Allegro Club International

tonyguest · Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Iwade

Hi everyone, just rejoined the club after quite a number of years. I have a 78 Vanden Plas 1500 auto. Well Ive somewhat changed it since it left the factory. I wanted it to be a little different. Ive got my hands on a 1750 manual which is running twin webers it also has ford electronic ignition. As I write this the engine is being refurbed, I'm having the head ported, unleaded conversion, the crank is being reground and balanced and the flywheel is going on a diet so I'm hoping it should be quite nippy. Must admit before the engine was stripped it was quick then, that was with a cracked piston. Ive also followed a guide of lowering it a bit with not just dumping the gas out. Bodywork wise, I've removed the bumpers and flushed the recesses changed the grille for more of a Bentley appearence, colour coded the handles, deseamed the where the quaters join the roof and repainted it in Mazda2 green. For the wheels I have ultra rare 1986 Mazda 323 turbo alloys which fit perfectly. On the inside I have Porsche 964 front seats these are so confortable rear bench is standard. I want to make new door pads etc so can sell the vp ones on as they are very good. To cover the new panels I want to use black quilted vinyl or as I call it, the inside of a smoking jacket. Well i know not everyone will like it but I think its looking good, thought i should make it different as my profession is panel beater and sprayer. Will put some pics up please let me know what you think. Tony

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Richard Howe · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject:

It's unconventional but I like it. The colour is very reminiscent of everyone's favourite Tara Green, so it's not a surprise that it works so well.

The front grille treatment is very nice. I think the front panel could stand a little more smoothing to create a more consistent profile, but that's a lot of work and as good front panels are so hard to come by, it's probably best to leave it as-is; the rear panel really suits debumpering.

Is the rear window's tint from a spray or a film? Have you considered extending it onto the rear doors? I'm thinking of adding a tint along with the louvre when I fit it to Walter, but I don't have the patience to do professional films and I'm not paying stupid money just for what will be a mostly unseen modification, so I've been looking at some of the various spraytints...

Did you fabricate custom subframes for the seats, or just use universal ones?
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...that's why Allegro will look as good 5 years from now as it does today.

Laurence · Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 1408 Location: Plymouth

Hi Tony,

Yeah I like it too! I like the colour & the radiator grille.

Have you left the apertures below the radiator grille open? I made up a two-piece grille (in Matt Black) to fit over the apertures, to fit onto my modded Champagne Allegro3 which will also be bumperless.

One day I may be able to put up some pictures of my progress so you can see what I've been up to (photobucket keep changing how to store/retrieve pics which I can't keep up with).

Seeing your efforts gives me incentive to keep plugging away. I see your pics where taken nearly two years ago. My Allegro may be finished end of 2011. . . . . Shocked

tonyguest · Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Iwade

ah the dates wrong it was only few weeks ago hoping to have her done for may. I've got the fog lights back in the holes but gloss backed the surrounds, I'm gonna fabricate an air intake for the webers when the engines back in. oh and to the other question the rear doors are tinted and its a film.

tonyguest · Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Iwade

oh and the seat frames suprisinly the holes almost align with the original seats, but might need to make some to raiase the seat height.

Richard Howe · Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 7:18 am Post subject:

Laurence, have a look at Dropbox; it's as simple as dragging a file on your own computer, no mucking about with uploading to sites & stuff Wink

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...that's why Allegro will look as good 5 years from now as it does today.

Richie G · Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 383 Location: Newquay , Cornwall

Hello Tony,
Firstly welcome to the club!
It's always great to see more new members joining Very Happy

I thought i better introduce myself,my name is Richie and i have just taken over this year as the South Thames organiser from Roger Feist.
I have recently been sent your membership details from our membership secretary Mervin and if it's ok i would like to call you in the next few weeks to talk to you about whether you would like to display your car with us at the South Thames shows this year?
I am in the process of learning the ropes as this is the first time i have done this and i am still going through what shows we are going to do yet but i will know in the next week or two and will have more information for you and everyone actually.
Anyway waffling on but look forward to speaking to you soon and although i love original cars i have to say i do like your Vp ,i like the front end as it looks so different!

chat soon
Richie Very Happy

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We own 7 allegros !

alan wilson · Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:38 pm Post subject:

Love it Tony, not everyone`s cup of tea as I found out when I customised mine, but great colour and love the idea of the Porsche seats
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Well someone had to do it.....

Colin T · Joined: 13 May 2007 Posts: 1282 Location: N.E. Hampshire

Very nice, love the smoothed-out recesses/join lines, looks much nicer for that. Grille looks great too.
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Hell has frozen over...... the car formally known as 'Heap' is back on the road!

Nathan Penney · Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 21 Location: liverpool

Hi Tony

Love what you've done to your car.
Interior sound's fab, just shows what you can do with a bit of imagination.

I'd love to do something like that one day, not to my Equipe though( a bit rare for that). Who knows, may get another one day.

Nathan.
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'Equiped for anything'