What's wrong with Reliant Scimitars ?
Discussion
I've owned virtually every model of Scimitar and used them as a company car for many years. I've never, repeat never, had any problem with earthing or overheating and I've never 'failed to proceed' in one. The GTC is a much better 4 seat convertible than the Triumph Stag ( I've had 2 Stags so I've been able to directly compare them over many miles) though I will concede that the Stag is a prettier car. Scimitars do suffer from gelcoat/paint defects, lighter colour cars seem to fare a bit better in that respect.
The GTE is a very practical sporting estate car that is cheap to run and easy to maintain. Interiors are a weak area on all but the early SE4s (coupe) with acres of rather nasty plastic trim and often soggy carpets due to the Scimitars various leak spots.
The mechanics are bulletproof except the front suspension trunnions which need regular maintenance and best of all they can really be made to handle well. Watch the Scimitar boys sprinting at Curborough to see how they can really go.
One day we will all look back and marvel at how cheap Scimitars were - don't follow the herd, just because they are unfashionable and therefore cheap at the moment doesn't mean they always will be.
The GTE is a very practical sporting estate car that is cheap to run and easy to maintain. Interiors are a weak area on all but the early SE4s (coupe) with acres of rather nasty plastic trim and often soggy carpets due to the Scimitars various leak spots.
The mechanics are bulletproof except the front suspension trunnions which need regular maintenance and best of all they can really be made to handle well. Watch the Scimitar boys sprinting at Curborough to see how they can really go.
One day we will all look back and marvel at how cheap Scimitars were - don't follow the herd, just because they are unfashionable and therefore cheap at the moment doesn't mean they always will be.
Most fibreglass cars are burdened with the poor image of being a fibreglass car, but this can be balanced with a Ford V6 + Cosworth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY5_T59MceY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY5_T59MceY
Great cars and way undervalued. They look superb IMHO.
Met a 20yo lad in one at a show 2 weeks ago it was pink he'd bought it recently and it ran like a sewing machine he was going to change the colour as even the carpets were pink, and he had found a bottle of pink nail varnish in it that the previous owner had used a touch up paint!
Bloody good on him for getting a Scimitar instead of a flippin Clio or some crap like that.
Met a 20yo lad in one at a show 2 weeks ago it was pink he'd bought it recently and it ran like a sewing machine he was going to change the colour as even the carpets were pink, and he had found a bottle of pink nail varnish in it that the previous owner had used a touch up paint!
Bloody good on him for getting a Scimitar instead of a flippin Clio or some crap like that. This one is near enough identical to mothers. The only difference that I can see is that hers has electric windows
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reliant-Scimitar-SE6a-19...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reliant-Scimitar-SE6a-19...
The grey one is superb. And doesn't fall in the cheap category by a long way! The GTE is fast and practical. I thought I wanted a Coupe but was surprised by how heavy the driving experience seemed to be. Bought a Hillman Imp instead! My dad had two GTE's in a row and 4 of us and a dog and a trailer did Kent to Glasgow and back with no trouble. He replaced springs and shocks quite often and the radio never really worked. I still think they are great.
That is superb. This ones a real campaigner and currently £1850 on fleabay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RELIANT-SCIMITAR-1969-Ra...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RELIANT-SCIMITAR-1969-Ra...
Always liked a Scimitar... definitely on my 'must own one day' list. Lot of car for the money and a nice Ford V6 lump... I've always thought that they are the sort of car that needs to be used on a regular basis.
Keep an eye on the electrics, make sure there are not too many leaks into the interior and rustproof the chassis (or get a later model with the galvanized chassis - 1984 onward?) and the job's a good 'un!
The factory where the last of the Scimitars were made (the 'Midldlebridge' models) is approx 1 mile away from my house - I walk/drive past it most days and think "if only...".
The building is called Scimitar House - which I quite like.
Keep an eye on the electrics, make sure there are not too many leaks into the interior and rustproof the chassis (or get a later model with the galvanized chassis - 1984 onward?) and the job's a good 'un!
The factory where the last of the Scimitars were made (the 'Midldlebridge' models) is approx 1 mile away from my house - I walk/drive past it most days and think "if only...".
The building is called Scimitar House - which I quite like.
I will have another Scimitar GT/GTE/GTC one day. Hopefully before the masses realise that they are not the bad car some people make them out to be.
I restored a SE5 many years ago now and apart from the cars thirst there was nothing I didn't like.
In retrospect its was more a combination of my age and wanting to be driving everywhere at the time (all my friends at the time either drove smaller cars or Mk2 escorts) rather than the car being really thirsty as I have owned a lot worse since.
It is one car that I regret selling and as soon as I have the space/time I will be adding one to the fleet.
It is more likely to be a SE6 automatic with power steering as I get the feeling that one without power steering will be quite a culture shock after a few years of more modern cars.
I do believe that the prices will start to come into line with the real values of the cars at some point. I get the feeling the prices are depressed by the number of poorer examples with problems and people unless they have owned one or are a fan of them think they all have issues.
I restored a SE5 many years ago now and apart from the cars thirst there was nothing I didn't like.
In retrospect its was more a combination of my age and wanting to be driving everywhere at the time (all my friends at the time either drove smaller cars or Mk2 escorts) rather than the car being really thirsty as I have owned a lot worse since.
It is one car that I regret selling and as soon as I have the space/time I will be adding one to the fleet.
It is more likely to be a SE6 automatic with power steering as I get the feeling that one without power steering will be quite a culture shock after a few years of more modern cars.
I do believe that the prices will start to come into line with the real values of the cars at some point. I get the feeling the prices are depressed by the number of poorer examples with problems and people unless they have owned one or are a fan of them think they all have issues.
Edited by laters on Thursday 26th May 10:17
I agree they are a great car and very undervalued and underrated. I wouldn't say they are ugly necessarily, I think they (the GTE) are quite stylish and the shape grows on you as time goes on. I agree also that it's the name Reliant (or rather its relation to the three wheeler) that hasn't helped its image; I've heard the Scimitar club and owners in general often don't like to refer to them as Reliant Scimitars but rather just Scimitars.
My dad owned two GTEs (not at the same time though) in the mid/late 90s and early 2000s, the first a lovely red 5a which was later sold to someone in Germany. The second was a two-colour blue and silver 6a which was once owned by someone involved in the Reliant factory, or so I'm told. Both cars were used often during the spring and summer months and used almost every weekend.
My dad owned two GTEs (not at the same time though) in the mid/late 90s and early 2000s, the first a lovely red 5a which was later sold to someone in Germany. The second was a two-colour blue and silver 6a which was once owned by someone involved in the Reliant factory, or so I'm told. Both cars were used often during the spring and summer months and used almost every weekend.
They are highly competent towcars for their era, with good stability and brakes, though a 6a with the carb 2.8 and autobox will be a bit slow when towing.
I had several years with a late SE5a, an early 1974 car, manual with overdrive, mildly tweaked 3.0 Essex, and loved it dearly. Like any 1960s car they do require fairly assertive and proactive maintenance, especially of the front suspension which needs very regular greasing, and like any GRP bodied car you need to stay well on top of the electrics. Bad earths are a frequent cause of trouble, but get it all sorted out properly once and for all, keep all the earthing points clean and non-rust in future, and they are reliable cars.
I absolutely loved driving mine. The handling was terrific. Not a huge amount of outright grip on full profile 185 tyres, but enough, and it was super-predictable and well balanced, especially with a fair ratin of fuel in the 17 gallon tank. This was It wasn't bad for speed, and made a fine burbly roar. It was the late 80s when I had it and against my mate in his new Mark II Golf GTI 16v there was nothing in it in a straight line. So even by late 80s standards it counted as a quick car and even today they are still perfectly good for keeping up with the traffic. Of course the Golf could corner harder than I could but the Golf driver wasn't having as much fun. It was particularly controllable and entertaining in the wet and in the snow.
Someone asked about the thirst. I used to get about 24 mpg on average: that was a mixture of cross-London commuting (Finsbury Park to Teddington where I worked for Haymarket Publishing), and weekend long runs. I thought that was pretty decent really.
I had several years with a late SE5a, an early 1974 car, manual with overdrive, mildly tweaked 3.0 Essex, and loved it dearly. Like any 1960s car they do require fairly assertive and proactive maintenance, especially of the front suspension which needs very regular greasing, and like any GRP bodied car you need to stay well on top of the electrics. Bad earths are a frequent cause of trouble, but get it all sorted out properly once and for all, keep all the earthing points clean and non-rust in future, and they are reliable cars.
I absolutely loved driving mine. The handling was terrific. Not a huge amount of outright grip on full profile 185 tyres, but enough, and it was super-predictable and well balanced, especially with a fair ratin of fuel in the 17 gallon tank. This was It wasn't bad for speed, and made a fine burbly roar. It was the late 80s when I had it and against my mate in his new Mark II Golf GTI 16v there was nothing in it in a straight line. So even by late 80s standards it counted as a quick car and even today they are still perfectly good for keeping up with the traffic. Of course the Golf could corner harder than I could but the Golf driver wasn't having as much fun. It was particularly controllable and entertaining in the wet and in the snow.
Someone asked about the thirst. I used to get about 24 mpg on average: that was a mixture of cross-London commuting (Finsbury Park to Teddington where I worked for Haymarket Publishing), and weekend long runs. I thought that was pretty decent really.
Edited by Lowtimer on Saturday 28th May 10:43
irocfan said:
I must admit I've always liked them and do/did fancy one - that being said it's the usual sooo many cars and too little money conundrum. There were always cars I wanted more
That last sentence sums it up for me too unfortunately but you never know, especially as they are still one of the last truly undervalued classics. There must be issues though as I simply can't remember the last time I saw one that could truly be called mint?A student in Durham had one about 10+ years ago and I saluted him for his insightful taste well ahead of his years. He took it home him and was quite smitten, I always wondered if he kept it or it was still around - he was called Kim and the car was old English white with the original iron cross wheel trims and modern added green viper stripe. He said the diff needed changing as it was geared for sprints, something daft with a 4 in front of the decimal.
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