what lathe is this ?, - and the car ?.

The car is an AlIegro, shame about the colour. I had one for seven years, in that time I replaced one suspension fluid pipe and she left me with over 100,000 on the clock, lovely car.

Martin P

What amuses me is that he says he knows little about the lathe and yet describes it as being in fair condition, despite the fact that it doesn't work!

Cliff Coggin Kent UK

The lathe is a NAIL made by the North Accrington Incorporated Lathe factory. They were unique in that they shipped them totally knackered from new. Most other manufacturers of the period used to ship them semi knacked so you could gradually wear them in or out depending on your views and direction of travel..........

.

I looked at that and wondered. Can't read the name on the headstock, but it has an interesting bed. Very wide, I always think that is a good sign for a quality machine (like an HLV -a lathe I've always quite admired).

I'd agree about the car being an Alegro. In my book a strong contender for ugliest production car ever, and there is some strong competition. And a square steering wheel, I'd love to have been in the meeting where someone suggested that one -and they all said "great idea".

Regards Kevin

Well, there goes my theory about wide beds and high quality! (I still like the HLV though).

Regards Kevin

I disagree, it was truly awful car, my father had one and I only used it when my MG Midget didn't have enough seats. Although I did manage to get five in the Midget (with the hood up) once but only for a couple of miles. According to Jeremy Clarkson the Allegro, when tested in a wind tunnel, was more aerodynamic going backwards!

Brian

The square steering wheel only appeared on the early ones, nearly all were round. When my father in law died we found a square wheel in his garage so I offered it to the allegro owners club and could virtually name my price so it had a use in the end.

You don't actually take Clarkson seriously, do you? ;-)

Tim

There's an allegro owners club?!?!?!?!

"My name is Fred and I own an allegro"

Be fair, they were much better than Marinas

Mark Rand RTFM

In article , SimonJ writes

I can't be coincidence that the car's initials are .... AA

David

Yep. Owners must beat themselves about the head with afore-mentioned club while chanting "O what a berk I am!" one hundred times a day.

Cliff Coggin

Ah-ha, but is AA Automobile Association or Alcoholics Anonymous, as both would be apposite

AWEM

That's true. I had a 1.3 marina coupe, bought as I needed a car in a rush as mine had just been stolen and I had to get somewhere. Paid sixty quid for it with a years MOT. I was robbed!

You could loose the back end round a corner, in the dry, at less than

30mph and if you went over a bump the back end used to jump off the road. The front wasn't much better, with somewhat vague steering. It's probably the only car I've ever had that I can't think of a single redeeming feature for. Just for good measure on mine reverse gear was knackered (a not uncommon fault on these gearboxes), you had to hold it in gear with two hands and it made so much noise that I daren't use it at night near home for fear of waking the neighbours

-if I needed to reverse I used to open the drivers door and push it backwards with one leg out of the door.

Regards Kevin

High praise indeed!!

In article , Andrew Mawson writes

I think Mark's quote ("My name is Fred and I'm an Allegro owner") gives a clue.

David

How many meetings were needed before marketing came up with the name "quartic"?

Nowt wrong with the idea per se, provided it's the sort of innovation that leads to the better product. Joe Whitworth's rifle that fired hexagonal bullets was one of the most accurate of its day.

BTW, how did he bore a twisted hex hole down the gun barrel? I suppose he could have bored circular, forced a hex plug down and put the twist in with a couple of ten foot Stillsons.

Regards,

David P.

he he... you're having us on, are you not ...

the outer circumference of the barrel was hex...the inner was round like any other...just spiral riffling on the inside ..... no i don't know or want to know how it Mr baboon did it....no interest in guns .

all the best.mark

But it had issues with barrel fouling. That and others was the reason it was never adopted as an official firearm.

Same way as barrels were then rifled. >

Tom