oh cr@p

[idiotboy]

Hi

I'm a newbie to Autoshite message board, although not a newbie to odd motors. It seems my missus has now caught this madness from me and has agreed that we need to sell our Mint Citroen LNA 11E for a larger car.

 

I left the choice of car up to her and now it seems I have to travel 200 miles to collect a car that she's agreed to purchase sight unseen from eBay. Sigh.

 

It gets worse. Thinking that my level headed partner would have chosen something "sensible" to keep our my broken Citroen Ami and dying Citroen 2CV company, which is reliable, tough and ready to drive at short notice, she has chosen a two tone brown 1976 1750 Allegro Vanden Plas. (facepalm)

 

Does anyone on this forum have any hints or tips about owning one of these. I've only got metric tools (18 years of French cars does that to you) so if there are any imperial spanners/sockets that I need to acquire for this dinosaur what should they be?

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[messerschmitt owner]

you sold a Citroen for an Allegro!

 

Welcome to AS, you mad nutter!

 

You'll need to buy a set of AF spanners, Haynes BOL, and AF sockets.

[254575]

add a hydragas pump to the list.

[idiotboy]

you sold a Citroen for an Allegro!

.

 

3 years ago I sold a Citroen DS for a Wartburg Tourist. When I told the membership Sec at the Citroen Car Club I wasn't renewing because I had sold the DS to buy a Wartburg, there was a long pause before he said:

 

"no one has ever said that to me before..."

 

Still I'm glad I did. It always put a smile on my face that car, it didn't do my Asthma much good though, but through the smoke coughing I was smiling.

 

Hydrogas pump? Is this some sort of nitrogen cylinder? I'm not sure I understand how Hydrogas works. Is it like the Citroen system then, where you change spheres when the gas leaks out?

[messerschmitt owner]

we'd have let you join with an LNA! You didn't have to get an Allegro to be here.

 

Hydragas is the gas suspension on a BL car of the 70s - pumps up, not unlike hydropneumatic on the green-blooded Citroens.

 

 

I would have loved to have seen the face of the CCC membership secretary!

 

A Wartburg - lol

 

Tell us more - what model was it? A Knight or earlier?

 

I remember the day we took my dad's last DS to the scrapyard and they lifted it with the orange peel grab! Tore the roof right off - lol.

[idiotboy]

The Wartie was a 1986 353S Tourist, in Fuer rot, basicall daygo orange, with a whitestripe, and Alloy wheels. Due to the smoke and the roar of a triple 2 stroke it made on startup, nextdoors 4 year old called it gruff the magic dragon. This got corrupted by unkind friends to Gruff the Tragic wagon.

 

It was an amazing car. It came along at the right time in my life and you could joyously hit it with a hammer when it broke down (which it did). Most amusing breakdown was having the engine seized due to main bearing failure on the Magic roundabout in Hemel Hempstead, causing tailbacks in both directions until I got help to push it out of the way.

 

The incident that most sticks in the mind was when I pulled up to a brightly lit Petrol station on a near empty tank. I pulled up to the pump and went trough the usual routine of pouring a 40 litre tanks worth of 2 stroke Putoline (strawberry scent) into the tank, lift the nozzle off the pump only then to discover that the pumps were turned off and that the station was actually shut.

 

I tried to get to the next fuel station 3 miles distant but things got a bit smokey to say the least and the Wartie conked out in a thick cloud of strawberry smelling fog 100 yds from my destination.

 

I only sold it because I was fed up with the 25mpg, soaring oil costs and the fact that the German post office were making a profit out of my spare parts orders. Also there are about 3 people in the UK who actually know how to fix them properly.

[DSdriver]

Welcome Matt, I think you'll fit in well here.

I don't know anything about Allegros either although I did work on the launch advertising back in the seventies.

I have a big toolbox full of unwanted non-metric spanners if you are in the area.

[idiotboy]

Hi DSdriver

 

Brilliant many thanks, where are you in the UK? I'd like to point out that the only reason I am an Allegro owner (although its a Vanden Plas) is because my crazy French other half wanted it. In her words...its just so English its like a melon hat on wheels. By melon hat I think she means a bowler, but then is an Allegro VDP the automotive equivalent of John Steed?

 

Either way, my French connection can't believe that we English put a tree and a cow into a small car, so is thrilled and currently running on compressed enthusiasm. Whether this will last when I have to go fetch this millstone sorry milestone of motoring legend from North Yorks is another matter. Oh and it's brown.

 

In the meantime I've got a clapped out 2CV that needs major fettling and a lovely Citroen Ami 8 with a bust cylinder head. Too much to do and no cash lol.

[jonathan_dyane]

Mr Concannon I presume?

 

Weclome, been some years since I've been to a 2cv camp, but I'm the tall northern lad with red hair.

 

I might have a cylinder head for the ami if you want one cheap.

 

Jealous regarding the Warty, I want one desperately!

[blguy1975]

Hi and welcome to Autoshite

 

I myelf have a Vanden Plas 1750 in British Racing Green which is a one off, ( also having a full resto which begun in 2010)

I also have a 1975 Allegro Series 1 1300 Super which has a Quaric (Square) steering wheel which I use in the Summer ,

 

An LNA ,Pug 104 or Talbot Samba is on Wishlist ,so lucky You

 

It may be worth You joining the Allegro Club International as they Have loads of parts which are Discounted for Members and we have online support fro Tech and Discounted or Free entry for shows

http://www.allegroclubint.org.uk/join.html

 

Good luck with Your 2 NEW Cars

 

Matt

[M'coli]

Welcome along! It's not this VP perchancce is it?

That's about 5 miles from me.

[idiotboy]

How do chap! Is that the Jono who used to have an Ami Super?

 

Everyone should try owning either a trabi or a wartie at least once, they tend to put everything else into perspective.

 

I think I've got a cylinder head. I just need to take it all apart to get the engine out and on the bench again. But with no garage space and non stop rain every time I open the tool box, I've just not got round to it yet.

[Cavcraft]

Welcome along, you're in the right place! Don't forget to take your camera and do a 'collection' thread when you've picked it up please!

[jonathan_dyane]

The very same! Can't you just whip the front panel/inner/outer wing off and throw another head on in an afternoon

[eddyramrod]

Welcome aboard Matt!

 

Now let me get this straight... an English bloke buys a load of broken Citroens, then his French wife buys an Allegro? You are both going to fit in perfectly! Don't forget the camera when you go to collect your new baby. We love photos here, we do...

[idiotboy]

Hi and welcome to Autoshite

 

I myelf have a Vanden Plas 1750 in British Racing Green which is a one off, ( also having a full resto which begun in 2010)

I also have a 1975 Allegro Series 1 1300 Super which has a Quaric (Square) steering wheel which I use in the Summer ,

 

An LNA ,Pug 104 or Talbot Samba is on Wishlist ,so lucky You

 

It may be worth You joining the Allegro Club International as they Have loads of parts which are Discounted for Members and we have online support fro Tech and Discounted or Free entry for shows

http://www.allegroclubint.org.uk/join.html

 

Good luck with Your 2 NEW Cars

 

Matt

 

2 new cars? No the LNA is being replaced by the Allegro!. SO the LNA is up for sale as of this coming weekend. If you know anyone who'd be interested in an immaculate dark red low miles (30K Miles) original car, that comes with a set of rare PSA alloys (also fitted to the Samba I think) with no rust. Let me know. Its got MOT to December and Tax to end of June and is great fun and its less than a grand.

 

As a fellow Allegroist, erm what should I expect? What is the Allegro VDP experience? And yes it was that 2 tone ebay one, I think it was the two tone that caught my girlfriends eye.

[idiotboy]

Welcome along! It's not this VP perchancce is it?

That's about 5 miles from me.

 

That's the kiddie. God! Its even got gold coach lining!

 

I'll let everyone know when I travel the 200 miles to pick it up. I might need help, assistance, emotional support etc.

[idiotboy]

Welcome aboard Matt!

 

Now let me get this straight... an English bloke buys a load of broken Citroens, then his French wife buys an Allegro? You are both going to fit in perfectly! Don't forget the camera when you go to collect your new baby. We love photos here, we do...

 

Yes that's it in a nutshell. I shall take pics when I go to collect it. I'm driving it home....ha what could possibly go wrong, no don't answer that, I seem to attract unusual incidents like a magnet. The Ami's last engine was written off by something as docile as a latex glove.

[SambaS]

Welcome along! Please post some pics of the LNA and the Wartburg.. I've been half-heartedly trying to get an LNA a 104 and a Samba to a show somwhere, would be good to see them together.

[idiotboy]

Welcome along! Please post some pics of the LNA and the Wartburg.. I've been half-heartedly trying to get an LNA a 104 and a Samba to a show somwhere, would be good to see them together.

 

This was Gruff the Wartburg just before I bought him. He had a set of Irmscher Alloys on when I had him though.

 

 

 

Can anyone advise how I upload pictures and I can submit some

[Guest]

200 miles in a VDP?

I can think of many worse things to do it in!

Smell of moo coat and tree? Be like driving a stately home.

My bro's one regularily went from Kent to Scotlandshire no problem.

[idiotboy]

200 miles in a VDP?

I can think of many worse things to do it in!

Smell of moo coat and tree? Be like driving a stately home.

My bro's one regularily went from Kent to Scotlandshire no problem.

 

Lol, very true, Its the only time I can imagine I'd need a French polisher.

 

Having only owned 1 Brit car a mini for 4 weeks 14 years ago, I have absolute total mechanical ignorance on Leyland cars. Can anyone advise what basic tools/spares I should carry for my trip. I was thinking fanbelt, sparkplug, dizzy cap, rotor arm, oil. Someone told me that leyland cars work on a total loss lubrication system were they joking or serious?

[Cavcraft]

Welcome along! Please post some pics of the LNA and the Wartburg.. I've been half-heartedly trying to get an LNA a 104 and a Samba to a show somwhere, would be good to see them together.

 

This was Gruff the Wartburg just before I bought him. He had a set of Irmscher Alloys on when I had him though.

 

 

 

Can anyone advise how I upload pictures and I can submit some

 

 

 

Looks ace!

 

To post pictures you're probably better off joining Photobucket (it's free) then downloading pictures to there. Once you have click on the bottom (of four) links underneath the picture, press copy then paste on a thread or message on here.

[eddyramrod]

No, they're just well-known for oil leaks. I don't think the E-series in yours is as bad as the A-series in lower models though. It'll be worth carrying a gallon or two of water just in case! Rest of your list looks sensible.

 

You will need spanners and/or sockets in 7/16th, 1/2 and 9/16 AF sizes to begin with; get a few of each! Those are the most common sizes on cars of that age. If you're lucky there may be some kind of toolkit with the car, which will be a good start for you.

 

200 miles shouldn't be a problem, take it easy, stop frequently, like whenever you want a pee or to eat. Give the old girl a chance to cool down and check fluid levels before continuing. That should* get you home in one piece! You might be glad of a really good torch though, "just in case..."

[Guest]

Sorry Welcome!! ooopsy.

Take the normal stuff for any old car - PROPER oil not that watery synthetic guff and cap etc. Bit of coolant. Belt.

I seem to recall my bro having problems getting Imperial toolage but at a push metric might get you out the doo doo.

From memory 7/16 is 11mm 1/2 is 13mm.

There are tools which are called "metrinch" - think I have one spanner some where - from what I remember one end's Imp and one Metric.

 

As an aside I sold a new boxed VDP badge at a boot fair on Sunday, chap wanted to add some class to his Scamp!

Me I just cut one up to read 'Vandal' and had it on my multi colour panelled not 'Scene' everyday Anglia.

[idiotboy]

No, they're just well-known for oil leaks. I don't think the E-series in yours is as bad as the A-series in lower models though. It'll be worth carrying a gallon or two of water just in case! Rest of your list looks sensible.

 

You will need spanners and/or sockets in 7/16th, 1/2 and 9/16 AF sizes to begin with; get a few of each! Those are the most common sizes on cars of that age. If you're lucky there may be some kind of toolkit with the car, which will be a good start for you.

 

200 miles shouldn't be a problem, take it easy, stop frequently, like whenever you want a pee or to eat. Give the old girl a chance to cool down and check fluid levels before continuing. That should* get you home in one piece! You might be glad of a really good torch though, "just in case..."

 

Cool thanks eddyramrod, useful tips on spannerage many thanks. Hopefully it will be uneventful. I did have a car catch fire on me before I drove it off the sellers property once in France so I'll add a hi viz and fire extinguisher to the list.

 

Looking at the pics of this car it seems to have twin SU carbs. Not sure if that's standard on the 1750 VDP.

[SambaS]

Niice

[theorganist]

Hi welcome along, nice choice of cars.

 

There was a 1750 sport with twin carbs IIRC not sure about the VDP but would not be surprised.

 

I have had two Allegro's both 1275cc and although I never really got to drive them very much, for various reasons they seemed nippy. I would imagine the 1750 would be pretty fast (for its time).

[DSdriver]

Hi DSdriver

 

Brilliant many thanks, where are you in the UK?

 

I'm a mid Kent Shiteist, close to Tonbridge. pm me if you want to arrange a pick up.

[trigger]

Hello, The VDP looks very tidy, I'd take a 1 litre of 20/50 oil and a 2.5l bottle of water and a random selection of spanners and screwdrivers, Not that i suspect you'll need any of them.

 

If you think your mad selling a LNA for a VDP then there's a local guy i found out on Saturday who sold this very rare Granada 5.0 Perana also for a Austin VDP recently!.

 

1976 Ford Granada 5.0 V8 GL Perana by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr