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[aaronjb]

I actually wouldn't mind driving round in that at all  the interior brings back fond memories of simpler times.

I was lent a Princess once fairly recently (8/10 yrs ago  ) It was bloody awful to drive! 

Ah yes, awful drive, terrible build, leaked like a sieve (in the case of my Allegro) - but it's those four little lights on the dash that remind me of said Allegro.. simpler times, as I say

[Andy B]

.....
The bloody Jimmy will if he's a Lurker on here!

  or the Joss Man 

[Dishevelled Den]

Yes that was worth reading.

Needless to say, being the strange bastid that I am, I loved those cars.

[/highlight]



I Knew we were related Den!   For my sins I actually owned one of these, a 'P' reg Vanden Plas no less and I was only a callow youth at the time so thought it was the Dogs Danglies! As for the Hydrolastic suspension I was once taking a group of lads (6) for Range Instruction with the same number of Canadian Ross rebarrelled .22 bundhooks (slightly heavier than the Lee Enfield) bunged in the boot when the offside front suspension bottle ruptured its rubber & a jet of bright green fluid proscribed a beautiful arc for at least 40ft before depositing itself all over the 1st Lieutenants Triumph Herald while my pride & joy did a passable impression of Long John Silver with a woodworm riddled crutch! Oh, & the fluid stripped paint!

I'm the last person you'd want to know never mind being related to Phil.

I first fell in love with the big BL cars when I drove the CO's armoured Landcrab - one of the first in the country - even though I nearly wrote it off on one occasion close to Leeds-Bradford airport when it wouldn't stop in the distance I thought it should have.

Later, after joining the filth, we had the Princess 2200's as squad cars - althought they were soft-skinned they were comfortable to get about in with three well tooled-up Peelers aboard.

I have many happy memories (and more than enough sad ones) of the big BL cars but never got the chance to drive an Austin 3litre (one that I really fancied) as none were ever adopted into the fleet.

The Hillman Avenger, Morris Marina and Ital were creatures of an entirely different bent however.    

[Andy B]

.....
Ah yes, awful drive, terrible build, leaked like a sieve (in the case of my Allegro) - but it's those four little lights on the dash that remind me of said Allegro.. simpler times, as I say

A mate of mine while I was an apprentice (yes - THAT long ago) had a 1750 AllAgro, great in a very straight line, but beccause we were apprentices he didn't have the money to sort its hydragas suspension so drove like a boat when it came to a corner. 

[aaronjb]

.....
Ah yes, awful drive, terrible build, leaked like a sieve (in the case of my Allegro) - but it's those four little lights on the dash that remind me of said Allegro.. simpler times, as I say

A mate of mine while I was an apprentice (yes - THAT long ago) had a 1750 AllAgro, great in a very straight line, but beccause we were apprentices he didn't have the money to sort its hydragas suspension so drove like a boat when it came to a corner. 

Mine was only an 1100, so lacked any real poke - though it had enough for me to be almost dangerous with it as my first car.. Fond memories of being five-up on the way to the cinema, bowling over hump back railway bridges with scant regard for what might be on the other side, bouncing along on the hydragas suspension and rattling it off the bumpstops 

[Andy B]

.....
Mine was only an 1100, so lacked any real poke - though it had enough for me to be almost dangerous with it as my first car.. Fond memories of being five-up on the way to the cinema, bowling over hump back railway bridges with scant regard for what might be on the other side, bouncing along on the hydragas suspension and rattling it off the bumpstops 

and that's why a lot of youngsters these days get into so much more trouble in their first car, they now have the power/weight ratio of cars that we could only dream of 30 yrs ago. IIRC my 1600 MKIII Cortina had 72 bhp ........... SWMBO's 700cc Smart has 80!! 

I remember leaving the Bird in hand (Fareham) with 7 passengers in it!  5 in the back & 2 in the front passenger seat!! I'd go mad with either of mine if I found out they'd done the same! 
it used to have its own car park in front before the dual carriage way was built

[aaronjb]

and that's why a lot of youngsters these days get into so much more trouble in their first car, they now have the power/weight ratio of cars that we could only dream of 30 yrs ago. IIRC my 1600 MKIII Cortina had 72 bhp ........... SWMBO's 700cc Smart has 80!! 

Absolutely - I reckon all new learners should be forced to drive around in an Allegro for a year before they're allowed anything with any real power 45bhp on paper, IIRC, for the 1100 - although seeing as how mine was 18 years old when I got it (it was one year older than me - 1977 S reg) I suspect it was putting out a bit less than that!

Great car to have for a first car, though, and taught me a lot about mechanicals and how engines work (it was a bit neglected when I got it - had to rebuild the carb, replace the fuel pump, clutch and the bellhousing).

[henryd]

and that's why a lot of youngsters these days get into so much more trouble in their first car, they now have the power/weight ratio of cars that we could only dream of 30 yrs ago. IIRC my 1600 MKIII Cortina had 72 bhp ........... SWMBO's 700cc Smart has 80!! 

Absolutely - I reckon all new learners should be forced to drive around in an Allegro for a year before they're allowed anything with any real power 45bhp on paper, IIRC, for the 1100 - although seeing as how mine was 18 years old when I got it (it was one year older than me - 1977 S reg) I suspect it was putting out a bit less than that!

Great car to have for a first car, though, and taught me a lot about mechanicals and how engines work (it was a bit neglected when I got it - had to rebuild the carb, replace the fuel pump, clutch and the bellhousing).

Your selling it short man ,it had a wholesome 48bhp

[aaronjb]

  That 3bhp makes all the difference!

[henryd]

That 3bhp makes all the difference!

aye ,about 7% increase

[henryd]

I had a 1500 VDP you know,a heady 68bhp through a (shite)autobox