Rickman Ranger thread

[groovylee]

So, i guess i had better do a bit of an intro and info thread on my motors

 

I have a bit of an unhealthy habit of buying random, or 'different' cars to all of my mates.  this one was one of the latest, although it was bought for a purpose.

 

a very specific purpose.  Classic Trials.

 

so, here is my 1989 Rickman Ranger Convertible:

 

[groovylee]

oops, pressed the wrong key!  got to get used to a new forum i guess lol.

 

that picture was on my first Production car trial (PCT) which is mostly in a field, trying to navigate courses between marker posts, and climb near impossible hills.  all with no trick diffs or 4wd, or off road tyres....

 

i quickly found out that i had entirely the wrong diff fitted (3.54:1) for this sort of thing, so i set about finding a 4.44:1.  int he meantime, i found a hardtop:

 

 

which i promptly strapped to the car using cheapy ratchet straps to get it home

 

after a bit of a scrub up, she looked like this:

 

[groovylee]

not long after, on the way back from the festival of speed last year, this happened

 

 

and on further inspection i found this:

 

 

it seemed the poor little 1300 had given up.  all due to a split crankcase breather hose

 

so, the obvious choice was to replace it with a newly rebuilt 1600

 

an engine was sourced:

 

 

and stripped down before having the block bored out to +.020, crank reground, and sourcing new, well, everything

 

 

so, what was it like trialling?  Great!

 

 

well, that's pretty much it in a small nutshell.  if anything changes (which it will lol) i'll update this thread accordingly.

 

cheers for reading1

 

Lee

[stuboy]

hello and welcome..

 

my friends dad has on similer 

[groovylee]

awesome!  do you know if he is in the owners club?  if not, point him in our direction?  it would be great to see the space ranger at Stoneleigh this year!

[DS20]

I like  

 

The short wheelbase one looks not unlike a Suzuki SJ410.  Are they related, or is that coincidence?  

 

I have a soft spot for small, light off-roaders - it's the thinking owner's option, much better than adding mass and complexity (a six-wheel-drive Mercedes G63 weighs 3750kg).  

[messerschmitt owner]

is it a 4wd or a 2wd? I know nothing about RRs

[Hertz]

[oldcars]

I think they are 2wd, based on Escort running gear.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

These always looked much better made than the majority of kit cars of their time, nice smooth fibreglass and decently-fitting doors and all that.

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. The Iveco rear lights are an interesting touch on this one. Wonder if the bodies fit a Suzuki SJ chassis?

[groovylee]

I like

 

The short wheelbase one looks not unlike a Suzuki SJ410.  Are they related, or is that coincidence?  

 

 

 

It does rather, doesn't it....  makes you wonder what the design inspiration was for the Rickman Bros...........

 

is it a 4wd or a 2wd? I know nothing about RRs

 

 

I think they are 2wd, based on Escort running gear.

 

you think right sir.  rear wheel drive, MK1 or MK2 running gear. choice of Pinto or Kent (or even Essex if you felt that way inclined) engines. only difference is the 14" wellers rather than 13" wheels.

 

Indeed. The Iveco rear lights are an interesting touch on this one. Wonder if the bodies fit a Suzuki SJ chassis?

 

not without some SERIOUS modding unfortunately.  although I gather someone managed it once with a Jago Geep

 

as off roaders they are pretty good. so far I have managed to get two medals in my first 18 months of trialling.  the only let down is the MK2 escort tax on all the important bits, like English diffs for example

 

saying that, if anyone has a 4.44:1 diff laying about, I would love to have a chat.  I managed to kill my spare 4.1 the other day, and I am currently hoping like hell that my fitted diff doesn't die on me

 

cheers,

Lee

[Lukas]

Looks like a Suzuki Samurai/SJ

[stuboy]

awesome!  do you know if he is in the owners club?  if not, point him in our direction?  it would be great to see the space ranger at Stoneleigh this year!

no idea

[Timewaster]

More like a Chinese copy of an SJ if you ask me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which you didn't.

[PiperCub]

Is it related to the Dutton that looks similar and has Ez/'Tina running gear? (Sorry for ignorant Q but know little about kitcars). A mate had a Dutton (was it called a Sierra??) that I'm sure looked like that at uni and it was pretty horrible as it had suffered the fate of many kit cars I've seen, that is, it'd been rushed so alot didn't fit or work very well.

[sheffcortinacentre]

yes sierra is escort based aswell , the rickman was offered as a replacement shell for rusty SJ's.

[Minimad5]

There is a blue one locally, must try pap a picture of it.
Could you buy these as DIY or ready built only ?

[groovylee]

There is a blue one locally, must try pap a picture of it.

Could you buy these as DIY or ready built only ?

you could buy them as either DIY or built.  the quality of them is epic, the bodywork and trim is really good qulaity, certainly better than most kit cars ive seen.  the only issue if the fact that, like many others, they are constantly getting broken for the escort running gear

 

Lee

[groovylee]

yes sierra is escort based aswell , the rickman was offered as a replacement shell for rusty SJ's.

 

as far as i know, the rickman shell will not sit on a SJ chassis as is.  the chassis is a bespoke ladder type that was designed purely for the escort running gear.  happy to be proven wrong though, that sort of information is always good to have on record for the OC.

 

cheers,

 

Lee

[garbaldy]

I've just broken one of these although it was Vauxhall runing gear.

[groovylee]

I've just broken one of these although it was Vauxhall runing gear.

I don't suppose you could let me know the reg by PM could you?  nothing nefarious, we're just trying to keep a register of what is/was on the road.

 

many thanks in advance,

 

Lee

[garbaldy]

I don't suppose you could let me know the reg by PM could you?  nothing nefarious, we're just trying to keep a register of what is/was on the road.

 

many thanks in advance,

 

Lee

 

here is the thread on it

http://autoshite.com/topic/19541-autoshite-worthy/

[groovylee]

Cheers! I did look at that one, but the vauxhall lump put me off as I know feck all about them.

 

Do you still have bits to sell? I know quite few people who'd be interested

[garbaldy]

Yes plenty of it left as only a hand full of parts have been needed.

The shell is very good and so is the chassis being galvanised sure helps.

[cms206]

This one met it's end in my local breakers in 2012, had been MJM 977P if you wish to keep a note of such things...

[DSdriver]

Indeed. The Iveco rear lights are an interesting touch on this one. Wonder if the bodies fit a 2CV chassis?

 

I think this is what you really need to know.

[Madmick]

Wow! Brings back memories. My mate had one looked exactly the same in the ninety's,big wheels and a roof rack We were hang gliding bums in those days and used to car share. I had a Morris Ital with Marina panels on off a van i scrapped. We went all over the place in these too vehicles cos we were skint and now I think they're both classics

[groovylee]

small update:

 

after destroying my newly acquired 4.1:1 diff on it's first trial, I had to do an inpromptu diff change in a field so i could finish the event.  in my haste, i forgot to scoop the remains of the planet gears out of the bottom of the axle......  oops.  finsihed the trial ok, and drove home, all with some seriously large bits of metal floating around in the bottom of the axle casing!

 

so, fast forward to last weekend. I managed to source a 5.3:1 diff (that should give me some oomph up the hills!) for not too much money, that had originally been rebuilt as a spare for a mallock, but never used.

 

I swapped everything over, and took it for a spin.  wow. this thing takes off from the line like greased weasel shit!  the only problem is that it can cause some serious understeer on roundabouts whilst accelerating, as it has a habit of trying to pick the front wheels up, and as a result, the front end loses all grip!  not what i was expecting on a RWD car at all lol

 

anyway, I will be taking her up to the kit car show at Stoneleigh on the weekend. anyone else planning on going?  if you do, feel free to pop over to the rickman stand and ask for me, I might even make you a cuppa

 

cheers,

 

Lee

[groovylee]

HI all,

 

seeing as ive updated the green ranger thread, i thought that an update was due on this one too.

 

because this ranger is in good nick (and should stay that way imho) i made the decision to stop using it for trials, and use the green one instead.  that means that the convertible can be put back into service as a normal, civvy road car.  unfortunately, due to the wife not being keen on being a 6 vehicle family, this will not remain in my ownership

 

there is, however, a silver lining......

 

My Dad is buying it from me

 

I had a spare type 9 'box that came with the green one, so he has bought that also, and there are plans afoot....

 

the list so far is new rear springs/bushes, type 9 box and associated prop shaft, 3.89 diff (because im keeping all of the others lol), original rickman rear seat to go in, new brakes all round, new wheel bearings, new road tyres, new brake lines, better stereo system, roof rack, possibly a new soft top (price dependent), and a general bloody good clean.

 

so far he has chucked about £700 at it, and he doesn't look like slowing down soon.  i might have to get him to sign up on here, as he clearly has the autoshite bug haha!

 

 

at the moment, it is sat on the drive, with no rear drive gear/springs/prop/wheels. but once the weather picks up a little, we will be cracking on putting her back together.

 

I'll update as and when things happen.

 

cheers,

 

Lee