That vandalised Ambassador...

[rovamota]

The Ambo went in for an MoT today and it did fail but on nothing major. A small hole in the sill, a split steering rack gaiter (I should've spotted that), a split ball joint dust cover, hand brake efficiency (not sure why as it works as well as I know they should) and it's 0.2% too high on CO emissions. No big deal, really.

 

However, on the drive back from the MoT station in the pouring rain the wipers got slower and the lights got dimmer as the alternator decided it no longer wanted to participate. I managed to nurse it home so I'll take the alternator off tomorrow and have it refurbished locally. Despite that, it does drive very well indeed.

 

I'll also refit the roof lining, too.

[Squire_Dawson]

Not bad at all. Are the brake shoes manually adjustable on these or automatic?

[rovamota]

They are automatic adjustment on these, but we'll just take the drum off and clean it up.

[Felly Magic]

A few little niggles for you to sort, but knowing you, they will be sorted in a jiffy, and this JRG beast will be back on the streets

[rovamota]

Made a start on the MoT jobs today, namely the steering rack gaiter and ball joint dust cover which, luckily, were both on the same side.

 

 

Most gaiter kits come with cable ties, but in my experience these seem to make a hole in the gaiter over time and will fail another MoT in around three years.

 

Whilst I was there I removed the brake pads and gave them a clean up. The remains of the old gaiter can be seen here, too.

 

.

 

I've cut the sunroof aperture out in the new roof lining, but I'm awaiting the trim that fits around it so it looks a bit untidy currently. I can then fit the sunroof panel trim, though we still need some fittings that make the sunroof work. My Araldite 'fix' failed on the first wind of the handle.

 

 

 

 

I also refitted the screen trim but didn't take a photo, but it looks more VPish now,

That was enough for today

[Noel Tidybeard]

hey you coukd always upgrade the brakes with some twin pot calipers off a prin.... oh wait hang on

[rovamota]

Well, sunroof issues aside we've got the car ready for the MoT retest after spending a few hours on it over the weekend.

 

After removing the trim strip on the sill several more holes were found but it was no problem for our welder Zak, who did all the welding within 2 hours.

 

 

 

 

Of course, in this freezing weather painting on underseal would be hopeless without a bit of help from a hot air gun.

 

 

We also had a look at the rear brakes which failed the MoT apparently due to handbrake inefficiency. After checking them over we found no issues at all and we even parked it on a 1:3 gradient and the handbrake held it perfectly. Not sure what the MoT testers issue is with that.

 

 

Another job was to refit the failed alternator but it was discovered upon dismantling it at the overhaulers that it was full of oil so it was cleaned, dried out and upon test it was outputting 14.4 volts. Sat above the alternator in the engine bay is the power steering pump and looking at the mess below it we discovered the pump housing was leaking. It seems someone in the past had over tightened a mounting bolt and stripped the thread, allowing fluid to pass through onto the alternator below.

 

Luckily, Gasman found a spare pump for an Ambassador (each engine type has a different pump) and once fitted it seems we have cured the issue.

 

 

We also swapped the tyres onto a set of refurbished alloy wheels.

 

 

So, all being well we should have an MoT by the middle of the week.

 

 

 

 

[Sudsprint]

Wonderful heartwarming stuff on a cold Sunday evening.

[Guest Lord Sward]

AmCLASSador.

[richardmorris]

What's up with the shut line on the n/s? Had the hinge dropped?

[strangeangel]

100000000000000000000000000000 X WIN

[Station]

Must have been a HL, there was never a 2.0 L (although you could have a 1.7L auto if you were a masochist).

Late 2.0 HL models did have the twin carbs:

0273/in/album-72157643328249664/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/61090099@N04/1365219Ambassador HL Jan 84.jpg

(Jan 1984 brochure)

Wow they named the glovebox Alan!

 

What does the ASU do?

 

My dad had one in gold in the early 90s. It was comfy with the same interior. My mate used to say it looked like the Amiga A500 mouse, which it totally does.

And I called it the Austin Ambarrassador.

 

[rovamota]

What's up with the shut line on the n/s? Had the hinge dropped?

That door is slightly open.

 

The ASU is simply an automatic choke system.

[richardmorris]

That's good then, the Cx's hinge pins always wore very quickly and then the doors dropped. The least of mine's problems

[alcyonecorporation]

Yo rovamota,

 

I have a contact in Australia who remanufactures Golde sun roof bits. He's not cheap but if you're really stuck send me the part numbers and I'll drop him an email.

[Vince70]

Rovamotor once you've got all these lovely Ambassadors up to scratch what do you do with them..

Do you have a retirement home for them.

You must have 50% of the remaining Ambassadors on the road and all of them look like really nice original upmarket low mileage examples I've really got to take my hat off to you.

 

The Ambassador might not be the most loved everyday early 80s family hatchback on the road and not the most reliable and maybe the upmarket one should of got a 5 speed and a rev counter but for a car which was only made in small numbers it seems a few are still around rot free when the likes of the Sierra's and Cavaliers and the Ambro replacement the Montego had all but rotted away in the thousands at around 15 years of age.

 

It looks like one thing Austin Rover did get right was obviously the rust proofing and I always liked the shape of the Ambro I always thought the Morris ital lights gave it that modern look it needed for the 80s.

 

I think the reason my dad bought his was he was a big fan of his previous Austin 1800s and Maxi.

 

He loved the versatility and always thought that economy was always better on a Austin Rover/BL product to equivalent Fords and Vauxhalls of the period plus he liked hydrogas suspension and he always wanted the princess but wanted a hatchback and he did like to buy a British motor if he could

And when he had a chance to buy a newish secondhand car in 1985 it was a choice between a low mileage upmarket VP or for the same kind of price he could of had a base ex Rep sierra.

 

Bloody Hell station that Amiga mouse has even turned into an Austin Rover colour.

[flat4alfa]

Great save!  

 

All JRG motors should be saved, that is a rule

[Guest Breadvan72]

I wish that I knew how to spell SPLUNFFF.

[rovamota]

Rovamotor once you've got all these lovely Ambassadors up to scratch what do you do with them..

Do you have a retirement home for them.

You must have 50% of the remaining Ambassadors on the road and all of them look like really nice original upmarket low mileage examples I've really got to take my hat off to you.

 

The Ambassador might not be the most loved everyday early 80s family hatchback on the road and not the most reliable and maybe the upmarket one should of got a 5 speed and a rev counter but for a car which was only made in small numbers it seems a few are still around rot free when the likes of the Sierra's and Cavaliers and the Ambro replacement the Montego had all but rotted away in the thousands at around 15 years of age.

 

It looks like one thing Austin Rover did get right was obviously the rust proofing and I always liked the shape of the Ambro I always thought the Morris ital lights gave it that modern look it needed for the 80s.

 

I think the reason my dad bought his was he was a big fan of his previous Austin 1800s and Maxi.

 

He loved the versatility and always thought that economy was always better on a Austin Rover/BL product to equivalent Fords and Vauxhalls of the period plus he liked hydrogas suspension and he always wanted the princess but wanted a hatchback and he did like to buy a British motor if he could

And when he had a chance to buy a newish secondhand car in 1985 it was a choice between a low mileage upmarket VP or for the same kind of price he could of had a base ex Rep sierra.

 

Bloody Hell station that Amiga mouse has even turned into an Austin Rover colour.

image.jpeg

 

It will be sold once we've spent all we have in the kitty on it but we're content with the fact that we've saved it from an uncertain fate. It takes a gigantic effort to get a car in the condition we purchased it in back on the road again and in the short space of time we gave ourselves. More so if it's a car like the Ambassador that many people see as a prime example of the British car industry at its worst. 

 

We disagree with that and we're much happier pro-actively saving Wedges as a club than joining in the universal love for the likes of overpriced Fords and E-type Jaguars or joining in slagging off cars we know nothing about, other than hearsay, from the safety and comfort of a keyboard.

 

Anyone can do that.

[Skizzer]

^ You chaps deserve a knighthood for services to shite. A shitehood.

[Guest Breadvan72]

How much would you be asking for the car when selling, and, (this is a serious question, shiteists assembled), is there any wantz for a group purchase?   I mean, I understand why people wanted to save the Sierrabase, but this Ambassador is, for me anyway, even more of an icon.

[rovamota]

It depends how much it owes us after we've decided we've done what we can with it, plus a bit of profit but it owes us over a grand already.

[Vince70]

Whoever buys one of your motors will be buying with confidence and will always get the best most sorted example on the market that's for sure.

 

After all that hard work you put into them it must be hard to let any of them go.

Have you still got that lovely ex Gaydon example which you saved from the scrap man that had been standing for years.

 

It's amazing how the doors and arches etc always look in so good nick on an ambassador on a car that's now 35 years old,

any other car and it would be just rust rust and more rust up to the roof panel.

 

It looks like once you guys finish with one this its would go on for another 35 years, how do you manage to find the parts as that must be a mission in itself for a car that only was manufactured for 2 and a bit years for the home market.

[MarvinsMom]

austin ambassador ..... y reg.....

 

whats not to like!

 

i've gotta start saving some money now!!

[666jjp]

have you got your next victim lined up yet? ever considered a hearse?

[rovamota]

It is hard to see them go as their future ownership becomes uncertain, like that of the Morris 1800 we restored and sold that's now it's back on sale again. We can't save all of them but we're pleased that the Wolseley that was on ebay last week is now in the hands of an enthusiastic owner who intends to restore it.

 

 

[Skizzer]

Is there any wantz for a group purchase?

Good call, I'd be up for that.

[Guest Breadvan72]

[Vince70]

At least one thing I will always have from Ambassdor ownership that can't be taken away from me is the scar on the back of head from the rear struts giving way on the hatch the thing was like a bloody guillotine as there was no warning.

 

I think it actually knocked me out but I should have known better as I was warned about it and a broom handle was actually carried around in the boot.

 

Also my dads mate had the same thing happen to him on his HLS both cars where around 3 years old by then I think but my memory has never been that good since that fateful day lol.

I put it down to the vandenplas and the HLS having to carry the extra weight of those upmarket badges on the hatch over the HL and L and suppose I can say that my scar is a badge of honour of Ambassdor ownership.

 

It wasn't all bad though as I took my driving test in the car back in the 80s and passed in the old girl but it did actually go wrong while taking the test and I had to keep my foot on the loud pedal just to stop it from stalling as the auto choke was doing its thing and then it started firing on 3.

 

I will say though because of the problems facing me on my test I didn't give a damn so I wasn't nervous as I automatically thought I failed but the actual examiner praised me for getting the car around the test and was an ex Ambassdor owner himself and told my father afterwards "If he can drive that £&@: thing he can drive anything then said I had one you know"

 

We went on our merry way afterwards and stopped off at the working mans club on the way home and when we came out I went to start it but it wouldn't fire as it had also run out of electric which it did often so we abandoned it for a week and got a cab home and used my old trusty Truimph which was my dads old car which he gave to me after buying the Ambo but being an automatic I couldn't take my test in it.

 

I'm sure my Dad didn't lock it in the end as he was hoping that someone would steal it and it was normally parked up (Abandoned) in a dodgy part of Lower Sydenham and still no one would take it.

 

The last I saw of the Ambo was on a car lot in Sidcup advertised as car of the week with extremely low mileage as my father PXed it on a Maestro with dubious history through desperation and I went on to owning a lovely early X plate 1.6L Cavalier Mk2.

 

But even though after all that I still miss the car I guess it's looking through rose tinted glasses or the bang on the head was worse than I thought as when it did work it was a nice car to drive and would still have another.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

It will be sold once we've spent all we have in the kitty on it but we're content with the fact that we've saved it from an uncertain fate. It takes a gigantic effort to get a car in the condition we purchased it in back on the road again and in the short space of time we gave ourselves. More so if it's a car like the Ambassador that many people see as a prime example of the British car industry at its worst. 

 

We disagree with that and we're much happier pro-actively saving Wedges as a club than joining in the universal love for the likes of overpriced Fords and E-type Jaguars or joining in slagging off cars we know nothing about, other than hearsay, from the safety and comfort of a keyboard.

 

Anyone can do that.

 

 

 

Amen to that Brother.

 

It's why I saved the red 1800 (YJO) and Nick's white one from the scrapyard in 1995, because no other bugger was going to. Excellent work!