The Allegro is now ready for a gentle sprinkle from a Harris Mann-designed watering can…
1982 AUSTIN ALLEGRO 3 1.3 HL
With the Allegro having finally got its free road tax and fresh MoT (yes, I’m still going to have it tested), it was finally time to start enjoying it; it had spent most of its life with me generally inoperative so I was looking forward to driving it at last.
The Allegro, of course, had other plans. Its windscreen wipers packed up within days. With it being winter, that rendered it pretty much undriveable even on days when it wasn’t raining – the salt spray from other traffic would have rapidly covered the windscreen. So once again the Austin went back to just sitting on my driveway.
Feeling somewhat disillusioned I did some small jobs such as sorting out the dodgy door light switches – electrical contact cleaner did the trick – and swapping the dull reversing lamp bulbs for brighter LEDs. I also replaced the original black plastic wheel bolt covers because the originals were breaking up. Then I decided to look at the wipers – and ‘look’ is pretty much all I did. The Lucas 14W motor is easily accessible on the bulkhead so I unbolted it, got the part number (075687H), ascertained that direct replacements aren’t available anywhere and decided that a competent garage would be my best option.
It proved to be the right option, too, because the mechanic at Ian McNaught Motor Vehicle Repairs in Stamford had past experience of 14W motors. He undid a screw and lubricated the inner gearing mechanism – not something even mentioned in any of my manuals – and the wipers sprang back into life; no new motor needed. For good measure he also sorted out the excessive clutch pedal travel; merely a case of fiddli
