Tell me about Reliant Scimitar GTEs.

[Pete-M]

Don't remember ever driving one, can't imagine they're brilliant, but surfing the demon wallet vampire that is ebay I've just found this;

 

 

Which I have to say, is tempting me. Even though I was looking for an MX5.

 

I know we've got a few Scimitar pervs on here, so before I blow a certain Czech's retirement fund on this thing I'd like to know a few things.

 

I don't expect a Scimitar to actually be much good, but I do like the old Essex 3.0 engine so they're off to a good start. I imagine they're a bit crap to drive but ok for a Sunday afternoon tootle to a country pub. Probably not bad for trundling to work a couple of times a week. What's the ride quality like? I don't mind if it's a bit sudden as long as the bloody thing doesn't clunk and shudder over bumps. Do they handle reasonably well? I imagine they're like a badly sorted Capri for some reason. I suspect they'll all have a few electrical issues and a habit of getting warm in traffic, do they need grease pumping into 'em every week? What drops off?

 

Will a 4 + o/d one sit happily at 80 on the motorway and do 20-25 mpg? Do they get blasted all over the place in cross winds?

 

Basically, if I buy one will it be shit or no worse than something like a Mk2 Granada to live with?

 

Talk me out of it before I go mad and buy this fucking thing. Ta.

[coalnotdole]

I don't expect a Scimitar to actually be much good, but I do like the old Essex 3.0 engine so they're off to a good start. I imagine they're a bit crap to drive but ok for a Sunday afternoon tootle to a country pub. Probably not bad for trundling to work a couple of times a week.

 

I could offer an opinion on this but I've only driven an Se5a (My car) I have a fairly limited base of comparison (I've not driven that many other cars that I could compare.) The traditional view is that the Early cars handle the best (1968-75) and In good condition they should be at least as good as a comparable period sports car if not a bit better... certainly they were highly praised when they were released. From 1973 they got the uprated ford Essex engine which brings the max speed up to 126. 0-60 in under 10 seconds.

 

The car you've posted is a Early 6 Series so is slightly different, In 1975 Reliant released the revised Se6 model, they were chasing the corporate executive market and widened and lengthened the car to give more cabin space. They also softened the ride and made chassis and suspension changes to improve passenger comfort. Power steering was introduced as an option too. At the time the revised car had quite a bit of criticism that the handling characteristics had been compromised in favor of comfort. This led to further revisions and the introduction of a 6A after only 543 6's had been built.

 

What's the ride quality like? I don't mind if it's a bit sudden as long as the bloody thing doesn't clunk and shudder over bumps. Do they handle reasonably well? I imagine they're like a badly sorted Capri for some reason.

 

I personally think they are miles better than a capri. The suspension setup as standard is better, particularly at the back (all models of GTE have a tailing arm, watts radius setup. Compared to Leafsprings on a capri. Front suspension is Triumph based.

 

I suspect they'll all have a few electrical issues and a habit of getting warm in traffic, do they need grease pumping into 'em every week? What drops off?

 

Electrical issues are common, Mostly earths and neglect. Trunnions want greasing regularly but not so often as to be a pain. I've done 12,000 miles in the last year and have only had to spend 2 or 3 afternoons servicing though I'm due a decent overhaul soon. As for what drops off its usually the paint...

 

Will a 4 + o/d one sit happily at 80 on the motorway and do 20-25 mpg? Do they get blasted all over the place in cross winds?

 

Never had a problem with cross winds. The 6 series is heavier than my 5a so even less likely to be an issue there. A manual overdrive car should achieve 20-25 No problem. So long as the Carb, Ignition, and timing have been setup well. Some owners claim to have seen 30+mpg on the motorway though I never have.

 

Basically, if I buy one will it be shit or no worse than something like a Mk2 Granada to live with?

 

Never driven a Granada so cant really comment.

 

Talk me out of it before I go mad and buy this fucking thing. Ta.

 

I've had a read of the description and it sounds like a good car and at that sort of price it its probably a bargain. Points i'd be looking to think about would be as follows: How is the chassis? Will it need welding in the future? Gearbox conversion - the overdrive should have an inhibitor switch to stop it being engaged in 1,2,R from the description it sounds like this isn't there or doesn't work so has the light instead. Just something to be aware of. Has it got stainless petrol tank and exhaust? these are both common aftermarket items and obviously make it more desirable.

 

As its a 6 rather than a 6a its rarer and actually has brilliant shite credentials, It has worse handling than the cars that came before and after it, Later cars also a better brakes too... Though you do get the perks of better ride comfort, interior and cheapness.

 

I'd buy it but then I'm clearly biased

 

PS. There is plenty of information about the reliant sports cars on the sporting relaints website here: http://www.sporting-reliants.com/Relian ... _Index.htm

[freebird]

Im on my third 6A now.I will give you the low down later (at a sensible hour) if nobody gives you the full S.P before then.

I love them!

[MrDuke]

I can't offer anything constructive, other than to say that I've wanted a Scimitar since I first learnt to drive (possibly earlier) but will probably never get to own a decent one. In my case, all I'd do is junk the engine in favour of something a bit more peppy/efficient for the weight (if that makes sense?), possibly a large jap unit - I don't think they're too cramped under the bonnet but I could be wrong.

If I ever did own one, I'd attend at least one rod & custom meeting every summer, preferably in the company of a minty Jago or Rickman, and drive up and down taunting the rodders with a chassis that they'll never ever have.

[michael1703]

I've got a 6a too, its a surprisingly useful car, deceptively big and comfy inside but sporty too

 

With the back seats down you can get a good amount of crap in the back, they will tow ok, you can get the back out at every junction and roundabout and can wheelspin them from standstill into 3rd gear in the wet.

 

Ditch autochoke and fit manual choke and you can get as much as 28mpg but normal driving gives 22-25mpg

 

The gearchange is the only thing i hate about the car, its really indirect and shite

 

Spares are cheap enough, rear wheel cylinders are the same as mgb, so tenner a pair new,rear shoes are mgb,some bits shared with common fords/triumphs etc

 

They handle really well, the brakes are very good, power steering can be hit n miss, too light and fast for some speeds i find

[Volksy]

[dollywobbler]

^^^ She STILL owns one. A Middlebridge.

 

I couldn't live with my SE5a but then someone had beefed up the suspension, which meant that even with the dampers backed right off, it rode like the suspension was welded up - though I am used to rather greater comfort. What I loved was the handling (back axle is very well located) and the grunty engine. Lots of urge, even from low revs. I'd like to try an SE6 as they're meant to be a bit softer and you actually have room in the footwell for your feet. That was something else I didn't like.

 

They are a bit crap. They 'feel' crap because of the plastic bodywork and parts-bin-special dashboard. Still an under-rated car overall. I see no reason to choose an MGB over one, let alone pay thousands more.

[autofive]

this one is up the road from me, and i had the spare cash i buy it, very cheap at 900, IMO

 

the 6 series is a bit softer driving than the 5 series, but none the less still a mid engined sports car

 

yes, it drives as well as a mk2 granada, and with the right tyres, will happilly corner to speed without issue.

 

this one used to be an auto (still down as auto on the V5c title) but manual is the way to go, overdrive unit is strong and reliable, any 'clunking' will be from the prop UJs or diff.

 

let me know if you want me to give it a once-over (and an excuse to drive it, without buying it)

 

25 MPG is a touch optomistic though, i was getting (with my heavy accelerater foot) 18mpg from from my old se5, 23-25 on a motorway run.

 

with the overdrive engaged 100-110mph is easily reachable, without straining the essex, and theres usually pedal to spare

 

yes, the dash and some interior bits are made of plastic, they squeak and rattle as you drive along, but once the essex is doing 3K revs, you wont notice

 

PM me pete if you want me to view

[theorganist]

Can't offer any technical advise or anything really constructive but my Uncle owned a couple during the 80's and 90's, and he drove all over the country in them. He liked their long legged cruising ability and their comfort.

 

I remember travelling in one when I was younger and remember thinking how fast they were, also very comfortable and IIRC the ride seemed quite smooth. I was only around 17 at the time though!!

 

I would love one!

[dollywobbler]

I was comfortably getting 25mpg in my M/OD Scimmie. Because you don't have to rag the engine, and the gearing is tall, they can be fairly economical.

[cheguava]

Hi,

 

Had a 74 SE5a in the mid 90's for a couple of years - bought restored & drove it for 30,000 miles by which point it was a bit knackered again.

 

Plus points, great long legged cruiser, comfortable - suspension is good plus mine had seats fitted from an early Toyota Celica, good acceleration. And the engine sounds great with the twin exhausts, blipping the throttle if you were behind someone divving about at a road junction tended to make them twitch.

 

Bad points, not exactly economical, who buys a 3 litre sports car and pootles around in it? I got 25mpg on a run, the rest of the time it was around 19. 17 gallon tank was a bit pricey to fill back then - proper ouch stuff now. Handling with massive all iron engine at the front could be interesting in the wet, hilarious in the snow, OK if you like opposite lock but if you went into a corner too fast and backed off, it just understeered straight on. Used to park in a fairly tight multi storey car park, no power steering and that phallic bonnet out the front meant having to corner like Postman Pat!

 

Still one of my favourite cars, put up with massive abuse and doubled up as a builder's wagon at times - good load space with the rear seats down. Wish my modern car had overdrive!

[wuvvum]

Mine was a very late SE6B, so had a Cologne rather than an Essex - not as torquey but probably marginally more economical - I got about 27-28mpg on the (gentle) run back from Oxfordshire after picking it up, rather less thereafter but then that car did sound gorgeous when pulling hard, even with the Cologne. I found comfort to be quite good, although my car had done getting on for a quarter of a million miles so things were probably a little softer than they would have been when it was new - rear shocks certainly were. Power steering was a definite boon, especially as the turning circle was utterly crap so 3-point turns were required more often than in other stuff. Handling I thought was pretty good on a smooth road - bumpy corners weren't so great but I think that was partly down to the tired rear shocks.

 

I'd say give one a try - I think it's highly unlikely you'll hate it.

[trigger]

These have really grown on me in the last few years as well, for the price they sell for they seem like a real cheap way to get into retro motoring and owning a decent V6, That brown one that was for sale cheap on here recently kept calling my name, I suspect he's sold it now.

 

There was also a orange one for sale recently local to me too, well under £1000 for a sorted car, which just seems daft money.

[freebird]

Trigger is spot on, a half decent one can be had for daft money and when you put into perspective just how expensive they were new, its ridiculous.

That one looks a bit of a bargain for the money but there are two things i would make myself certain of before I even considered buying it, or any other 6 series.

PAS is a boon BUT any hint of a leak and you are looking at around £250 for a recon rack and the ballache of changing it. Refurb kits are available but, generally, its a short term solution to a long term issue,the fix rarely works. The other thing that hardly gets a mention is the front seat belt anchor points. Almost certainly there will be signs of corrosion. A badly corroded anchor point will need welding and fibreglass skills as the only way to get to it will be to cut a square hole in the sills, I will be happy to be corrected if somebody knows another way. Overheating is more to do with a marginal cooling system and poor maintenance, its a bit of a myth to say that they a prone to it, maybe they are so cheap to buy owners dont look after them?

Expect diff whine and think of it as a bonus if it doesnt. The axles are bullet proof and a whine is not terminal.

A good Scimitar handles very well. Ive got fully adjustable AVOs allround on mine and they are set to handle, which it does, almost as good as my modern. 30MPG IS possible if you remove your right foot and replace it with a feather....

Gearchange can be notchy ( linkages/bushes) they can leak water into interiors like Niagra falls, the fit and finish is so so in certain areas and, despite it being wider and longer than the 5 series ( which you cannot really compare it to) it can still feel, shall we say, a tad claustrophobic if you are over 6FT and broad shouldered like me.

Paintwork can be iffy and expensive to rectify properly. If you can spray or get a job done cheaply, its no issue really.

Interiors can look tired, proper carpet sets are £250 odd pounds but the seats can be bought up to scratch with good old 1001.

Chassis rot but they can be welded.

Parts are easy to get and, if you do some digging, you can find the parts cheaper with other marque specialists, EG: Rimmer Bros, than you can with Scimitar ones. Second hand parts can be had, there isnt much you cant get, probably coz Autofive has got a shed load

They are comfortable ( snug) they are fast, they are fun and, bang for bucks, unbeatable, even a dunce like me can work on them with a degree of confidence.

Comparisons to the Capri? Ive had a 2.8 injection ( my one big mistake, as we all have had buying a car) and, for me, the Scimitar is superior. Mine certainly is no slower, well it doesnt FEEL slower, it handles better, gets more positive comments and wont rot to f**k like that 2.8 did.

Personally, they suit me, the one I have now cost me £800, it was rebuilt in the 90s and is still in VGC. What price would i have had to pay for a Ford of the same era in as good a nick?

Horses for courses but IMHO, its a car you have to own at least once if you are into cars.

[autofive]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RELIANT-SCIMI ... 1c2719cdf3

 

i ll just leave this here

[Pete-M]

I saw that one, A5... looks like a lot of work. Too much for me to be bothered with.

[michael1703]

My 6a has the opposite problem,it never gets hot, ive got a 92 debree stat and it rarely gets hotter than 75 degrees

[michael1703]

One other negative thing about simmer turds.....

 

.... the jack is shite

 

Today I got a puncture, jacked it up with the minkoid original jack, got the wheel off, leant in to the engine bay to hoik the spare out an the futhermucker tipped off the jack going to put a small bottle jack in the toolkit and use the scissor jack for "Autoshite gynecology services ltd"

[Pete-M]

Bollocks. Was driving home just now and got a message on t'phone "ebay item about to end"... got home, missed it. £821. Fiddlesticks.

 

Ah well, my alternative plan to buy a Mk2 MX5 1.8 looks like it's back on.

[In The Pit]

Bollocks. Was driving home just now and got a message on t'phone "ebay item about to end"... got home, missed it. £821. Fiddlesticks.

 

Ah well, my alternative plan to buy a Mk2 MX5 1.8 looks like it's back on.

 

With ebay there are so many time wasters that it could be back on in a week or two, so the tale may not end here......

[autofive]

i wouldn't worry about it,

there will be another one along shortly

[warren t claim]

 

Ah well, my alternative plan to buy a Mk2 MX5 1.8 looks like it's back on.

 

[Pete-M]

MX5 1.8s are most excellent little buggies.

 

This is AS, we're meant to like cars with dodgy reputations...

[Richard]

Gixen ftw. http://www.gixen.com/index.php Set your maximum price and forget.