Rancho Q Car with Fordy engine

[Guest]

Shite, or just shit?

 

Why the Q plate? Me no understandee car registration blah.

 

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C343525

[dollywobbler]

That's been for sale for ages. Funnily enough, no-one seems interested in a butchered Rancho. Anyone who wants a Rancho, wants one that doesn't have a hideous bonnet bulge and iffy dashboard.

[Guest]

Yes, the bulge is fugleee, and it is strange that someone thought it apt to do this, when there are lots of French engines that could have gone in if the original lump was knackered. There is no universe in which a cheapish Ford dash is ever better than a bonkers 1980s French dash.

[garethj]

There is no universe in which a cheapish Ford dash is ever better than a bonkers 1980s French dash.

The universe where it was created was in a scrapyard where the original engine was missing some minor part but they had a crashed XR2 in there. Reminds me of this from Toy Story

 

I spoke to the owner about 2 years ago when it came up for sale last, he's a bit of a Matra nut but quietly admitted he probably shouldn't have bought it. Getting it back to original kind of requires another Rancho, which is a shame.

[RedSparrow]

Ugh. People with too much time on their hands making 'improvements'. Also, Rover Metro trims. Interesting choice.

[Guest]

I mentioned this strange creation to my favourite Matra guru, and his views on the car, which he has seen, are, er....not altogether favourable.

[Negative Creep]

THat was at the last RR Gathering. Think it was for sale as well

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Its been for sale since eBay started I think. It looks Shat!

[skattrd]

I don't like the bonnet bulge, dash or other modifications, but I still would.

It's probably as near to a proper Rancho I'd ever get. If I had the space/cash I'd go for it then think about hauling a scrapper back from France or some mythical place where Rancho's still roam free.

[gtd2000]

Is the Matra Simca Rancho really just one of these under the faux 4x4 pretense...?

 

 

Never thought about that until 5 mins ago...

[Guest]

Well done, Holmes.

 

The Rancho is a Simca 1100 pick up/van chassis with the glass fibre rear section added by Matra.

 

The one in this thread has had most of its running gear and so forth mucked about with.

[Albert Ross]

It's crying out for an XUD11BTE.

[gtd2000]

Well done, Holmes.

 

The Rancho is a Simca 1100 pick up/van chassis with the glass fibre rear section added by Matra.

 

The one in this thread has had most of its running gear and so forth mucked about with.

 

Well I never...

[Richard]

Why do people selling cars with a non-standard engine almost never show a picture of the installation?

[chaseracer]

Because cable ties, mismatched bolts & random holes do not photograph well...

[oman5]

I think I still would. That conversion was just wrong from the word go, though. If it was carried out in 1992, a simpler solution would have been the 1.6 engine and box from a solara. drops straight in and they were still around cheap then. This ones saving grace is the fact that its still in one piece.

[Guest]

I quote from a very well informed source:

 

from what I know this car was lying in a

scrap yard for some time (don't know how long) and it was there as the

original engine had worn out or blown or something major had failed, and

the owner obviously didn't want to spend the money on it to replace or

repair it.

 

However, the body and chassis were quite good which is unusual for an

old Rancho - it is a 1982 Rancho that would originally have had a 'Y'

suffix plate I think. The Rancho is a Simca 1100 pick up/van chassis

with the glass fibre rear section added by Matra. So the front and

underneath are metal which often corrodes. Apparently someone working

at the scrap yard bought it, took the original failed engine and 4 speed

transaxle out and fitted a more modern Fiesta unit with fuel injection

and five speed box and modified the bonnet with a large bulge to clear

the internals.

 

Then he had to do all the necessary conversions to things that didn't

match up, like fitting a cable clutch for a vehicle that originally had

a hydraulic system, and making a one-off exhaust system, modifying

mountings, drive shafts etc. These were all done as cheaply as possible

so are not necessarily well designed, pretty or possibly reliable. I'm

sorry but I'm not a fan of conversions by people who don't even

understand the technicalities of things like torque loadings into parts

of a chassis not originally designed for them, or drive shaft angles in

normal use, etc. etc. It's easy to make something fit, but making it

properly and reliably is another thing.

 

I expect DVLA gave it a 'Q' plate as it had been scrapped, then

resurrected but with a totally different power train, some time later.

[Geep]

Caravan duties for Micrashed?

[Lankytim]

I like it! Certainly better than being scrapped in 1992 anyway.

[fordperv]

im excited thinking that is ripe to change that cvh for one from an rs turbo keep it looking standard and wind up alot of people

 

but the mrs says no

[Micrashed]

Caravan duties for Micrashed?

Not on your Nellie.