Project Allegro 3 - Stormy Petrol

[cort16]

As you may have seen I bought this 20,000 mile allegro off ebay for not very much that didn't run and failed it's mot on welding. What I didn't notice was the MOT it failed on was in 2016 and it's not been on the road since 2014!

It was a non runner . The previous owner changed the points then couldn't get it to run. It actually turned out to be the starter solenoid, whose live connection was loose I guess dislodged by fannying around with the distributor. I've ordered one off ebay for a tenner but I've bypassed it for now so i can start it and drive it around.
It sounds really sweet even though it pops and farts a bit on throttle. Having mulled it over my SD1 did this when the SU had no oil in the dashpot of the carb so something to check.

I had to move the Cortina to my other lockup, which doesn't have power but is 100% water tight unlike this one so I intended to it anyway.

The mot fail was on 3 bit of welding a non working indicator and the wipers not clearing the screen. The windscreen wipers are missing for some reason luckily I realised before I turned them on.

Once in the lockup I had a poke around. It was ziebarted from new and that stuff really does the bizo most of it is really clean. There are some holes though of course.

Dream team or nightmare, not sure.












I'm not sure I can be bothered dicking around trying to weld this given it's proximity to the screen. I might just remove the rust and use some of that moldable epoxy putty pushed
through from the back.






Of course it left it's mark


I also think it needs or will need a clutch very soon as the biting point is very high. I'll think about that once/if i can get it through an MOT.
Some of the arms and rods on the front suspension look very rusty so I may make some attempt to clean them up to so they don't horrify the MOT tester.
All in all it seems much less dicked around with than the cortina that's probably been apart and rebuilt 3-4 times.

Also the previous owner left the boot full of old shoes. I'll check them later for loafers.

I'm also terrible for updating these car blog things but I'll try my best here.

[320touring]

Looks quite a solid wee thing, and running too

 

Good luck - look forward to racing you in the Oxford soon

[Lanciaman]

I thought this was going to be about sticking in a 3.0 lump in an Allegro...

[320touring]

I thought this was going to be about sticking in a 3.0 lump in an Allegro...

I may push him to get a 1275 metro turbo lump;)

[cort16]

Also I carefully took that picture of the cortina so you can't see the fucking dreadfull paint work I inflicted on it. I'm going to save my penny's and get the bonnet and passenger side painted at some point.

[Cavcraft]

Well bought, Glen. Look forward to updates.

[320touring]

Well bought, Glen. Look forward to updates.

The boy did indeed dun guid!

 

Looks like a nice solid base and all the cool bits are intact

[Timewaster]

Highlighter pen colour palette. Nice.

 

Yellow next. No pink. Ever.

[SiC]

Looks mint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compared to my 1100!

[vulgalour]

The Bismarck looks mint compared to your 1100.

[Squire_Dawson]

This will be a good economical car capable of year round use once done. They cut through snow like butter and handle like a go-kart. The main rot spot in your pictures are where they all go, most important is the suspension tie-rods. These can be unbolted from underneath and treated, but it is the critical area. Rear screen can be removed and the areas treated and filled. Same goes for the wing, you can use filler around the lamp unit but the bonnet slam panel looks quite bad so will need welding. Also drop the petrol tank as a matter of urgency as they rot where they meet the boot. It will undoubtedly be rusty but if it's leak-free should be saveable.

 

You have quite a rare car there and the door-rear window trim is very unusual. This is the best Allegro you could've bought: a Series 3 2-door. Good luck with it.

[Squire_Dawson]

 

I also think it needs or will need a clutch very soon as the biting point is very high.

 

It may only require adjustment. There is an adjustable stop on the bellhousing which the clutch arm rests on. Try adjusting this first. But it depends if the last owner habitually rode the clutch.

[SiC]

What was the eBay listing name? I can't find it when searching for Allegro.

[cort16]

Here you go

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F223091188251

[SiC]

Ah probably why it wasn't in my searches as it was in the salvage section. Probably need to revise my searches to cover that. It's how you can get some proper bargains when listed in the wrong sections!

 

£2.95 for delivery is a bargain too.

[cort16]

No free delivery just free shoes .

[hairnet]

I thought this was going to be about sticking in a 3.0 lump in an Allegro...

I R disappoint also

[Guest Hooli]

I thought this was going to be about sticking in a 3.0 lump in an Allegro...

 

I was hoping that too!

[Mally]

This will be a good economical car capable of year round use once done. They cut through snow like butter and handle like a go-kart. 

 

My wife managed a 360 degree spin in one, single track road, factory wall on one side, canal on the other.

Fortunately never touched the sides.

[Isaac Hunt]

Looks like a cracking find. Can't be many Allegover Mk3 2 Door's rocking and rolling.

 

IMHO those chrome trips are period 'my names Barry innit' and I'd be getting rid of Barry's attempt to bling the thing.

[cort16]

We had a laugh about those yesterday trying to

Figure out if they’re original . Definetly period but not original . I’d be worried the paint would come off if I tried to pull it.

[HMC]

That’s a bit of a bargain! Is there much history with it? I’ve seen these allegro 3.0s with single and quads- was it just very late ones that had quad lights or was it the top spec (well below VDP at least)

 

For some reason I’ve always really liked the BL cars* tart up job on the allegro 3

 

*or whatever it was that week (leyland cars perhaps)

[HMC]

Cringe! But shows the round quad lamps

[cort16]

This is reasonably base I think. The blanking plate for the stereo is still fitted and no passenger side mirror .

[cort16]

It may only require adjustment. There is an adjustable stop on the bellhousing which the clutch arm rests on. Try adjusting this first. But it depends if the last owner habitually rode the clutch.

Thanks I’ll give that a shot. It’s not slipping but very high.

[adw1977]

This looks like a great purchase.

 

Quad headlights were only on the HLS.

[drum]

To pop out the rear window, just jack the car up in one corner.

[kinkersaab]

Love that. Tomato soup orange as we called our mothers one. JRS105V. Long gone now.

[BeEP]

Allegro 3 launched in 1979; spec levels base (no leters), L (like the OP's) and HL (quad lights and vinyl roof).  Facelifted in 1981 (A+ 1.0 and 1.3 engines replacing 1100 and 1300 A-series) and spec levels all shifted up ie L now lowest spec, HL mid spec and HLS the new designation for top spec (quad lights but vinly roof now only an option).

 

Those incongruous chrome strips below the side windows appear on a number of early series 3s, to the extent it does seem they may have been factory fitted!

[M'coli]

^^^ Now that's interesting - I read somewhere that the Allergy was given the A+ engine before the miniMetro.