HMC BIOHAZARD B5 passat

62,947 · July 13

On 07/07/2025 at 23:15, flat4alfa said:

That box was in my old Lancia Trevi. Wasn’t brilliant, but wasn’t trouble either, unlike the Renault chocolatebox as fitted to the talking Safrane. Which says more about Renault than AP. The Trevi is very much still about and has visited the NEC carpet, no less.

Was that the same 'box? I thought the one in the BL stuff was unique to those as it ran on engine oil rather than ATF.

9,466 · July 14

8 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

Wheels off one of the later 08 on cars too?

Yup - one we saw at the weekend (garish, bright, in yer face orange colour) had those ones fitted.
They all have a useful 3.75" PCD on them that translates well* into millimetres. Does have the advantage that you can pick up a used set of wheels for buggarawl cash though.

5,217 · July 14

On 12/07/2025 at 19:51, D.E said:

Thats got something of the AMC pacer about it if you squint a bit

July 14

53 minutes ago, Stinkwheel said:

Thats got something of the AMC pacer about it if you squint a bit

I remember Harris Mann was very annoyed by the final product.The 'felt tip fairies ' as he called them had raised the bonnet line to fit the taller 1500/1750 engines.

19,674 · July 14

I was hopeful 'ARG Mid engined nonsense' referred to this:

Sadly not, but given that @HMC is such a hero, it's only a matter of time.

12,537 · July 14

52 minutes ago, grogee said:

I was hopeful 'ARG Mid engined nonsense' referred to this:

Sadly not, but given that @HMC is such a hero, it's only a matter of time.

Quite a few years ago a fellah, two streets away, owned a 'roadgoing' one.

If I was leaving the house and stood by my car.... I could hear his .... 'clearing it's throat!'.... before it Grawww... GuhhGuhh... Grrraaawwwww >>> off into the distance.

He either sold it or changed it's location as it was only around for a month or so.... 🤔

IMMENSE... 👍🚀😮

🚙💨

10,823 · July 14

1 hour ago, tooSavvy said:

Grawww... GuhhGuhh... Grrraaawwwww

I can't tell you how much I'd like to hear you say that out loud, and find myself wondering whether you have a strong regional accent.

12,537 · July 14

16 minutes ago, barefoot said:

I can't tell you how much I'd like to hear you say that out loud, and find myself wondering whether you have a strong regional accent.

🤣..... Metro 6R4 shouts "Winnagggghh" M8y

🚙💨

43,510 · July 14

23 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Was that the same 'box? I thought the one in the BL stuff was unique to those as it ran on engine oil rather than ATF.

Good point. I somehow assumed the AP unit was same as the Maxi for the Allegros with E-series engines. But no, they ran the 4-speed fitted under in the sump, rather than the separate 5-speed fitted end-on. Apologies to all concerned.

To clarify: Austin Maxi and Lancia Beta/Trevi shared AP transaxles

The BL Mini, ADO16 and Allegro shared theirs. Also the Innocenti derivatives built in Italy - which might be how AP got the contract, as the Borg-Warners as used by FIAT were only offered in the rear-drive platforms such as 124/125

Landcrab and Princess got Borg-Warners, chain-driven no less.

45,075 · July 18

Unusually, the 45 has a/c, and it works. I got a discount code from protyre for a service- they drained 400g out and lubed/ added 560g. Now colder than ever.

I bought it off a rover botherer and he had fully refreshed the suspension, and rebuilt the PG1 box with metal caged, rather than placca caged bearings. Arnt rover botherers great? at 22 years old and worthless, with a noisy gearbox, and with not much of a following, it could well have been cubed.

So it rides nicely (IIRC they set them up with quite soft spring and damper settings) and is ice cool. Well as cool as a Rover 45 saloon gets 😂😎🥸

1,104 · July 18

A comfy car is a good car, so no disapproval from me at having soft suspension settings! Looks like a nice little runabout...

...on a side note, I have to ask....

Your forum signature says "2000 Toyota Avensis 1.8 VVTI estate" are we tens, or hundreds past that car now??!

12,339 · July 18

On 14/07/2025 at 09:43, grogee said:

I was hopeful 'ARG Mid engined nonsense' referred to this:

Sadly not, but given that @HMC is such a hero, it's only a matter of time.

Can't wait to see that popping up the high street for a Chinese 😁

19,674 · July 18

2 hours ago, HMC said:

Unusually, the 45 has a/c, and it works. I got a discount code from protyre for a service- they drained 400g out and lubed/ added 560g. Now colder than ever.

I bought it off a rover botherer and he had fully refreshed the suspension, and rebuilt the PG1 box with metal caged, rather than placca caged bearings. Arnt rover botherers great? at 22 years old and worthless, with a noisy gearbox, and with not much of a following, it could well have been cubed.

So it rides nicely (IIRC they set them up with quite soft spring and damper settings) and is ice cool. Well as cool as a Rover 45 saloon gets 😂😎🥸

Ooh chrome mirror covers. Talk of Tavi, you are. The knicker elastic is twitching at Whitchurch WI meeting.

I wonder how long this will hang around? Having a good, usable hatchback with AC is actually darn useful. Big plus that it's also comfy.

7,369 · July 18

On 14/07/2025 at 08:53, Dan the van said:

I remember Harris Mann was very annoyed by the final product.The 'felt tip fairies ' as he called them had raised the bonnet line to fit the taller 1500/1750 engines.

i believe it was to fit the marina heater box

13,067 · July 19

On 14/07/2025 at 10:41, tooSavvy said:

Quite a few years ago a fellah, two streets away, owned a 'roadgoing' one.

If I was leaving the house and stood by my car.... I could hear his .... 'clearing it's throat!'.... before it Grawww... GuhhGuhh... Grrraaawwwww >>> off into the distance.

He either sold it or changed it's location as it was only around for a month or so.... 🤔

IMMENSE... 👍🚀😮

🚙💨

I know the bloke you mean. He's still got it and also owns an RS200! He lives in Shields and is the bloke that was restoring Bluebird.

45,075 · July 19

Found a production record in the MG history…

Built less than 8 weeks before shutdown.

45,075 · July 20

A little bit more tinkering on the blue VDP.

The brakes were dragging/ sticking really badly from being in storage. I initially suspected the calipers were sticking but the pistons seem free, however when i went to bleed the brakes the pedal would pump, then there would be no pedal, which over 5-10 mins would return.

Would the hive mind agree that the seals in the master cylinder are failing and sticking? So it seems that a seal kit is the next thing to order. I thought id rebuild the calipers, new flexihoses anyway as its had a long period of disuse, and at 47k, theres probably quite a few things still on it that were chucked on in 1977.

Its still got its supplying dealer plates that match with all the paperwork from new.

Morkel & Carnill of Nottingham. Quite a cool name. This was registered in 1977 and by 1979 I believe they had closed down.

3,641 · July 20

loving the Allegro piccies, my 1st introduction to them was when my brother bought a 1979 1300 ESTATE in Gold , had a goldy/redy velour interior and was uber practical for shifting stuff about.. I owned a 4 door 1.3 in canary yellow with Black sunroof which someone had slung the MG Metro lump into and I believe a slightly bigger carb I used to work 35 miles away and used to commute on the M42 and regularly saw the allego off the clock and upset a few reps on the route..

Is the TF springs rather than French liquid suspension???

37,681 · July 20

1 hour ago, bezzabsa said:

Is the TF springs rather than French liquid suspension???

Yes MG TF were steel spring rather than Hydrogas of the MGF.

I have driven quite a few MGFs and owned two MG TFs and the ride is harsh on the TF compared to the hydrogas cars. However I am told the later MG TF had revised spring rate that made them more comfortable. Unfortunately I have never got the chance to drive a later TF to judge for myself.

25,284 · July 20

A rather obscure fact about the Vanden Plas is that they weren't actively offered outside of Britain, but it was possible to have an lhd Vanden Plas if you had a helpful importer who talked the factory into building one. Afaik a single person did so:

9,466 · July 20

2 hours ago, HMC said:

Would the hive mind agree that the seals in the master cylinder are failing and sticking?

Either that or reversing the lips in the cylinder? Either way get the master cylinder out and strip it - if the bore is Ok then new seals, if the bore is rusted or pitted then new complete unit unless price is prohibitive or they are unobtainable

45,075 · July 22

Fleet news.

Allegro suspension stays up

and MG Suspension is much much firmer (without the hydragas the MGF had) supposedly this MY2005 has spring rates reduced by 20% over the original TF.

Missing link: metro/ r100 series

5,118 · July 22

29 minutes ago, HMC said:

If cars could actually look depressed 🤣

15,708 · July 22

Allegro seems to be riding a tad high?

45,075 · July 23

I

On 20/07/2025 at 20:04, EyesWeldedShut said:

Either that or reversing the lips in the cylinder? Either way get the master cylinder out and strip it - if the bore is Ok then new seals, if the bore is rusted or pitted then new complete unit unless price is prohibitive or they are unobtainable

I managed to get hold of a NOS one, that seems to have been carefully stored-

old out

in with the new

Some new flexis are on the way , and my coffee table has become a caliper rebuild station- the joys of a batchelor household 😂

14,343 · July 23

23 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Allegro seems to be riding a tad high?

Warm weather?

14,343 · July 23

On 22/07/2025 at 18:22, HMC said:

Fleet news.

Allegro suspension stays up

and MG Suspension is much much firmer (without the hydragas the MGF had) supposedly this MY2005 has spring rates reduced by 20% over the original TF.

Missing link: metro/ r100 series

I test drove an F, loved it. By the time my car was due for replacement the TF came out.

At low speeds it shook my 30something padding so much I felt nauseous.

At high speeds it felt brilliant and very poised.

What's really strange...

...the 2004 Streetwise had exactly the same trait 😂

15,708 · July 23

43 minutes ago, Bear said:

Warm weather?

Don't think temp swelled hydrogas fluid. Maybe it needs to settle.

14,343 · July 24

16 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Don't think temp swelled hydrogas fluid. Maybe it needs to settle.

MG F definitely varies height by temperature - the pump-up procedure has a look up table to compensate ride height for ambient temp

45,075 · August 2

Ive had a year where many boxes have been ticked- but after daily driving both a 1929 austin 12 and a 2006 quattroporte in the same week i had a bit of a revelation. did I find, say, a 1997 astra 1.6 estate i bought off e bay for £150 in 2019 any less satisfying, or less fun, in its own way? No i did not.

Pre covid shitein’ (no g ) copywrite @BorniteIdentity feels a long time ago- for under £500 you could be road legal and having fun. But i feel used values of bangers have settled a bit. After selling on the QP and the 12 putting the money into an isa i rediscovered my love of bangers.

Some Rovers happened- as did a brace of allegros. One has passed to a new shiter, and ive sold the MGTF.

In a bit of a shitein’ heavy saturday I rejigged the fleet in favour of shite- not classics or new stuff- just a few proper old bangers- stuff thats plucky and not crushed yet.

PHASE 1

rover 45 to devon somerset border-

meet with @DLR