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The old ADO 15 Gordon. Remember it well.
In fact, we bought a second user hydrolastic pimp from our local Stewart and Ardern, 'cos we were always repairing rear subframe bearings etc and we seemed to be the biggest consumers of that awful yellow-green fluid, next to them!
One ahum, "Service Fix" I developed, was to fit shims to the main trunnion bolts and drill and tap the cast iron hollow arm to take a standard grease nipple and fill the bloody arm with grease from the pneumatic greaser!
Took the play out and stopped that awful crunching noise, for a bit!
The later 1300 series using a downgraded version of S head was good; particularly the Wolseley, Riley and MG versions. I ran a Riley Kestrel for a bit, only since it was taxed, tested and ran OK; typical trader, part exchange.
We also looked after one of the rare Vanden Plas 1300s. Far too heavy lugging around all that leather and wood!
By that time, of course, BLMC were at the end of their effective shelf life, and such " Badge Engineering" was their last desperate attempt at the market.
My first 1275 s, in 1966 in fact was hydrolastic, but with anti-sway bars and Koni shockers up front and whilst the diehards claimed the old Moulton suspension was superior, I could march it through corners as quick as most: quicker invariably!
I drove Timo Makinen's Monte car in the very early 70s, a full-blown 1293 prepared of course at Abingdon and that was hydrolastic. Seemed to go alright. Well, it certainly scared the Stewart and Arderns Parts Managers wife OK! They had it on a promotion and he kindly -foolishly?- dropped into the garage on his way home to lunch.
In no time Feltham had sweet talked him into a drive, ejected all my mechs from under the bonnet, front, rear, boot etc to go and dribble in the workshop and went for a little spin.
I still (very rarely) remember this dear lady's white face and feel guilty: not a lot, you understand.
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