Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: MR MISTER on 12 July 2013, 20:32:11

Title: Ad in my local rag
Post by: MR MISTER on 12 July 2013, 20:32:11
Rather touching, I think:

AUSTIN MORRIS MAXI 2 1750HL
5 door hatchback, 42000 miles, petrol, beige with tan velour upholstery. 1981.
Same owner from new.
£495.

How much would this have cost new?

32 years with the same car aat just over 1000 miles a year. Wow. :)
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: redelitev6 on 12 July 2013, 20:38:45
1978, passed my test in a MAXI  :-\
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: MR MISTER on 12 July 2013, 20:40:04
1978, passed my test in a MAXI  :-\
I owned one myself. Jeez....that 'bowl of jelly' gearstick. ;D
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Rods2 on 12 July 2013, 20:42:24
My Dad had an automatic version with hand controls where he was disabled. when he died it had a very low milage, but we struggled to get rid of it.
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: MR MISTER on 12 July 2013, 20:44:46
My Dad had an automatic version with hand controls where he was disabled. when he died it had a very low milage, but we struggled to get rid of it.
They were absolutely awful, Rod, but  I can't help feeling a sort of affection for it. Especially in beige. ;D
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Rods2 on 12 July 2013, 21:02:17
My Dad had two of them, a manual before that. The only good thing was that it was a hatchback. Everything else was awful. but there again the Ital and Allegro were even worse. No surprise that they were a company beyond redemption, that the combined expertise of Ford (Land Rover / Jaguar), BAE, Honda or BMW could save.

I guess the equivalent these days for style and reliability must be a valley's Jeep.  ::)
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: MR MISTER on 12 July 2013, 21:14:51
In 1969 the maxi 1500 was £968/16/11d  ;D

By 1981 the 1750 HL was £4567  :o
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: omegod on 12 July 2013, 21:39:58
We had two when I was a kid, black one and a really weird luminous green, Summer...vinyl seats ...shorts....nuff said  :o
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: scimmy_man on 12 July 2013, 22:04:07
an old girl near me has an austin 1100, from late 60s, it has 17k on the clock, some fool told her its worth ten grand, so thats what she thinks its worth.
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 12 July 2013, 22:27:47
In 1969 the maxi 1500 was £968/16/11d  ;D

By 1981 the 1750 HL was £4567  :o


Seventies inflation.
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 12 July 2013, 22:30:00
Rather touching, I think:

AUSTIN MORRIS MAXI 2 1750HL
5 door hatchback, 42000 miles, petrol, beige with tan velour upholstery. 1981.
Same owner from new.
£495.

How much would this have cost new?

32 years with the same car aat just over 1000 miles a year. Wow. :)


That may actually make a sound investment. :y
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Rods2 on 12 July 2013, 22:36:21
Rather touching, I think:

AUSTIN MORRIS MAXI 2 1750HL
5 door hatchback, 42000 miles, petrol, beige with tan velour upholstery. 1981.
Same owner from new.
£495.

How much would this have cost new?

32 years with the same car aat just over 1000 miles a year. Wow. :)


That may actually make a sound investment. :y

If you like the equivalent of stirring rice pudding, through a thick skin, every time you try to change gear. And this was on the MKIIs with a direct linkage. The MkI used cables and it was a pub talking point if you ever managed to find a gear.  :o :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: pscocoa on 12 July 2013, 23:34:41
In 1969 the maxi 1500 was £968/16/11d  ;D

By 1981 the 1750 HL was £4567  :o

Sounds right - I paid £5200 for a new Austin Ambassador in 1982 and £6500 in 1983 for a Rover SD 2300S
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 July 2013, 23:40:05
My parents had one when I was a kid, then we had one as an airfield run-around at the gliding club for a while. The 1750 was reasonably sprightly IIRC. Needed to be when you couldn't find half the gears! If ever there was a worse manual box even than the Omega's. ::)

But the load area was genius, IIRC. Seats folded flat from dashboard to tailgate. A lot of modern hatchbacks could learn a bit from that.
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Rods2 on 12 July 2013, 23:48:19
My parents had one when I was a kid, then we had one as an airfield run-around at the gliding club for a while. The 1750 was reasonably sprightly IIRC. Needed to be when you couldn't find half the gears! If ever there was a worse manual box even than the Omega's. ::)

But the load area was genius, IIRC. Seats folded flat from dashboard to tailgate. A lot of modern hatchbacks could learn a bit from that.

The practicality of that from the 2 my dad had is why I've always had estate cars.
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: pscocoa on 13 July 2013, 00:22:06
the beginning of the main front wheel drive era was a strange time - Maxi, 1100, mini etc, Landcrabs - 1800, 2200, Allegro - recall that fighting with the gears was a feature.

Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Vamps on 13 July 2013, 00:25:13
Rather touching, I think:

AUSTIN MORRIS MAXI 2 1750HL
5 door hatchback, 42000 miles, petrol, beige with tan velour upholstery. 1981.
Same owner from new.
£495.

How much would this have cost new?

32 years with the same car aat just over 1000 miles a year. Wow. :)

Depending on the condition I would buy that if it were advertised locally, like or not this is a future classic, look at the way other classic prices are going, especially Escorts and Minis......... :y :y
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: jereboam on 13 July 2013, 00:49:07
My dad had a beige Maxi with tan upholstery for years.  He loved it, but in his later years wasn't able to drive.  It got "stolen" at one stage, which seemed unlikely.  Turned out he'd forgotten where he parked it.  Took the police a week to find it.

When I had to get rid of it, I think I sold it to a bloke for £10, who then charged me £5 to tow it away.

I think I briefly owned one when I moved back to the UK in 1994.  Can't remember why I bought it or what happened to it.

Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: 2boxerdogs on 13 July 2013, 08:53:15
When I was in the London ambulance service back in the seventies, we had one member of staff who inherited a fair bit of cash he treated himself to a new Maxi every year ,a bit strange I thought , perhaps he was looking for a trouble free one !!
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Andy B on 13 July 2013, 09:28:31
My father in law had a blue 1750 Maxi. It failed its MOT on something trivial, so he gave it to my brother. My Dad got it through the MOT & my brother drove it for the next few years. For their day, they should've been a good car ..... 5 speed manual gearbox, while most other cars made do with just 4, and a large hatchback, it must've been one of the early hatchbacks on the road at the time. But, as with most other BL cars of the era, they rotted faster than you could weld them back up again.
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: ronnyd on 13 July 2013, 11:03:18
Had one for about 3 months, the gear change between two and three was awful. Had a hell of a job trading it in
for my mk. 1 Granada. My dad had one also and the gear changing was perfect. Luck of the draw i suppose.
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: SteveAvfc. on 14 July 2013, 00:58:36
Had the miss pleasure of owning one once completely full of rust, pumped the sills full of cement then covered them in fibre glass in order to sell it on. Thing weighed a ton. ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: 05omegav6 on 14 July 2013, 06:15:09
My Dad had an automatic version with hand controls where he was disabled. when he died it had a very low milage, but we struggled to get rid of it.
They were absolutely awful, Rod, but  I can't help feeling a sort of affection for it. Especially in beige. ;D

That'll match your pants a treat ;D

In 1969 the maxi 1500 was £968/16/11d  ;D

By 1981 the 1750 HL was £4567  :o

Sounds right - I paid £5200 for a new Austin Ambassador in 1982 and £6500 in 1983 for a Rover SD 2300S

Glutton for punishment :o
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 14 July 2013, 10:10:19
Had the miss pleasure of owning one once completely full of rust, pumped the sills full of cement then covered them in fibre glass in order to sell it on. Thing weighed a ton. ;D ;D ;D

 :o :o :o  Did you tell them it'd had one careful lady owner as well??  ???  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Ad in my local rag
Post by: wakeyomega on 15 July 2013, 17:07:12
On of my 'drive blockers' is my 1960 Hillman Minx Series IIIa, front bench seat & column drive. I've had it for 28 years, during which time it has done 960 miles. Current total mileage is 42693. Really needs to be sold to someone who would love it and use it more.