Allegro news. Ratlook is dead. Long live granny-carjack look

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Is that a 9pm to 9am sticker or a stop this car if you see someone under 25 driving it one?

 

If I was to steal a car with one of those I'd simply peel it off....

I've got those under 25 stickers on the Mini. There's nothing simple about peeling them off - I've tried. You could detonate the Tsar Bomba in the passenger seat and be left with a mile long crater containing two stickers on bits of windscreen.

 

Anyway, I drove hundreds of miles in that car aged 23-25 and wasn't stopped once. It's not even like I looked older.

[Louise2cv]

A quick bit of "Fleet News" (even if it is a one car fleet ):

 

We were hooning (yes really!) along in the aggro at near Warp speed yesterday when we reached a 40 limit and steadily slowed down; the needle on the speedo started wafting/floating down-up-down-up-down all the way to zero and it hasn't moved from 0 since (the needle not the car). Bad times.

 

Hopefully its just a case of renewing the cable but apparently even this can be a bit tricky, but we'll see eh?? On the 2cv it was a 1 spanner job!

 

Of course its due for an MOT next month and I still haven't sorted the oil problem... have car will travel

 

I'm wondering about checking the valve stem seals my self, how hard is it exactly?

[Richard]

I'm wondering about checking the valve stem seals my self, how hard is it exactly?

 

Officially you should remove the cylinder head to do it but there's a way to cheat and do it without. If you can find a garage to do the shortcut method it should only take about an hour. There would be little point in inspecting them without replacing them, it's the same job and the seals don't cost much.

[Louise2cv]

Well the speedo's back up and moving round the clock, there's a little bit of plastic that I can only imagine should be attached the the cable that, well, wasn't. It's split so the cable inner must have been slipping inside it. I've superglued the crack and wedged to cable back in, so its a wait and see for how long it'll last. I have ordered a new cable too.

 

One small step in the right direction!

[Des]

Definitely worth a go at stem seals, very likely to be the cause, even doing them the hard way by removing the head is a doddle. Could even be worth having a quick look under the rocker cover, if everything is caked in black crusty muck then probably best to whip the head off, if it's cleanish in there, have a poke at the seals with a small screwdriver to see if they're soft and supple or hard and buggered, or even there at all, could possibly be the early type, just an 'O' ring on the valve stem, which were useless, or proper ones which push onto the valve guides, and maybe they've chosen to hitch a ride traveling up and down with the valve stem and then kind of pump oil into the inlet tract.

[Louise2cv]

It was a (very) temporary fix then.

 

 

I hope the new cable comes tomorrow and includes the little cracked gizmo.

[Louise2cv]

On the plus side I saw a Talbot Horizon today (X reg).

[Mr H Sceptre]

It was a (very) temporary fix then.

 

 

I hope the new cable comes tomorrow and includes the little cracked gizmo.

 

 

Pah, who needs a speedo anyway. As long as the car moves. Things like working speedo's are basically completely unimportant, in my book.

[Louise2cv]

The replacement cable came today... YAY

I ordered the wrong one... BOO

 

How can buying something called "early Allegro speedo cable" go so wrong? Ok don't answer that.

 

Back to the drawing board.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

It's beautiful! - Olive is just the perfect colour for it, and the accessories are splendid.

 

Some people like Vauxhalls, some prefer Fords - but everybody loves an Allegro!

[mnde]

^^ I second that!

 

Mark.

[Louise2cv]

Thank you!

 

Turns out I did fix the speedo too, so I'm a happy bunny

[Louise2cv]

Abby is really interested in getting an Allegro, she is wondering about investing in this apparently rare beast:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1974-Austin-Alleg ... 2a0a6dc971

 

So far the seller reckons front exhaust and valance panel need doing...

 

Any hints and tip guys? She want's to go and have a look on Saturday.

[Espacetic]

Seems a lot of money for something with no MOT and no way of knowing for sure what it needs, decent MOT'd examples aren't a lot more money than this.

Does she know it's an automatic? Some people don't like them if they're used to manuals.

Wish someone would give me £500 for my Allegro without an MOT

[Marshall]

^^^ Agreed. Im far from an Allegro expert but that looks seriously overpriced. I would advise keep looking as something will turn up. I must admit I have always fancied the VDP allegro though.

 

On a very minor (sic) point I also hate those number plates!

 

I can well see the temptation there though. I would love a good one of those.

[Louise2cv]

hate those number plates!

 

Me too! I'll be telling her they are totally illegal and WRONG.

 

I will be recommending she offers lower, afterall they've had it for a while with seeming little interest. According to the club its in a colour that was only available for one year, so maybe they have cottoned on to the "rarity value".

[Guest]

If she gets it, could you get her to climb into the boot again and take a photo? Cheers.

[dollywobbler]

Surely Louise herself needs to clamber into the back of this one? I don't want poor Louise getting a complex.

[Louise2cv]

I'm not sure I'm gonna be fitting in the drivers seat for much longer let alone the boot!

 

I'm expanding.

[warren t claim]

I'm not sure I'm gonna be fitting in the drivers seat for much longer let alone the boot!

 

I'm expanding.

 

Is there something you wish to tell us?

[Louise2cv]

Expanding seems to be as appropriate as expecting!

 

Expanding belly, expanding bottom, expanding budget concerns...I could go on...

 

Although if anyone else tells me "you'll have to sell the car now" or "you can't take it anywhere in there"... grr

[trigger]

Congratulations Louise!, Is this our first female member to be pregnant?, If it's a boy will you call it Austin?

[dollywobbler]

Marina for a girl, obviously.

 

First I've heard of the news - congrats! Presume this is due to pregnancy and not just because you've been eating a lot of chocolate lately?

[Louise2cv]

well seeing as it'll be born in Wales... how about Daf?

 

Matt wouldn't let me, I'm afraid. I was pushing for 1970's sitcom character/actor middle names but he was having none of it. What's wrong with Margot, Nerys or Yootha?

 

Haha Ian... No comment!

[dollywobbler]

Well, if you're going to do the reciprocal 'back of an Allegro' thing, perhaps your sister could invest in an estate?

[Marshall]

Yeah, Congrats Louise!

 

Given the story with this one, if you bid lower you may get a decent deal for your sister.

As I say these are nice cars when properly sorted.

My point about the plates was just an aside really, hope you didnt think I was being pedantic (God forbid LOL).

 

Best of luck if you guys do go for it.

[Louise2cv]

Here's a tip, buying a car with no seatbelts while trying for a baby is NOT the way to improve your MIL's view of you...

[Louise2cv]

Yeah, Congrats Louise!

 

Given the story with this one, if you bid lower you may get a decent deal for your sister.

As I say these are nice cars when properly sorted.

My point about the plates was just an aside really, hope you didnt think I was being pedantic (God forbid LOL).

 

Best of luck if you guys do go for it.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Number plates?

No really, I agree... first thing I did when I got the 2nd 2cv was ditch the black/silver N-reg plates. I splashed out on some [technically equally as illegal ] period aluminium yellow/white raised character ones, then found out how much work needed doing on the car and decided it was more than I could manage.

 

I really think black and silvers look wrong on anything past an L plate really and post 2001 plates can spoil an older car... maybe I am pedantic!

[Lankytim]

Congrats Louise! You can easily fit rear seatbelts to aggs anyway, they all have the mounting points ready to go.

 

A pal of mine may have a 2 door series 2 he needs to liquidate quite soon. Its in pretty good shape too!

[Louise2cv]

Congrats Louise! You can easily fit rear seatbelts to aggs anyway, they all have the mounting points ready to go.

 

A pal of mine may have a 2 door series 2 he needs to liquidate quite soon. Its in pretty good shape too!

 

 

ooo she may be interested in that... can you let me know the details if he does?