Hot Rods Look what I found: American Austin! Bantam??

I've been into cars all my life and can appreciate all types of cars and the work that goes into them. From hot rods to low riders, the effort and persistence to build one blows most people away. I've been into about anything with a motor all my life. I've owned most 32 ford body styles a Willys coupe, anglia, all hot rodded, and restored muscle cars. The older I get I seem to appreciate originality more than modification. I'm finishing up a 1960 Jeep FC 150 and hope to have it in the Goodguys show in Scottsdale in a few weeks. Its odd and rare and makes people smile. I think it will be the same with this car, so as long as its in my possession I will take care to keep original.

 

Cool find.
My favorite actor, Buster Keaton, with his personal Austin in a so-so sound film doing a gag from one of his classic silent films 10 years earlier.

 

with halloween coming, what a gag it would be for you and mama to dress up like mickey and minnie and cruise around town!

 

I really like those lil' cars but me riding around in a Bantam would look like a piss ant hauling a bale of hay! HRP

 

when can I have it? I don't live far away !

 

Im not much for hearing from the restore it brigade, this being a hot rod site an all.
But, for once I agree with the leave it alone crowd. That's neat, and with glass versions available, it would be rude to molest such a gem.
I do like the blown hemi race versions, but it'd be far easier to build a glass one for a hot rod.
Congrats, looks like a lot of fun.

 

This weekend took the family to the Hershey PA AACA museum. There's one in there. Tried to get a pic of it off their site's virtual tour to post up here. Wouldn't you know it, it's almost completely obstructed in the pic.

 

Buster summered here in Muskegon and we have a statue of him downtown

 

there is one of these for sale on CL up here in Boston .A roadster ,but it is rotted to death the friggin door skins look like fly-paper and the guy wants 10 grand . I think its a two for one deal with a whole lot of crap parts to go with it so who knows if there is a hard to find part in the mix mp

 

That's a nice car, an can become a nice Hot Rod. But I agree with them who say it's to good to Hot Rod, but...

There are things you can do to it that to a restore would be blasphemi, but to us would look like nothing, is the way to go in this case.

Like a slight lowering,, maybe brakes, better tires and tunning on the stock engine.
All is reversible, but it will be possible to enjoy it in modern traffic and go faster.
Because I couldn't enjoy a car that puts my sfinkster in a stress situation. I wants to have fun, and what you bolt on, can be undun!

But for gods sake no SBC 350/350 combo and centerline rims, there are other ways to go.

And that is such a nice car!!!

 

I picked up a running motor for it Christmas weekend from Norm Booth in Pasadena, CA. Norm is one of the founders of the Austin Bantam Society and a swell guy. He's 93 years old and sharp as a whip. And man what a stash of parts he has for these cars. He has 2 super nice 31' coupe/sedans and a 38' Bantam all restored cars. He also has a rodded 31 coupe/sedan. All amazing condition. What really got my goat was his original unrestored 36' ford 4dr sedan and 41 Ford business coupe, both totally unrestored with shiny original paint. He wants to sell his is stuff cause he ain't gettin any younger in his own words. With the running motor I got from him I'll be able to get my car on the road quicker.

 

Neat little car, with all the wood, and very thin metal it's pretty suprising there are any at all left. Just bought a glass Bantam altered, but had a steel one a while ago...wouldn't touch that one either.

 

This has got to be the first I've seen in original condition. Usually either drag-altered or used as a T Bucket alternative.
Keep it original (And it's not often you'll hear that coming from me!)

 

Finally did a little work to the car this weekend. Lost the 50's license plate holder and the early chevy taillights. Put on the original tail light bracket and rummaged up a taillight left over from the willys. The original tail light is missing the glass lens and I doubt I'll be able to find another.

 

If I find you a lens can you find me a housing?

 

I'm in the restore it camp. That little roadster has survived all these years keeping it's original pieces. It needs to be respected for what it is.

 

Do you have a jeep forward controlled?

I'm partially agreeing with Dean Lowe, but hopping up the car, and blue printing everything and work the stock parts, you got spares of all the engine parts to undo any tampering.
Better then a re-power with a SBC. That's over kill, and it's such a nice car.

 

I agree, a little more beans under the hood would be fine. Just respect the rest of the car.

 

I presume these things came out with the A series motor. good for rebore to 1380 - twin SU's or webers etc are a great race engine - parts are plentiful & lots of hop up literature - i would play with it before you drop some clunky old Detroit dinosaur under the bonnet.

 

That's a damn fine engine to tune! That one you see there is what we refers to as a "English head", it replaces the stock head that's was non-cross flow and sand had Siamesed ports. This head is made for racing purposes.
The breath damn fine, the give you room at the back for hedder and 2 2v webers in front and bigger valves.

Small cars with that engine kick the ass of many better cars, with bigger cars!
Them and fiat-abarth was the hefty machinery on any track in Europe.

Compared to a v8 they are gonna be way more nimble an high revving.
The regularly saw 11k Rpm on the track.
And some of those set up since seen fair street action.

But I don't think they came in this car, I believe it was a Side valve Austin engine, a flathead engine.

 

She's off life support! Got the little motor up and running. Been tinkering with it off and on for a few months. The last couple of weekends I've been trying to figure out why it will only run on starting fluid. And then I had a brilliant flash of light! Turn on the gas! Duhhh!
Anyway she LIVES! It sounds like a big block with the POS muffler I got tack welded on but its really pretty tame.
I was hopeing to load up a video but it won't let me. So here's a pic of the motor

 

They use to use early Jeep ignition points in them.. You can flip the intake manifold and put a small Zenith or lawnmower carb on it, but you have to run an electric fuel pump.. I got away with running a 12V fuel pump on 6 volts and work ok but I really didn't drive it very far...

 

I'm sorry but this is a Hotrod message board and if you're not willing to butcher that thing up you're not allowed to post a beautiful cute stocker!

Hahaha... Almost forgot how cute those things were.

Keep that one stock for prosperity.

 

This is a neat little car, congratulations and enjoy!

 

Consensus is to keep it in a controlled state of decay!

Make it safe as can be... tune it up and leave the body alone.

See if you can find the skirts!

 

The American Austin and Bantams had a dinky 750 cc flathead four. They shared nothing in common with the A series BMC engine

 

Ok, one last post for me on my Bantam. Just took it out for its 1st run in many years of sitting in the garage. Thought I'd share.

 

Cute as a button!

 

Really neat! One of my earliest memiries is counting cars with my grandma on Nantucket...one was a little Bantam. Have had 3 since. One steel and 2 glass.

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