£65,000 escort

[Sir Tigger KC]

I would like another Avenger ,but like everything else old, they are very expensive if they have survived the tinworm which ruined almost all cars of that era.

How many people own a Hillman in 2022....Not many.

How many young people have even heard the name?

I believe that until fairly recently the Hillman Hunter was still manufactured in Iran, so I'd imagine there are still a few going round there. 

[Kevin Wood]

Yep...200 miles in a low geared 4 speed Escort from the seventies would not be much fun in 2022. However, the Omega can still crush the miles today in comfort.

My 1500 automatic Avenger was one of three in the Coventry Motor Museum car park for the owner's club AGM. The other two were local cars. It was quite happy at 70mph on the M1, although there wasn't a lot left . And it was better for that sort of trip than my mother's mk1 Focus....

I seem to remember such a beast known as the Avenger Tiger. Usually yellow, I think.

A mate of mine had one. Had a pair of Dellorto sidedraughts on it, although I think he fitted them and it originally had a pair of Zenith Strombergs?

[Nick W]

Yep...200 miles in a low geared 4 speed Escort from the seventies would not be much fun in 2022. However, the Omega can still crush the miles today in comfort.

My 1500 automatic Avenger was one of three in the Coventry Motor Museum car park for the owner's club AGM. The other two were local cars. It was quite happy at 70mph on the M1, although there wasn't a lot left . And it was better for that sort of trip than my mother's mk1 Focus....

I seem to remember such a beast known as the Avenger Tiger. Usually yellow, I think.

A mate of mine had one. Had a pair of Dellorto sidedraughts on it, although I think he fitted them and it originally had a pair of Zenith Strombergs?

Tigers had DCOEs as standard. Avengers were afflicted with Zeniths otherwise, with twins on GTs and other high spec cars.

[BazaJT]

I had the Avenger estate[1500cc I think it was but might have been a 1600?] the other Hillman I've owned was an Imp van[first ones of those were called Commer Cob]the other Rootes group car I've owned was a MkI Humber Sceptre.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I bought my Avenger when I was 18, so of course did everything arse about face.
Uprated the front and rear suspension, fitted a full roll cage, dash from GT model with extra dials, bucket seats, and other bits & pieces.
Then decided to start dealing with the "bits" of rust.
I chopped out quite a lot of the rust and then realised if I carried on there wasnt going to be enough car left to keep the running gear attached.
Sold it to the local scrappy for £25. 
They could be made to handle really nicely and produce a reasonable amount of power though. Definitely quick enough to have fun in.

This would do nicely. 
https://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=99686

[Rangie]

Never had any Rootes group vehicle but always fancied a Sunbeam Tiger as a "toy" for nice Sunday afternoon drives.

[Nick W]

Never had any Rootes group vehicle but always fancied a Sunbeam Tiger as a "toy" for nice Sunday afternoon drives.

Then you would be better off with the far less compromised Alpine that it's based on. Far cheaper too.

[Rangie]

Never had any Rootes group vehicle but always fancied a Sunbeam Tiger as a "toy" for nice Sunday afternoon drives.

Then you would be better off with the far less compromised Alpine that it's based on. Far cheaper too.

. 
No definitely not, fine if you're a ladies hairdresser it would have to be the V8 for me.

[Nick W]

Never had any Rootes group vehicle but always fancied a Sunbeam Tiger as a "toy" for nice Sunday afternoon drives.

Then you would be better off with the far less compromised Alpine that it's based on. Far cheaper too.

. 
No definitely not, fine if you're a ladies hairdresser it would have to be the V8 for me.

Except:
it doesn't really fit in the engine bay(you have to change the back two plugs from inside the car
it doesn't fit around the steering box, so they cobbled in a rack whose main attribute is that the geometry is so bad barely turn the wheels.
if it's still stock, the 260ci engine straight out of the Ford Falcon is best described as pathetic. The gearbox isn't very nice to use either.
how many times on your 'nice Sunday afternoon drives' are you likely to use the whole 90hp of the Alpine, or engage the overdrive?
They are very expensive compared to an Alpine, for very little real gain. Which was also true when they were new, which is why they are rare.
And of course they're built from a fifties body design, so rot is a problem, and bad repairs on an already weak bodyshell have been common for over four decades....

[Rangie]

You're getting boring now it's a pipe dream no more no less.

[Andy B]

You're getting boring now it's a pipe dream no more no less.

[STEMO]

You're getting boring now it's a pipe dream no more no less.

Yeah. I wouldn't mind footling around the local park on a penny farthing, would certainly make people sit up and look.
But I realise it would be hard to find a good one, uncomfortable as fûck and I probably wouldn't be able to get on it in the first place. So.....it ain't gonna happen, but I still like the idea of it.


Anyone got a top hat and tails I could borrow, just in case? 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I would like another Avenger ,but like everything else old, they are very expensive if they have survived the tinworm which ruined almost all cars of that era.

How many people own a Hillman in 2022....Not many.

How many young people have even heard the name?

I believe that until fairly recently the Hillman Hunter was still manufactured in Iran, so I'd imagine there are still a few going round there. 

Hunter GLS with the 1725 Holbay engine. Sounds promising but not sure about the reality.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Never had any Rootes group vehicle but always fancied a Sunbeam Tiger as a "toy" for nice Sunday afternoon drives.

Then you would be better off with the far less compromised Alpine that it's based on. Far cheaper too.

. 
No definitely not, fine if you're a ladies hairdresser it would have to be the V8 for me.

Except:
it doesn't really fit in the engine bay(you have to change the back two plugs from inside the car
it doesn't fit around the steering box, so they cobbled in a rack whose main attribute is that the geometry is so bad barely turn the wheels.
if it's still stock, the 260ci engine straight out of the Ford Falcon is best described as pathetic. The gearbox isn't very nice to use either.
how many times on your 'nice Sunday afternoon drives' are you likely to use the whole 90hp of the Alpine, or engage the overdrive?
They are very expensive compared to an Alpine, for very little real gain. Which was also true when they were new, which is why they are rare.
And of course they're built from a fifties body design, so rot is a problem, and bad repairs on an already weak bodyshell have been common for over four decades....

The later 289 4.7 litre lump should be better. Detuned Cobra lump, I think.

[Nick W]

The later 289 4.7 litre lump should be better. Detuned Cobra lump, I think.

That's better in the way that a 1300 crossflow is better than an 1100.
They used the basic, off the shelf Ford V8 that was always intended for boring everyday cars and trucks. There's nothing special, let alone magical, about these things.