M7237, a 1924 Austin 7 magneto motor ... the next Project ??

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Gifted to me in 1995 from  the Cyril Broadbridge Estate, this motor dates from October 1924.
I have had the intention of building an early Austin 7 for many years now -since early in Project Albert in fact - after Dad & I bought a trailer made of 7 parts. It yielded wheels and 16 inch tubes. Curiously though, it also had 6 inch drums and taper bearing stub axles.These were welded to the remaining pieces of mutilated front axle, but the seed had been sewn..
,Initially the intention was to build a fabric body racer of 1923.

So the parts sat around for many years being joined only by a well seized steeing column & box assembly that spent most of it's time soaked in penetrating oil - it still never came apart & was left at the Palmerston North VCC spares shed when I left NZ the only useful item having been the steering box cover and drop arm. I have never seen another like it; an IA 600 part number it is cast from Aluminium alloy instead of an iron based alloy.any ideas?
One of the drums was discarded after it proved too thin.

Little further happened until M7237 turned up. A very fortunate gift as it happens - fully reconditioned and almost in running order M7237 is the cleanest motor I have ever seen internally and surely can't have done a great deal of work.
Number two cylinder has been sleeved, but it still has the original crank- shaft and most other parts. All that had to be found was the carb., manifolding, and magneto
All have now been found and actually started turning up the week after M7237 arrived!

Since then parts to add to the pile have included TWO 1923 webbed rear axle assemblies, a dash horn button, early aluminium sump, and, incredibly, crankcase number M7238. That's the consecutive number to the motor above!

A front axle sans shock absorber holes, a block numbered 1224 and a gearbox number 1804 mean that the stock is tending toward 1923. It would be great to build this lot into a first year production car or van at some stage in the future..

2-3-00 Recent work on no. M7237 has included new head studs, new valves, combustion chamber cleaning, a new front seal and gaskets. All are in preparation for start up in the near future. New manifold studs have also been fitted, but the workman for this motor must have had a very hard day at Longbridge back in October 1924... every stud goes in (or pokes out) at a different angle. Fitting the manifold is a very tricky business! All bar one are standard thread. Pic soon.

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