Austin-Rover

The family Allegro was born 50 years ago today!

It's dead easy to fit a digidash to other models. For the most part it's plug-and-play. As long as you've got the speed transducer for the gearbox, you're good to go. The instrument cluster works independently of the rest, so if you're happy to have a 'mute' Maestro you can still have the digital speedo, fuel, temp and tachometer. The one in the eBay ad is missing the fuel flow unit from the bulkhead by the coil, which means even if it had the 'computery' part, it would be unable to supply the random numbers that were supposedly your statistics on fuel used, instantaneous consumption and MPG. As mentioned already it was standard fit to the Vanden Plas and MG, and optional equipment on the HLS in the original launch line up. Although you'd have never ever received your HLS with digidash as Smiths Instruments struggled to fulfill the requirements for working systems for the models that should have had it, let alone the optional ones. Thankfully the HLS came with its own unique instrument pack - very stylish it was too.

Sills and wing mirrors are BRG again now, but no pix of that, as I forgot when the car was briefly out of the garage today. In other works, the brand new fuel filler release motor was fitted (megabucks from Rimmer Bros); Someone previous to me had made a catch out of a flat piece of metal and screwed it to the car with a wood screw through the middle hole where there should be a rubber stopper. They then opened/closed the flap by applying force to bend the plastic catch over the piece of metal. Thankfully the flap and hinge have survived this muppetry and everything now works as it should. Also today was a flush out of the old 'coolant'. This is on the cards again in future as the expansion tank will need to be replaced with a new Volvo sourced item. Finally, down the driveway for a much needed wash, turned around and back in to the garage for the next round of jobs...

Sell some cars is the priority! Anyone want a left hand drive Maestro, or a CityRover? It would be great to get the Astra saloon painted and on its way to being reassembled, and perhaps get the 800 Fastback on the road. We shall see... Most likely neither will happen!

Progress is slow on the grotbags 800. The scabby bit on the offisde sill turned in to holes, bigger holes, inner sill repairs and a home made repair section for the back 1/3 of the sill. Take a look; We've managed to spend a bit of time on it this week, and we're now close to the point that the sill will be British Racing Green again soon. The stonechip coating was replaced on the new section of sill today; Also, what's really important at the moment is to make sure the wing mirror cappings are the best part of the car! 😄

More Anglesey reg plates. Shame she doesn't live there, or you'd be quids-in!

Got a couple here; C17 ROV was in the DVLA bargain bucket at £250. There was only ever me going to buy it! The next one was on an old Cavalier of legendary status and fond memories now since departed; The final one is N471 CEY which was on a Corsa in the family from new. When the Corsa was written off it found its way on to another small Vauxhall. Currently it exists only on the retention certificate. It'll get an outing again one day.

They're not compatible with wind, so they move across the paintwork scratching it, get stuck to sometimes hard to find and irreplicable trim and I've seen them turn paintwork milky before now when moisture gets under one.

As long as the car doesn't let water into the cabin, then there's really not much to do. I leave most of my stuff sat on the driveway for months on end, every winter. If it's a crisp, dry winter's day then they might get started, warmed up and taken round the block a couple of times before being left to sit again. Keeping them off wet, salted roads is the single best thing you can do to preserve an old car. Equally, putting a car cover on one is the single worst thing you can do. Most* cars were designed to be weather-proof after all!

I'd love to see where Ford plans to be in ten years' time. They're chopping all the stuff that they're known for, they're seemingly late to the EV party, and seem intent on selling only SUVs. There's no way they've got an upmarket enough image to survive only on expensive oversize lifestyle accessories?

This photo took some finding! It's one I took of Richard Cort's Rover dealership at Blackford Bridge, Bury two days after MG Rover had gone bust - 10th April 2005. The main building still stands, but with quite a few additions and extensions to it. It changed hands a long time ago and now sells Volvo. Volvo moved to this site from half a mile further up the road. The old Volvo site is now the home of Mercedes Benz Whitefield... which is not in Whitefield.

I was there in May. Followed it up with a factory tour too. Amazing place, and amazing museum.

Yes it still has the floor mats. I do need the fuel filler flap release mechanism if you have one?

High temperature spray adhesive is what you need. You don't stretch the new fabric as such, just smooth it over the contours as you lay it over the glue. It gets easier the more you do.

The very oily bits. It's made quite a mess on the driveway!