Reliant Rialto, new project! (now with pictures)

[Philyc]

Good morning all.

 

I have just put down a £50 deposit on a reliant rialto after much discussion with my wife, as an "easy" project to keep me occupy and then potentially sell on.

 

so details of the car: total cost including delivery - £350, red, reliant rialto estate.

 

paintwork looks very old and oxidised so nothing a good clean and polish wont sort. chassis rust looks fairly minimal. the engine turns over but not starting during my short attempt with a booster pack and a splash of fuel, although not suprising. I was driven into place two years ago and has been sat there ever since. clutch cable needs replacing for definate and a new brake master cylinder will need sourcing.

 

interior is shabby at best, rip in the drivers seat and carpets may not be salvageable.

 

overall im happy with the price, all serial numbers match up and it shouldnt need too much money to get it back on the road, just a bit of elbowgrease (i hope)

 

a couple of questions if anyone can answer;

 

1, Which haynes workshop manual do i need? i cant find a rialto specific manual only a 1976-83 robin/kitten manual, is this sufficient? i imagine they are pretty similar if not exactly the same underneath?

 

2, on checking the MOT history using the .gov website it popps up as first registered in november 1980 as a reliant robin. I thought reliant only made the rialto from 1982? this error doesnt cause me any concerns as the numbers on the car all match and my old mini was listed as a slightly different model and was supposedly registered a year before it was supposed to have been made. Any thought on this or is it just an error in the system?

 

I only have a few basic pictures on my phone but will get them up when i can and deliver more in depth pictures on delivery of my new steed for anyone interested.

 

Cheers all.

[oldcars]

Good purchase, love mine, As far as i am aware a Rialto Haynes manual was never made so the Robin/Kitten one will be best. As you say i think the first Rialto's were 1982 so not sure about your mot question.

[dollywobbler]

Pics needed! I had the misfortune to be in the same room as Eastenders last night. The consolation prize was that there seems to be a green Rialto in Albert Square at the moment. YUM.

[Philyc]

A couple of what I managed to take initially.

 

 

Apologies for the sideways pictures but I'm unsure how to get my phone to behave.

 

Also above the rialto decal on the back is another saying" revett" which is also on the number plate as the dealer. I didn't realize this was/is a thing they used to do.

 

More pictures to follow when it arrives.

 

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[dollywobbler]

That is odd. W is 1980 alright, but clearly the Rialto shouldn't be.

[strangeangel]

Well bought Sir! I do have a soft spot for these three-wheelers, and shall be watching this thread with interest

[Philyc]

Cheers. Thought it was a good price too so didn't try and beat him down much.

 

My only thoughts are that its a very early one that they got ready for the actual time of release so dealers had something to show off... No idea really though.

 

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[Captain Furious]

Yes!

 

Many fond memories bouncing along in my Grandads Reliant Robin as a kid. When he died I was coming up on 16 and my nan wanted me to have it, but my dad soon put a stop to that...

[vulgalour]

Very odd that it's a 1980 Rialto.  Someone might have transferred the original plate on to another car, it could be a rebodied Robin or it could be an odd little bit of Reliant history.  Best to ask a club, they'll probably be able to figure it out from the chassis number or something.

[vulgalour]

A little internet trawl netted this X plate one.  Perhaps yours is just a super early one.

 

[trigger]

Very cool! These are great fun to drive in quirkly kind of way. I don't know of Rivetts but it's nice to see it's still on its local (to me) dealer plates.

[Philyc]

That makes the year of it even more odd. Unless Rivetts did a body swap themselves then put their decals on it.

 

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[RayMK]

Nice purchase.  These are mechanically simple but owners may dispute the word 'easy' when it comes to working on them.  Engine access is as poor as many modern vehicles.  Being an alloy engine, it will be prone to problems caused by lax servicing over the years, particularly coolant replenishment.  Penny pinching owners tended to top up with mains water which rapidly corroded the alloy, leading to head gasket failure.  They need all year round coolant which contains corrosion inhibitors as well as antifreeze.  Also check the condition of the front leading arm (often referred to as the 'A' frame, because of its shape).  In other respects, they are surprisingly spirited performers due to their light weight and the handling, once you get used to it, is nothing like Top Gear would have you believe.  Reliant were always a bit casual with their model details and it is fairly common to have later Robins registered as Rialtos and vica versa despite the badges, though yours suggests some pre-production clairvoyance  . 

[Philyc]

I'm going to try and do this project properly. So I think I'm going to take the engine out etc. My only criteria when I was looking was something I could add value too and didn't require any welding (a small bit of welding is fine as I can borrow a welder from work) but still needs a fair amount doing.

 

I've tried to do a bit of research. Prior to being left for two years it was driven from Birmingham to ipswich so it should be mostly ok.

 

Never driven one but am looking forward to it and I'm sure top gear exaggerated the instability issue!

 

Still just puzzled by the date thing but oh well

 

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[Asimo]

And a towbar! Wonder what the towed weight maximum is?

[plasticvandan]

Afraid you have a rebodied mk1 Robin.No Rialtos were made in any form before X reg.the stickers,colour and fittings of the body are also those of the Rialto SE,which didn't come out until 1987.

Yours was registered Nov 1980,the robin was still in production until Jan 1982.

 

Source * reliant obsessive and previous owner of 36 Reliants,any questions just ask

[plasticvandan]

And a towbar! Wonder what the towed weight maximum is?

Legal limits for weight of vehicle,think its around 350kg. Reliant put a note in the handbook saying they didn't reccomend it!

[plasticvandan]

Now,there is a horrid possibility that its a Rialto ringed with a robin logbook,the vin plate just being riveted to the body. Chassis on Rialto is galv,mild steel on robins.

[Philyc]

Now,there is a horrid possibility that its a Rialto ringed with a robin logbook,the vin plate just being riveted to the body. Chassis on Rialto is galv,mild steel on robins.

 

So if this is the case how would I be able to tell and what would I be able to do to fix it? My brain is telling me that if the chassis is galvanised then it's a ringer? There wasn't much rust as far as I could see but I may be wrong

 

Not worried about it having just been fitted with a new body as long as it was above board.

 

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[plasticvandan]

More pics inside and out,and a pic of the vin (you can blank out the engraved numbers)

So fast I've seen nothing robin,body,interior,under bonnet all Rialto SE (1987-1992)

Engine number (on actual engine) I can date as well. Gearbox is also Rialto (canted over to driver gear lever)

[Philyc]

More pics inside and out,and a pic of the vin (you can blank out the engraved numbers)

So fast I've seen nothing robin,body,interior,under bonnet all Rialto SE (1987-1992)

Engine number (on actual engine) I can date as well. Gearbox is also Rialto (canted over to driver gear lever)

So if it's basically a rialto on an old Robin chassis then it's alright. If it's all rialto but with a robin vin etc then it's grim?

 

I know of ringers with regards to minis trying to take advantage of the mot and tax rule but this qualifies for neither

 

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[plasticvandan]

This could be someone bought it with no I'd (or its I'd is now on a trike) and "aquiured" a logbook and tinplate.

[plasticvandan]

So if it's basically a rialto on an old Robin chassis then it's alright. If it's all rialto but with a robin vin etc then it's grim?

I know of ringers with regards to minis trying to take advantage of the mot and tax rule but this qualifies for neither

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The vin usually goes with the body,reliant allegedly stamped the chassis but I've yet to see evidence of a number on one.

[Philyc]

The vin usually goes with the body,reliant allegedly stamped the chassis but I've yet to see evidence of a number on one.

Ok. So anything I can do to spot the difference myself (if it's a keeper or to walk away)?

 

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[Junkman]

That looks delightfully terrible, hence I want to add one to the Granadaland Greenhouse Gassers fleet.

However, I'm afraid Conelrad will nix the idea.

[plasticvandan]

From what I can see,I'm 99â„… certain its a c.1988 Rialto SE base model estate with a Robin vin and logbook,personally I wouldn't touch it.

[AlabamaShrimp]

OK so it may not necessarily be what it says it is, but really who's ever going to know and even less care that it's just a bit wrong*

[Philyc]

So hpi check is clear. If I go ahead and get it working, mot, tax etc (it's been constantly taxed and mot'd from 2006-2012, and any ringing would have had to happen before 2006). Then what are the implications for me if It suddenly reveals itself as stolen?

 

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[Anglevan]

You would need to prove the original identity. If chassis not stamped and no other clues (unless engine number is traceable) then not a great deal. Worth doing a bit more digging before spending too much dosh or time.

[RayMK]

If the engine number on the logbook matches the one in the car, take a look at Fifer's website which may provide additional clues as to Robin or Rialto identity.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-Z1JSoxEWMRK9x2XoXv4TmbyJOvE0lHTcv0PivimfOE/edit?hl=en_GB&authkey=CKPJ3e4H&pref=2&pli=1#gid=3