Discussion
Well I owned one of these many moons back and had a bit of fun with it. It was a surprisingly quick and fun handling car given it's (Reliant Regal) origins. I sold mine as it wasn't really a very good winter commuter, I tended to use my 'bike as I got less wet...
Never expected to see one go for this sort of money...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321026438292?ssPageName=...
Never expected to see one go for this sort of money...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321026438292?ssPageName=...
My dad used to have one of these, he rolled it going round a corner. I used to hate getting picked up in it, the plastic windows in winter meant it was never quite watertight. The engine was in-between the two front seats so after a little while it got warm (the heater did very little) You wouldn't want to do a long journey in it though, there was not a lot foam if any against the fibre glass, and it was very noisy. However now im older I can see the charm!
Funny you should mention rolling it... I found that I could balance mine on two wheels and the edge/corner of the front bumper - great for roundabouts. This is probably why you rarely see one that hasn't had the front corners repaired. Tried the same thing on a Regal van (Reliant Supervan no less) and discovered that the front wing just folded under and allowed the van to do a complete rollover, it was never quite the same after that.
Wow thats a lot of money, I thought condition one bugs went for about 5-6k ? And I hate that spoiler. Pity it's not got the original engine too, you'd think those two things would bring the price down ?
I restored one about 17 years ago, took me two years. Was a proper barn find job, in an outbuilding near Ratcliffe on Soar power station. Was a wreck, original 700 engine was cracked due to freezing so I put a Robin 850 in it (like the chap above). Flowcoated the underneath, new chassis. Some pics below, kept it for a few months after completion and sold it to fund the next project (GT6) for about the £2k mark ... wish I'd kept it now. Would have another one in a flash if I had the space ... brilliant giggle to drive, and would beat ANYTHING up to 20mph so great round town ! 70 mph was rather scary mind.
(scanned from photos ... I had the side screens, but nicer in summer to drive without them)
I restored one about 17 years ago, took me two years. Was a proper barn find job, in an outbuilding near Ratcliffe on Soar power station. Was a wreck, original 700 engine was cracked due to freezing so I put a Robin 850 in it (like the chap above). Flowcoated the underneath, new chassis. Some pics below, kept it for a few months after completion and sold it to fund the next project (GT6) for about the £2k mark ... wish I'd kept it now. Would have another one in a flash if I had the space ... brilliant giggle to drive, and would beat ANYTHING up to 20mph so great round town ! 70 mph was rather scary mind.
(scanned from photos ... I had the side screens, but nicer in summer to drive without them)
(This is Benjy911's Dad)!
In response to the last post, it's not new money - it's old money!
I had my first 911 in 1978 at the age of 25. (WMR 911 K) currently for sale at Autofarm as a 911S but it's actually a 911T! Number 10 a Carrera 4S Cabriolet arrives in March. As well as a lifelong Porsche fan I have always liked odd, small cars. 2 Genuine Isettas, 1 Isetta Hayabusa, 4 Tri Techs, 1 Heinkel and a Carver One which self destructed! I don't want old and mucky and the Bond Bug is seriously like new. It might be an over the top price but there can't be another like it!
In response to the last post, it's not new money - it's old money!
I had my first 911 in 1978 at the age of 25. (WMR 911 K) currently for sale at Autofarm as a 911S but it's actually a 911T! Number 10 a Carrera 4S Cabriolet arrives in March. As well as a lifelong Porsche fan I have always liked odd, small cars. 2 Genuine Isettas, 1 Isetta Hayabusa, 4 Tri Techs, 1 Heinkel and a Carver One which self destructed! I don't want old and mucky and the Bond Bug is seriously like new. It might be an over the top price but there can't be another like it!
evil len said:
The enquiry is complete.
The vehicle details for VTO 64J are:
Date of Liability 01 02 1998
Date of First Registration 08 10 1970
evil len said:
Wow thats a lot of money, I thought condition one bugs went for about 5-6k ? And I hate that spoiler. Pity it's not got the original engine too, you'd think those two things would bring the price down ?
I restored one about 17 years ago, took me two years. Was a proper barn find job, in an outbuilding near Ratcliffe on Soar power station. Was a wreck, original 700 engine was cracked due to freezing so I put a Robin 850 in it (like the chap above). Flowcoated the underneath, new chassis. Some pics below, kept it for a few months after completion and sold it to fund the next project (GT6) for about the £2k mark ... wish I'd kept it now. Would have another one in a flash if I had the space ... brilliant giggle to drive, and would beat ANYTHING up to 20mph so great round town ! 70 mph was rather scary mind.
(scanned from photos ... I had the side screens, but nicer in summer to drive without them)
You did a very nice job on this restoration, I would say far better than the bug on ebay which looked awful with that front spoiler. If that made £11K, theoretically yours would be £15K in my opinion as originality is worth more. I have had lots of bugs over the years included one converted to V8 running gear by a well known trike builder (original is still better). I still have one bug left waiting for restoration along with several Isettas, Heinkels, Berkeleys and other obscure microcars. Attached a picture of the poor bugger as I found him, not a barn find but more of a field find. It is stored in the dry now with all it's other poor microcar friends.I restored one about 17 years ago, took me two years. Was a proper barn find job, in an outbuilding near Ratcliffe on Soar power station. Was a wreck, original 700 engine was cracked due to freezing so I put a Robin 850 in it (like the chap above). Flowcoated the underneath, new chassis. Some pics below, kept it for a few months after completion and sold it to fund the next project (GT6) for about the £2k mark ... wish I'd kept it now. Would have another one in a flash if I had the space ... brilliant giggle to drive, and would beat ANYTHING up to 20mph so great round town ! 70 mph was rather scary mind.
(scanned from photos ... I had the side screens, but nicer in summer to drive without them)
uk66fastback said:
Looks like you did a nice job Len, but it didn't last long after you sold it unfortunately. May be sitting somewhere though, waiting to be unearthed.
The enquiry is complete.
The vehicle details for VTO 64J are:
Date of Liability 01 02 1998
Date of First Registration 08 10 1970
Yeah, I noticed that. Crazy. I mean, it had a new chassis, the body was mint (my mate's a fibreglasser by trade, so he helped/taught me), etc.The enquiry is complete.
The vehicle details for VTO 64J are:
Date of Liability 01 02 1998
Date of First Registration 08 10 1970
Enjoy ! You have some rare bits on there that even I couldnt find 17 (ish) years ago when I did mine.
But please tell me you're going to get the nose put back to standard !
It would possibly be the ultimate example then (yeah, yeah, I know, element of personal taste notwithstanding ... its your car ! 
)
But please tell me you're going to get the nose put back to standard !
It would possibly be the ultimate example then (yeah, yeah, I know, element of personal taste notwithstanding ... its your car ! )uk66fastback said:
Got any pics of the others - Isettas etc ... ?
Here is a good 'as found' picture of a Heinkel bubblecar but unfortunately I had found it several years before, brought it home and then forgot I had it as it got a bit overgrown.
I believe it is now being restored by someone after I sold it to the bubblecar museum many years ago and they then auctioned it off. Here is another picture of it in company with another of my Heinkels and a Berkeley.
This is one of the Heinkels I still have that is sharing company with the Bond Bug. It is actually a really good shell, probably be on the road with a good weekends work but I don't get any spare weekends to work on my own stuff.
This is one of the Isettas that I started on a few years ago but haven't touched since, it's standing up on end in the workshop now until the day I have more time.
And before any eagle eyed person asks if the E Type is for sale, no it isn't. It's been stuck on the ramp for probably 10 years ever since the seals went on the ram and I can't get the ramp down, must fix it one day.
Used to keep the Isetta shells up on a rack awaiting restoration but these three eventually went to the Bubblecar museum as well. Only got 4 or so left now.
I cannot really get any pictures of the other microcars as they are all crammed into a building so tightly that you cannot get around them.
Edited by frenchcarman on Tuesday 4th December 21:35
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