How to Drive an AUSTIN 7 [w/ StarterMotor]

[@MrGreenwoodlad]

stick with it lads love the channel ... this is how Clarkson, May and Hammond started , but you are quirky, different ....you're gonna be a hit . young, british old fashioned ...love it .

[@JonosBtheMC]

Well said. At 2:14 I was reminded of "my car is on fire, but in a very specific place". I'd rather own one of these than a Lancia Beta Coupe though!

[@savage22bolt32]

Constructive criticism: lose the background noise! The subject & your narration of it is great. The addition of distracting, monotonous & annoying tinkling piano ruined the vid for me.

[@Maniacguy2777]

Hammonnnnnnnnd????????lol

[@ВолодимирПутенко]

@@savage22bolt32 Here is a little car I saw in the mid-60s in Vinnitsa in Ukraine on the go. As I understood from a conversation with the driver (he was also the owner), this one was once taken out of Germany as a trophy.

[@savage22bolt32]

@@ВолодимирПутенко you remember the 60's !?!?! The Austin 7 really is a cute little car. My mom had a Crosley & my dad had an MG-TD, but in the 50's before I was born!

[@bladder1010]

What a nice little car. Interesting to see some younger car enthusiasts impressions. Great video!

[@ВолодимирПутенко]

Here is a little car I saw in the mid-60s in Vinnitsa in Ukraine on the go. As I understood from a conversation with the driver (he was also the owner), this one was once taken out of Germany as a trophy.

[@joegoodman4312]

This is a very encouraging and refreshing video. To all those old farts who worry that love for old cars and ways will die out with their generation, fear not, chaps like these are out there and are championing our halcyon ways of motoring. Bravo boys! Lots more please.

[@2wheelhoon813]

These clowns do not represent our generation. Neither of them have even the slightest clue. Kid is destroying the trans shifting like that. It's unsincronised and like he said the clutch drags. Double clutch and shit slow. Maybe rev match. I promise you you can drive that car without filling the gearbox sump with glitter

[@ВолодимирПутенко]

Here is a little car I saw in the mid-60s in Vinnitsa in Ukraine on the go. As I understood from a conversation with the driver (he was also the owner), this one was once taken out of Germany as a trophy.

[@RobertJarecki]

This old fart remembers that, at age 22 or 23, very few of my contemporaries had any interest in old cars. Very few of my contemporaries had an interest in most academic areas, either. But, here I am, 50 years later, and people are still using their time to study and preserve antique technology and such "boring" things as history and literature. I hope these two have a great time with their interests!

[@asciimation]

Great little cars Austin 7s. A few quirks other than the gearbox. Clutch is, as you say, like a button, on or off, but not tricky once you get the hang of it. Because of the A Frame chassis and the cantilevered rear springs you do get a bit of a rear wheel steering affect as you corner. The body rolls, the outside spring lengthens pushing that side of the rear axle back and you get an extra turning effect. The right hand lever on the steering wheel is just a throttle, just the same as the accelerator pedal. The other lever is usually manual advance for the timing. And with the scuttle fuel tank you have to be careful when the fuel level is really low. When you go up a steep hill the fuel moves away from the outlet pipe which is on the front of the tank as you pointed out and the car conks out. Learnt that one from practical experience!

[@kkteutsch6416]

5 speed gears ? With a mere 800 CC engine ?

[@asciimation]

@@kkteutsch6416 3 on the early ones and 4 on the later ones (not counting reverse).

[@kkteutsch6416]

A friend of mine had an A 40 Austin about 50 years ago and I used to take a ride with it - no driving it - and one of my ceased brothers had 2 Hillman - a 1952 sedan and another more aged - to donate parts - and he owned it for many years, it seems to me the engine of both - Austin and Hillman - are almost the same, about 800 cm3 of displacement... The gear box of Hillmann were of 3 and 4 speed each one and he swapped them... A 1952 it seems to me stays at a city near of mine, in order to be hauled....

[@kkteutsch6416]

@@asciimation ok, I saw the inscription on the top gear axle and I made some mistake

[@asciimation]

@@kkteutsch6416 To further confuse things some gear box tops were marked with 'SYN' or '2SYN'. SYN meaning they had synchros on 3/4 and 2SYN came about when they also added synchro to 2nd gear.

[@jamesmoore9511]

Shift pattern is a simple mirror image of the column shift on all USA cars in the 50's 60's 70's etc. Love to have one. The sound is the cut of the gears (straight cut or helical cut).

[@kkteutsch6416]

I'll make a comment about the gears used at the gearbox, it makes a so special noise, as if they are " crying "...

[@guyjobling1452]

I'm sure you've learnt how to double declutch by now....! Great to see you guys enjoying Austin 7s, I learnt to drive on a 1933 Austin 10, in 1998.

[@ModelARickLasCruces]

Enjoyed your video. I am 79 years old and drive a 1931 Model A Ford which I've owned for over 50 years. It's amazing how similar the Austin 7 is to my Ford; the engine sounds just like mine! And the same shift pattern. Glad young lads like you are interested in the veteran cars. Drive on!

[@kkteutsch6416]

It seems to me flat head engines - and the compression ratio - makes a different sound than ohc and syncro belt drive than geared distribution timing system... If I hear a GM - original engine - or a Volkswagen as air coooled flat four or liquid cooled ones mades a noise totally different one to others...

[@Rogerjoselyn]

I am very impressed with the young people of this era. Positive with good humour and very interesting!

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

Had an idential ' 28 'Top Hat' saloon , a good effort lads but you should ' double de-clutch ' which would be kinder when changing gear - it has a ' crash ' gearbox - no synchromesh .Changing down to 2nd is slightly more complicated , you ' blip ' the throttle at the same time as double - declutching and you will get a silent change !.

[@advohelp]

Hi from Russia. It's a nice small car. And it's impressive that smb is keeping it in good condition and everyday working state. Also, it's nice that smb gave it to those young men. So, it's not much educative or historical, but nice entertaining video. Thanks for it.

[@jbenekeorr]

This just came up in my recommended videos. Thoroughly enjoyable! And how brilliant that these cars are being allowed out to be enjoyed. Especially to drivers on the younger side. Subscribed!

[@ronholfly]

Beautiful little car, my dad had an exact same year model of this Austin 7 he purchased it in 1947.I remember him taking the engine out and putting it on the bench to do the tappets and fit new piston rings, his trade was an engineer so he practically took it to pieces and rebuilt it. We toured Wales, Cornwall and regular trips to New Brighton across the Mersey from Liverpool, Happy days nice to see the model again in your video.

[@piccalillipit9211]

*FANTASTIC FORMAT* loved it guys - you got a sub...!!!

[@chinabluewho]

I am old enough that I used to stock shelves with a cream white paste that you would rub onto the stick to check the fluid levels as the paste would turn red when in contact with the fuel, up until the 80's you could regularly see this past for sale as many of the VWs didn't have fuel gages. A lot of old tractors were the same with a wooden measuring stick.

[@MrGaryGG48]

I've never seen this "cream white paste" but maybe that's an English thing. That "wooden measuring stick" though, is out in the barn and it always works, the batteries never die, and the warning lights never fail! That old John Deere tractor just keeps working. 🤣 I spend a bit of time in England in the early '60s but never came across an Austin 7. From much of what I've read about the English car history, the Austin 7 was a serious mainstay of the industry. It's tiny, it's slow, it's really simple, but because of most of those "features" it was realistically within reach of much of the population when horses were the most common mode of transportation. My grandfather and my father worked the family farm in Northwestern Washington State, in the U.S., in the 1930s, with a draft horse and the transportation off the farm was a Ford Model T. From what I've read, the Austin 7 was essentially the English Model T. I've always found history fascinating, whether it's motorcycles, cars, trucks or aircraft. These old machines brought us to where we are and what we drive, ride, or fly now. I'm really enjoying these two young men showing an interest in that history. I'm looking forward to your next video...

[@mrbigfellanz]

These two are the sort of people that classic and vintage cars need. Interested and a sense of humor. Gentlemen you'll be "greybeards" before you know it.

[@daveleighton4683]

That whine is the sound of the straight cut gears of a crash box.

[@davidrobertson376]

Dads 1950s Austin truck gearbox sounded the same

[@garryentropy]

good video, the background elevator music is a bit much though

[@stanbest3743]

Brilliant to see that these cars will go on being appreciated and enjoyed in the future. Usually any weak points in the original design are well understood now and a solution is available. Personally as long as the cars character doesn't change I'm in favour of reliability.

[@johncartwright8154]

My wife's father and his new wife used one of these (1934 model year) for their honeymoon to Switzerland. In February 1952 and he was six foot four Army Captain! (193cm for you younger types! No heater or windscreen wipers. My Mother-in-Law trying to keep the iced windscreen clear with bare hand as they crossed the Brenner Pass in a snowstorm. Getting the narrow wheels stuck in tram tracks in Zurich. But even in those harsh winter conditions, it didn't let them down.

[@wossisname4540]

Be brave, be loyal, resist the propaganda -- don't resort to French measurements! Make the blighters learn feet and inches; far more fun.

[@human_error1]

I was randomly recommended this video and I actually really enjoyed it. Keep it up!

[@tonytaylor9382]

My Gran had an Austin 7 in Ndola, Zambia. She would lend it to the local technical college where the students for their practical exam would have to take it apart completely and then put everything back together.

[@chrispomphrett4283]

Very interesting. Please drop that music noise loop in the background. You don't need that.

[@GiguereSylvain]

I'm so glad that you, younger guys get an interest into those old things.. I drove the Minis in the 70's I love those brits mechanics. So different than our american stuff. Keep on exploring. Great!

[@bobbeck5866]

I had one of those in 1958, Reg No OD 1010. it cost me £19.10.00. It was first registered on 29th. December 1929. Fuel was gravity fed and the gauge was a brass dip stick. If you were low on petrol and on a steep hill the engine stalled due to fuel drought. Oh how I wish I had it now.

[@CanadianWaterfowler]

This whole thing that Heritage Skills and StarterMotor do, it's a fantastic idea! I'm really impressed! Kudos!

[@gavinmillar7519]

No part two yet?

[@vitordornelles]

Wonderful channel, lads! Keep up the good work!

[@thisisdriveingtohell]

Wow, thanks for the overview

[@crazyjoe1540]

never hit subscribe so fast in my life, cheers dudes this was awesome

[@martinrogers4301]

As stated below, this is in fact a 1929 Austin 7. 1929 was the first year the distributor was installed; before that they had a magneo mounted at the base of the engine. And the 1929 was the only year that had glove compartments (maybe 1930 as well?) Anyway, a lovely little car. And yes, you need to practice double-de clutching. But well done, and all the best. A wonderful video.

[@Yanmotion]

Austin 7 has always been my favourite car since I was little, I even dreaming of owning one someday!

[@Kellysg126]

Absolutely brilliant channel

[@stantonwright4275]

This is my Grandpa’s car!! ..and I can confirm it is in fact a 1929 Austin 7! 🤓👍🏼 Hope you enjoyed it testing it out!

[@stephaniekinloch9094]

🇦🇺 my parents use to tell us how in the early part of their relationship, they helped out with the scouts. This meant they carried 21 people in their Austin 7 - in one run! Those were the days. 😁

[@garysmith1156]

What a awesome car lads I love it dose it smell lovely and old ?

[@MartiA1973]

Love the honesty and a bit of tech. Had to sub.

[@PRH123]

Awesome minimalist vehicle, ala 2cv. About the size of a smart car, yet 4 passengers. 40 MPG at that time, wow...! Sustainable wood used in the construction. These were ahead of their time. An e-austin, that would be interesting...

[@Hashiriya985]

i would love to get my hands in one of those! greetings from Brazil!

[@cawfeedawg]

Good job lads.

[@increiblepelotudo]

I want to drive an old car sooo badly. Here in USA-ville, we can get a Model T for not a ton of $, I live in Manhattan, and it would be just insane, but I bet I would never have a single day without speaking with people about the car. Also, cars that just reaching 25 MPH would feel like you're doing 150 MPH - that is so thrilling!

[@MarioFagundes-k8b]

Amanzing!! So stunning car! 👏

[@peteacher52]

My parents married in 1946. For the next three years their car was an already clapped out1927 Austin 7. But with my arrival in '47, the car was too small and too slow. So they drove from Auckland to Dannevirke @ 22 mph, taking four days, to visit my grandfather who had the Jowett agency in that town. So the return trip to Auckland was in a near-new Bradford wagon. Some tears were shed for "Edgar" but he soon became just a memory and even in his sketchy condition, he would have re-sold very quickly because of post-WW2 shortages of just about everything.

[@alexandervanwyk7669]

My first car was a 1930 Chevrolet. Wonderful no problem vehicle. Those were the days. Love from Africa.

[@nikdog419]

The "It sounds like high revs but we're told it's not" is because straight cut gears. At least it sounds like straight cut gears to me. Most cars before Air Conditioning were equipped with "Vents" :P Both the pickup truck I have now and the one before that have/had one. My mum's 1989 Plymouth Horizon (based on the mk1 Golf) had it as well. Pretty much standard on 1980s and earlier cars. I tease because you never once called it a vent, and I grew up opening and closing the vent labelled handle for my dad.

[@IrfanKhanowaisi77]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Love from Pakistan.

[@davidaustin2172]

No, the gearbox shouldn’t make that noise, you double de clutch to match the gear speed of the gear shafts. My Ford had a similar gear box, never crunched a gear! That’s why you eventually seized the gear box, two gears selected at once!

[@JonosBtheMC]

4:14 If my memory hasn't faded, the Commer FC had a similar "backward" layout, but with 4 speeds. The handbrake worked on the front wheels on those too! I want one. Can any kind person tell me what it runs on, now that E5 is going the same way as 2-5 Star leaded? I heard somewhere that a paraffin mixture won't get you in trouble with the tax people anymore, but I'd rather not have to mix my own...

[@stephenclemerson]

Stable fuel, leaded or unleaded, is available in cans. It’s not cheap but most of these cars don’t do many miles. I get mine from the lawnmower dealership

[@Ceto-wo7kw]

i so love this engine sounds

[@Jack-pu4rf]

The car is very small but with a big presence, well done with the commentary

[@jordomayor5224]

Super show thanks for sharing and keep up the great work

[@andrewdeacon7051]

just love your shows

[@stephenvoller1423]

Stick with it lads, geat video, and please update us on this car.

[@ChuckSannel]

Gotta love Straight cut gears!

[@НиколайМиронов-б5и]

Хотел бы прокатится на таком авто

[@theobster]

7’s are fun, I had a gearbox issue driving my friends. I lost drive completely, some of the gears are locked to the gearbox shafts with these, I had managed to shear one off!

[@cross13000]

Loved it good one lads.

[@occoppo]

What a cliff-hanger, I'll be interested to see what happened !

[@jensschroder8214]

In 1927 BMW imported maybe 50 Austin 7s and sold them with right hand steering wheel in Germany as Dixi 3/15. In 1928 - 29 BMW built licensed buildings with the steering wheel on the left under the name Dixi 3/15 DA. From around 1930 BMW continued to build modified versions of the Dixi. After the war, the Eisennach plant becomes EMW and produces the Wartburg. Although the body looks modern, the frame of the vehicle is reminiscent of the Dixi or A7. In 1991 the plant is closed. The Austin Mini becomes a legend. In 2001, BMW began relaunching the Mini as its own brand.

[@skizzysmith1146]

it's called double de clutching, it sunchronizes the engine speed to the gearbox, thus preventing those nasty clunks and chatters that idiot drivers get when changing gear. However, it takes more than a short drive to wreck a gearbox, so it's certain that it was faulty before you drove it. One good thing with an Austin 7, is that you are always at the front of the queue.

[@RWBHere]

Subscribed upon finding this video, and your channel, after watching a Hubnut video Thanks guys. 🙂👍

[@simongee8928]

As a hangover from when I began driving HGVs in the early 70s when synchro gearboxes weren't that common, I still instinctively double declutch now in certain situations. 🤣

[@Hic_et_ubique]

Fun fact: this car sounds like a soviet bus PAZ. It is still in use in Russia and other post-soviet countries.

[@vancetrella1330]

Can we get the other parts? Love you style of vid

[@selectingneutral]

The car itself is still in bits! We will catch up with it in some form when it’s ready but we have moved on with Austin 7’s. Check out or latest for a slightly spicier one😊

[@stuartholden6163]

Roald Dalh talks about one of these in Danny Champion of the world, but I believe it was a 30s model

[@chrismurnane6389]

Could someone comment back to me about which coach builder's body this is? Please?😊

[@bruceburns1672]

Are parts available for motor, gearbox, differential, or anything for that matter. ???????

[@andreaskurt1]

Good fun for you. However, the last thing I would do is letting you drive one of my old cars.

[@AdrianJayeOnline]

there is only one choke the thing on the wheel is the timing/dwell angle

[@19blondmoshhead95]

love the vids lads keep em coming 😝

[@roydavidlivermore4664]

Had the Austin 7 Ruby saloon from 1954 until 1957.

[@RobinTheMini]

I loved this video the most

[@selectingneutral]

I think it might be our favourite as well😂

[@Brandtalones]

Um, so how exactly does that fuel gauge work?

[@AdrianJayeOnline]

fuel cutoff switch and battery are great anti-theft devices

[@paulgeraghty1448]

Gas? On the steering wheel?

[@viktorrusanov2531]

Those grinding gearbox changes kinda say that you should stay away from classic cars. Learn how to drive double clutch, before you destroy another gearbox or clutch. It's amazing you thought it's OK to shift so brutally...

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

Interior looks spacious however. I couldn't imagine HOWEVER, comparing this to something like a 1913 Pierce arrow, or a 1925 Nash eight sedan...or frankly most American sedans. If you've been next to one, you know the vast difference between size.

[@r1n8k]

If I get Circumsised, Where will I keep my Smegma?

[@colibri67]

"Crashing" the gear changes can't help matters. As someone has already suggested, double declutching allows gear speeds to match better when shifting. There was no synchromesh in most gearboxes back then.

[@SingerDriver]

Please give us a demonstration of how to double declutch changing up and down. There is no synchromesh on a crash gearbox so a different technique is used. You don't want to damage that gearbox

[@Alex87826]

Nice of see the old ATC tower

[@Goncalves50]

Just watched Romantic Road on NETFLIX, an epic drive across rural India in a battered 1936 Rolls-Royce - Struck by similarity of Austin 7, a "Mini-Me" of the 1936 Rolls-Royce

[@donrico5122]

selected reverse by mistake & locked up the box ?

[@alexhilberts2666]

Hey guys great content in the video. From a video perspective though, Try to keep you're shots less VLOG like and slightly more documentary with specific angles and shots etc. It will help organise your video and communicate with the viewer clearer. Again, loved the content.

[@ianbell735]

Apparently the race version were quite quick

[@rocacoh2283]

Don't think they look stupid. In a Renault Twicy, two people do look ridiculous. And it is a car that is sold today. :) Greetings from Spain

[@hutchcraftcp]

Double declutching would make the gear changes smoother

[@maiconvengrzennunesbusolog4864]

👏👏

[@super_slav91]

I am sure that noise is because it has no synchromesh on any gear and that is why it died.

[@milindjoshi4085]

My cousin in Pune near Mumbai Mhaharashtra India owns 2 Austin 7 cars ,,,one just like yours n another white convertible

[@Antonio-pj1vt]

Molto bella.

[@bjmorley]

What happened? Seems to be no follow up.

[@stephenwinter8892]

Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video my family owns a Austin 7 been in the family for 45 years I drive it every Sunday to the grocery store and place signs in the window DONOT TOUCH unless the owner is present thanks for the presentation

[@selectingneutral]

Love it!!

[@garymiles484]

It's a good job Clarkson, Hammond and May didn't get their hands on it. They probably would have taken it into their workshop and after a while finally stick a RS badge on it.

[@scottcoe2633]

Don't forget to double declutch guys

[@carllinden533]

A Trabant 601 is just like this! Except you can only coast in 4th gear

[@zosxavius]

1. You need to double clutch gear boxes that lack synchronizers. You never want to hear grinding. Because it's always the gears that are making that noise. 2. I'm not sure that a few laps around the block would wreck the gearbox so quickly, but its certainly possible. You drove something that could sit in a museum. Such cars need to be driven gently and with utmost respect. That doesn't include trying to flip it over. 3. That you were told to ignore grinding sounds tells me that someone was driving it incorrectly and assume that was normal and likely did the bulk of the damage. 4. I wouldn't be laughing if I had broken a 100 year old vehicle with no replacement parts easily available.

[@ВолодимирПутенко]

Вот такой автомобильчик я середине 60-ых годов видел в г. Виннице на Украине на ходу. Как я понял из разговора с водителем (он же был и владельцем) этот в свое время был им вывезен из Германии в качестве трофея. Here is a little car I saw in the mid-60s in Vinnitsa in Ukraine on the go. As I understood from a conversation with the driver (he was also the owner), this one was once taken out of Germany as a trophy.

[@xeric1953]

I bought one last year but i've got a mechanic swapping the engine, giving it power steering and a few other nifly features. I like the look of the car but not constantly tinkering and fixing old engine parts

[@patshes1951]

I so much want to have one but the pound is too strong. We are also right hand drive.

[@reverendgaddy2435]

you never once showed a full shot of the car in profile...