Project Dollywobbler's Foxy little number

[Squire_Dawson]

Just been doing some more thinking on heated inlet manifolds and am not sure of the benefit of them in our climate when you want a nice cool charge to enter the cylinders. Given how vapourisation-prone modern petrol is, it will be interesting to see how it affects running if you connect it up, fortunately you have the other option of leaving it disconnected. I think they are more widespread in racing so hardly surprising your Reliant engine has one!

[PhilA]

Reliant Fox GT?

[dozeydustman]

DD, bear in mind the previous keeper thought that he could drive it on a 'L' plate because he had a motorbike licence and I'm in no way surprised it's not registered properly...!

 

Repaint could have been done after it was taken off road.

 

It's also good to see most of the electricals are working. 

[dozeydustman]

if you want a fun one try and figure out where all the parts on an invacar come from! 

 

this?

 

[dollywobbler]

Repaint could have been done after it was taken off road.

 

Nope. Has definitely been used in its green state, but clearly no-one told DVLA.

 

Glad you've finally been able to make some leaps and bounds progress on this. It ought to have some fairly decent hill climbing capability. Is it a different set of ratios or a different final drive being as it's a van?

 

Phil

 

I believe they are quite low in the gearing stakes - rear axles popular with Reliant banger racers, as you get more acceleration.

 

 

Are you keeping yours green?

 

I'd quite like to take it back to the original blue, or pretty much anything other than sludge green. Getting it back on the road is the main priority though.

 

Main thing I'm waiting on now is the correct flywheel, so I can fit the correct backing plate, fit the new flywheel, get the starter motor on and see if I can convince the engine to run. Reliant Owners' Club are looking after me on the parts score. Very helpful.

[dollywobbler]

Now with video.

[oldcars]

Great work. Does it have reverse Mr? Have you tipped it? Sorry wrong Reliant.

 

I had issues with the hazzard's and indicators on the Rialto. It was the connections on the back of the hazzard switch. Once these were cleaned and re seated all was good again.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

I didn't realise you hadn't named the reliant Samantha - obvious really.

Plastic little number with enthralling headlights, dodgy internal wiring, not great on paper - but still keeping a smile on 'the older gent' after all these years………

 

I do love these things - they won't entertain 'em in Belgie-land though.

[PhilA]

Am I the only one who would love to put one of these

In one of those

?

Wouldn't it vibrate it to pieces?

 

Phil

[Lacquer Peel]

Am looking forward to this - a proper old-school light commercial, RWD, good loading space, easy parts availability and cost nothing to run. Will be an extremely useful vehicle once done.

I'm glad someone else on here appreciates the Nissan Vanette.

[stuboy]

In one of those

?

[dollywobbler]

You know, I never much liked Sam Fox, even when I was a young'un. 

 

Back to a better kind of  Fox. What if I told you there were plans to make a Mk2 facelift?

[Alusilber]

You know, I never much liked Sam Fox, even when I was a young'un. 

 

Back to a better kind of  Fox. What if I told you there were plans to make a Mk2 facelift?

 

 

Looks a bit like a shrunken Metrocab, probably not coincidentally? Prefer the distinctive looks of the original IMHO.

[dollywobbler]

The Reliant Owners' Club sent me a lovely package. I'm now a club member!

 

Unlike most introductory club packs, this one included some useful bits of hose, some nuts and bolts and a flywheel. It wasn't actually due until tomorrow, but I hastened down to the garage to fit the new flywheel and correct backing plate.

 

And immediately hit another sodding problem.

 

The bloody flywheel bolts are too long!

 

I reckon the chap I got the engine from must just have chucked any bolts he had to hand to keep the flywheel from falling off, knowing it would need changing for a Fox. Or maybe later bolts are longer. Who knows.

 

So, my wife is desperately trying to find someone who might have the right bolts (more correctly set screws) in town to stop another day being wasted. FRUSTRATING.

 

I know I could try to cut the bolts down, but I reckon the chances are I'm more likely to do myself an injury in the attempt.

[dozeydustman]

That Mk2 Fox would have been quite smart. I wonder if they made a prototype or clay mock-up

[Timewaster]

There was a strange Foxish utility truck that the local Skoda dealer used to sell around the same time.

It looked a bit Metro based.

 

For the life of me I can't remember what it was called. 3 letters. MCW?

 

I only ever recall seeing one with the dealer signage on.

[adw1977]

There was a strange Foxish utility truck that the local Skoda dealer used to sell around the same time.

It looked a bit Metro based.

 

For the life of me I can't remember what it was called. 3 letters. MCW?

 

 

MCW could be Metro Cammell Weymann, who made the Metrocab and various buses.

[dollywobbler]

There was a strange Foxish utility truck that the local Skoda dealer used to sell around the same time.

It looked a bit Metro based.

 

For the life of me I can't remember what it was called. 3 letters. MCW?

 

I only ever recall seeing one with the dealer signage on.

 

Jimp?

 

Anyway, my mate chopped the bolts, the flywheel is on, noise happened - no functioning ignition yet.

https://twitter.com/HubNutVids/status/1092838246709690368

[Timewaster]

This thing looked a bit like a fox. It had Metro wheels I remember that much.

 

I will spend the rest of the evening googling and report back.

 

Update: this is all I can find to prove that I haven't imagined the whole thing.

 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MDV_Panel_Van_1982,made_for_Yorkshire_Council_from_Mini_%26_Metro_parts_-_Flickr_-_mick_-_Lumix.jpg

[somewhatfoolish]

Are the flywheel bolts supposed to be set screws? From an engineering perspective bolts are better, but as long as the flywheel is mounted on a spigot it doesn't really matter too much.

 

Why not just take a grinder/hacksaw to the bolts you've got rather than waste time trying to find ones the right length?

[plasticvandan]

From memory they are bolts with tab washers

[dollywobbler]

All the diagrams I've seen show fully-threaded set screws. There is a spigot. We did chop the screws. Bolt gets used as a generic term and I'm guilty of that too.

[plasticvandan]

Yes,I meant set screw,I was thinking set screw,but still wrote bolt

[dollywobbler]

I'm doing a community bus run today. I'm on a break in the middle of it, but I think I'll use this space to take a breather and take stock. It's lovely to have the engine turning, but I need to give thought to the following:

 

1) I think rigging up some sort of starter button or switch would be a good idea. Fewer sparks, less damage...

2) Even better would be to rig up an oil pressure light!

3) I have a compression tester on the way. It would be interesting to get readings before it fires up, and afterwards.

4) The fuel system still needs going through. I know I should dismantle the carb and put bits in the ultrasonic cleaner blah, blah, but that isn't likely to happen.

[oldcars]

Make sure you check the carb overflow system, if its the same as the three wheelers. My was full of rotten fuel pipe incorrectly routed.

[Eddie Honda]

Yes,I meant set screw,I was thinking set screw,but still wrote bolt

Did you also mean tab washer rather than the plural washers?

 

It's that three lugged disc thingy innit?

[plasticvandan]

thats the one! its been a while!

[dollywobbler]

Compression check. Cylinder three. Yay! (if anything, that seems rather high).

 

Cylinder four. Oh...

[dozeydustman]

Arsebiscuits.

 

How are cyls 1&2?

[dollywobbler]

Arsebiscuits.

 

How are cyls 1&2?

 

Pretty good - 115 and 130.