More Beige!

[garycox]

As you're probably aware by now, Barrett and I bought an Allegro last week, and due to overwhelming* demand I thought I'd finally put up some pictures and that.

 

The purchase of this was all Trigger's fault, as he put a link to the Car & Classic ad up on the Ebay Tat thread last Tuesday evening. Within minutes, Barrett had said he'd go halves and I'd called up to check whether it was still available. Obviously it was.

 

Plans were made, and I caught the train from Brighton to Martin's Heron on Thursday to collect it!

 

It's a lot cleaner than expected, apart from the obvious damage and a few minor rusty bits of bodywork it's pretty tidy. There is some rust underneath along the edges of the floors, we'll see what the MOT man says about that. Still, with about 6 weeks of MOT and tax til the end of July it seems like a massive bargain. The engine is about as smooth and quiet as an A series gets!

 

Anyway, pictures:

 

Quality reading material for the train journey courtesy of Trigger

 

 

Obligatory petrol station shot

 

 

On arrival back in Brighton, I met Barrett on Madeira Drive, there's a small monthly car gathering at some gallery thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rug was included.

 

 

 

 

DENT

 

 

The radio is a modern* one out of a '90s Rover, but the original came with it as well.

 

 

Viewed from the 1950s

 

[catsinthewelder]

^{That looks great}

 

^{I'm sure if a door the right colour turns up somewhere in the country, the shitely massive can be deployed to get it somewhere near you within mere months}

[vulgalour]

If you find you don't want the modern radio, my brother is after a period one for his M reg Rover.  Ignore my previous remarks about fixing that door, it looks completely bolloxed in the Brighton sunset, unlike the rest of the little beige machine.

[Wilko220]

Looking good. I'm beige with envy.

[Junkman]

Do.

Not.

Fix.

The.

Door.

[garycox]

Here's the history file:

 

 

The original owner had it until 2001. It was then sold to a young guy who had it when the door was damaged in 2002. It was reversed into in a car park. The lady we bought it from had it since just after that, she bought it as a Cat C in November '02 for £75.

 

She also has a white S reg Allegro 2 she does shows with, and said she was involved with the Allegro club as well.

 

The little book is from the original owner and shows every single journey the car made until January '97.

 

 

It mainly says 'Woking' a lot, with 'Doctors' probably in 2nd place. What is the point of this?!! When would you ever need this information?! At least I now know that it's first journey after I was born was to a farm shop and the mileage was 16,940. Interesting*.

 

The 'highlight' of this rather pointless document is that in November '95 he got a new 'speedmeter' fitted, as he didn't trust the odometer on the old one for some reason. The car now shows 24.425 miles less than it should. (currently displaying just over 30,000, so actual mileage is about 55k).

 

[Angrydicky]

What a lovely car, looks in pretty good condition apart from the door damage, but at least it seems to be confined to the one panel. I would guess the rug is covering the usual BL sun damage to the rear seat top?

 

I have to admit, when I first spotted this Allegro on Carandclassic I thought its status as Mini engine donor had been signed and sealed. Therefore I'm so glad it's fallen into the right hands! It'll make a great companion to the Champagne Maestro

[garycox]

The rug is actually to protect it from damage, and it's alright under there. The parcel shelf is pretty grotty though.

[drum]

Nice. My brown jobby has a similar history file but not the trip log book. Clearly the first owner has aspergers. Mine didn't come with a travel rug but it has one now!

[theorganist]

That looks lovely, I don't think you can get any beiger than that!

[RedSparrow]

This is bloody awful. I don't think it gets shite-er than this. Good work gentleman.

[stilo_active]

I really have a hankering for an Allegro 3. That is absolute shite, therefore fantastic! I like it very much

[Pete-M]

Ye Gads, it's hideous.

Well done. Can you retro-fit a quartic?

[Alexg]

Cracking purchase, impossible to go wrong at that price plus it looks a nice solid thing from the pictures. I reckon a good dentman could make that door look vaguely acceptable. But for what he'd charge you better off be sourcing a replacement. Nice bit of history with it too, especially the pointless journey record book - I love old shit like that. Great job.

[Lankytim]

Looks great! I have a spare rust free yellow door in my shed you can have. I had it just incase I bought an allegro with a damaged drivers door... ho hum...  

[vulgalour]

^ and that's how you know you're on Autoshite.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

So beautiful. 

 

Don't fix the door! Do resume the obsessive mileage journal!

 

e: replacing it with a yellow door would be quite good. 

[Wilko220]

Everyone saying "don't fix the door" is failing to imagine how utterly ridonculously brilliant it will look with the replacement yellow one installed. DO IT!

[Junkman]

The only acceptable colour of a replacement door would be brown.

[boobydoo]

I like that car a lot! Top purchase!!

 

Yes,  the log does seem a bit pointless but an interesting insight now, into the rather dull life of the previous owner. Looks like during the 90s he only used the car about once a week. I suppose if you keep the little book and a pen in the glovebox it's a ten second job to fill it in at the end of every trip.

 

I would imagine the car was a minter before the second owner got his hands on it.

[Lankytim]

Any ideas how we can get this door from Stoke on Trent down to Brighton? I could get it as far as Birmingham.....

[skattrd]

Quality purchase chaps.

Sorry, but I can't help with the door transport, thats not an area my travels take me.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

It looks flipping great man, the passenger side looks seriously mintola.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I could get the door down to Wisbech, Cambs (1.5hrs north of the M25) fairly easily

[cort16]

That is indeed a great thing. I agree about the door it should be a green one from a series 1.

[garethj]

That's a wonderful vehicle.  Is it the throbbing 1275cc or something with even more vicious power?

[cort16]

You probably push a fair bit of that door out. Get the hammers!

[Brent_Crude]

This is shite personified. I could probably help getting the door from, say, Reading round about as far as Crawley if that's any use.

[dollywobbler]

Top shite! A beige Allegro S3 1.3 is my idea of perfection for some reason. I've driven a bright green one with a knackered gearbox. Super-soft comfy seats and a willingness that you don't get with the odd 1.5 lump.

[HillmanImp]

Being a Mk3 its super shite. I was getting asked about Allegros the other week by an ex housemate as he was after one and I was noticing that mk1's & 2's are creeping up in value (plus £1k) but these can still be got cheap as chips.

 

Allegros always remind me of my uncle Andy from Langholm as I seem to remember him having a couple of these when I was a kid. That is why i would not be seen dead in one but do see the appeal.