Allegro Club International

[Colin T]

A decent update is long overdue!! Will come within the next few months I hope.

Within the last month I have finally passed the milestone of driving 10,000 miles in my ownership (since December 2008 when put back on the road).

Third gear is a bit dodgy, needs looking at and the oil pressure warning lamp no longer works. The car had been running badly for ages, never found the reason, then almost broke down in a car park in Basingstoke, and found the centre springy bit in the distributor cap was broken and half was missing - runs better now!
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Hell has frozen over...... the car formally known as 'Heap' is back on the road!

[ruSSell]

Great news on the 10,000 milestone Colin, must feel great, and great to hear its running a lot better Its a cracking car Keep up the good work!!!

[Colin T]

OK can't be bothered with a decent update. No exciting news anyway.

Car's been to POL and BL day this year, and had a jaunt to Warwickshire on Saturday to donate some car parts for another club (that boot is USEFUL!).

On the way back the car passed 80,000 miles. Total odo distance that is, not a seriously long journey

Not running well at the mo.

Couple of weeks ago almost had a breakdown, just a few metres from leaving home it cut out. Turned out that the petrol pipe going to the fuel pump had fallen off. I pushed the car onto a side turning, which is steeply downhill..... the car started running away from me so I had to leap in through the open driver's window, with my legs sticking up into the air, and grab the handbrake!! All whilst wearing a suit, bet that looked interesting to watch!

Ah the joys of Allegroing!
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Hell has frozen over...... the car formally known as 'Heap' is back on the road!

[Colin T]

An update...

Oil pressure lamp was cured by fixing the wire - corroded connector or something like that, can't remember exactly.

I replaced the engine mountings with the round type from A+ facelift Series 3 cars, and refurbished the brackets (August 2013)

I fitted the A+ engine tie-rods with the last type bushes (April 2014?), the ones with holes in. The A+ tie-rods are a slightly difference length, so the engine does tilt very slightly compared to earlier A-Series Allegros. This tilt doesn't seem to present a problem to the lower main mountings, which appear to have identical alignment for the bolt holes are the earlier square type.

Rear box had rusted very badly, so I fitted a barely-used complete system (April 2014?) that we had in the garage - it didn't fit to well though, probably due to the engine angle being slightly different with the later mountings.

The car had a rattle from the NSF for ages, and it felt 'loose', particularly when coming to a halt when braking - been like this since mid-2013 I think, yet it flukily passed the MOT in Dec 2013. I was only happy doing short local trips and no fast roads. Eventually I looked into the problem, and found a loads of play in the wheel bearing (how did the MOT man miss that?). But when I whent to replace the bearing, the hub nut wasn't even finger tight, and was held by the split pin!!!!! Seems like the garage that fitted new front discs for me back in 2009/10 didn't tighten it up properly Checked the OSF, it was OK. Could have been nasty, had a lucky escape there!!

Three new tyres fitted (July 2014), to the front wheels and the spare.

Car needed too much for the MOT in December 2014, and it was very cold so I didn't feel like working on it, so I didn't MOT it and SORN'd it instead. It needed new CV boot, steering rack gaiter, hydragas displacer and maybe a couple of other bits. Also the clutch release bearing has been whining for ages and the starter motor relay is on the way out, making starting difficult - and starting when cold is very difficult indeed, I suspect an issue with the choke mechanism or carb settings.

There will be much work taking place between now and April 1st, when I plan to get it MOT'd and back on the road! Need to buy some bits first.
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Hell has frozen over...... the car formally known as 'Heap' is back on the road!