Country Motor Australia
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Country Motor Australia Issue 3 1 Country Motor Australia ISSUEIssue 3 3 Contents An Austin Seven 50 Years on 3 New Grays Are Here 4 Origins of the Land Rover 5 Restoration WIP of an Early Land Rover 6 FJ Holden restored by Ian Lumb Ian Lumb, a Serial Restorer 7 Holden FJ Rescued and Being Restored 9 Back copies of Country Motor are available upon request Vintage Trailers 10 Rochester Junk Yard 11 Hybrid, New Term For an Old Idea 12 David’s Ramblings 13 1962 Kalorama 14 Editor’s Entries Welcome to the third edition of Country Motor Third Issue going on and is never reported. The outcome of showing work in progress Thanks to those who expressed encourages others to proceed with their positive comments regarding ‘Country projects. Also hidden away are numerous Motor’ and sending a copy of the file to cars that many of us didn’t know existed. their friends in the hobby, Please It would be good if you, the forward Email addresses of anyone reader, could send in your experiences interested in receiving Country Motor. and restorations to share with us all. A Issue three, as with all issues, is a few people have sent in stories, photos mixed bag of articles. Having attended and items of interest for this issue. no rallies since the last issue articles Thanks to Wayne Styles, Ross Ansell, include a few restorations in progress. Ian Lumb, Keith Lewis and David In time we will hopefully feature the Trunfall. If your writing is not brilliant I completion of these vehicles. can edit and refine the story, so don’t Often we attend rallies and only worry about how sketchy the wording is. see restored cars, although some barn I intend being at the Federation finds make an appearance. There must Marong Picnic on Sunday, 26th August. be hundreds of vehicles in garages If you are there look out for my silver unrestored or projects progressing. In Alvis so we can have a chat. future issues I hope to visit more garages Happy Motoring, David as it is surprising how much activity is 2 AN AUSTIN 7 50 YEARS ON It was 1958, I had just had my 13th proposed car he birthday and out driving with my father in our suggested that I Melbourne suburb that I glimpsed a small old contact a friend of car parked in a side street and enquired with his who had a dad as to what type of vehicle it was. He chummy for sale. replied ‘It’s one of those small matchbox On that advice I Austin Sevens son’. Many years later I learnt purchased the that it belonged to a school friend. November 1929 My dad was always interested in motor chummy which cars so I guess in a family of only males a bit was in need of an of it must have rubbed off as by the time I was engine and as it 16 I had owned a 1939 Hillman and a J series had been used as a Vauxhall to tinker with until dad found out and trials car the front Wayne & Jenny Styles along side their 1929 Austin Seven Chummy were quickly disposed of. and rear axles were By this time I had realised that two the incorrect type. corporate job and company car to pursue a fellows that were at my school had Austin Upon learning that I had purchased the venture in our own business. Sevens [one still has the same car to this day] car my school friend placed a ‘help me’ After the chummy was completed I albeit already of legal driving age. On one advertisement in the Austin Seven Club was disappointed in it’s handling and it occasion I enquired with the brother of one of magazine ‘Light Shaft’ on my behalf which probably only travelled around 3000 km’s in them who was a friend of mine that I would proved very helpful. Within weeks I had been 40 years. I remember asking a friend to like to learn more about motor cars and he able to source the correct items missing to diagnose the issues to improve the car and advised that I should buy an Austin 7 as they return the car to it’s original specifications. upon alighting from the drivers seat looking were of a simple design. Within 3 years the car had been very distressed he announced ‘the only thing Five years later as a commercial dismantled, body removed and my younger that works in this car is the driver’ Subsequent traveller my interest in Austin Sevens as a brothers had stripped the layers of paint back advice from friends have finally sorted issues restoration project hadn’t gone away and the to bare metal in readiness for the body work to of concern and now it is a delight to drive. constant travelling allowed me to acquire an be repaired prior to painting. In the meantime I As I write this article on the eve of a item here and there but finding a complete car had the opportunity to dismantle the rolling 50 year ownership of the chummy the engine eluded me. As I lacked mechanical acumen chassis to prepare it for repainting in my back has been removed for a well deserved valve [and still do] a complete car was still yard. During the following 18 months the body related work over and a lot more use. considered my best option. was painted and reassembled, rewired, None of the aforementioned would During the late 60’s Sevens weren’t trimmed, engine rebuilt and back on the road have been possible if it wasn’t for the help and readily available and I constantly missed an by 1975. advice of members of the Austin Seven Club advertised Seven due to affordability or I was Whilst all this was going on I realised of which I am eternally grateful. Lifelong simply too late. This went on for two years but that I needed a Seven to participate in club friendships have resulted as a result of a sim- finally I located a car of interest and rang the events so firstly a 1929 utility was acquired for ple desire to own and restore an Austin seven. other school friend to seek his advice prior to a brief time prior to purchasing a 1936 coupe, purchasing the car. Upon describing the which became my only car as I had left my Wayne Styles However Herbert was convinced the Seven was the master- Austin 7, In the Beginning stroke and begrudgingly the Board R.J. Wyatt is an authority on Austins, to join Herbert at ‘Lickey Grange’ He stayed permitted the ‘bath tub on wheels’ to be having written a few books on Austin history. there for eight months working on the project. produced. ‘The Austin Seven, The Motor for the Million Not on the billiard table as legend states but it Herbert was very smart and 1922-1939’ covers considerable ground on the was probable the full sized sketches and inexhaustible in his work interest and as a development of the Seven during its designs were spread over the table for reward to himself he made an agreement with production period and racing successes in its discussion purposes. the board to give him a royalty of two guineas engine capacity class. Like all car manufacturers the on every Seven the company sold. In summer 1920 Herbert Austin principle designers studied the opposition’s Strategically or with sheer arrogance realised that the Austin Motor Company’s models. A Rover flat twin-cylinder, one of the he decided to announce the future release of fortunes would not occur with a one Austin most successful light cars of 1921 was the Austin Seven at the Annual Dinner of the model policy, currently the Austin 20hp. thoroughly scrutinised. Ideas included a three Birmingham Motor Cycle Club in January Financial indicators shown the company was cylinder engine when the horizontal twin idea 1922. He had a profound dislike for rapidly going down hill. A few supplementary was abandoned. motorcycle combinations and remarked to a models were considered. Initially a 10hp In 1921 the Austin Twelve Four, a chief draughtsman they were ‘only a step model seemed to be the answer, however the smaller version of the Austin Twenty Four above perambulator makers’ At the dinner he popularity of light cars, especially cyclecars started production. The equivalent of the tactlessly said his car would ‘knock the motor showed there were many potential motorist modern ‘Mini’, the Austin Seven design was cycle and side car into a cocked hat and far who wanted a cheap and reliable small car. decided upon early 1922. A boarded up section surpass it in comfort and passenger carrying He retired to his home ‘Lickey at Longbridge factory was set aside for capacity’ Grange’ near the Lickey Hills each night in the construction of three prototypes. These were Despite considerable flack from the billiard room to ponder on a small car concept, presented to the Board of Directors who motoring press and cartoonist it goes without making sketches of his ideas. Young draughts- believed the 12/4 was eminently suitable to saying due to the outstanding popularity of the man Stanley Edge was recruited from the floor carry the company. Seven Sir Herbert Austin had the last laugh! 3 In response to more information on the Gray, Ross Ansell sent in these articles showing the sedan, tourer and achievements of the car. 4 Origins of the Land Rover modelled around the American Jeep with the essence of the exercise to improve on the design.