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Rickman Ranger thread


groovylee

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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:

 

image_zps18eb9303.jpg

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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:

 

image_zps485c138c.jpg

 

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

 

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

 

imagejpg2_zpsd3a8e372.jpg

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

 

imagejpg1_zps4054677c.jpg

 

and on further inspection i found this:

 

imagejpg3_zpsaee8b7d5.jpg

 

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 :mrgreen:

 

an engine was sourced:

 

imagejpg4_zps49680833.jpg

 

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

 

imagejpg2_zpsa2c72a4c.jpg

 

so, what was it like trialling?  Great! :mrgreen:

 

image.jpg3_zpsgk9wgfmu.jpg

 

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

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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).  

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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........... :-P

 

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 8)

 

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 :mad:

 

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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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  • 5 weeks later...

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

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