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

[theorganist]

Also, I am the only person who actually think Allegros look OK...?

 

Not at all, I would really like to own one at some point. IMHO I think they look better than the way Harris Mann intended (then again I drive a Renault 14 so maybe I am just weird!).

 

[RedSparrow]

Hmm, I prefer Harris Mann's original vision - mix of Princess and AMC Pacer. I'm a big fan of his work, and he wasn't at all happy with how the Allegro looked after productionisation. I still think they look good though!

 

The estates I think suit the proportions best.

 

 

Almost a forerunner to the 'breadvan' Polos.

[Louise2cv]

I think the estate would make a great looking van.

[Alexg]

I think the estate would make a great looking hearse.

 

EFA

[Louise2cv]

for short people?

[autofive]

loose the wheels and put some handles on the side

[Louise2cv]

Here's a question....

 

Why does my screen-wash keep turning to Snot? Its had nowt (to my knowledge) but screenwash and water added but the washers keep failing and when I check the filter on the tube theres loads and loads of stringy blue snot. Very annoying.

 

Abs Aggro is in the garage on Monday for a new gearbox, she is verty excited.

[warren t claim]

Here's a question....

 

Why does my screen-wash keep turning to Snot? Its had nowt (to my knowledge) but screenwash and water added but the washers keep failing and when I check the filter on the tube theres loads and loads of stringy blue snot. Very annoying.

 

Abs Aggro is in the garage on Monday for a new gearbox, she is verty excited.

 

The washers on my Merc are the same. Just remove the washer bottle and rinse out thoroughly.

[Richard]

My Xantia did that. I think there's a certain combination of screenwashes that turns into paint. I emptied the Xantia's tank by running the washers continuously and it all dried solid on the car.

[Louise2cv]

Hmm I'll have to play with it tomorrow. Its just a pain, it works fine and then all of a sudden no juice!

[M'coli]

Give it a scrub out with washing up liquid and then thoroughly rinse it.

[Louise2cv]

Today was the day! The day to find out if the Aggro had any antifreeze or a decent battery Seems to be fine so far, apart from minor niggles:

 

Having never got around to sorting the washer bottle out, it came as no suprise that it didn't squirt this morning, but I was late picking up a friend so decided to press on, get her and then sort it in the carpark before heading home. Well after a couple of miles it was clear (or not!) that I needed to wash the screen sooner than anticipated so I pulled up and popped the bonnet, and you guessed it: the screenwash was just a block of blue ice!

 

Next prob was the indicators not working... I popped the hazzards flasher on to get me to a motor factors (they had an open coal fire in the hearth behind the counter... a proper place!) and bought the closest thing they had. However its not quite right: I now have dodgy indicators that illuminate for about ten seconds and then flash really slowly. I'll clean up the connections (at some point) and see if that helps.

[theorganist]

I had that problem with the indicators on my Maxi last winter, especially with everything on, i.e. heater fan, lights and wipers.

 

I had the alternator and battery checked and the alternator was found to be charging at too lower a rate. Anyway had a new alternator and everything was fine.

[Louise2cv]

I finally sorted out the screenwash today, washed it all through with boiling water and ditched the slime from the bottom of the bottle. I just can't get the aim right now, pedestrians beware. It's good enough for going on with. I also put neat screenwash in because I'm sick of finding the washer bottle frozen, and as we all know OMG COLD SNAP CHAOS is to return.

 

The other problem I can't remember mentioning here, was in the last "big freeze" my drivers door froze solid. Once I could get the key in, it just turned but nothing caught.I finally got in by the passenger door and couldn't open the drivers door from inside either. I might need the car in an emergency over the next few weeks so would like some prevention tips if poss? Is it just a case of oiling all the latches and what not

 

That's it for tinkering in sunnyish North Wales, over in Droitwich however all sorts of Allegro pampering went on at the weekend:

 

Beautiful pagent blue "Margot" had not started for a couple of weeks so while the weather was better Abby tackled this job. I'm sure she won't mind me mentioning that most of her work with cars has been carried out on the bonnet rather than under it (for photos! She's done some promotion work for various car mags, shows and BTCC in the past) so I'm pretty impressed she decided to do this on her own. The old battery was dead as a dead thing and when she came to put the new one on found the positive terminal clamp was only held on by copious amounts of vaseline rather than any mechanical means. A trip to Halfords for a new clamp resulted in other essentials being bought. By the end of the afternoon Margot had new wiper blades too, as the last set on closer inspection were held together with sticky tape.

 

She was worried about the tyres and phoned me to see if I'd recommend new ones, I said I thought it would be a good idea with the weather at the mo, but to phone ahead as they may need to order the right ones in. She phoned back later to say that she did phone with the sizes and the guy had said, "oo those are an old fashioned size, it must be small, what is it?" "an allegro" said Ab, to which he gasped: "an allegro??! bring it down now and ask for Jeff!"

Sure enough when she arrived Jeff was waiting with his camera and his only disappointment was no square steering wheel; he couldn't believe it when Ab said "well mine doesn't have one but my sisters has"

 

If this were me, by now I'd have got bored of cars and cold weather and gone for a lie down, but not Abby, she then (and this is the bit that really puts me to shame ) washed the car, paying particular attention to the salty bits. Abby is an Allegro champion. I am a bad Allegro owner and I must be punished.

 

Some pics:

 

Black tape FTW

 

New Shoes

 

So Clean

[michiel]

What a star!

[dollywobbler]

See? You could learn a thing or two from Abby! (though I s'pose she hasn't got a huge stomach... )

 

I've had weird screenwash stuff happening. The Mini's has gone very gloopy. That's off to have some brake fettling and a service tomorrow while we're away in Cardiff.

[Louise2cv]

Got a pic of the car in the club mag. All this fame's going to go to my head.

[Mr H Sceptre]

^ Ooooh get you!

 

Don't forget about us humble folk when you become a co-presenter of Top Gear in years to come.........

[Louise2cv]

Well... I say "I'm in it"... actually its 2 pics of the aggro, but it counts.

[Jules]

There's a delicious beige Allegro at SMS Motors on Aylestone Road Leicester - parked up. No price in the windscreen, but I'm sure they'd be happy to part with it. Off-side suspension looks shot though.

[Louise2cv]

My car started! Wooooooooooooooooooo first time I tried for about 2 weeks, the snow finally melted about 3 days ago, and of course I waited to see how it had coped with the bad weather 'til 5 mins after I was due to leave for an appointment... they don't call me organised.

 

Abby phoned on Monday to say she had undressed Margot from her new car cover and found it fairly dry. She has got it bad mind you: she took her shoes off to get in and tried not to exhale in the car in order to reduce the chance of condensation

 

The panic started when she fired her up, black smoke out the back and then black smoke from under the bonnet She's going to get it checked over soon.

 

Finally Matt remembered a christmas present hiding place today so I am now the proud owner of a Vanguards "Hidden Treasures" 1975 Allegro 1300 model, in white, complete with rusty valance, wheel archesand rear panel and a dirty windscreen. Ace!

[Tayne]

.

[Louise2cv]

That is why. It also sports a no-longer-able-to-nod-nodding dog called Jerry.

[dollywobbler]

Isn't black smoke just too much choke? (and possibly an exhaust leak up front). Or fire. One of the two.

[Richard]

Smoke up front could be the belt slipping on a frozen water pump.

[Louise2cv]

I've got no idea. I am worrying about mine, because I've been spoilt by the air-cooled loveliness of the 2cv, water and antifreeze have never troubled my little mind before .

 

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

[dollywobbler]

I've got no idea. I am worrying about mine, because I've been spoilt by the air-cooled loveliness of the 2cv, water and antifreeze have never troubled my little mind before .

 

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

I MUST REMEMBER THE COOLING SYSTEM.

 

It's a bloomin' stress. CX froze its coolant completely, BX froze its heater matrix. Mini seems to have survived, 2CV has been completely stress free on the coolant front! Aircooling is ace.

[Louise2cv]

Out and about yesterday a guy came over and said something along the lines of "you don't see many of them anymore" followed by:

 

"in fact I'll tell you the last time saw one was when we took one in on the scrappage scheme, I work for a salvage yard. It was mint, so my boss said he'd fill in the 'scrapped' paperwork and then put it in his museum"

 

Does this sound likely? I hope so!

 

I think the van he was in had something like "parts exchange" and Nantwich on it.

[garethj]

Abby phoned on Monday to say she had undressed Margot from her new car cover and found it fairly dry. She has got it bad mind you: she took her shoes off to get in and tried not to exhale in the car in order to reduce the chance of condensation

If anyone came on here and said their girlfriend loved Allegros so much she takes her shoes off to get in, it would be like saying to normal people their girlfriend is addicted to giving blowjobs

[dollywobbler]

Out and about yesterday a guy came over and said something along the lines of "you don't see many of them anymore" followed by:

 

"in fact I'll tell you the last time saw one was when we took one in on the scrappage scheme, I work for a salvage yard. It was mint, so my boss said he'd fill in the 'scrapped' paperwork and then put it in his museum"

 

Does this sound likely? I hope so!

 

I think the van he was in had something like "parts exchange" and Nantwich on it.

 

Certainly possible. Hyundai 'saved' a Morris Minor from the scheme which went to a museum - this was an attempt to make up for already scrapping several of them. Don't think they enjoyed my press coverage...