Single Seat Austin 7 Special

• Further Information

  Single Seat Austin 7 Special built by Terry Griffin in 2000 as a semi replica works race car

  “Build started in 1999 with a flat pack short chassis from one of our A7 suppliers and year (1931) related parts from A7 autojumbles and spare parts suppliers including Bristol A7 Club spares shed.

  The chassis was boxed and bolted together, axles assembled and fitted with hydraulic brake conversion. A crankcase and gearbox case fitted to assess the body frame structure which was then skinned with aluminium panels with the help of friend and body builder Paul Jenkins, a Bert Hadley winner in 2000 in a car we previously built together. I then built a tuned pressure fed engine with semi-updraft SU carburettor and a close ratio 4spd gearbox.

  The car was completed in 2000 and has completed every year since, it has won the Bert Hadley Championship 7 times and held many sprint and hill climb class records over the years. It now produces over 50bhp and weighs around 330 kg.

  The car has an early coil engine with Phoenix crank and rods, slipper pistons, Newman cam own spec, steel timing gears (Vince Leek), Ulster repro alloy head, extremely light flywheel fitted with a Renault 4 clutch. The gearbox is 1933 two syncro 4spd with intermediate close ratio gears and 5.25 axle. Inlet valves are Hillman Imp with double valve springs (7 Workshop), standard exhaust valves, own re-profile cam followers, revs to over 7500rpm, pulled 7700 round the top of the banking at Rockingham raceway over 90mph – ‘quite interesting you just have to hold the steering wheel straight hold your foot to the floor and hold your nerve as the wall flashes past.’ ”

  Terry Griffin