bezzabsa Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 aren't we missing a HUGE thing here Spare Invacar - has an Engine.....Fox NEEDS an engine......2cyl air cooled fox for the win!!!! egg, MorrisItalSLX, richardmorris and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remspoor Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 You rat sir!Whilst you feed us with Mega porn (road trip style) you went out an purchased a moss covered lump of plastic.You fiend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProgRocker Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Fox(es) on the run.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jNt7ZGCW-oLove the synths in this (sorry for Jimmy Savile at the start). Foxes in the distance:Reliant Fox camper van by Matt, on FlickrReliant Fox camper & Citroen Mehari by Matt, on Flickr Good luck Ian. Will look forward to your videos on this. Uncle Jimmy and Joey spud 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I know of a rusty Suzuki Cappuccino that could possibly be bought for its 660cc 3-cylinder turbo engine... It is 15 miles north of Aberdeen, mind. So logistics may be a problem. M157YBK by any chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJay Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Fox with oversize bumpers. Squire_Dawson and SiC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardmorris Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I am amazed - both by DW buying one, and again by many others having detailed knowledge of them, and even more by others having owned one. Well done. As I’ve said before, I have no wish to own one of these but am very gratified that at least one person does. I’m still not sure it’s long enough for a camper conversion though, unless Warwick davies is on the lookout. Joey spud, AMC Rebel and Uncle Jimmy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 Meant to have the HTE engine,but IMO the hype is unjustified,they are more prone to blowing headgaskets and the heads cant be skimmed.The cooking red top 40hp 850 is a much better lump,tho in reality the 750 was the best of the lot.what year is the Fox? as there was a change over of gearboxes and a starters in 1984 First registered Jan 1984. Someone has offered me a Bond Bug engine, condition unknown but turns. Guessing that'll be a 750. Sigmund Fraud 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 aren't we missing a HUGE thing here Spare Invacar - has an Engine.....Fox NEEDS an engine......2cyl air cooled fox for the win!!!! Spare Invacar doesn't have an engine. It's in TWC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey spud Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I've just taken the Beagles (aka the thicky twins) out for a walk and this combo is parked around the corner. Obviously one of lifes winners here. Skizzer, jumpingjehovahs, Asimo and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey spud Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 First registered Jan 1984. Someone has offered me a Bond Bug engine, condition unknown but turns. Guessing that'll be a 750.I had three Bugs and they were all 700cc same as the Regal and Rebel.But i think the last handful of Bugs made were 750cc same as the early Robin. If it has a carb still attatched to it this helps to identify its size.850's were fitted with a SU item and the 700 and 750's were Zenith fed. oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I'll take all of the tickets. AMC Rebel and oldcars 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes oui si Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Did the red-cabbed cattle truck ever find its contact lens? LightBulbFun, wuvvum, Datsuncog and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Honda Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 helps to identify its size. So does the engine number prefix. I'm wary about indentifying things by ancillaries as you never know what someone has done in last 34 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticvandan Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 If you have pics I can tell you what it is.if genuine Bug engine number will start BB,in which case get it on ebay! 700,c.c Will start C70.don't touch a 700.it will be way underpowered and won't fit the gearbox.without wanting to blow trumpets i can hopefully tell you all you need to know quickly.an under bonnet shot should tell me what box/starter setup you have.Also the chassis numbers on these are actually numbered so you can tell what number it was down the line,I say down the line,I was told by a former employee that Foxes were mainly built in a spare area to give the workforce something to do when the Ss1 wasn't selling.Exhaust originally side exit and unavailable but kitten ones fit.Wheels were reputedly the entire stock of HA van bought from Bedford when they stopped making the HA.The front grill is held on with four nuts or wingnuts after removing the metal plate near the heater fan.Turning circle is ridiculous,about 24ft. RayMK, oldcars, egg and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Honda Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 don't touch a 700.Aye, send it to me instead. oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Never having seen or heard of one of these before, I only went and saw one trundling up the M1 today on the way to Leicester! dollywobbler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 M157YBK by any chance? Nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 20, 2018 Author Share Posted June 20, 2018 The Fox will be collected a week today. I'm not actually sure where it's going to go... oldcars and tinribs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 It seems odd these weren't more popular - fitted with a hightop body they would have been an excellent competitor for the Rascal type vans oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Foxes in the distance:Reliant Fox camper van by Matt, on Flickr Clabon First Close, perchance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsinthewelder Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 It seems odd these weren't more popular - fitted with a hightop body they would have been an excellent competitor for the Rascal type vans I suspect that the Rascal was a lot cheaper as well as being more practical. The Fox would be better pitched at the Fiesta van as it might be more expensive but it won't be rotten inside 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 20, 2018 Author Share Posted June 20, 2018 I suspect that the Rascal was a lot cheaper as well as being more practical. The Fox would be better pitched at the Fiesta van as it might be more expensive but it won't be rotten inside 5 years. Indeed. Rascals are surprisingly capacious. Personally, I find it slightly ridiculous that either were considered a good base for a camper van, but both were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 I'm going to go for the Fox likely being significantly less terrifying to drive than a Rascal. Especially if sidewinds get involved... dollywobbler and chaseracer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigeT Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Assume a Rover V8 could fit into a Fox if it can fit into a Kitten. dieselassist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticvandan Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 The Fox was around £3500 when launched in 1983,so was always expensive.It's also quite heavy (for a Reliant) the body is over 1/4" thick in places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProgRocker Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Clabon First Close, perchance?Yeah, one of those closes off Clabon Rd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faker Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I've never seen a reliant fox before, never knew they existed.. quick google image search... in my opinion the Fox would be up there as one of the better mico-machines manufactured by reliant. Good looking wee yoke that. Datsuncog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coalnotdole Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 I can't belive I missed this thread untill now, I've got a bit of a soft spot for the Fox, I've never been keen on the Kitten's styling but theres always been something appealing about the fox's boxy utilitarian nature. Reliants entire buisness was founded on light commercial vehicles and they doggedly carried on punting them out in ever more quirky formats for far longer than you would expect. (See also Reliant ant.) I'm inclined to agree with dan that the 750cc Relaint engine is probably the smoothest and most refined unit that came out of Tamworth. The extra displacement to gain 850cc was achived by altering the lenth of the stroke rather than bore size. As a result the 850cc engines have some extra grunt but are certainly less refined and a bit more stressed. I'd definately want the extra 100cc's in a fox though as they are a bit bigger and heavier than a Rebel. The 850's are by far the most common version still surviving. They are generally pretty good apart from a reputation for eating head gaskets. It has become a lot harder to find good used engines,there was a period about 7-8 years ago when a good runner could be had for £100 or less. There are still bargains out there but you have to work harder to find them. Its also pot luck regarding condition. I bought a random £60 850 as a spare a few years ago and sat it on the shelf waiting for a vehicle that really needed it. 2 years ago the 850 engine in my van had oil pressure problems and spun a big end bearing. I dropped the replacement engine in and soon discoverd it was little better than the engine I had taken out. It was gutless, leeched oil out at a prolific rate and burned oil almost as quick. It managed 18 months of very light use before terminally shitting itself last autumn. I've recently been rebuilding the first 850cc, and Dave on the IOW has recently rebuilt a Reliant 598 for his Red Rebel saloon. I've been meaning to post about it for a while but the Rebel van thread seems to have dissapeared off the forum its been that long since I posted to it! Heres a preview: I can probabably work how much It cost me for engine rebuild if your keen to go down that route? Joe loserone, Joey spud, The Moog and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share Posted June 23, 2018 Thanks for the insight. Head is fused to the block of the original engine, so I think replacement is the best option. Having been told it's a body-off job to fit a Fiat engine, I definitely want to stay Reliant. oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share Posted June 23, 2018 Or we go electric... phil_lihp, The Moog, loserone and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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