Scimitar ownership - good idea?

Thanks very much Rob (& others).
Being ignorant, why do they get micro blisters on the bodywork? How can it be prevented - lots of polish??

Had a SE5a for about 10 years I think, in a weird blue colour. I thought that it had enough power back then and it's still a good looking car today. Mine had a Ford Essex V6 engine with overdrive on two gears I think, and I believe the steering and suspension was Triumph.

I joined the RSSOC and had loads of the Slice magazines, still have them I think. I remember changing the front seats for aftermarket ones from a Scimitar specialist. Mine had SS exhausts and never had a problem with them, also had a glass sunroof. Trunnion failed once and damaged the fibreglass bodywork when the wheel collapsed. Bodywork did suffer from a bit of cracking and crazing.

Definitely more good memories of the Scimitar than bad ones. Good luck with yours.

I approve!

I’ve had an SE5a for a while, currently putting a Chevy LS in it 🙂

How is that coming along? I have a SE5a and was putting a small block chev in my 66 C20 when I dragged the hoist over the the Scim and tried to put it in. Even with block huggers the steering column looked like it would foul and I'd have to chop half the bodywork away in the engine bay. The chassis rails were spot on however.

OP, if you are going to take the engine out get the longest possible hoist you can or do what I do and use an excavator with the blade down. The engine bay is looooong! Also, pics please!

I bought a SE4 3 litre V6 by pure accident. I was driving home from work in Oxford mid 1980s and passing a garage in Summertown (taken a short cut to avoid traffic - Oxford traffic was bad then, today it's f appalling!) when I spotted a 'sloping roofline' that at a fleeting glance 'looked' like a Ginetta G11 coupe. Remember I did say a 'fleeting glance', all I could see was the top of the roof.

I didn't want to stop and the chances were virtually nil, but then thought christ, what if it is?
So I span round and drove onto the garage forecourt. I should have known it wasn't a G11 'coupe' (only 2 were ever made and I had 1 of them).
Still looking today many, many years on!

Plust what would one be doing in a secondhand Rover dealership? Mind you, it was still way different to the normal stuff on the forecourt.
A sales rep grabbed me and asked what I was interested in. I explained my error and he said why not buy it, great price?
It was, about 750 quid if I recall. Christ, what are they worth now? I went for a drive and he was desperate for me to buy it, so I did.

Forget how long I had it, about a year or so, then we decided to move house. I liked the car, it drove nicely. But you can't keep everything. So what's gotta go? The Scimi sadly. I made a profit of about 3 or 400 quid. Last I heard it's still on the road, and probably worth 15 or more times what I paid.

Oh yeah, I still haven't found the missing G11 coupe - the one pictured is the actual car, chassis no. 1, I have no. 2 (mind you, nor have the others who are still searching for it!).

Lovely! I also managed to squeeze in a supercharged holden V6 and had it mounted and almost ready to go before a financially crippling stupid idea to run it in historic racing.

I love the Scim though. Terrible build quality but such a great shape.

Also the hex oil pump drive, I rebuilt a V6 and a V4 after this happened.

Thanks for the advice. It’ll likely be early next week that I pick it up. It’s having a new clutch fitted before then & an MOT done.
I know that timing gear has been replaced & updated. I will check through once I have it & see what has/hasn’t been done & then get sorted if needed.
Will also put up some pictures when I get it.