Location: Middlesex, UK
Posts: 4,481
I'm Alex.
A quid a minute peak time and 50p per minute off peak. That's almost 30 years ago so you can at least double those figures in today's money. Imagine paying £2.50 a minute to talk on your mobile!
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Location: Middlesex, UK
Posts: 4,481
I'm Alex.
Talk of scrapping a car, I need to get some work done on the house roof, just moved my late Dad's Metro Vanden Plas to make access possible, last moved about two yeas ago. Put a battery in, started quite easily, ran it till thoroughly warmed up.
Last edited by spendorman; 06-09-2020 at 11:21.
Spendorman
Location: Middlesex, UK
Posts: 4,481
I'm Alex.
My father got the Metro HLE in 1984. Ran it for three years then sold it to my uncle who ran until about '92. Don't think it ever had any significant problems although my uncle must have got rid of it for some reason. 8 years is not that bad for a British Leyland of that era!
My mother had an Austin Allegro for several years, never any issues with that either even though it was bought second-hand. The model below the VP whatever that was. I do think some of the issues with BL cars got talked up a bit. Still occasionally see a Morris Marina running about round here! God knows how much work he's done on that to keep it going. But they are very simple engineering compared to modern cars I suppose.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Location: Middlesex, UK
Posts: 4,481
I'm Alex.
I think I bought the VDP Metro about a year later than your Dad got his HLE Metro, the VDP is a facelift model, has the silly Metric tyres. Was a great car for Dad, he liked it very much, especially the Auto box, nice interior, sunroof, electric windows, etc. Before that he had an Allegro 1100 basic. No complaints about that car, reliable, economical and was surprisingly adequate in performance. Before that he had an Austin 1100 (well actually a 1300 Auto), no complains with that.
Spendorman
When I was an apprentice at a printworks my boss took me with him whenever we had deliveries to make. In his Austin 1100. And he always drove wearing his trilby. A trilby-wearing BL driver was a terrible combination - the journeys were always eventful, his replies to the angry horn-pomping were always "And you mate!" I suppose it got me out of the factory for a bit, so every cloud of burning oil has a silver lining
I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in
T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables
T'other system:
Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF
A/V:
LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub
Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.
KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009
My father downgraded to the Metro from a very tasty Mk 4 Cortina 1.6GL - his commute was 40 miles each way and he wanted something that would use less fuel because he was tight as anything.
He reckoned that compared to the Cortina the Metro was like driving a go kart. But he was never one for driving fast or recklessly. On occasion he's do 80 on an empty motorway but that was it.
He went on to the Rovers, 213 series , re-badged Honda really. After that he got the first gen Mondeo. Quite big step up. Was with him one night driving on country roads, I thought we were going a bit fast for the conditions, so I look over at the speedo and he's doing 95 miles an hour.
I asked him if he was trying to get a ton up. He looked down at the speedo and nearly had a heart attack. Said the car was so good compared to everything he'd had previous that he had no idea he was doing that speed. I doubt a copper would accept that excuse though!
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
I bought a Mk 5 Cortina 1.6L in 1989, it had been in a large prang, and waited for 3 weeks while it went on a motoliner jig etc.Cost me £1100, kept it for 4 years and sold it for £600. Only bodywork problem was an inside-out dent on the boot lid, where I'd closed it on a deceptively lumpy Suzuki 750 engine. Wish I'd kept that car.
I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in
T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables
T'other system:
Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF
A/V:
LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub
Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.
KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009