That little bit of welding, Allegro content, de'rusting continues

[rusty998]

In other Allegro related stuff I've bought a used front panel that will be very useful for RPE

Yes it's a bit frilly but the shape is there enough for me to fabricate repair sections 

[rusty998]

The rust on RPE is as I've written above is all on the right hand side front to rear, at the very front under the chassis leg is a mount that's bolted on, this has one end of  the tie bar fixed to it, it looked pretty corroded before I unbolted it but once I had it off I knew that it wasn't going back on in the condition it was in, 

After extensively searching for a better one I came to the conclusion that I was going to have to make one, luckily the inner part was in much better condition than the outer part so after much drilling and grinding the inner part was free, I then did some science in the form of electrolysis to get as much of the Racing Ginger removed as I could 

Battery charger,  salty water and time did the trick 

Behold the de rusted part 

This was dried and quickly coated in Vactan to stop further rustification, some 2mm steel sheet was purchased followed by much cutting and  hammering happened and the resulting outer part was born 

I drilled out the holes but my calculations were a bit of, but I don't think that will matter much once I get around to welding the old and new together, 

the next part will be made from box section and will be the tail end of the bracket 

all of this work was done back in September when the weather was better but I really must get my finger out and complete this so I can at least have the ability to move my Allegro around, this is how it fits obviously it will be welded up and bolted to the chassis leg and not permanently held by my hand

but before I can do this I need to make up bits for the chassis leg itself, must get motivated to do this

 

[barrett]

Glad to see you've decided to stick with this and see it through. This is an excellent little car and deserves to be saved!

[rusty998]

14 minutes ago, barrett said:

Glad to see you've decided to stick with this and see it through. This is an excellent little car and deserves to be saved!

It was nearly curtains for it but it's going to be MOT and Tax exempt next year so I will keep it as it's going to be cheap to insure at least 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

You're doing some great work here, 10/10

[junkyarddog]

Nice fabrication work on that bracket!

👍

[bezzabsa]

nice to see an all aggro get some love..

apart from Car perverts V6 allegro project !!

[lisbon_road]

This is a really good thread.  Thanks for sharing as it encourages all of us to get on with whatever we're doing.

I echo the point that the Allegro was a far better car than its reputation.  Five speed boxes were something the Escort and Viva owners dreamed of, and they were spacious and comfortable too.  I guess they did rust but so did most of the others.  

[juular]

This is indeed inspiring me to get on with my own de-gingering project. Great work, looks absolutely solid. This thing is going to be better than new when you're done.

 

[barrett]

41 minutes ago, lisbon_road said:

This is a really good thread.  Thanks for sharing as it encourages all of us to get on with whatever we're doing.

I echo the point that the Allegro was a far better car than its reputation.  Five speed boxes were something the Escort and Viva owners dreamed of, and they were spacious and comfortable too.  I guess they did rust but so did most of the others.  

I think Allegro owners had to dream of five-speed boxes, too. I'm pretty sure it was only the Maxi afforded with that luxury. They are brilliant little cars, though. I used this one as a daily for a couple of years and it never let me down

[BeEP]

9 minutes ago, barrett said:

I think Allegro owners had to dream of five-speed boxes, too. I'm pretty sure it was only the Maxi afforded with that luxury. They are brilliant little cars, though. I used this one as a daily for a couple of years and it never let me down

Allegro with A-series engine (1100, 1300 and latterly 1.0) - 4 speed

Allegro with E-series engine (1500 & 1750) - 5 speed (as per Maxi)

[barrett]

wow, luxury! I bet a 1750 Allegro goes really well

[tul66]

That's a great result with the electrolysis. What's the best website for finding out how to do this? I've some headlight brackets this would be ideal for.

[lisbon_road]

I read the Wikipedia content on the Allegro.  One point I had forgotten was that actually they didn't go that horrendously rusty and the point was made that they probably got a reputation carried over from the previous generation of cars - the Vauxhall Viva had a similar experience.

I still think it a much better car than its reputation, but I must admit seeing pictures of the estate and the Vanden Plas versions, well, they're no oil paintings as they say.  

[rusty998]

Thank you to all who have commented it helps with motivation,  I did some work for my mate who owns the restoration garage today it's where the spares car currently is being broken up, once I'd finished with the capri and got the rear back on terra Firma I got back in the spares car to remove bits and bobs,  I cut out the inner sill as that will save me a massive amount of time fabricating the rest of RPE'S driver's sill, the evicted Mouse used all of the Allegro for storage 

the front panel was hanging on by the skin of it's teeth so a couple of cuts and I now have easy access to the engine and gearbox

The tie bar mount on this is definitely dead looking at it

Back tomorrow for some Allegro stripping 

[rusty998]

1 hour ago, tul66 said:

That's a great result with the electrolysis. What's the best website for finding out how to do this? I've some headlight brackets this would be ideal for.

I watched a couple of video's  on YouTube, and used this diagram to assist me, I found that using thicker iron Anodes helped with removing the rust, Google electrolysis rust removal salt and you will find lot's of information available hope that helps 

[rusty998]

Today was the car of many parts last journey to become bean cans etc, the parts car has been thoroughly stripped and I had removed everything that was of use including the suspension, I have also been very busy with the angle grinder + cutting discs for any panel cuts to make RPE's refurbishment a little bit easier so the integrity of the Rusty to start with bodywork was in question, I know a few blokes who can assist in removal of pillaged body's so I called a guy and arrangements were made for this evening,  just around dusk my mate turned up in this beauty seems quite apt for it to be collected with this, up up and away!

At this point I wondered if the floor of which I had removed a substantial section would hold with all the old bits inside but  no dramas happened and it was delicately placed then held/squished with the big hydraulic arm with one strap through the middle for anti old Bill measures,  

The only parts left to get home now are the glass and the engine, this was the state of my boot yesterday after one day's worth of stripping, 

The white mess to the left of picture is the headlining which came off completely intact for later, while removing the headlining a large amount of Bedding fell out from behind it, I think I found the resident Mouse's nest 

I have a lot to be getting on with in the new year,  I'm going to de rust and paint all of the suspension parts to get them ready for RPE,  I think I have been extremely lucky to have found a spares car for my motivation with mine, I made sure that the sacrificial car gave all that it could as there's not a lot of these left now, 

Let me introduce you to Jan, he's been a Mercedes painter for some 40 years,  he's got a BMW 2002 which is a on going project, he was quite interested in the Allegro and impressed by the amount of bodywork left considering its last resting place, Jan said when he turns up to a car show in his it's looked upon as rare but he thinks mine would get more of a reaction than his not sure if that's a good thing or not ?  The last picture is of the Exhaust silencer that somehow survived 25 years damp and covered in brambles, the down pipe had become damaged during the movement but that didn't matter as RPE'S is different, the rear silencer had succumbed terribly to the ravages of time and racing ginger so I chopped them off which left me with the middle silencer and pipework, I'm not sure if this is the Austin/British Leyland part number or not? 

How long might it last is anyone's guess but it's always good to have a spare, I was gifted a complete used system by @BeEP as RPE'S was rotten and extremely difficult to find new indeed.

[BeEP]

3 minutes ago, rusty998 said:

the down pipe had become damaged during the movement but that didn't matter as RPE'S is different

The spares car is a series 3 pre-facelift (A-series, single downpipe) whereas RPE is a series 3 facelift (A+, twin downpipe).  The facelift occurred in March 81.

Glad to see you persevering with RPE (and making good use of the spares car).  Reading this has reminded me I think I owe you a PM re the quarter panel!

[rusty998]

39 minutes ago, BeEP said:

The spares car is a series 3 pre-facelift (A-series, single downpipe) whereas RPE is a series 3 facelift (A+, twin downpipe).  The facelift occurred in March 81.

Glad to see you persevering with RPE (and making good use of the spares car).  Reading this has reminded me I think I owe you a PM re the quarter panel!

And that would explain the slight differences between the two car's,  and why the spares car had tiny shock absorbers as part of the engine mounts but mine does not, obviously Austin didn't think they were necessary on the facelift,  well less weight = more speeds  

[xkjagnz]

On 12/18/2020 at 3:37 AM, barrett said:

wow, luxury! I bet a 1750 Allegro goes really well

I had a 1750 all aggro in the mid 90s, bought it for my fiancee, later wife, even later ex wife as her bluebird was disintegrating. Overtook a ferrari in it on the M27 (I don't think that he was really trying though 😂) 

It was a really good condition giffermobile but was too small as the step kids got older and we got a hound. 

Wish I still had it

[bunglebus]

Always makes me a bit sad to see any car hiabed onto a flatbed and off to the crusher, but at least it carried a donor card so that another could live on. 

[rusty998]

11 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Always makes me a bit sad to see any car hiabed onto a flatbed and off to the crusher, but at least it carried a donor card so that another could live on. 

It certainly gave all that it could have, if I had somewhere to keep the donor car I would have instead I have stuffed RPE and my shed with all of the spares,  as it is i'm going to have to make yet more space in the shed for the arrival of the engine, the glass will be stored in the loft, that will keep me busy during the festive lockdown period 

[Angrydicky]

Lucky find that spares car, and it's so similar to yours. I think you've done really well. It was well past restoration, and was destined either to dissolve into the ground or be crushed, and you've managed to save all those GR8 bits off it. Excellent!

[somewhatfoolish]

On 12/17/2020 at 2:37 PM, barrett said:

wow, luxury! I bet a 1750 Allegro goes really well

They do once the suspension is wound up; the front comes up like the bow of a (fairly sedate) speedboat.

[New POD]

Could you fix this? Spotted in L37 yesterday. 

[bunglebus]

So 2001 Fiesta, 1970's Allegro, 1940's car in the garage?

[rusty998]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

Could you fix this? Spotted in L37 yesterday. 

That could quite easily have been a picture of RPE before I bought it, do you know what year is it ?

And yes that one looks good for being saved from the picture,  it's only when you get close up to see how good or bad it is 

[rusty998]

8 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

So 2001 Fiesta, 1970's Allegro, 1940's car in the garage?

Allegro will be 80's coz series 3 

Oh when did I become a Allegro Anorak ?

[New POD]

51 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

So 2001 Fiesta, 1970's Allegro, 1940's car in the garage?

The house backs onto the Road my Mother in Law lives on.  I guess they were built late 60s by local builder Rostron.  There are people who have lived 40 or 50 years on that estate, and never moved, so i guess it might be an old bloke who has had to give up driving.  I've never actually walked down that road since about 1986. 

[rusty998]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

The house backs onto the Road my Mother in Law lives on.  I guess they were built late 60s by local builder Rostron.  There are people who have lived 40 or 50 years on that estate, and never moved, so i guess it might be an old bloke who has had to give up driving.  I've never actually walked down that road since about 1986. 

If that was local to me I would have already written a letter and posted it through the letter box!