The Last Ambassador. It's Ours!

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I believe they are identical to the ones fitted to the 505STI from 80-82. Also 305GTX. Reliant SS1 (and possibly the Sabre) as well. Maestro and Montego VdP had them in the early days - Montego with rears too with a middle button with only one white arrow for the rear cut-out. I once found one of these single arrowed buttons in an autojumble. £5 seemed a bit tight for it, but given its rarity, I suspect it may be worth it. Pretty sure the Metro VdP could be ordered with them too, and them being located on the doors in front of the bins

 

Christ, why do I remember things like this when I can't even remember where I just put my coffee??!!

 

Here's what I don't know though. The Ambassador VdP had blank switch plates either side of the front window lifts. Were rears an option? They must have been as why else bother with a blank?

 

 

My dad had a 505STI - he bought it in 1979 and sold it about 18 months later. It was a green metallic with green tweed seats, electric windows and sunroof. The sunroof used the same kind of switch as the windows.

 

It was a pretty car, but I never really liked it since I considered it a step down from the 604. The 505 STI my late dad had was catastrophically unreliable  - it broke down several times a month through the winter and would never start when hot. You just had to leave it. The damn thing went unbelievably rusty - it had holes in it by the time he sold it! It was the last Peugeot he bought, ending a ten year run of them. He traded it in for a Granada 2.8 Ghia in the same colour. That was a lovely car.

 

I remember the registration: GVM737V. A quick check on the DVLA website and its on! - Registered 29th October 1979 - Tax expired on 1 September 1988. It didn't make ten years old. Actually, given how bad it was, it is amazing it lasted as long as it did!

 

 

Registration number: GVM 737V

✗ Untaxed

Tax due: 01 September 1988

MOT

No details held by DVLA

 

Vehicle details

• Vehicle make PEUGEOT
• Date of first registration 25 October 1979
• Year of manufacture 1979
• Cylinder capacity (cc) 1995cc
• COâ‚‚Emissions Not available
• Fuel type PETROL
• Export marker No
• Vehicle status Not taxed
• Vehicle colour GREEN
• Vehicle type approval Not available
• Wheelplan 2 AXLE RIGID BODY
• Revenue weight Not available

 

Apologies for the off-topic drift!!

[ChinaTom]

My fault for going on about switches. My old man had top end Allegro, Marina, Maxi, then when cars started getting luxurious at the top end, he always went for GL, HL etc. Once, he went on and on about getting a Renault 18 GTS like the neighbour's and I knew that had power windows. I couldn't wait to press those buttons. He came home with a TS and well, that was that. Don't think I've ever recovered....

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

My old fella's first car with electric windows was a Peugeot 504 TI (metallic blue with a blue coach line and beige velour) - registration PVM57R. He bought it in 1976. It is the first car he owned that  I'm old enough to remember. I remember the Saturday morning after he picked it up going out in it for a very short trip down the our road because it was too foggy to drive further than that - and being transfixed by the windows. UpDownUpDown - STOP THAT!!

 

It is also still on the DVLA's site: PVM57R

 

✗ Untaxed

Tax due: 01 July 1986

MOT

No details held by DVLA

 

 

Vehicle make PEUGEOT

• Date of first registration 05 November 1976
• Year of manufacture 1976
• Cylinder capacity (cc) 1971cc
• COâ‚‚Emissions Not available
• Fuel type PETROL
• Export marker No
• Vehicle status Not taxed
• Vehicle colour BLUE
• Vehicle type approval Not available
• Wheelplan 2 AXLE RIGID BODY
• Revenue weight Not available

More apologies for further thread drift!!

[Walter White]

Anorak time.

On the subject of the centre console electric window switches and blanking plates.

I am reasonably sure earlier cars 82 to 83 had 4 blanking plates for those without electric windows then later cars 83 84 had one blanking plate if no electric windows. The models got better trim also. I think it was in the Austin Rover brochure with the Metro on the cover in front of a mountain range and ski run. Metro St Moritz limited edition I think.

My 1.7 L 83 on a Y had the four blanking plates plus many more.

 

Someone at Austin Rover must have thought we don't need 4 blanking plates but it took about 18 months.

[Faker]

Excellent news. So glad that it's not going to languish any longer.

[C1am]

Anorak time.

On the subject of the centre console electric window switches and blanking plates.

I am reasonably sure earlier cars 82 to 83 had 4 blanking plates for those without electric windows then later cars 83 84 had one blanking plate if no electric windows. The models got better trim also. I think it was in the Austin Rover brochure with the Metro on the cover in front of a mountain range and ski run. Metro St Moritz limited edition I think.

My 1.7 L 83 on a Y had the four blanking plates plus many more.

 

Someone at Austin Rover must have thought we don't need 4 blanking plates but it took about 18 months.

Yes, St. Moritz  cover.

 

 

Earlier:

 

 

Later:

 

[DaveAspley]

3 pages in and no mention of ....

 

[Timewaster]

^^^^^ This place etc. etc.......

[ChinaTom]

Anorak time.

On the subject of the centre console electric window switches and blanking plates.

I am reasonably sure earlier cars 82 to 83 had 4 blanking plates for those without electric windows then later cars 83 84 had one blanking plate if no electric windows. The models got better trim also. I think it was in the Austin Rover brochure with the Metro on the cover in front of a mountain range and ski run. Metro St Moritz limited edition I think.

My 1.7 L 83 on a Y had the four blanking plates plus many more.

 

Someone at Austin Rover must have thought we don't need 4 blanking plates but it took about 18 months.

 

Some old chap in the design department who worked on the P6 probably couldn't see why the Ambassador couldn't have new fangled push buttons for the choke and the petrol reserve.

[scruff]

 

Sobering to think that people might have seen that in Gaydon, think it was safe, but it was to spend years outside and were it not for your effort?  

 

Museums....!! I can tell many horror stories.

[Chris2cv]

Great to see that this has been saved. Hope to see some updates on how you are getting on.

 

Good luck!

[fotorabia]

token of appreciation..

[rovamota]

Yes, St. Moritz  cover.

 

 

Earlier:

 

amb 002.JPG

 

Later:

 

amb 001.JPG

 

When you look at the dials you have to wonder why they thought huge fuel and temp gauges were better than a rev counter, even in a mid-spec model. Even the Allegro and Ital got a rev counter. Mind you, there isn't much joy to be achieved from revving the nuts of that O-Series.

[Vince70]

My father had a beige Y reg ambassador VDP which was extremely low mileage when he bought it back in 1985/86 and I would use it on a regular basis when it worked and even passed my driving test in it..

 

I notice on the the dash pictures that both cars have a choke so must be in either HL or L trim (single carb) as the 2 litre HLS and VDP had a terrible auto choke system which would constantly go wrong and I think there was some kind of conversion to make it a manual or people would just bin the twin carbs and just go for a single carb off a lesser model scrapper.

 

Also watch you head when you open the boot as another problem with the old girl is that the rear hatch struts were never up for the job on the old ambassador and I still have the scars to prove it lol.

 

But that aside I'm quite envious as even when it left you stranded on the side of the road it was quite a nice place to sit in and the actual car was quite well screwed together and seemed to hold up well to rust compared to the Cav and Sierra But I think my dad still wishes he went for that poo brown Sierra in L trim with higher miles for the same money but he always liked a wedge and liked his BMC Leyland Austin Rover products..

 

Our old car was traded in for a metallic blue Maestro eventually and was last seen parked up proudly on a car lot advertised as the "car of the week with low mileage" in about 1988

[rovamota]

Look out for us with the Ambassador on the trailer around the Southern M25 stretch and M3, roughly between 12.00 and 4.00 pm heading from Dartford to Southampton. Toot and wave if you see us!

 

These will be stuck on it!

[Felly Magic]

Perhaps when completed, you could get it unveiled by Graham Fellows, aka John Shuttleworth?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I had a Zircon blue 2.0HL ambassador back in the day with twin carbs, I blinged it up with all the snazzy bits off a silver VP breaker I picked up from somewhere. I loved it at the time but now realise they are shite, mainly due to the piss poor gearchange, thrashy engine and appallingly crummy 4-spd box. Great lookers though these wedges, one of my all time favourite car styling efforts. Call me when you have fitted a 2.0KV6 & 5-speed box to one ok??

[rovamota]

Collected with no dramas, and it's actually better than we expected with no major rot, though the carpets are wet and it's obvious a lot of water has gotten in over the years.

 

First thing we did was pump up the suspension which, surprisingly, already had 200 psi each side which shows it's working. Then it was a matter of driving it onto the trailer, parting with cash and getting it home. The exhaust is shot, as you'd expect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rovamota]

We even got spotted on the M25.

 

[jonathan_dyane]

Looks dead tidy!

[rovamota]

Having had the car a few days now we've seen what needs doing. A new battery and cambelt has been ordered and, of course, the oil and filter will be changed (it never had its first 12,000 mile service) and a new water pump fitted, plus the brakes will be checked and overhauled and a new exhaust fitted so that it can have its first ever MoT. 

 

 

In the meantime it was given a polish and came up quite well but some areas will need a bit of paint. We have also sourced the glass that needs replacing.

 

 

Inside is a different story and it may well need a new carpet as it had at least 3" of water on it. However the seats may come up quite well after a bit of scrubbing. 

 

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Whats the story with this car then? Who buys the last ever Ambassador from a museum then lets it sit on their drive with smashed windows for like 2 years?

[Vince70]

It really looks lovely..

All you need now is the white unipart fog lamp covers..

[rovamota]

We've got one.

 

[Essex V6]

token of appreciation..

Is this in NZ?

[oldcars]

Looks nice, would love to wet vac those seats bet they come up nice.

[3VOM]

Surely if the carpets are man-made they will wash/vac clean?

[vulgalour]

If it's only been rain water you might get away with just letting the carpets dry out of the car followed by a thorough clean and those seats look tidy if dirty in the pictures.  I'd expect Ambassador seat fabric to be a lot more tolerant of wear than the earlier Princess stuff.  Looks like you've barely got anything to do really, just a few bits and bobs to tidy and replace like the broken front indicator, that sort of thing.

[Uncle Jimmy]

With the benefit of a large wedge of hindsight the Ambassador is a handsome looking car, I'd say it could have warranted a second redesign.

Better all round design than the SD1 which I have little time for.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

It looks much better in VP form certainly. A non-metallic Ambassador 1.7L like John Shuttleworths is the low point of 1980's BL misery though. Saying that why do I like the sierra base and not a 1.7L wedge? It doesn't make sense.