barkerwilliams Posted November 1, 2021 Report Share Posted November 1, 2021 Love the condition of the breakers truck. Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted November 1, 2021 Report Share Posted November 1, 2021 22 hours ago, Charlie D said: Kevin, Not sure of your age, but for my friends and myself the late 1960’s was a time to dream about sports cars, and Ford Specials and Austin 7 Specials were the only option we could afford There was one in for sale in Leamington Spa for (I think) £50. My dad told me “No way are you having that thing!” (He would be the one to insure it.) So I did not buy it. The registration (I still remember…) was LUV 21. My £50 would have been a good investment (Had I still got it.) I used to walk past an abandoned Austin 7 special (Fiberglass body) on my to work every day. It was sitting in a factory car park, so eventually I went in and asked if it was for sale. They told me if I could take it away I could have it for free. I took it home, cut up a Triumph Herald chassis to make it fit under the body, but eventually gave up and scrapped it. However, here is a site to show the cars we could have bought in those days. https://www.fordspecials.co.uk/index.html Charlie. I still have a book (somewhere) called "The construction of Ford specials" written by the ex-editor of Practical Motorist. I remember one statement in there "Properly built up, the Ford sidevalve engine will run for at least 5000 miles before it needs any major attention"! Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted November 2, 2021 Report Share Posted November 2, 2021 15 hours ago, stillp said: I still have a book (somewhere) called "The construction of Ford specials" written by the ex-editor of Practical Motorist. I remember one statement in there "Properly built up, the Ford sidevalve engine will run for at least 5000 miles before it needs any major attention"! Pete Well even in the mid Seventies any car with 50 or 60 thousand miles on it was considered "High mileage" and not worth buying. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted November 2, 2021 Report Share Posted November 2, 2021 My first car, about 1960/1961, was an Austin 7 Special, which had been built by a Bob, clever technician at the company where I was an apprentice. Bob was an ace at welding and brazing. The car had a Hamblin Cadet fibreglass body, boxed chassis members, front axle split to make it independent, Morris Minor hydraulic brakes (excellent!), and small diameter wire wheels. Engine sported alloy head, SU carburettor and an exhaust with minimal baffling. Because of its low weight, it was very quick to about 60 mph - and could stop rapidly in a straight line! The car had a windscreen and wipers, but no weather protection, so I used to drive wearing motorcycle helmet which had a visor. The dynamo gave 6 volts and one had to be careful not to move the 3rd brush too far else the extra current would melt the solder in the commutator, necessitating a lot of re-soldering! The 2-bearing crankshaft engine was reliable in standard form, but raising its power and using more revs tended to make it unreliable, and mine broke a con rod, which knocked the side out of the alloy crankcase. After that, I bought a scruffy TR2. I still have the 750 Motor Club's Special Builders Guide, which I note I bought in September '62. Lots of Specials, mainly based on Austin 7 (750) and Ford sidevalve (1172) engines back then, most with fibreglass bodies. Colin Chapman started racing with an Austin 7 Special. Taught me a lot about cars, for which I am forever grateful Happy days! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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