| Make... | Austin Seven | |
| Model... | Rochdale Mk2 Special | |
| Engine type and size... | 750 Austin Seven side valve | |
| Gearbox... | Austin Seven 4 speed | |
| Brakes... | Front 7" drums cable operated | |
| Rear 7" drums cable operated | ||
| Suspension... | Standard Austin Seven bowed axle with flattened springs | |
| Standard Austin Seven 'D' type axle with flattened springs | ||
| Wheels and tyres... | 15" special rims on Austin Seven centres | |
| Exterior... | Rochdale Mk 2 aluminium special body | |
| Interior... | Simple |
This one is going to take some pulling off, we are working with a 1934 long wheelbase Austin Seven rolling chassis which did have a special body fitted. However the body wasn't the prettiest of things and we just happened to have a spare Rochdale Mk2 body lying in the workshop.
This body is quite famous in its own right having once been fitted to a 1952 750 formula car which was campaigned extensively in the '50's by Dave Rees. By the mid 1980's the body was 'passed its best' and the car was re bodied by Dave Gregson, the original body was put to one side.
The photograph on the right is of the car with it's new body fitted.
You can see from the pictures on the left that we have quite a mountain to climb.
The first job is going to be salvaging as much of the original panel work as possible and making a new steel frame and dash bulkhead.
This will then be fitted to the existing long wheelbase chassis prior to the aluminium being test fitted. Once this is done and a new floor made up the rolling chassis can then be sent across to our aluminium body expert to make up a new nose cone, bonnet and side panels.
