stevegbr
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Post by stevegbr on Jul 20, 2015 10:13:30 GMT
just found this one, same shop as above, but in 1959, he then sold bsa motorcycles. how things change.  |
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Post by bendys on Jul 20, 2015 10:27:46 GMT
Mr Been is ready to rear end those trikes!
Love any vintage photos.
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stevegbr
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Post by stevegbr on Aug 12, 2015 14:12:19 GMT
just found this poster on facebook.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 20:08:05 GMT
I bet the two door green Allegro on the left had the quartic steering wheel.
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stevegbr
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Post by stevegbr on Aug 12, 2015 20:11:11 GMT
I bet the two door green Allegro on the left had the quartic steering wheel. like this one.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 20:12:48 GMT
Yes exactly. I think it was only featured from one year around '74.
By all accounts, not a popular feature. I wonder what it was like driving one?
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stevegbr
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Post by stevegbr on Aug 12, 2015 20:17:04 GMT
i did drive a allegro for a short time but it did not have that steering wheel.
when you got to 70 mph it felt like the gearbox was going to seize, high pitch squeal,
i hated it myself.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 20:32:34 GMT
Metro's always sounded like they were going in reverse to me.
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littlebloke
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Post by littlebloke on Aug 12, 2015 20:45:59 GMT
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Post by greybeard on Aug 12, 2015 22:01:10 GMT
Yes exactly. I think it was only featured from one year around '74. By all accounts, not a popular feature. I wonder what it was like driving one?Absolutely, utterly, completely, undeniably bloody AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first mother in law had one and I used to drive it every Sunday to take her to see her elderly father (she had the car but couldn't drive (?)). Absolute purgatory!!! She saw my anguish so she sold it and bought................................................................A PRINCESS!!! AUTOMATIC EVEN!!!!!! As you can imagine, she didn't consult me first.................. I divorced the daughter pretty soon after..............it was the only way I could get away from these awful cars!!!!!!! |
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Post by bendys on Aug 13, 2015 0:54:35 GMT
Metro's always sounded like they were going in reverse to me. Straight cut gears? No syncros? eww! |
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Post by greybeard on Aug 13, 2015 9:24:06 GMT
The whine on early Metros - and Minis too - was all to do with the fact that the gearbox was under the engine (as opposed to one side or behind) necessitating the use of an idler, or drop, gear to transfer the main crank drive to the box. If this gear wasn't fitted, you would have one forward gear and four reverse gears!!!!
The bearing that this idler gear ran in was never very strong and consequently it would wear quickly and make an awful racket.
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Post by bendys on Aug 13, 2015 11:10:54 GMT
Ah ha, so generally poor design then. Cheers for the clarification. I love all the old vehicle history.
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Post by greybeard on Aug 13, 2015 19:20:48 GMT
In a way, it was actually quite an ingenious design for its day (1957/8/9) as it enabled Issigonis (the designer) to maximise the interior space in the car and still have a four cylinder engine. By going transverse and front wheel drive he created the smallest proper passenger car of the day (as opposed to the Messerschmitt's and Heinkel bubble cars).
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Post by mikef on Aug 13, 2015 20:37:12 GMT
Hi Greybeard.
I think you "hit the nail on the head" when you said, "quite an ingenious design for its day".
With a bit of serious development and ironing out the problems, things could have been very different for our motor industry. We had some innovative ideas and products, but lack of funds.
The same could be said for our bike manufacturers eg. BSA and Triumph, just to mention two. Don't want to get political but government investment would have helped. Unfortunately it's "water under the bridge now".
Anyone agree.
Mike.
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