Avengers for sale around the world...

[Paddy75]

Going by a couple of Car Mechanic magazines I picked up for pennies it looks like the Avenger started life as a tuneable potentially quick easy to upgrade car that appealed to those that wanted a handeling cheap car. In the time of Austin 1100's or Ford Anglias the Avenger looked sexy - they still do ... ahem!
A lot of articles on how to get lots of go out of a 1500cc MK1. What is interesting or relevant about this is that they recommended scrapping the CD3 in place of the earlier CDS and just re-needling or fitting a TC manifold. As you can guess changing the camshafts was recommended if the owner wanted to spend.
Very little mods had to be made to the suspension, fit a cupped washer to the BRR rod and braze in a couple of washers inside the rear axle, to stop oil rush.

By the late 70's it would seem that the average Avenger buyer was an older person more intrested in fuel economy and CM were impressed with the very good economy the MK2's (milder cam I suppose) gave. Yes indeed the Cortina4 looking front was a hit and a bit smaller than a Tina too.
I've noticed that the styling and interior of a MK2 makes the Avenger feel like a Cortina sized car.

Avengers had a mixed rep' for fuel economy. The 1250 was a bit of a drinker but could rev and pull beyond its size, the 1500 was frugal, early 1300/1600's were so-so and by Series 8 Chrysler could honestly claim 35+ mpg for the sensible driver on the open roads.

I remember at the time ''..can you afford a Ford?..'' as Fords, even 1300cc Escorts had a well deserved rep' for drinking. The one thing BL had in their favour was relatively good economy (ancient high squish engines fed by expanding choke carbies.)
So for many people the Avenger was ''..the one to have..'' and was quite reliable too. Also in the era of the Cortina3 a lot of people heard horror stories about the early Pinto engines eating camshafts and an unusually high degree of diff failure made a few mechanics recommend a good Avenger over a Tina.
However Ford had a thrusting macho image which they milked to the extreme. The Avenger was marketed by boy-scouts and its no wonder they started to get an old mans car image by the time of the Cortina5.
Yet this old mans car could corner like it was on rails and bate up hills with a light throttle.

There is a myth abroad that the MK2 Escort was the best rallying car ever. Yes they had their sporting merits, however the reason why so many Escorts were built into rally cars is not because they were brilliant, its because the upgraded parts were relatively cheap and available, at the time.
Very rarely would you break a Sunbeam or Avengers diff and the wider track and lower transmission line, oh and plus an already trailing link coil sprung rear axle.
The number of Escort harriers I have caught out with this! ''..push the back of the Avenger sideways...look at the tranny tunnel...'' One guy said, ''..oh she has been upgraded to an atlas axle?..'' Aye, upgraded in Feb 1970!

Lets just say the Avenger sold itself!
Around here most of them were not sold through a Chrysler main dealer, instead by larger private dealers and in fact it was a Volvo main dealer that sold a lot of new or 2 year old, in from Britain, Avengers.
I guess not many Volvos were sold so the dealer must have had some sort agreement with Chrysler. What this tells you is that a good few people were seeking Avengers rather than just discovering them on a test drive. If you experience the crazy cambered half sealed roads around here you would understand why!

Honestly, I like the old Fords really, its just the blind arrogant attitude of some of the owners particularaly younger ones that seen episodes of The Sweeny or The Professionals and think that's so cool, then they listen to an Escort rally-man knocking down every other rallied car.
Anyhow all the best folks I must stop meandering on at ye all. I should go to the ASOC meeting some time, get drunk and talk a load of blarney about Avengers & Sunbeams...bliss...!!

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1972-Chrysler-Charger-318-V8-/130939248042?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1e7c965daa

There were a few sold in England, not many but a few.



From this an article in Practical Classics about yr 2000




Well if it was one of Mr Vizards GT's....




''..Few people realise...'' Yes, exactly the problem! Ford gave every TV show or movie that included even a slight car chase cars to be used for free.

[avenga]

Awesome!! I love my Charger. I didn't even know they sold them in the UK until recently.

Are you able to take another photo of that Charger article so I can read it, you cut a bit off the left so I can't quite read it.

[Paddy75]

Not much mention of the Charger just that it was imported to plug the gap after the Humbers were finished and the C180 didn't get a V6.




What it would have cost you. April 1973.



Quite a fierce article.




Musical factories


They really did not like the (Simca based) Alipne and Horizon although as he says, ''...British sheet metal design and French engines..'' were not a good combo!


Then the end.

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1979-CHRYSLER-AVENGER-2DOOR-1600-SPECIAL-EDITION-LS-COUPE-RED-/221251134538?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item338398644a

The Avenger Special 2-door. So they were not series 7's. Series 8's - electronic spark. See what else this guy has!

And another!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/chrysler-avenger-1-6-gl-estate-11m-mot-5m-tax-only-60000-from-new-hillman-nr-/141011874536?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item20d4f672e8

Tiger again this one is being auctioned

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C402824

[Paddy75]

Janey freakin mack!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-CHROME-BUMPER-OVERRIDERS-WITH-RUBBER-GASKETS-HILLMAN-AVENGER-1970s-ROOTES-/271231530893?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f26a8b78d&nma=true&si=ZnVFdYz0%252BAK8NgsFfn9q5Y0kE1Q%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

See how much they went for!!!! I thought maybe about 30 quid or something!

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW-ROOTES-HILLMAN-AVENGER-SPEEDOMETER-/200940805050?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2ec9015bba
The 1974 on AC Delco speedo, the Smits have the odo' and trip the other way around.

Oho! Some amount of bids on this! Must be people concerting a strip dash to round clocks or changing a MK2 dash altogether. Nothing wrong with the strip dash, not a thing.

What is it with 'Rootes' those speedometers were 10/'73 on long after Rootes was renamed Chrysler UK.
I got a new strip speedo head for ?1 and a 100mph GL 1970-3 Delco speedo for ?5 with no bids to fit on Davids cluster for his dashboard upgrade, the old one was working but at a fiver I thought he'd be happy enough paying that for a spare so I fitted the new head to the cluster. Funnily enough because I had his cluster in mine for a 2 or 3 days when the new reskinned GL dash went into his 1975 1600DL there was... 75 miles on the odometer!

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1976-HILLMAN-AVENGER-1600-DELUXE-RED-/261248943132?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cd3a6841c

Nice, a Series 6 wagon. Looks like a good solid one, I see DL square seat pattern so that means a strip dashboard. If I was after an Avenger lugger that one would be it, looks well in orange too.

The price, ?1k that will sell quick.

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/talbot-sunbeam-lotus-/271243893922?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f27655ca2

A Lotus Sunbeam. An Avon Lotus. DAC10Y there were only 100 of these made with the same plate DAC 1-99 Y a guy around here has DAC 3 Y.

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AVENGER-TIGER-MK2-TALBOT-CHRYSLER-HILLMAN-VERY-RARE-/330972436494?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4d0f7e980e

A Tiger, oh hang on....!!

?4k? For a re-jigged MK2 (nothing at all wrong with a MK2 BTW) tarted up to look like a Tiger, I don't think so! If someone does pay 4k for it, I hope its an escort nut with plenty of money! Its worth about ?1,800 assuming no rust. A Tiger with Veglia clocks, well now I've seen it all.

Maybe...hahaha...maybe its the thing where people talk about a 'Tiger mark two' the Tiger2 which was based on the GL spec' so it has the round lights.
I wonder... did someone confuse Tiger2 with Avenger mark 2!!!!!

[oldschool]

Looks like it Paddy...just a Chrysler with a GLS front...and that cut down Chrysler bumper looks so wrong!
You don't see these cars with a Hillman rear end...heard it's a major operation...looks easy to put the L tail lights in, but the boot lid and rear panel are very different.

[avenga]

It says it has independent rear suspension, Avengers never had IRS, they have a live axle.

[Paddy75]

Right enough he is on about IRS, possible an Escort harrier thinking about the whole trailing link thing maybe, yeh I'd bet the seller is into 'scorts.

Anyhow an unregistered S1 Sunbeam, oh watch this one fly!
Some say Sunbeams were the best 2wd rally car base there was I can see their point.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sunbeam-Talbot-Horizon-21-miles-Unregistered-No-Reserve-Rally-Lotus-Race-/221262121453?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item33844009ed

As for me its last week with the Avenger before storage. Hopefully two good dry days this week to get the chassis & sills done, tank out etc, plenty of rust eater then waxoil.

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hillman-avenger-1972-/330985460322?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4d10455262

That is a pre S4 Super, silver strip dashboard and stainless window surrounds. The seller says its a 1500DL but I'd reckon its a Super unless of course the dash was changed.

[Paddy75]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1974-Hillman-Avenger-1600-Super-Turbo-conversion-retro-show-rally-/300947157155?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4611d930a3

Oh that's a good Avenger daily driver, an Isuzu diesel engine mated to a Sierra gearbag assuming it was a 1600 means a 3.9 diff so can cruse at 80mph on the motorways.

I'm intrested, see? Satin black on the bumpers works with a red car!