Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Baron Von Spongebob on 10 May 2007, 00:57:58
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/REMARKABLE-HILLMAN-AVENGER-NEVER-REGISTERED-OR-USED_W0QQitemZ200107616624QQihZ010QQcategoryZ100929QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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Amazing :o
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Martin would love that.
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Wow....
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I had one of these as one of my early cars. It was a 1972 car on a J-reg. Had 12k from new and drove superbly. Great old car.
This one has got to be heading for a show or something. You just wouldn't want to drive it now would you?
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Museum job, or suitable as a shell donor for a Tiger.
I bet a Tiger would be over £5000 by now!
If I had it it would need a new engine, the smaller 4s are rubbish, the 1500/1600 are 10x better!
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Ahh, Avenger Tiger. :-*
A mate of mine had one of them when I was younger. He replaced the Stromberg carbs with twin 40 Dellortos and boy did it bark! Lovely set of wheels. Not seen one of them for a while...
It's a bit of a shame they've been starting that given that it's not been driven. I bet the engine internals aren't in such good shape. Would have been best to mothball the engine completely.
Kevin
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I bet the owner was Gutted when it got scratched.
How much do you think this will finally sell for ?
And I wonder how much one of these was new
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Ahh, Avenger Tiger. :-*
A mate of mine had one of them when I was younger. He replaced the Stromberg carbs with twin 40 Dellortos and boy did it bark! Lovely set of wheels. Not seen one of them for a while...
It's a bit of a shame they've been starting that given that it's not been driven. I bet the engine internals aren't in such good shape. Would have been best to mothball the engine completely.
Kevin
Well the 1248 engine is a bit crap anyway, the smaller 4s seem a lot more fragile than the bigger 4s, and the bigger 4s are VERY tunable, just a cam and rejet will raise the GLS 1.6 to over 100bhp from 80bhp, TIs will go to around 120bhp with little work, the GL 69bhp engine is more work as it has single valve springs and smaller carb, both need fixing as it valve bounces BEFORE the red line
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I reckon no more than £4000 as it is a bottom end model, I would estimate if in similar condition and mileage
1.6 GLS - £5000
Tiger £6000
Lotus Sunbeam £10000
But these would be a lot more driveable, the bigger engines are so much better
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Just seen 1970 therefore very early so easy £5000 and straight to a museum or collector.
Oh for a late 1.6 GLS Estate in similar condition
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Same speedo as my mums old estate - I had that off the clock!!!!
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Very nice indeed. If only I had the time, and the space. Oh yes and the cash!
The Avenger was a rushed model by Rootes who were, at that time, suffering due to the Imp. There was a project called Apex which was a larger version of the IMP. This was scrapped due to the IMP's issues and the Avenger or "B car" as it was known was born. Years later, a derivative was produced, the Chrysler Sunbeam.
The Imp was not a bad car, just too advanced for the general motoring public of the day. A lot of the cooling and head gasket issues were caused by the lack of antifreeze in the coolant. Even the dealers did not understand the engine properly! The engine was in fact based on an outboard motor engine, the Coventry Climax.
A somewhat useless fact, but I think I am correct in saying that the Avenger was the first production car to feature a balanced Exhaust Manifold!
It is such a shame that Rootes ended up in turmoil - caused no doubt by the relentless strikes of the day. I often wonder what they would be turning out now if they were still in business.
For those on here who are fans of / interested in Rootes' products, there is an excellent book called "Cars of the Rootes Group" and another called "The Rootes Brothers". Fascinating reads both of them.
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Coventry Climax is related to a racing engine and was also a water pump engine for the fire brigade
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I can't believe that somebody thought that laying up a 1300 Avenger would be a good investment. :-?
Of all cars he could have picked ,this must rate as the worst choice possible.Why not lay up a Cooper S, a TR6, Lotus Elan or anything else that was ultra desirable in its day?
Its not as though it's been stored properly and money will have to be spent to re-commision it.What about registration?Will it have to comply with the latest euro standards to be registered as new or will it end up on a Q plate?
Also ,the moment the new owner uses it on the road the uniqueness of the thing is destroyed and it becomes just another low mileage 'timewarp' old car and worth no more than any other well kept mainstream family runabout of the same era which is a fraction of this car's probable selling price.
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What a time warp classic, by the way if any of you out there buy it i, ::) have a brand new pair of front lights for it in my shed. :y
8-)
DaveL
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Why not a Tiger >:( :'(
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Had the use of a Hillman Minx 1725 yonks ago drove well for its era, a mate Had a gls with the Holbay engine fitted as standard good performance family saloon
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An Avenger was only the second car i ever drove, a 72 Kreg. 1250 Super that my Brother bought which drove really well for what it was.
A mate of mine in the late seventies took me for a spin in his Hunter with the holbay engine and for a 4/5 seater saloon was bl**dy quick :o and if i remember rightly sounded pretty good to 8-).
Arrrr the seventies, they were the days :).
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I started some thing with this link for the Hillman Avenger didnt i. ;D
Never liked them myself, although my first car was a Hillman Minx Super.
But the second car was a good old Vauxhall Victor 2000cc.
Lets not go there about what cars weve all had its been done, I for one would be here all day listing mine. :o
Im with STMO123 sulking because weve have not got Bose sytem in the Omega. ;D ;D
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A mate of mine in the late seventies took me for a spin in his Hunter with the holbay engine and for a 4/5 seater saloon was bl**dy quick :o and if i remember rightly sounded pretty good to 8-).
Very nice - the Holbay engine was the one to have. Just wish I was old enough to drive when these cars were in production!
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My Grandad had one of these (2 door though), but got wrote off in 1982 after a nasty smash!
Shame that this 'timewarp' motor was not a Mk1 Granada (or Consul), now that would have me really DROOLING!!!! ;D ;D
Dan
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I had one of these as one of my early cars. It was a 1972 car on a J-reg. Had 12k from new and drove superbly. Great old car.
This one has got to be heading for a show or something. You just wouldn't want to drive it now would you?
No I wouldnt.......lol. I wonder if it comes with the original 1973 balaclava?? ::)
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The Hillman Avenger - Amazing. I've had 4 of these in the past. Yonks ago certainly but wow, what a car. You could strip the engine down to individual components and rebuild it overnight.... problem was, you had too... regularly! Great fun though.
Would love to buy this one but nowhere to put it.. :(
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The Hillman Avenger - Amazing. I've had 4 of these in the past. Yonks ago certainly but wow, what a car. You could strip the engine down to individual components and rebuild it overnight.... problem was, you had too... regularly! Great fun though.
Would love to buy this one but nowhere to put it.. :(
I put 50,000 on a 1.6 with only one strip down
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The Hillman Avenger - Amazing. I've had 4 of these in the past. Yonks ago certainly but wow, what a car. You could strip the engine down to individual components and rebuild it overnight.... problem was, you had too... regularly! Great fun though.
Would love to buy this one but nowhere to put it.. :(
I put 50,000 on a 1.6 with only one strip down
You were lucky. I always seemed to have problems with the chain tensioners going. Timing gear was chain driven and when the chain tensioner went it rattled like a diesel - for about 10 miles - then the chain slipped or broke and the valves met the pistons. A doddle to repair though, :y
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The Hillman Avenger - Amazing. I've had 4 of these in the past. Yonks ago certainly but wow, what a car. You could strip the engine down to individual components and rebuild it overnight.... problem was, you had too... regularly! Great fun though.
Would love to buy this one but nowhere to put it.. :(
I put 50,000 on a 1.6 with only one strip down
You were lucky. I always seemed to have problems with the chain tensioners going. Timing gear was chain driven and when the chain tensioner went it rattled like a diesel - for about 10 miles - then the chain slipped or broke and the valves met the pistons. A doddle to repair though, :y
Had a rebore - had to replace pistons though as they supplied 7.8:1 rather than 8.8:1, after this only dismantled for tuning!!!! Had a 60 thou head skim, the plug threads were slightly ground into.
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Museum job, or suitable as a shell donor for a Tiger.
I bet a Tiger would be over £5000 by now!
If I had it it would need a new engine, the smaller 4s are rubbish, the 1500/1600 are 10x better!
:)I agree with one you pick up as a resto project but to change anything on a car that original, a total one off nowadays, would be a hanging offence, probably with torture beforehand!!!
I did have a K reg 1500dl yrs ago so know the 1300 was feeble but it would be sacreledge to bastardise this particular car, you'll never find another like that. :o
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Museum job, or suitable as a shell donor for a Tiger.
I bet a Tiger would be over £5000 by now!
If I had it it would need a new engine, the smaller 4s are rubbish, the 1500/1600 are 10x better!
:)I agree with one you pick up as a resto project but to change anything on a car that original, a total one off nowadays, would be a hanging offence, probably with torture beforehand!!!
I did have a K reg 1500dl yrs ago so know the 1300 was feeble but it would be sacreledge to bastardise this particular car, you'll never find another like that. :o
It is a museum exhibit, even the enthusiasts would not be too interested as daily driving would take away its uniqueness
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A mate of mine in the late seventies took me for a spin in his Hunter with the holbay engine and for a 4/5 seater saloon was bl**dy quick :o and if i remember rightly sounded pretty good to 8-).
Very nice - the Holbay engine was the one to have. Just wish I was old enough to drive when these cars were in production!
:(Sadly i'm old enough to remember a few rootes group cars including hunters. The holbay was a right mover in it's day & much loved but the handling was awful. I know all cars of that era were vague to say the least but equivelant cortinas,vivas etc were a little more sure footed.
Still, cracking nostalgia, i drove these type cars as a teenager so happy memories :D
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A mate of mine in the late seventies took me for a spin in his Hunter with the holbay engine and for a 4/5 seater saloon was bl**dy quick :o and if i remember rightly sounded pretty good to 8-).
Very nice - the Holbay engine was the one to have. Just wish I was old enough to drive when these cars were in production!
:(Sadly i'm old enough to remember a few rootes group cars including hunters. The holbay was a right mover in it's day & much loved but the handling was awful. I know all cars of that era were vague to say the least but equivelant cortinas,vivas etc were a little more sure footed.
Still, cracking nostalgia, i drove these type cars as a teenager so happy memories :D
As to the Avenger they do handle well, my mums estate was excellent, had a prat in an Escrap trying to keep up down a lane while I was driving quite carefully, if I had known he was trying to catch me I would have booted it properly and gone ;D The knobend claimed to be an off duty Policeman, but his driving left a lot to be desired, but if a carefully driven 1.6 Avenger Estate can cause a FWD Escrap to struggle what does this say about Escraps?
If you want to improve the handling, shorten the wheel base and fit stiffer std ride height springs, better dampers, a hatch body, and pretend you are rallying ;D That said the Estates axle was better located with a 5 link panhard rod setup, the saloon and hatch had a 4 link setup
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You could strip the engine down to individual components and rebuild it overnight.... problem was, you had too... regularly! Great fun though.
Would love to buy this one but nowhere to put it.. :(
Strip down regularly? My dad had a Hillman Hunter OHX 957 E. I loved that car. Anyway, he drove it by day and my mum, who was a district nurse, drove it by night. Between them, the car went round the clock twice. To my knowledge (I was around 8 at the time mind) it never had a total rebuild. It did have the points converted to a Sparkrite electronic ignition system though and a Smiths rear window heater.
Somewhat sadly, the day he sold it, I cried! We got another Hunter after that, which was the Chrysler version. It was not the same :(
The Rootes engines were around the best on their day - 5 bearing crank for example as Martin has already pointed out.
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You could strip the engine down to individual components and rebuild it overnight.... problem was, you had too... regularly! Great fun though.
Would love to buy this one but nowhere to put it.. :(
Strip down regularly? My dad had a Hillman Hunter OHX 957 E. I loved that car. Anyway, he drove it by day and my mum, who was a district nurse, drove it by night. Between them, the car went round the clock twice. To my knowledge (I was around 8 at the time mind) it never had a total rebuild. It did have the points converted to a Sparkrite electronic ignition system though and a Smiths rear window heater.
Somewhat sadly, the day he sold it, I cried! We got another Hunter after that, which was the Chrysler version. It was not the same :(
The Rootes engines were around the best on their day - 5 bearing crank for example as Martin has already pointed out.
The Avenger 1600 was one of the best push rod engine designs I know of, it had some more advanced features than Fords XFlow, if it had aluminium or cross flowed desigh it would have been best
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talking of low mileage mothballed cars, how about this......
http://www.buriedcar.com
Due to be dug up in about 30 days time