Was made by Swift Motors in Coventry, started mid 19th century making sewing machines, branched into bikes in the 1880s and started car production in the very early 1900s. They made the first Austin 7s for Herbert Austin, and were reasonably successful in the Edwardian period, and after the war, but like many small manufacturers, came to grief in the Depression, and ceased production in 1931. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift_Motor_Company
for example.

My father had a 1931 model, I started to learn to drive on it when I was about 12. It was a fairly roomy five seat saloon with a fabric covered wooden framed body, right hand gearshift, wire wheels, etc. Not high performance, but very reliable.

I remember one trip we made from Sydney to Glen Innes (would have been just after the end of petrol rationing, probably 1949 or 1950), accompanied from Newcastle by an uncle and his family in their Rover Nine. The Swift outperformed the Rover, mainly by virtue of having a four speed gearbox instead of a three speed. One of my enduring memories is our waiting for them at the top of Moonbi, and their coming into sight round the last bend, with my uncle leaning out the side to see, the windscreen of the Rover being obscured by condensation from the boiling radiator.

John

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JDNSW
1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol

I scratched round and found a picture of the Swift.

John

Attached Images

Swift_1957a.jpg (39.1 KB, 20 views)

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JDNSW
1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol

The Coventry Climax gennies that we have are fitted with centrifugal water pump and electric start (Morris Minor starter motor)

The pictures we took are now sorted and have captions:

http://www.oldengine.org/members/die...ventryMenu.htm

The starter ring gear and motor are visible, and the water pump is just in shot on one of the other pictures.

Peter

hi, just joined & read with interest about your engine. I have one in a swift. They are only 10hp not 20 but are relatively simple reliable & common. I have some spare parts & could be interested in yours.
regards

we dumped a few of those fire pumps from the SES a few years back I never saw them in use but was told some wild stories about there capabilities. they were both still running but the exhaust system had rusted out so they had no vacuum to get them sucking anymore.

Might still have the large suction hose to one of them that will go to the tip soon if it hasn't all ready let me know if anyone wants me to grab it for them if i can find it?

hi there

The fire pumps "coventry Climax" are getting difficult to obtain - let me know if you know/see any around.

All the best

Wayne

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Series I 1951 SWB
Series I 1954 SWB "Champion Fire Engine"
Series I 1958 LWB Fire Engine
Series IIa 1964 LWB Ex Army Fire Tender
1994 130 (300 TDI) Dual Cab

http://www.aulro.com/app/showgallery...00/ppuser/8913

REMLR No 196

Hi Wayne,, I still have the little Coventry, still no idea of its use in life, there was one pic posted that was the same, it does not have the down draught carby it is updraught,

Hi all I found the hose thats left from the old pumps we had I think the size is around 4" and would be atleast 4m long and has a male screwed thread on one end and a female screwed end on the other. I would put the condition as very good as it has sat on the shed wall for atleast 20years that i can remember it.

Ok the price is free to good home and first one to say they want it can have it!

now no fighting ppl if more than one wants it!

pick up Phillip Island or maybe melbourne if you can wait till i next take my truck to town no hurry on removing it.

I have an ex Mil Coventry Climax powered gen set.....240v output.
At a guess it would be WWII vintage.
Its a pretty wee 4 cyl in line, about the same physical size of an Austin 7. magneto zapper. water cooled.

If anyones interested I'll post some images when I get back to kiwiland.
Last 2 days of holidaying in sunny Queensland...weird weather pattern.

Brent.
Wellington. NZ

G'day Things_Green

Sorry about the weather, is a bit different, but it is similar to the 60's-70's type of wet season

The motor on that Coventry Climax is possibly a Ford (English Ford 8/10 Anglia,Prefect 1936-1953) small side valve, often thermo-syphon cooling, they were used extensively as pump and generator units, usually trailer mounted, of WW11 vintage, but stayed in service until the 70's or 80's in Aust. there is apic of a larger unit Sidevalve Ford V8 gennie in Vietnam that I have seen.

cheers

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68 2a GS 6028D 172-484
Aust No5 trailer 2wheel 1/2 ton Ch 1974=173-489
REMLR No 003