1980 Allegro 3

[254575]

Thought I'd post a couple of pics up about my new purchase.

 

Was on car and classic and ebay a few weeks back. about 20 miles from me.

 

has lived at the atwell wilson museum until earlier this year (where our shite meetup is heading later this year, had been kept in the sunlight, so the interior has faded a little.

 

found this from when it was auctioned off by the museum http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/richard ... 9/lot_1153

 

First picture I took when on the way back from picking it up,

 

 

Here is a picture of the sun damaged seats

 

 

 

this was a few weeks back, but this weekend was the first chance I had to do some oily bits and clean her up.

 

However. being the resourceful chap i am, I acquired a VDP 1500 interior and fitted it. please enjoy these pics

 

 

 

 

 

so i now have the poshest allegro 3 1.3L

 

 

 

what drink would you like with your meal sir?

 

 

 

 

 

one last thing....

 

What is this stereo from? fancy a swap for anything in an Austin flavour that will fit?

 

[dollywobbler]

Luscious. Top shite colour, top shite spec - even if you have poshed it up.

[Shep Shepherd]

Looks very acceptable

[Wilko220]

Looks marvellous. Generally speaking, I'm all about originality - but you really can't argue with having polished wood picnic trays in the back of your Allegro.

I think the radio is out of an Escort.

[RedSparrow]

Niiiceee. These late ones have a certain special shite charm.

Do you plan to fit the VDP door cards? I would personally, so the interior 'matched'.

Also, well done on saving a leggy that was prime engine bum-rape fodder.

 

EDIT: Did you really only pay £140 for it? You lucky bugger!

[pocket.calculator]

You must be very disappointed it has no quartic steering wheel.

[Cavcraft]

Class! That interior really suits it too, very jealous here!

[theorganist]

Very nice indeed! Glad that the mini boys have not managed to get their hands on i!

[254575]

You must be very disappointed it has no quartic steering wheel.

 

no greatly, im usually all about maestro, so this one is late enough to be what im used to.

 

Alas, no door cards were available, however, I may retrim the original seats

[vulgalour]

Sterling save there, the Museum photographs really let it down compared to the pics you've shown of it.

[purplebargeken]

Great save. Love the seats, shame you couldn't get the door cards but could Woolies not do a vinyl paint match perhaps?

 

Ken

[purplebargeken]

Forgot to add that it might be worth a 'wanted' post on the Allegro Owners Club site perhaps re: door cards.

[Jack_Harpers_Teeth]

Oooh that is lovely.

 

Does the suspension need a little pumping up though?

[Craig the Princess]

Top work, love Russet Brown.

 

If you are going to Pride of Longbridge let me know before hand if you want to borrow the suspension pump and I'll chuck it in the boot.

[philibusmo]

Now I do like a nice Allegro.

Good colour as well, same as my Maxi was, a little bit older though.

Sunken Hydragas suspension FTW!

[254575]

Top work, love Russet Brown.

 

If you are going to Pride of Longbridge let me know before hand if you want to borrow the suspension pump and I'll chuck it in the boot.

 

Thanks. Its 50/50 at the moment unfortunately. Suspension does need pumping up a little. Do you have any experience of the £50 pumps on eBay?

[Craig the Princess]

We have got one of those, not quite a good at the £100 out of practical classics (that we had before but broke) as they hold less but they do the job fine.

[blguy1975]

OMG That is LUSH , Why not Join the Allegro Club , One of the most fun clubs in GB , A great way to meet other Allegro fans and usefull for discounted spares http://www.allegroclubint.org.uk/join.html

 

If You are free next saturday, why not Bring it to Pride of Longbridge ,and meet Myself and Hector

 

 

Matt

[scooters]

Wow!

 

I love the VDP seats look like an overstuffed sofa in a Gentlemans club....you can almost smell the musty tweed jackets and Players No 3 fags...a smell of my motoring childhood in the 70s!

 

Top buy that looks like it has heaps of potential

[Alexg]

Good work, and a total bargain

[254575]

pumped up suspension on allegro. now sitting pretty.

 

water pump needs doing next, sounds like washing machine+marbles, and im not too keen on the clutch, biting point is far too low. hopefully a bleed will sort it out.

[254575]

bit more work done over the weekend....

 

New water pump fitted. solved the rattling noise, also fitted a new alternator, electrics seem to be behaving better.

 

now runs lovely, as quiet as ive ever heard an a series.

 

as a bonus, after looking at what i thought was a completely snapped off aerial, I found about 20cm still inside the wing that i was able to pull up., so i now have reception for AM/MW

 

next job is clutch slave cylinder.

[254575]

all hail the incredible self-fixing allegro.

 

Took it on a motorway for the first time today for a 40 mile round trip,

 

a good filling of petrol seems to have bought the fuel gauge back to life. it must have increased the force on the stuck float. thats saved me the crappy job of fixing the sender.

 

the dash bulb for the lights has started working again now and the clutch now seems to be a lot firmer and it doesn't bite when going into gear as it used to on occasion. although i'll still replace the cylinder as its looks old.

[vulgalour]

I've been experiencing similar automagical self-repairing habits from my bit of 1980 BL tin, maybe it's a design feature they didn't advertise that only kicks in after 30 years?

[254575]

bought a new set of wipers today.

 

on the packet they came in, it says it is compatible with:

 

Daewoo Matiz - 09/98

Ford Focus - 10/98- 09/04

Corsa B - 03/93 - 09/00

Fiat Uno - 01/83 - 09/89

Peugeot 405 - 07/89 - 11/96

 

what an utterly random bunch of cars. i took great pleasure in winding up my Focus owning workmate about the similarities between Austin Allegros and Ford Focuses.

[HillmanImp]

Missed this the first time round. It looks great, especially with the VDP seats. Great colour too. There are a couple of metallic blue VDPs round this way and its not right. All Allegros need to be in either dog turd brown or baby shit green, they just don't look right in anything else.

[254575]

busy bank holiday weekend and last few weeks

 

 

 

 

replaced:

 

Coil

HT leads

Plugs

rotor arm

attempted to replace points and condensor, but after an hour of trying, realised i had the wrong part. managed to bend the locator pin in the distributor, but i think it should bend back ok.

new aerial

removed ford stereo and stereo blanking plate back on

 

 

 

Fitted:

 

4 x new (well part worn) tyres

Passenger wing mirror

modern stereo in glove box, and period speakers under rear seat.

replaced cracked bumper corner

 

 

 

Resprayed hub caps back to silver

 

 

here are the retro speakers..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I seem to have a bit of a problem with water ingress into the glovebox area during heavy rain. ruined my newly fitted stereo, had plenty of spares though, couldnt figure out where it was coming from. any ideas?

[254575]

still pulling my hair out at the water leak problem, I have checked the heater drain at it seems clear. but there are 2 holes either side of the bulk head just underneath the windscreen, and ideas what these are?

 

does anyone have any experience with the blowers on these?.... i can get toasty warm air around my feet, but when i switch it to demist the windscreen the air is cold. and does nothing to help the massive condensation problem caused by the above.

[Craig the Princess]

still pulling my hair out at the water leak problem, I have checked the heater drain at it seems clear. but there are 2 holes either side of the bulk head just underneath the windscreen, and ideas what these are?

 

does anyone have any experience with the blowers on these?.... i can get toasty warm air around my feet, but when i switch it to demist the windscreen the air is cold. and does nothing to help the massive condensation problem caused by the above.

 

The little holes, are they about the size of a 5p (or slightly smaller). Some Allegros had plastic pipes to move any water that breached the seal out (also on the rear screen into the book surround). If the pipes fall off some water gets in the car but not loads. What are the wiper spindals and washer jets like? I've had to fill my wiper spindals with Mastic on the Applejack car to stop a leak.

 

The blowers are sealed witha foam ring, the foam breaks down (a grey powdery foam on sticky tape on the carpet) which stops the direction selector working as it should.

[254575]

still pulling my hair out at the water leak problem, I have checked the heater drain at it seems clear. but there are 2 holes either side of the bulk head just underneath the windscreen, and ideas what these are?

 

does anyone have any experience with the blowers on these?.... i can get toasty warm air around my feet, but when i switch it to demist the windscreen the air is cold. and does nothing to help the massive condensation problem caused by the above.

 

The little holes, are they about the size of a 5p (or slightly smaller). Some Allegros had plastic pipes to move any water that breached the seal out (also on the rear screen into the book surround). If the pipes fall off some water gets in the car but not loads. What are the wiper spindals and washer jets like? I've had to fill my wiper spindals with Mastic on the Applejack car to stop a leak.

 

The blowers are sealed witha foam ring, the foam breaks down (a grey powdery foam on sticky tape on the carpet) which stops the direction selector working as it should.

 

You were spot on with the washer jet! It was leaking through the one directly above the glovebox!!

 

Many thanks for the pointer.

 

Got Some new pressed metal plates made up. And will respray bumpers in the coming weeks.

 

The washer motor seems to be frothing up the fluid rather than pumping it, so that's next on the list!