My brother's Austin 7 Special

[BikerGran]

He's had this car since I was a kid (I use to be his spanner monkey) - it's been off the road for years but he's finally found a great local garage to restore it for him as he's 75 and find the spannering harder now - I sympathise!

It looks white in the pics but this is actually grey primer - it will be back to BRG when finished

My brother's Austin 7 Special

There an Austin 7 racing engine to go back in here - oh yes, believe it!

My brother's Austin 7 Special

Peter's very proud of the instrument panel - all his own work

My brother's Austin 7 Special

And I'm very proud of my brother!  Severely deaf all his life, very little education because of that, but he was an excellent engineer (mostly self taught).  He originally bought this complete but in a bit of a state, I remember him scraping shell bearings and working on the chassis in the big workshop we had at the bottom of the garden (Dad was a petrolhead too)
Hope to get a ride in it again when it's done!

[Manky Monkey]

That's lovely. I like the split front beam.

[BikerGran]

I know very little about the technicalities!  I remember him saying it's quite difficult to drive in normal road conditions - something about the gap between gear ratios.  There's no room for seats, just a bit of padding to the rear wall of the cockpit and a couple of square cushions fixed to the floor.  My game old mum once travelled about 100 miles in it with a suitcase on her lap!

[Manky Monkey]

 

[JayJay]

Interesting project. I bet it will be an emotional day when it is completed, for all of you, especially as it will bring back memories of youth and loved ones long gone. Well done to your Brother for keeping it all this time. I bet there is many a person out there who wish they still had the car they grew up with.
JJ

 

[Olds]

What a lovely little special. Somehow it's so typically British. Please keep us updated on this one BG.

[phunkie hiboy]

That's lovely. I like the split front beam.

It's a style of axle invented by Leslie Bellamy. Allard road cars used them. There was one (for a Ford) for sale at Beaulieu at the weekend

[panthershaun]

oh so cool BG 

[hornet6]

That looks amazing....a big well done to your brother for re-kindling this project.

[morrag]

Interesting.The first attempt I had at a 4 wheeled build was using an Austin 7 that I bought for the princely sum of £5-00! back when I was 17! now that's a long time ago...............I digress, it was a '34 model, which I drove home from the local "scrappies", there were no vehicle dismantlers around our way back then! on a borrowed battery, with the leaking inlet manifold taped up with insulation tape.When I remember how I hacked that 'classic' about I have nightmares, if only.......ho hum..........Morrag

[BikerGran]

Peter (my brother) and some friends started a club in Worcester (I'm talking about over 40 years ago) - I think they called it the Character vehicle Club or something like that, so I met a lot of his friends with, yup, character vehicles.  Like the Talbot that couldn't be driven at more than 35 cos it progressed along the road in a series of curves!  Tha Austin 7 that had the starter ring stuck on with Bostik...  and so on.     Happy days!