Reliant Robin

[Dandy Dave]

How many of you on that side of the pond had anything to do with one of these??? .... A flipping experiance, eh mate. Say, set me back on my wheels. Eh govenor. Dandy Dave!

http://www.wimp.com/reliantrobin/

[YorkshireDextaMan]

LoL. So am wondering you may not have seen that classic "Ony fools and Horses" and off course Top Gear.
But lots of Robins were converted to Trikes, a poor mans version of the Honda Trikes. Jim

[shergar]

also known as the plastic pig for obvious reasons .
somewhere there's one with a rover v8 where the back seats were

[The Swanndri Guy]

Should Dandy Dave get "Only Fools and Horses" on DVD?

[Frans]

Yes i know them too (liked that Top Gear episode) My sisters boyfriend granddad (also my fomer neighbour) had one of those and yes ... they crased too with it just like jazzo

[Dandy Dave]

The Plastic Pig... It is a wonder any have survived to even make it to a get together. Cars and Drivers. I suppose if you were a very slow and conservitive driver, you could have maintained and retained a surviver. I'm glad our Fordsons are of Rolls quality and not Robins. Dandy Dave!

[YorkshireDextaMan]

Ha you see, the Robin was an aquired taste, , Some loved em and some just laughed. But infact they were not that bad, (It's clear the the "Top Gear" Robin has had it's anti roll bar and shocks disconected, they did roll , and has it happens i rode shotgun with a mate hundreds of miles in one, and it never rolled.
And this was in the seventys when every other car had gone back to nature, (rust) and! and she was a veteran then.
Reliant also made the Robin inhouse, was a Reliant built engine, Reliant did build a four wheel version but by then people were getting better off and were buying cars.
Think they also built a sports car,

Just don't go down a rutted track with one,

[Brian]

There was the Regal, which I think is the one in Only Fools and Horses, and the Rialto as well.

The original engine was based on the Austin 7 of the 1930's. an 8hp side valve (flat head).

Interesting experience to put one over an open pit in the garage, to work on.

The flash car of the 1970's was the Bug.



http://www.bondbug.com/buggallery/index.php

Who needs a GT40!

[Mike Kuscher]

Oh the memories.

I had a Regal, the fore runner of the Robin.
Got it from a scrap yard, when money was tight, and rebuilt it 'from the floor up'.
Simple chassis, easy to repair or replace.
The exhaust could be easily refabricated from electrical conduit and empty bean cans (Oh yes I did !).

Although they are referred to as 'glass fibre' this is not strictly true.
The resin used was the same, but instead of 'glass matting' as a base, to cut costs, they used a base of chopped straw. That's why they burn so well.

Easy to work on. The whole body was bolted to the chassis with a total of just 14 bolts. The original 600cc aluminium engine was actually based on the engine for an early portable fire pump (I forget the name at the moment).
Very economical on petrol. Cheap to tax, as a motorcycle with side car (motorcycle combination). Cheap to insure as well.

Don't believe what you see on the videos.
To roll over like that, they will have removed the shock absorbers and the balancing arm from the front single wheel. (I still have the Reliant workshop manual if any one is interested).

The 4 wheel version of the Reliant was the Kitten.
Before you laugh too much, just remember that they also produced a very desirable car alongside their 3 wheelers - The Scimitar - 4 wheel sports hatchback. 3000 cc Ford V6 engine. Very fast, very expensive.

For six and a half years, worked in a toolroom that was owned by a garage. They were agents for Reliant as well as BMC (2 miles down the road), so we saw all of the problems, returns and bodywork repairs to MINIs that had been standing for months, in open fields, before some 'mug' bought it, thinking it was a new car.

Mike

[Dandy Dave]

OK fellows, you have me sold. I have a friend that likes these 1970's economy cars. maybe I can talk him into one of these for his collection.

Interesting experience to put one over an open pit in the garage, to work on.

LOL, Why not just back it over the pit until the front wheel is on the Edge Brian? Dandy Dave!

[niffnoff]

to see them at their best you have to go to kings lynn banger racing. then you will see proper rollovers? where do they get them all from

[Taggart]

Too Funny! There is no counting the number of these that I had a hand in destroying

I spent a lot of time with my uncle who owned a body shop (panel beater) in Peterborough.
We had a scrap yard next door so between the two yards it was like a perpetual episode of Junk Yard Wars!
There was a favorite hill that ended in a dike. goal was to see how far you could"Surf" them

[Bensdexta]

To roll over like that, they will have removed the shock absorbers and the balancing arm from the front single wheel.

Mike,
That sounds interesting. What did it do

[Brian]

Dave,
Even in those days the mind went blank at times!

[Dandy Dave]

Maybe too much and the night before. Dandy Dave!

[Gavin]

Interesting experience to put one over an open pit in the garage, to work on.

I remember removing a gearbox from one of these years ago and did it on a 4 post ramp !!