The bad old days

[poormansporsche]

In the bad old days you used to just pour the used oil down the nearest drain

 

[Benzowner]

All these modern cars first oil change for me was on a 100E Ford Pop with 3 speed box and wipers that stopped going up hill, then progressed to a 1964 mini 850, those were the days

 

[Ted]

All these modern cars first oil change for me was on a 100E Ford Pop with 3 speed box and wipers that stopped going up hill,

Yes, but they compensated by going twice as fast on the way down

 

[davidjpowell]

I remember the first time I changed oil - can't remember which car but either an Opel Manta 2.0 GTE or MK4 Escort 1.6GL.

Jack the car up and on axle stands at the rear, jack at the front with a black empty 'oil can' from Halfords specifically for the job. All done on the public road. Highly dangerous now I think about it although I never got under the car.

Some Wynns engine cleaner first and then away you go.

Don't forget the replacement sump plug gasket before you start to empty the oil...

We had a sloping driveway ideal as the car was level when just on front ramps. unfortunately it was just a hardcore surface, so not that pleasant to lie on!

 

[Ted]

While we are going all misty eyed about the Allegro, who remembers the 'sporty' equipe?

Actually it had the 1750 'E' series engine so wasn't that slow.

 

[219]

My dad had a sh1t brown (literally) 1978 T plate 1500 'Super' with no optional rev counter fitted but something that looked like a sniper rifle cross hairs instead and a revolting light brown vellloooooourrrrrrrrrr interior.

I can remember when 'quick' (used in the loosest possible terms) acceleration was required - a quick pull out of the choke made it go quite a bit quicker.

I had one of those too , only mine was a dark metallic blue with blue velour interior , WLS 422R as I recall . My dad bought me it brand new to go to Uni in : I wanted one of the last edition VW Beetles , all of which were silver and with the plaque on the dash indicating it was one of the last 100 officially sold in the UK , the one in our local VW dealer was no. 98 !

Unfortunately , although the price of both cars was about the same , the published fuel consumption of the All-Aggro was much better , so I ended up with that .

While I remember the trick about pulling out the choke for instant acceleration , unfortunately , the car was nothing but trouble : by the time I got it home with something like 15 miles on the clock one of the foglamps under the bumper had fallen out and smashed on the road ( looks like it wasn't screwed in ) and one of the sidelights wasn't working ( the lamp housing was half full of rusty water - this on a supposedly brand new car ) , within weeks I had had a burst hydragas suspension unit at the back , the oil filler cap disintegrated and spewed oil all over the engine bay with the smell of oil burning on the exhaust manifold prompting me to look under the bonnet I remember the back seat breaking ( without any abuse before anyone suggests otherwise ) , I also remember the knob coming off the end of the choke cable and the cable having to be replaced as the threaded part on the end was worn . I seemed to be back at the dealership with one fault or another on an almost weekly basis , and comparing notes with other owners who had mostly had the same problems .

The only good thing about the car was that I got two years free AA membership , although now I come to think of it I don't think I ever used it !

After six months of 'all-aggro' I had had enough and , with my dad's agreement went back to the VW dealer . The Beetle had been sold but I was able to trade the Allaggro for a 1yr old Audi 100GL which was an excellent and totally reliable car that stayed in the family for many years

 

[Ted]

I was working in a BL garage at the time.
I remember many of them coming through for PDI with the rear offside seatbelt mounting bolt screwed through the novel flat wiring harness.
Also fond memories of one with sports wheels on one side and standard steels on the other, and another with two temperature gauges in the dash instead of a temperature and a fuel gauge.

They really were rubbish.

 

[John]

We had a sloping driveway ideal as the car was level when just on front ramps. unfortunately it was just a hardcore surface, so not that pleasant to lie on!

Like doing the 'lie on spikes' trick I imagine.

While we are going all misty eyed about the Allegro, who remembers the 'sporty' equipe?

Actually it had the 1750 'E' series engine so wasn't that slow.

I knew there was a 1750 which I imagine was quite nippy.

I remember the Dolomite HL1750 wasn't a bad effort when I came up against one in the Manta.

I had one of those too , only mine was a dark metallic blue with blue velour interior , WLS 422R as I recall . My dad bought me it brand new to go to Uni in : I wanted one of the last edition VW Beetles , all of which were silver and with the plaque on the dash indicating it was one of the last 100 officially sold in the UK , the one in our local VW dealer was no. 98 !

Unfortunately , although the price of both cars was about the same , the published fuel consumption of the All-Aggro was much better , so I ended up with that .

While I remember the trick about pulling out the choke for instant acceleration , unfortunately , the car was nothing but trouble : by the time I got it home with something like 15 miles on the clock one of the foglamps under the bumper had fallen out and smashed on the road ( looks like it wasn't screwed in ) and one of the sidelights wasn't working ( the lamp housing was half full of rusty water - this on a supposedly brand new car ) , within weeks I had had a burst hydragas suspension unit at the back , the oil filler cap disintegrated and spewed oil all over the engine bay with the smell of oil burning on the exhaust manifold prompting me to look under the bonnet I remember the back seat breaking ( without any abuse before anyone suggests otherwise ) , I also remember the knob coming off the end of the choke cable and the cable having to be replaced as the threaded part on the end was worn . I seemed to be back at the dealership with one fault or another on an almost weekly basis , and comparing notes with other owners who had mostly had the same problems .

I don't think my dad had many problems at all with it other than routine servicing.

Perhaps it was made by Herman the German on work experience...

 

[Dieselman]

While we are going all misty eyed about the Allegro, who remembers the 'sporty' equipe?

Actually it had the 1750 'E' series engine so wasn't that slow.

They are now classed as an appreciating classic.

 

[John Jones Jr]

They are now classed as an appreciating classic.

If there was ever a case of one man's classic is another man's weigh in...

 

[Dieselman]

If there was ever a case of one man's classic is another man's weigh in...

If you think about it, it was a good concept...just poorly executed.


The All-aggro story.


The Austin Allegro at 40 - Telegraph




[YOUTUBE]xRyN4XhJ_ms[/YOUTUBE]

 

[John Jones Jr]

If you think about it, it was a good concept...just poorly executed.

No doubt. What I recall, it was comfortable & practical. Mine never broke either, bonus. Other than that, I can't recall any redeeming features.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Softly, softly?

 

[John]

We had many a family holiday in it.

Horrible drone at anything over 60mph though.

Ford Orion 1.6 Ghia which followed it felt like a limo in comparison though.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Thats not saying a lot there, JohnEboy.

 

[John]

No but for the time, it was fine especially when you knew no better.

It was a big improvement over the Austin 1300 that was before it.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Fair comment.

The nicest family car I drove of the era (late 70's) was a Renault 16 and my old man's Triumph 2000. Got to drive a '78 Mk1 Golf GTi too, that blew me away! How times change. Oh, my hot bit of tottie for 1981 had a 70's Abarth Coupe (based on the Fiat 124 Coupe), liked the car far more than her!!!

 

[Dieselman]

Softly, softly?

No. A quality improvement film made by British Leyland.

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

I had a good laugh reading this thread.

A mate had an old sh*t brown All-Aggro too, with horrible sludge brown seats if I remember. That was the first time I heard the name 'All-Aggro' which I thought was a great name for it considering that he said it spent most of its time broken down on the side of the road.

 

[John Jones Jr]

I had a good laugh reading this thread.

Want a bigger laugh? I actually sold a Toyota Corona Fastback (bright yellow too )and bought an Allegro! It would be fair to say, I didn't know my ar$e from my elbow!