Allegro v Maxi v Princess
19 December 2002, 02:26 PM
#4
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In one of my Dad's old jobs, the Transport Manager ran a beige Maxi. Dad borrowed it at lunch time some days and he offered me a lift to school in it once... 
[Edited by ChrisB - 12/19/2002 2:27:26 PM]
[Edited by ChrisB - 12/19/2002 2:27:26 PM]
19 December 2002, 02:40 PM
#5
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Aaaah, the Austen Maxi .. 1750 IIRC and a nice puce green, DO NOT attempt to sit down in it whilst it's been in the sun otherwise you get 3rd degree burns on the back of your legs. Well that's if you're 5 (like I was) and wore shorts a lot 
Dad almost changed it for an Allegro until we made him see sense, he got a Chrysler Alpine instead .. it pinked permanently so he replaced it ... with another one, two-tone, grey-anthracite 1.5 ooooooh
Doofus.
Dad almost changed it for an Allegro until we made him see sense, he got a Chrysler Alpine instead .. it pinked permanently so he replaced it ... with another one, two-tone, grey-anthracite 1.5 ooooooh
Doofus.
19 December 2002, 02:41 PM
#6
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My dad had a S reg (1977?) series2 1300 "super" allegro estate, red with gold coachlines.....
After repeated thrust bearing failures on the clutch, it was put to the back of the garage in 86.... dust sheet over it...
...where it still sits today!
(now there's a project car in the making!)
After repeated thrust bearing failures on the clutch, it was put to the back of the garage in 86.... dust sheet over it...
...where it still sits today!
(now there's a project car in the making!)
19 December 2002, 02:43 PM
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I always thought the Princess looked quite good at the time ... a mate got one for £150 in 1981, took us everywhere ...
But I have to say the Allegro's Quartic steering wheel does it for me
But I have to say the Allegro's Quartic steering wheel does it for me
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19 December 2002, 03:16 PM
#10
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I always wanted to do this
Taken from http://www.virtualgaz.co.uk/princess.htm
[Edited by Scoobies are rubbish - 12/19/2002 3:16:47 PM]
Taken from http://www.virtualgaz.co.uk/princess.htm
[Edited by Scoobies are rubbish - 12/19/2002 3:16:47 PM]
19 December 2002, 03:52 PM
#13
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My family had a 1500 Allegro estate identical to the one above.
Engine died soon after we got it so Dad & I toured round looking for a replacement. Found a 1750 Super with only 15k on the clock that had been rearended. £50 and an afternoon later saw it installed.
The car ran on 145 remold tyres and had the Hydragas set at ~130% of recomended pressure to stop body roll. Was huge fun for a while until one of the UJs developed wear. The car then moved about a foot to the left at each gear change if you were pushing on. Terrifying when overtaking - You had to massively over-rev until you were past the other vehicle before you dared dip the clutch.
Car cost £250 and was sold a year later for £500. Those were the days!
Engine died soon after we got it so Dad & I toured round looking for a replacement. Found a 1750 Super with only 15k on the clock that had been rearended. £50 and an afternoon later saw it installed.
The car ran on 145 remold tyres and had the Hydragas set at ~130% of recomended pressure to stop body roll. Was huge fun for a while until one of the UJs developed wear. The car then moved about a foot to the left at each gear change if you were pushing on. Terrifying when overtaking - You had to massively over-rev until you were past the other vehicle before you dared dip the clutch.
Car cost £250 and was sold a year later for £500. Those were the days!
19 December 2002, 04:02 PM
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Mate of mine was given an Austin Princess by his dad when he was 13. Mate didn't drive it at all, just started it up on a few occasions and the poor thing was left in the car park to rust. About a year later he scrapped it!
His one was like the one on the left (Morrettes conversion)
His one was like the one on the left (Morrettes conversion
)
19 December 2002, 05:20 PM
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i had a maxi.
cr*p car but i did use it to go away at weekends with my girlfriend. it was so big we could sleep in the back.
as the ad used to say you'll be surprised what you can get in it
cr*p car but i did use it to go away at weekends with my girlfriend. it was so big we could sleep in the back.
as the ad used to say you'll be surprised what you can get in it
19 December 2002, 05:28 PM
#19
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I had a princess 2200 hls.that 6 cylinder engine had a great note, I loved the full sunroof and the pull down armrests
Cheers
Colin
Cheers
Colin
19 December 2002, 06:58 PM
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Absolutely no contest. Has to be the fine Austin Maxi 1750HL. What with that hatchback (the first hot hatch !) and those glorious seats which folded to provide a cosy bed for two during those naughty nights in the country lanes. Luverly ! 5 gears added to the pleasure too in the days of 4 forward gears and a reverse. Cool chrome wheel trims and those looks to kill for. Has to be the Maxi for me everytime, so much so I still have one....Blutes. 
19 December 2002, 09:40 PM
#24
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Saxo Boy, unless you only took interest in cars recently, or live in a VERY upmarket area you should know atleast the Allegro and Maxi.
Personally i would go for the Allegro i think, i dont actually mind the looks in a strange way, having one would be a laugh you cant deny that.
Would have the Princess if i could nick the brakes off it to shove on a Mk2 though..
Personally i would go for the Allegro i think, i dont actually mind the looks in a strange way, having one would be a laugh you cant deny that.
Would have the Princess if i could nick the brakes off it to shove on a Mk2 though..
19 December 2002, 09:57 PM
#25
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Think of the Princess like the Classic and then my Dad went and bought a Bugeye (Ambassador 2.0 HLS), then think of the disappointment when he brought it home.
It was huge, with amazingly soft suspension and velour seats - it was like sitting on a rather large, ugly, moving settee.
It was huge, with amazingly soft suspension and velour seats - it was like sitting on a rather large, ugly, moving settee.
19 December 2002, 11:24 PM
#26
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A friend once cut the rear bulkhead out of his Morris Ital with an angle grinder so he could sleep in it with his bird.
He almost set the petrol tank off with the sparks during the operation. But its a testament to BL engineering that the car handled exactly the same with the bulkhead removed *.
So all these RB5 owners are talking out of their *****.
* = absolutely ****e.
He almost set the petrol tank off with the sparks during the operation. But its a testament to BL engineering that the car handled exactly the same with the bulkhead removed *.
So all these RB5 owners are talking out of their *****.
* = absolutely ****e.
20 December 2002, 09:16 AM
#27
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Can you believe the advert for the Princess??? "better than average" - I mean thats hardly the big sell is it- when you stop to think about it the average back then was **** poor- so what does that say about the Princess? As an aside when was the last time anyone saw a Princess on the road- I never see any old British cars over here in France- loads of crappy old French cars-it seems the British ones all died of shame! (there is a H reg Montego parks on our street in central Paris though!- I try and see if I can knock its bumper off as I practice my french parking technique- ie your not in the space properly until you have hit the car in front and behind at least twice!)
20 December 2002, 09:19 AM
#28
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Hey guys you're forgetting about the other cool BL motor.....
.......
The Marina, my dad had a cool maroon hatch back 1.3 super around 1978. (the super meant super-charged and kicked out about 150bhp, I can rmember my dad struggling to hold the steering wheel at WOT...........NOT) Shi*e car!!
I also remember at college there was a guy who bought a maxi 1750 with over-drive for £20 (yes he was done, must have had a full tank of petrol and full tax) in 1990 and it kept up with another guys Lancia which he paid £8k for.
The Lancia guys thought it would be funny to floor it and leave the Maxi, guess how pi**ed off he was when he couldn't shake it.
I can also mind seeing Princess leaning over to one side, no it wasn't a supper ploppy driver, it was crappy suspension.
Bogie
.......
The Marina, my dad had a cool maroon hatch back 1.3 super around 1978. (the super meant super-charged and kicked out about 150bhp, I can rmember my dad struggling to hold the steering wheel at WOT...........NOT) Shi*e car!!
I also remember at college there was a guy who bought a maxi 1750 with over-drive for £20 (yes he was done, must have had a full tank of petrol and full tax) in 1990 and it kept up with another guys Lancia which he paid £8k for.
The Lancia guys thought it would be funny to floor it and leave the Maxi, guess how pi**ed off he was when he couldn't shake it.
I can also mind seeing Princess leaning over to one side, no it wasn't a supper ploppy driver, it was crappy suspension.
Bogie
20 December 2002, 09:54 AM
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I used to own an Allegro. Thankfully they'd 'solved' most of the problems with the model (front wheels unaccountably falling off), and had replaced the quartic steering wheel with a round one. Drove okay in a straight line, never really had any problems with it apart from the water leaks. Never pulled in it though...
