Couple of my cars and welcome

[AnthonyG]

I'm impressed by the Shuma love. When did they come out? - I've always thought they copied the front end of the 1996 Ford Taurus, which was first seen in early 95, but would those canny Koreans have time to see one, copy it and get it all signed off with only a year or two to spare?

 

For non Yankshite experts, the car I'm taking about is http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus_(third_generation)

[AldridgePrior]

Nice to see a mint shitter.

[oldcars]

I'm impressed by the Shuma love. When did they come out? - I've always thought they copied the front end of the 1996 Ford Taurus, which was first seen in early 95, but would those canny Koreans have time to see one, copy it and get it all signed off with only a year or two to spare?

 

For non Yankshite experts, the car I'm taking about is http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus_(third_generation)

Hi mate, im sure they came out in 1998 i think. Mine is on a 2001 Y plate, and then 51 plate ish they made the Shuma 2. Kia facelifted it but in my opinion made it a bit more bland. Not many about now, they do like to rot, so in a few years i don't think there will be many left.

[oldcars]

Got the front light cleaned out and bulb replaced and front grill back on all works. Note to self, don't do it in the dark holding a torch in your mouth. Torch slips when holding glass light so try and bit at it and take a chunk out of my lip. Blood pissing everywhere. Look like halloween on bonfire night

 

Now to get the thing going again. Any ideas on changing the fuel filter. I made a ramp out of a bit of fence post, that way i would get under the car as the fuel filter is on the chassis leg inner near the rear wheel. I don't have many car tools, just the normal Reliant Hammer TM. What could i used to clamp the fuel lines safely, last think i want is fuel in my cut lip, i already look a state

[martc]

....The mk1 robin saloon with glass lift up window i think is the pinnacle of Reliant "design",was the last original deisgn,everything following being a restyle.

I read somewhere/remember some one telling me that the Robin was a Bond design (via Ogle) and it was to be the successor to the 875. Reliant needed a replacement for the Regal and it was cheaper for them to buy out Bond than design a new car themselves.

[fordperv]

Shuma's are cool a fella at work has one and has recently had kia replace the heater fan, he told me they managed to offend him when he took it in by telling him it would be better to buy a replacement car as the heater motor costs more than his car is worth. He loves the car though so it's worth it to him. I'll have to pap a picture

[oldcars]

Shuma's are cool a fella at work has one and has recently had kia replace the heater fan, he told me they managed to offend him when he took it in by telling him it would be better to buy a replacement car as the heater motor costs more than his car is worth. He loves the car though so it's worth it to him. I'll have to pap a picture

Cheeky gits   Please get a pic, be good to see another Shuma.

[fordperv]

I'm sure he's got the standard rover 45 alloys on it as well for added shite value

[oldcars]

I have had the Shuma for years now, since 2007 i think from memory. Its used a lot but until yesterday i have never covered a large amount of miles in one day. I went to the NEC show for the day, 620 mile round trip. It is a very comfy car, great on long journeys. Any shitters wanting a cheap four door car should really look at these, with prices well under £500 what could go wrong 

[oldcars]

And here is a picture of it at the Services on the way down 

[dollywobbler]

I read somewhere/remember some one telling me that the Robin was a Bond design (via Ogle) and it was to be the successor to the 875. Reliant needed a replacement for the Regal and it was cheaper for them to buy out Bond than design a new car themselves.

 

Not a bit of it. As far as I know, the Robin was all-Reliant. Ogle already had the relationship with Reliant and it'd be a bit odd for Bond to invest in the rear-engined 875 then change tack completely for its replacement. Similarly, the Bond Bug was just a marketing thing for Reliant - it owed nothing to Bond.

 

I also like the early Rialtos, but prefer the cheeky looks of the Robin Mk1 overall.

[plasticvandan]

suppose i better fill this one in lol. Bond were put up for sale in 1968,the lethal 875 had failed miserably to compete with the Regal. Reliant bought Bond not to kill off the 875,but to gain access to Bonds arrangement with Standard Triumph that let them use their showrooms to sell the equipe in,Reliant wanting to use them to put the scimitar in. Shortly after negotiations to buy bond were done,Standard Triumph became part of British Leyland,which ended the agreement.

 

Reliants MD got their chief test driver to take an 875 round mira and report back,with a view to keeping it in production as a sporty alternative to the Regal.Upon finishing the test,he advised that production be ended immediately! Not wanting to look like total bastards and shut the Bond factory down so soon after buying it,they decided that the new sports trike (Bug,or Rogue as it was known at the time) should go out as a Bond,also to minimise the effect on the Reliant name if it was a flop.The Bug having been in development since around 1967(along with the robin as it happens)

 

As to the Robin,this was in development at Reliant since 1967,The Regal getting a bit long in the tooth then,but it sold so well that it wasnt until 1973 that the Robin finally was launched. 

Entirely Reliant/Ogle designed as well.

[oldcars]

Ok, hope i can get some help here. Rialto has been fixed ish today. New fuel filter has fixed the starting and uneven idle issues. Sometimes when i dip the clutch to drop into first at a junction etc it cuts out. Starts again first turn of key. Any ideas?

[plasticvandan]

Raise the tickover speed,simple as idle will always drop when clutch is pressed in,I used to set mine so that it would just idle with all lights on and clutch in. Mind if yours came from dick Turpin I'm supposed it runs at all

[oldcars]

Cool, can i ask how i would do that please?

I kind of understand the dick turpin comment, if its what i think he is a great lad and has been a really good help to me, do you know him??

[plasticvandan]

ive known him since before he could drive,i wont print on here what i think/know of him. certainly wouldnt buy a car off him lets put it that way!

 

Tick over screw is near where the choke cable goes into the top of the carb. easiest way due to access and lack of visibility is to use the finger next to your thumb on the top of the screw,press down and turn clockwise slightly.

Have you got a manual? you wont make it through the winter in a Reliant if you dont know how to do basic maintanance.Carb adjustments are a ritual.have you checked the dashpot oil lately?

[oldcars]

ive known him since before he could drive,i wont print on here what i think/know of him. certainly wouldnt buy a car off him lets put it that way!

 

Tick over screw is near where the choke cable goes into the top of the carb. easiest way due to access and lack of visibility is to use the finger next to your thumb on the top of the screw,press down and turn clockwise slightly.

Have you got a manual? you wont make it through the winter in a Reliant if you dont know how to do basic maintanance.Carb adjustments are a ritual.have you checked the dashpot oil lately?

Hi mate, no i don't have a manual. My mate has been helping me with stuff. Dashpot checked the other day, i am learing slowly indeed. Thanks for the info, how did you guess where i bought it from?

[plasticvandan]

seen the pictures well the before ones at least. the Robin factory manual is the best one,rather than the haynes book of lies.

[oldcars]

Cool  . Will try and get a factory manual.

[plasticvandan]

i would offer one,im selling all my Reliant literature and books,but only got a kitten factory manual left.did have an ex 

dealers stock of every parts list and every manual,including the master parts list,all gone now.

[oldcars]

That's good of you, Why the clear out? Bet you would have had some rare stuff in your collection. Do you have a thread with your Reliants in?

[plasticvandan]

Have somewhere but the pics have long gone.Just had enough of Reliants,after the crash in my last one I wont own another.All my new parts went to a friend of mine in the club,the shed of used stuff mostly got skipped. Had a collection of around 500 brochures,factory documents,pretty much everything you can think of which i sold to a club historian.

Had been obsessed with them since i was very young and built up a very big collection of stuff,owned nearly 30 of them,inc the only mk4 van, amk3 regal soft top etc.then over t he last few years it all started to fizzle out,lot of my friends had moved on to other things,rallies became boring,and i started to wonder why i was driving them any more.

 

From memory i think ive owned:

 

1957 Regal mk3

1958 Regal mk4 van

1967 Supervan 2

1973 Supervan 3

1973 Regal 21/E

1970 Regal 21/E

1973 pre production Robin saloon

1974 Robin saloon

1974 Robin van

1979 Robin saloon

1977 Robin Jubilee

1973 Rebel Van

1976 Kitten saloon

1977 Kitten Estate

1978 Kitten Estate

1976 Kitten Estate

1983 Fox pickup

1984 Fox van

1985 Fox van

1984 Rialto 2 Estate

1986 Rialto 2 Estate

1988 Rialto SE Saloon

1984 Rialto 2 Van

1990 Robin mk2

1992 Robin mk2

1994 Robin mk2

1997 Robin mk2

1989 Scimitar SS1

 

Think thats most of them,prob a few ive forgot.

 

 

Ive still got a box full of some rare books,magazines and things left tho which im selling,drop me a message if your interested.

[oldcars]

Robin saloon! You have had some cool and rare stuff mate. Sorry to hear about the crash, hope you were not injured. That's one thing that worries me, won't take mine on the motorway at all just the local roads here. 

[plasticvandan]

The crash was on local roads,Merc trying to overtake me on a roundabout.

Think i had added up around 180,000 miles in total that i had done encased in a fibreglass jacket,all up and down the motorways,day or night,all over the country.scary.

Heres the pre production robin as i found it

[oldcars]

Loving the robin, same wheeltrims as mine, but i have just managed to get a set of the original saloon plastic trims for it.

You added up a fare few miles indeed. Longest i have done is 60 miles but i do like them, seats are comfy and its a good driving position. Windows fogging at this time of year is a bit of a pest, the fan is like an asthmatic mouse.

[plasticvandan]

The heaters were never great,i used to move the footwell outlet from the dash down to my feet so at least they would warm up a bit.the engine does most of the cabin heating! Generally used to leave the window down a crack and use a shammy sponge in winter.Think the longest drive in one stint is prob 250 and i generally needed to sleep afterwards

[oldcars]

Yep same as me, kerbside window down an inch and fan on and shammy foam cube thingy! I clean the inside of the windows once a month with 3M glass cleaner that seems to help the fogging a bit.

I have two footwell inlets, they can be shut off. Tend to run the drivers side one on and the two dash ones on most of the time.

[Noel Tidybeard]

don't suppose you know if the lhd regal van still lives?

met a couple on holiday 35 years ago with what he said was one of only a few lhd vans made

his girlfriend used to sit with her feet on dash reading a newspaper whilst he was driving, which worried a lot of people when they saw "the driver" reading and driving lol

[plasticvandan]

100s of Regals were made in LHD, for export to Holland and Germany, plus Reliatns factory in greece churning out Regal pickups.

[oldcars]

Adjusted the tickover, seems to be a lot better. Still a wee bit hard to start but at least it does not cut out. Going to get a new airfilter too as the old one is manky. Lost a chrome wheel trim on the way to work, gutted. Went to look for it but no luck