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My Car This page is all about my Reliant Scimitar: |
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Manufacture: Reliant Motor Company, Tamworth, England. Make: Reliant Model: Scimitar GTE 'SE5' Registration: WRK 99G Date of Registration: 27/06/1969 Chassis Number: ***295 |
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Why choose a Reliant Scimitar? After owning many weird and wonderful cars, I decided I wanted another classic car. Most of my previous cars had suffered badly with rust. Click to see my "Previous Cars" page which includes a Mk1 Ford Escort, a Mk1 Fiesta, a Fiat Strada, a Fiat X19, a Vauxhall Chevette, a Ford Orion and a Reliant Kitten. The last car I had before the Scimitar was a MK5 Ford Escort Van; It was practical for me, as I could fit my tent and my mountain bike in the back of it. It was fairly reliable, but very sluggish and extremely boring to drive! At the time, my father owned a 1967 Lotus Elan and a MK2 Lotus Cortina, of which I was quite jealous! I started to look around for a classic car for myself. I knew I couldn't afford a Lotus Cortina or a Lotus Elan and besides I wouldn't have been able to get my bike and tent in either of the cars. I came to the conclusion I needed a saloon car and a sports car......and a convertible! I had looked at various other marques including Triumph Spitfires and MK1 Escorts, but I really struggled to find one which met all my requirements. While I was at work one afternoon, I heard a car pull up outside of our office. When I looked out of the window I saw a superb looking Reliant Scimitar. I didn't really know much about them, so I nipped outside to chat to the owner. The owner was very helpful and was happy to show me around the car. I liked what I saw and asked him if it was practical to use as a daily car. The owner said they were very practical and great fun to drive. I logged onto the Reliant Sabre and Scimitar Owners Club website for some much needed information about Scimitar and printed off a list of things to look for when buying one. Within one week I was on my way to Worcester to road test my first Scimitar. When I got there, I was really excited to see a 1969 Scimitar GTE parked, ready for me to take for a spin. The owner showed me around the car and then started it up for me. I examined the engine bay to check for signs any bad oil leaks or water leaks, but everything was fine. I checked all the suspension, chassis, the engine had been running and was now at the correct temperature, there was no sign of overheating. It was now time for me to drive the car and I climbed/fell into the drivers seat. The instrumentation and the switches on the dashboard reminded me of an airplane cockpit. I pulled away and I was navigated around some great country lanes. Although at first I thought the steering was heavy, once I got used to the seating position, I was soon at home chucking the car around tight corners. I was really impressed with the cars performance and handling. When we got back we agreed a price for the car and I was now the new owner!
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April 2008 Suspension Overhaul
Leaking Heater Matrix I thought I had fixed the water leak, but it kept dripping and was gradually getting worse. On closer inspection, I found that the leak was coming from the heater matrix. While the Scimitar was on axle stands in the garage, I decided to tackle the job of removing the heater matrix... I have heard various ways to remove the matrix, either by removal of the dashboard or removal of the engine! I decided to have a go at removing the gearbox leaving the bell housing in place (a lot easier on the SE5 than the SE5a). I removed the prop-shaft, then undid the the six bolts that hold the gearbox to the bell housing. The top left bolt is quite difficult to get at as the rail of the gearbox gets in the way, but by using 3 extension bars and a long socket, I was able to undo the last bolt. Next I removed the gearbox support mounting. I got underneath the gearbox and slid it to the back of the gearbox/chassis tunnel and resting the mainshaft on the bell housing. This enable me to undo the two bolts holding the heater matrix and slide the matrix out.
Above: Sliding back gearbox gives access to heater matrix.
Above: The heater matrix is past its sell by date! The heater matrix's for the SE5 are no longer available, so I took the matrix to a local radiator repairer to get repaired. Sadly after the repair the matrix was still porous, so I am having another matrix built thanks to Dave of J & J Radiator's.
Above: My poor credit card has been taken to hospital suffering with exhaustion To be continued...
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February 2008 A visit to Bristol Classic Car Show
For more pictures of the Scimitars at the event visit: http://www.sporting-reliants.com/Bristol_08.htm
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February 2008
Above: Me trying to fix water leak I had a small water leak from the heater pipes (or so I thought), so I had to remove the air filter to get access to the heater pipes. I fitted new heater hoses and clips.
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January 2008 New Years Day A visit to Brooklands Classic Car Meet:
For all the pictures from Brooklands visit: http://www.sporting-reliants.com/Brooklands08.htm
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More stories and pictures of my car: My Car 2008 | My Car 2007 | My Car 2006 | My Car 2005 | My Car 2004 back to 1998
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