Reliant shite rescued today

[speedy555]

Well heres the Shite I picked up today. Sat in a garage on axle stands since 2002 due to MOT failure, or more likely because the owner was too embarrassed to be seen in it, this is the bottom of the barrel even in Scimitar SS1 circles. Don't get me wrong, Im a fan of Scimitars in general, and my business is based round them but this is the poverty spec 1300CVH 4 speed....plain plastic door cards, keep fit windows, no glovebox. It is actually chassis number 27, and was likely built in late 1985 however they were so unpopular new that it wasn't registered until late 87. So its had a lifetime of being shite, looking shite and treated like shite.  However, for cheap convertible motoring you can't go wrong (allegedly) and some glue sniffer even treated it to a mohair hood and a passenger side door mirror at some point in its life   I might fix it, sell it or scrap it but at least its saved for now

[mercrocker]

Your first pic made me think you had discovered a long-forgotten Motor Show exhibit.....Nice save, these are so much more appealing now than when new!

[speedy555]

Afraid not.....but I do know where the chassis number 1 motorshow car is   Nearly bought it, but the fact that every wire in it was black and not colour coded put me off :)

[somewhatfoolish]

Do you want the makings of a vented disc conversion? I had one of these plastic horrors a few years ago and bought the bits with good intentions but lost interest and flogged it, but forgot about the brake kit.

[speedy555]

Carlton discs IIRC ??

[garethj]

Impressive!

 

I mean it probably doesn't work and stuff like that, but a rare spec Reliant is always going to be marvellous.

[speedy555]

Don't be so eager to mock.....it runs and has most of its electrickery working - well as much as when it left the factory anyway!  Clutch is stuck, needs some metal glueing, and rear brakes don't work. Which isn't a surprise really as they are in the boot

[Felly Magic]

Aww I was hoping to see a late 1960s Regal that hadn't been f'ckin Del Boy'd. Good save though, these must have been a grim thing to drive

[skip_rat]

Nice rescue, I've had a SST and a 1.4 k series Sabre but not a SS1 (yet)

[captain_70s]

I don't actually like SS1s, think they look a bit naff. For some reason I find this one quite appealing, probably because it's ugly and rubbish spec... Well bought!

[Felly Magic]

This isn't the first CVH SS1 in white on here either. Hasn't Coalnotdole got one?

[speedy555]

Aww I was hoping to see a late 1960s Regal that hadn't been f'ckin Del Boy'd. Good save though, these must have been a grim thing to drive

Oddly, driving one is the best bit.....and if you get the Nissan silvia 1.8 turbo engine model its a bit of a hoot......as long as you don't see your reflection anywhere of course.

[Mally]

Keep the offside and scrap the nearside.

[speedy555]

I picked up this flavour of Scimitar a few weeks ago too. I tend to hoard all the unloved ones. Which is a lot.....

[speedy555]

Keep the offside and scrap the nearside.

Apart from the door gap wanting a tad more adjustment it's as good as fixed already!

[Tamworthbay]

I just love these and keep promising to repatriate one to Tamworth but never see one when I cash in my pocket and space on the drive. They are properly shit though.

[garethj]

That door gap looks no worse than a Triumph Spitfire when it was new.

 

How many did they make with that engine?

[speedy555]

 

 

How many did they make with that engine?

Too many.  They moved to the 1400 and 1600cvh very quickly, then the Nissan turbo.....and the later shape sabre (SS1 in disguise) has the K series.  Not that im a reliant anorak or anything.....

[Braddon81]

Love these, don't ask me why I do. Sat in the motorshow car back in 84 and instantly felt at home in it. This looks quite miserably magnificent! :-)

[Skizzer]

Good heavens, I don't remember the poverty ones having black bumpers, how very mingebag. I'm not sure they don't look better with black bumpers though - it shortens that droopy nose a bit.

 

The SE6 looks lovely, meanwhile. Great colour. More photos of that please.

[speedy555]

I think the bumpers are a previous owners idea of customisation - either that or someone has put clearcoat over some primer as bumpers seem 'new'

 

Ive loads of pics for Reliant perverts as have had at least 14 of my own plus all the ones I paint as a job

[anonymous user]

Princess Anne?

[speedy555]

This is the Turbo SS1 I owned

 

And the Scimitar coupe I had

 

[Rocket88]

 

 

 

i'll just leave this here....................

[somewhatfoolish]

Carlton discs IIRC ??

I think so, mated with ovloV 240 4 pot calipers and Viva uprights.

Aww I was hoping to see a late 1960s Regal that hadn't been f'ckin Del Boy'd. Good save though, these must have been a grim thing to drive

They're a good steer actually if you look past the looks and the flimsy plastic, the monocoque spine tube chassis plus double wishbone at the front make it an cutprice Elan in an ugly shellsuit.

[Mally]

I seem to remember a few gallon of yellow paint at one time.

Pity the boat never got finished.

[speedy555]

Ah yes the Boat. Those not as fortunate enough as Mally to witness it, I was building a road going speedboat    Got all the hard work done, then sold it unfinished to some Geordie lunatic.  I'll see if I can find a pic or two......

[speedy555]

This is what gave me the idea....let the boat and the Rialto mate, to give you the mutant Boatalto....

[egg]

I like these, as much as anything for the bonkers idea that Reliant could compete in this market sector on a shoe string budget.

[oldcars]

Yes, rialto just like mine, same year and colour