's always great to see when cars like this stay in the community and receive a little bit of love. This certainly turned out to be a great purchase!

[horriblemercedes]

2 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Once again, what an awesome car. It's always great to see when cars like this stay in the community and receive a little bit of love. This certainly turned out to be a great purchase!

I plan to keep it, but if not, I'll do the best I can to make sure it stays in the Autoshite community.

[Matty]

A straight 6 xjr with a manual gearbox? Genuine wow. Bet that's some bloody car and not surprised your buzzing 👍

[horriblemercedes]

A fun one - I was at Donington Park last Friday (not on track) and CSCC had a race meeting and it was a test day. 

 

I bumped into Chris from Cov Cats who remembered this car as he is the one who converted it to manual in 2022. He saw me putting my things in the boot and knew the car before we even spoke! 

 

He reckoned it's overall a good one, so it was nice to get that seal of approval. He was there testing in his XJ40 XJR race car, which is a very cool thing. We had a long, nerdy chat about Jaguars. He seems a great guy and I'll happily send this car to Coventry (haha) to him for work that I can't do or don't have time to do. 

[straightSix]

11 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

A fun one - I was at Donington Park last Friday (not on track) and CSCC had a race meeting and it was a test day. 

 

I bumped into Chris from Cov Cats who remembered this car as he is the one who converted it to manual in 2022. He saw me putting my things in the boot and knew the car before we even spoke! 

 

He reckoned it's overall a good one, so it was nice to get that seal of approval. He was there testing in his XJ40 XJR race car, which is a very cool thing. We had a long, nerdy chat about Jaguars. He seems a great guy and I'll happily send this car to Coventry (haha) to him for work that I can't do or don't have time to do. 

I really like Chris! I took an xj40 to him years ago and he managed to find 2 of the pressure switches for the hydraulic suspension that had been NLA for years! Just don't make the mistake of going to the other Chris at CFS motors in Coventry...

[horriblemercedes]

Update... Earlier this week I did my first tank-tank mpg calculation. The trip computer showed 16.7mpg average. It worked out at 16.84mpg. I'm pretty happy with that. 

 

Today I took the XJR to work. At some point I glanced out of the office window and saw a guy taking pictures of it. That made my day. I'm still really enjoying this car and pondering what work I'm going to do to improve it. The rear arches show some rust, so that's probably the first thing to tackle after a good service and clean and polish 

[horriblemercedes]

I've finally used the Austin again this year.

 

I didn't do much work to it over winter, but I did give the carb a clean and slightly adjusted it. I also cleaned the contacts.

 

I had a good drive out and tested it - it's running better. It still could do with new HT leads I think, so I'll do that soon.

 

Anyway, I had the best time. The car is definitely improving and is great fun to own. Sadly one of the tyres went on the trip. I'm off to Longstone tyres in the morning to get a replacement fitted.

 

So there is some minor progress. It'll definitely be used more soon. I forgot how many waves and smiles you get when you drive it. I even had a group of students giving it a load of attention and we had a brief chat.

 

 

 

 

[horriblemercedes]

Easiest wheel removal ever. 

 

I have only done a little bit of tinkering over winter. 

 

Carb cleaned and adjusted. Electrical contacts cleaned and tightened. Rebuilt the wiper motor. They're all little bits of work that are really improving the car. 

 

Tomorrow morning I'm getting a new tyre and inner tube fitted. It's all ready to use with little running improvements as I go. 

 

I realised also why the battery drains - the instrument lights stay on even when ignition is off. I'll have to look at that, but for now, I will continue disconnecting the battery when I leave it. If I forget, I can just start it with the hand crank! 

[Matty]

Brilliant little thing. Glad to hear you're still enamoured with it 👍

[High Jetter]

Don't know how I've missed this thread, will have to go page to page 1 when I have time.