New Project...

volospian · 11-11-2010, 14:08

Had this for a few weeks now, but no extra pics yet as I keep forgetting to upload them to my hosting site so I've posted a link to the original pic.... anyway...

1970 Reliant Scimitar GTE.

Needs a hell of a lot of work (but was bought as a project for £265, so that's what I'd expect).

Work done so far...

Interior pretty much stripped out... that's about it so far...

I'm aiming for a full "body off" resto here, so most things are going to be replaced with new. I have a 3.5 Rover V8 in the garage to replace the knackered Essex 3.0 V6 (for the time being). It'll be seperated from the chassis soon, hopefully within the next couple of weeks, and I'll start work on the chassis. It'll need new outriggers at the very least. Hopefully there's enough there to sort what I have and not need to source a replacement chassis, but it's difficult to tell until the body is off.

The body needs some attention too, so that's going to be stripped back and repaired, plus some minor modifications, before being resprayed.

Then new interior, electrics and so on.... might have a working car in a year or two... lol

Darrin · 12-11-2010, 06:14

I am looking to do the same to a 1968 Kaiser Jeepster Commando. I've always liked the body style and I've always wanted a vehicle as old as me.

I'll be watching this "build thread" to see how it goes for you. Good luck with it!

Burble · 12-11-2010, 08:29

Oh excellent, I shall be keeping on eye on this thread.

I like to think that if I had the time and space for it, I'd have a project vehicle too.

Jonny69 · 12-11-2010, 08:58

Great stuff. We need more unloved ****e on here.

Take note readers: go buy projects!

volospian · 12-11-2010, 10:08

lol, I'll have to get into the habit of taking pictures. I've taken a couple of the interior as it is at the moment, but didn't think to take one of the interior before I started... doh!

However, I have the original sellers pics taken off the auction site, so when I get 5 minutes, I'll update this with pics of "before" and "now".

This is, in reality, a "trial run". After having my beloved Cerbera written off a couple of years ago I yearn for another. However, the AJP8 engine is a bit of a nightmare for parts and costs are astronimical so I want to do what a few others have done and go for LSx power.

So, at some stage I'm intending to buy an early Cerb (hopefully with a knackered AJP8 engine to keep the costs down) and do a full body off resto on that, so I thought I'd hone the skills I need on something a little cheaper (a Cerb with a b0rked engine will still set me back several thousand for starters), but this will use, essentially, the same skills. Renovating a fibreglass body on a steel chassis and throwing in an engine swap at the same time.

Jonny69 · 13-11-2010, 02:49

I don't know what either of those acronyms mean but the fact that they have 8 in the title probably means they have 8 cylinders. A Good Thing.

The Range Rover 4.2 is a good engine. Now the ECU can be reprogrammed so it'll work off the original car it means a healthy powered all-aluminium V8 is available at sensible money.

volospian · 13-11-2010, 10:45

The AJP8 is the TVR designed and built V8 that went into the Cerbera in 2 sizes, 4.2 and 4.5 litre. It's a good engine, in some respects. Very small, very light, with a high output (around 360hp for the 4.2, around 400ish for the 4.5). It's apparently designed around 8 cylinders of a V10 F1 engine. Looked after properly, it can make 100,000 miles before needing a rebuild, but as most original TVR owners seemed to be idiots who bought a "supercar" then refused to service it properly, a lot don't make it past 30,000.

However, the main problem is one of supply and demand. There is little supply since TVR went to the wall, and little demand as the AJP8 was only fitted to some of the cerbs, and some of the Tuscan racers, I think. There were less than 2000 cerbs made, so there are very few AJP8 engines in existance.
The camshafts are rifle bored and made of solid billet EN40B steel and are hugely expensive. I think they were around £800 each when I bought some...The maintenance is difficult for the home DIYer as the lifters are all solid and the tolerance needs to be set every 6k at least, which is about a half day job as everything needs to come out so the lifters can be shimmed. Get it wrong and the cam and lifters wear out and you are delving into your pockets again withina couple of thousand miles. It's just a ballache of an engine.

By LSx I meant something like an LS1, 2 or 3 (or whatever) from Chevrolet. I know the RV8 can make a decent engine, but to hit over 360hp it starts to get expensive, and the money spent on that can buy you a standard LS3 putting out around 400 for starters...

IainB · 14-11-2010, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny69

Great stuff. We need more unloved ****e on here.

Take note readers: go buy projects!

I have a project in the wings, albeit a modern one

Quote:

Originally Posted by volospian

By LSx I meant something like an LS1, 2 or 3 (or whatever) from Chevrolet. I know the RV8 can make a decent engine, but to hit over 360hp it starts to get expensive, and the money spent on that can buy you a standard LS3 putting out around 400 for starters...

LSx goodness....cant see the need to play with the Rover anymore (well in the performance stakes anyway) Mine cost a silly amount, which I could have hit by dropping an american lump in straight away

Looking forward to seeing progress on this

Flibster · 14-11-2010, 15:16

I love the old Scimitar. There's something about it that tickles me - just like the old Lotus Europas shape does.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny69

Great stuff. We need more unloved ****e on here.

I'm still here!

My projects are on hold until I can get a job... Currently looking a 15k/year jobs... But doing something that I enjoy instead.

volospian · 14-11-2010, 19:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by IainB

LSx goodness....cant see the need to play with the Rover anymore (well in the performance stakes anyway) Mine cost a silly amount, which I could have hit by dropping an american lump in straight away

Looking forward to seeing progress on this

Totally agree. I already have the 3.5 to go in the scim, and once that's on the road I'll start on the Trev, and that will have LSx power. Although, as you know, I still have plans for the scim...... lol.

11-11-2010, 14:08	#1
volospian Vodka Martini Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 786	New Project... Had this for a few weeks now, but no extra pics yet as I keep forgetting to upload them to my hosting site so I've posted a link to the original pic.... anyway... 1970 Reliant Scimitar GTE. Needs a hell of a lot of work (but was bought as a project for £265, so that's what I'd expect). Work done so far... Interior pretty much stripped out... that's about it so far... I'm aiming for a full "body off" resto here, so most things are going to be replaced with new. I have a 3.5 Rover V8 in the garage to replace the knackered Essex 3.0 V6 (for the time being). It'll be seperated from the chassis soon, hopefully within the next couple of weeks, and I'll start work on the chassis. It'll need new outriggers at the very least. Hopefully there's enough there to sort what I have and not need to source a replacement chassis, but it's difficult to tell until the body is off. The body needs some attention too, so that's going to be stripped back and repaired, plus some minor modifications, before being resprayed. Then new interior, electrics and so on.... might have a working car in a year or two... lol

12-11-2010, 06:14	#2
Darrin Dirteh Kitteh Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hiding out in Mormon Country Posts: 1,629	I am looking to do the same to a 1968 Kaiser Jeepster Commando. I've always liked the body style and I've always wanted a vehicle as old as me. I'll be watching this "build thread" to see how it goes for you. Good luck with it! __________________ A bullet may have your name on it, but shrapnel is addressed "to whom it may concern".

12-11-2010, 08:58	#4
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Great stuff. We need more unloved ****e on here. Take note readers: go buy projects! __________________

13-11-2010, 02:49	#6
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	I don't know what either of those acronyms mean but the fact that they have 8 in the title probably means they have 8 cylinders. A Good Thing. The Range Rover 4.2 is a good engine. Now the ECU can be reprogrammed so it'll work off the original car it means a healthy powered all-aluminium V8 is available at sensible money. __________________

12-11-2010, 08:29	#3
Burble Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7,826	Oh excellent, I shall be keeping on eye on this thread. I like to think that if I had the time and space for it, I'd have a project vehicle too.

12-11-2010, 10:08	#5
volospian Vodka Martini Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 786	lol, I'll have to get into the habit of taking pictures. I've taken a couple of the interior as it is at the moment, but didn't think to take one of the interior before I started... doh! However, I have the original sellers pics taken off the auction site, so when I get 5 minutes, I'll update this with pics of "before" and "now". This is, in reality, a "trial run". After having my beloved Cerbera written off a couple of years ago I yearn for another. However, the AJP8 engine is a bit of a nightmare for parts and costs are astronimical so I want to do what a few others have done and go for LSx power. So, at some stage I'm intending to buy an early Cerb (hopefully with a knackered AJP8 engine to keep the costs down) and do a full body off resto on that, so I thought I'd hone the skills I need on something a little cheaper (a Cerb with a b0rked engine will still set me back several thousand for starters), but this will use, essentially, the same skills. Renovating a fibreglass body on a steel chassis and throwing in an engine swap at the same time.

13-11-2010, 10:45	#7
volospian Vodka Martini Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 786	The AJP8 is the TVR designed and built V8 that went into the Cerbera in 2 sizes, 4.2 and 4.5 litre. It's a good engine, in some respects. Very small, very light, with a high output (around 360hp for the 4.2, around 400ish for the 4.5). It's apparently designed around 8 cylinders of a V10 F1 engine. Looked after properly, it can make 100,000 miles before needing a rebuild, but as most original TVR owners seemed to be idiots who bought a "supercar" then refused to service it properly, a lot don't make it past 30,000. However, the main problem is one of supply and demand. There is little supply since TVR went to the wall, and little demand as the AJP8 was only fitted to some of the cerbs, and some of the Tuscan racers, I think. There were less than 2000 cerbs made, so there are very few AJP8 engines in existance. The camshafts are rifle bored and made of solid billet EN40B steel and are hugely expensive. I think they were around £800 each when I bought some...The maintenance is difficult for the home DIYer as the lifters are all solid and the tolerance needs to be set every 6k at least, which is about a half day job as everything needs to come out so the lifters can be shimmed. Get it wrong and the cam and lifters wear out and you are delving into your pockets again withina couple of thousand miles. It's just a ballache of an engine. By LSx I meant something like an LS1, 2 or 3 (or whatever) from Chevrolet. I know the RV8 can make a decent engine, but to hit over 360hp it starts to get expensive, and the money spent on that can buy you a standard LS3 putting out around 400 for starters...