Don't make it just 2 Reasons...............

Don't make it just 2 reasons for taking your vintage Austin out in April.

April has 30 days so there are 30 basic reasons for taking your car out OK.

You can now figure all 30 out.

But there are a couple of important days to remember

14th April, 'Austin in Action day' bet you didn't know that!

22nd April, 'Drive it Day' organised by 'The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs'

Remember drive it and have fun.................

Austins Galore.

Even I didn't realise this.....

It's twenty years since the Austin badge ceased to be fitted to production cars.

So which badge was it then, I know.

Ha ha you can guess............

Re-icing the cake - 37 years later!

The famous Scottish bakers, Goodfellow and Steven of Dundee, are used to re-icing wedding cakes. Its an old Scottish custom for the top tier to be saved for the christening of the first child.
But when Mrs Deciantis brought in a faded cardboard box and announced she would like her wedding cake re-iced for a christening, company director Martin Goodfellow was a bit surprised - after all it was 37 years after the wedding and the cake was to celebrate Mrs Deciantis’ first grandchild!
Andrew Goodfellow said:
"Mrs Deciantis brought in an old brown cardboard box with a faded Goodfellow and Steven logo on the side. Opening the box, she revealed a fully intact, top tier of her wedding cake.
"We peeled back the layers of icing and found the cake inside was still really tasty - incredible really but testimony to how a good rich fruit cake just keeps and keeps!
"It turned out that Mr and Mrs Deciantis had always stored the cake in cool, dry attics wherever they had lived and that must have helped too."
Goodfellow and Steven still make their Wedding Cake, using the same recipe - in fact the recipe hasn't changed since Andrew's great grandparents had founded the company in 1897.
Says Andrew:
"It's remarkable that, although we now mostly do very modern styles of cake, the design on which this cake was based is very similar to one that is still in our brochure, due to its continuing popularity over the decades!"
"We’re keeping a piece of the old icing for our company archive! - it’s the last surviving work of either Bob Drysdale or David Preston, who worked with the company for many years, and helped build our reputation for fine wedding cakes."

Mig Welding

Here's a great site for learning or just a spot of research on mig welding, it's run by a friend of mine.


Mig Welding Page....

High Frame Low Frame....

Austin produced different crankcases for different chassis, in later cars (32 on) there were high and low frame crankcases. The top picture shows a high frame crank case, as fitted to late vans and Standard engined Nippy's. The bottom picture shows a Low frame crankcase, which the majority were.
The easy way to tell them apart is by the clutch stop position. You can see clearly that the stop possition on the high frame(top pic) is blended into the flange fot the starter motor. And the low frame is a separate feature as shown(bottom picture).

But....
"Be warned!! The high frame crankcase can be fitted in the low

frame chassis with additional packing under the rear engine mounts. THE LOW FRAME CRANKCASE WILL NOT FIT IN A
HIGH FRAME CAR. This is the cause of late box saloons with the nose piece casting colliding with bottom of the hole in the radiator shell (unless the hole is enlarged), it also makes it near impossible to remove the flywheel cover and there are often issues with the propshaft joints touching the floorpan etc.YOU CANT TELL THEM APART BY ENGINE NUMBER the production overlapped here there and everywhere."

The Austin 7 Broken Bits Page Update

Yes and there's more, so you better have a wee look. Ha ha

Update to The Broken Bits Page....

Wedding Cake

Just completed this wee wedding cake for a friend. Not bad if i say it my self. Got a big surprise though, when the cake was being collected I was handed a lovely bottle of Malt Whisky.
So many thanks that was something that wasn't necessary.

Wow...Awesome movie...

The Last Mimzy. A must see.....

The Austin 7 Broken Bits Page Update

Ok, I've been playing. Just updated the web page with some bits that decided to part company....

Update to The Broken Bits Page....

The Austin 7 Broken Bits Page

I've just created a page on my web site for Austin 7's, but not the nice shinny ones with everything perfect. It's the Broken Bits page so go on I know you want to have a wee look inside by clicking the link below.
I'll keep you updated on the new old broken bits.

The Broken Bits Page....

Pendine Beach Wales

I've just spent the weekend in South Wales, one visit was to the famous Pendine Beach. Where back in the 20's both Malcolm Campbell and Parry Thomas took the world land speed records. Tragically Parry Thomas was killed driving BABS at Pendine Beach on the 3rd day of March 1927, during an attempt to regain the land speed recoed from his friend Malcolm Campbell.

View here for more info

Sports Torque Tube Link

I was asked the other day what a Sports Torque Tube Link for an Austin 7 looks like so here you go.........

View here for more Pic's

Only if your intrested.............

I’ve been trying to source a new set of brushes for a 1920’s C.A.V 6volt type DD dynamo, which has been a wee bit of a nightmare.
I now have a couple of solutions. I’ve found a company to manufacture a new set, could be the best way forward. View here
Or find a set of brushes that are larger than required and machine them down to fit.

The original sizes are
Length 15.83mm x Width 5.5mm x Height (approx 16mm)
The third brush size is
Length 15.83mm x Width 4.75mm x Height (approx 16mm)

Echoes

Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me.
And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand
The best I can.

Read My Mind...

Ok here goes, this is what you get if you read my mind............

Tonight........

O what fun I had tonight, shopping time in the local Extra Store(supermarket).
I spent 10 minutes looking for the jam’s nightmare, all because they thought it would be a good idea to move the entire section to a different isle. Was this just to confuse there customers or just to keep them in the store longer!!

Spectacular Eclipse of the Moon

And yes the skies did stay clear last night, for what surely was one of the best eclipses for many years.

More Pic's

Eclipse of the Moon 'Blood Moon'

With the skies clear tonight it is expected that the stage will be set for a spectacular total eclipse of the moon. The dramatic view of the moon should show the moon as a 'Blood Moon'. This was viewed in ancient times as an omen of great change or disaster.

But remember..........
'There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark'

All that you touch and all that you see......

Roger Waters Start's his Dark side of the Moon 2007 tour. The Uk leg starts 7th May in Manchester then Birmingham finishing off at Earls Court for 2 nights (11th,12th May).

The Killers New Single

There new single Read My Mind was release on 26th Feb. It's regarded as one of the best tracks on there last album Sam's Town.
A Must!!

Joan Baez Honored for Lifetime Achievement at the Grammy's

Joan Baez closed out the evening with a heartfelt thank you to her fans. In keeping with her powerful legacy of political activism, she also delivered one of the most unusual thank you's of the night. "I'd like to thank President Bush for being the best publicity agent I've ever had," she said. "Wherever I go to perform these days, every progressive within 200 miles turns up."

To read more

http://www.joanbaez.com/latestnews.html

Roger Waters talks of Pink Floyd and more

In the interview, Roger is asked if it were possible that Pink Floyd could reunite again for the Live Earth show. He said: "I'm up for it if David Gilmour will agree to play with me. I will honestly join him, if he agrees... I've got no problem with it, in fact, I would love it."
http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/roger-waters-talks-of-touring-the-incas-and-of-pink-floyd.html

Rocking in the Air

Woow Lord Snooty, is about to miss out Friday. As he will be rocking at 35,000 feet in the air on his way to NZ.

Life..........

You don't get to choose how you're going to die, or when. You can only decide how you're going to live, now.