planty
Part of things
Posts: 154
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Aug 21, 2006 13:17:32 GMT
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but then that was a peugeot and they're generally made of cheese anyway ;D
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Aug 21, 2006 14:03:01 GMT
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Thats a crazy looking thing! being down cornwall and being an aquired taste it may go at a good price too. i reckon theres loads of potential with this but i'd want to go look at it myself unless it goes for not much. I have never got to the bottom of this bike licence myth thing, it used to be the case i think but don't know about nowadays. I believe they are tunable and if in doubt you can always chuck a bike engine in for fun! RR member 'Ratlook reliant' knows a whole load more than me...
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Aug 21, 2006 14:57:30 GMT
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The bike licence thing only worked on 3-wheeled reliants not on 4-wheeled ones...!
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Aug 21, 2006 15:08:48 GMT
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and you have to be 18 as they are over 750cc.
Or is it 400cc now until you had your bike licence 2 years?
They did keep changing it and I can't keep up.
So no, you can't go buy a Kitten and drive it at 16 on a provy bike licence.
However, they are lightweight and the 4 wheelers have a decent looking dual wishbone front suspension. There is sleeper potential there. I'd thought about a bike engined kitten on more than one occasion. lack of time, money, space and engineering tallent kinda held me back though.
A mate had a Reliant Regal 'bout a 1967 one, and that had some tuned motor in it (only about a 1 litre lump) and that was one of the scarier cars I've been in. 0-50 on an uphill road he beat an RS Turbo Escort in a street race...
It had scrapes up the "bow" from over enthusiastic cornering...
The engine is apparently based on an Austin 7 lump!
Now if you want 3 wheeled madness you want a Bond 875. It looks like a dodgem car and has a rear engine detuned Imp engine. I think they normally run at like 25 BHP. Put a stock Imp engine in and they fly. Put a tuned Imp Sport engine in and they pull wheelies. On street tyres, on the street. Insane in the membrane. A mate of mine has had a few of these. Only odd thing was finding somewhere to get them MOT'd as you need special rollers and a licence to do 3 wheeler MOTs and a lot of places don;t bother due to the extra costs.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Aug 21, 2006 15:14:31 GMT
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The bike licence thing only worked on 3-wheeled reliants not on 4-wheeled ones...! i forgot we had a kitten in hand here! I knew people(bikers) in the 80's driving 3 wheel reliants in the winter so it worked then.
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Aug 21, 2006 15:22:34 GMT
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Yeah, they changed a few things on the whole bike licence thing in the mid 90s when they brought in CBT. I never passed my bike test but used to be able to ride on my car licence and now I can't without passing CBT first, getting a proper bike licnece and I think I am restricted to 400cc for 2 years after passing my practical bike test. That was how it worked last I looked.
So as the smallest Reliants are 600cc (early 60s Regals) you'd be easier getting a car licence.
If you've passed a bike test for more than 2 years or have an old type bike licence then you can drive one without passing a car test.
Even in the old days you'd need to be 18 to drive a reliant on a bike licence as you were limited to 50cc at 16, 125cc at 17 and then unlimmited at 18.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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planty
Part of things
Posts: 154
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Aug 21, 2006 15:24:51 GMT
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hmm.. bummer... the 3 wheeler reliants don't float my boat so much as the kitten... i've been watching the progress on ratlook reliants project with interest and theres a kitten just down the road from me on top of a pile of rubble/dirt that looks ripe for a rolling restro.... plus the fact theres a reliant parts specialist just down the road from me... its like a 5 minute walk!!!
will have to research the bike license some more.. i know microcars like the Ligier ambra (what started the whole reliant idea in the first place) or quadracycles as they are called are drivable on a b1 license as are 3 wheelers - a kitten could be classed as a quadracycle i guess (hope/pray) as its mearly a three wheeler with the extra one added???!!
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but then that was a peugeot and they're generally made of cheese anyway ;D
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planty
Part of things
Posts: 154
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Aug 21, 2006 15:25:50 GMT
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oh and i'm 22 at the end of next month btw
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Last Edit: Aug 21, 2006 15:26:15 GMT by planty
but then that was a peugeot and they're generally made of cheese anyway ;D
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Tell me about.... ReliantsBenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Aug 21, 2006 15:40:27 GMT
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Aaaaaarrrrrgh! That Kitten pick-up is near me. I'm just about to sack off the Volvo... I'd be utterly stupid to have a punt on that Kitten!*
* This has never stopped me before though....
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John
Part of things
Posts: 347
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Aug 21, 2006 16:13:59 GMT
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Kittens have huge potential. They are light, fibreglass body, seperate chassis, double wishbone front, axle rear on leafs. The steering lock is amazing, you do not need a handbrake for the turns!! They are great fun to drive (sideways!!)
A motorbike engine would make one hell of a car, or you could go the whole hog and fit a V8 !!
John
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Aug 21, 2006 16:37:37 GMT
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That kitten pick-up looks mega curse word to me! Look at that rear tub, if you put owt heavier than a pomegranate in the back of it its gonna rear up like a crazy horse. The centre of the tub is behind the axle line, its gonna 'multiply' the weight of owt you carry in it.
These reliant often are owned by the kind of clueless beardy folk who dismantle them in the garden then put them back together using odd-sized woodscrews left over from when they did their pigeon loft, and that one looks like a classic example of the ilk.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Aug 21, 2006 16:41:57 GMT
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Didnt it used to be that you could drive a 3 wheeler on a bike licence only if reverse gear had been blanked off?
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1987 Maestro 1.6 HL perkins diesel conversion 1986 Audi 100 Avant 1800cc on LPG 1979 Allegro Series 2 special 4 door 1500cc with vynil roof. IN BITS. HERITAGE ISSUES.
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Aug 21, 2006 17:18:32 GMT
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Anyone over 25 can do a direct access bike test and jump on whatever size/power bike they want to. On a normal car licence if you passed before September 2001 you can ride up to a 50cc with no extra licence. Above that you have to do a CBT which is easy peasy. If you passed after Sept 2001 you have to do a CBT to ride up to a 125cc.
If you are under 25 and you pass your bike test you are limited to 33hp or 250cc (I think) and have to ride that for 2 years or wait until you clock 25.
That's actually not much help to this thread. Bah.
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Aug 21, 2006 17:22:03 GMT
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Isn't Kitten front suspension based on Triumph Herald stuff? I once owned a J reg Regal (7/25?) which was a laugh. With practice you can balance them on two wheels for quite some distance and it'd do nearly 90mph Curiously they seem to be quite stable on high speed corners but tip up dead easy on low speed ones! Mine got the foor lopped of eventually. Looked like a boat. ;D I'd quite like to get hold of a Kitten and modify it one day.
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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Aug 21, 2006 17:25:01 GMT
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Must agree with Mr B here, I actually thought it looked shortened but that will just be the precision measured bed! Probably not the best example to start knowing little, with but if it is nearby have a look. It might not go for much and a new bobtailed back end can be put on. Must be some life left in this old thing for someone brave.
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Samage
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,467
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Aug 21, 2006 17:31:52 GMT
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Samage
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,467
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Aug 21, 2006 17:44:51 GMT
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*reads website more carefully* Ah, right.....guess you kinda know about that one already then......well, it's reference for everyone else anyway!
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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Aug 21, 2006 18:30:14 GMT
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is there truth in the the fact they can be driven on a bike license?Yup, a B1 licence will see you cruising the plastic fantastic, this is because they weigh less than 550kg ( I believe you get B1 with a full bike licence?) what are parts availability/tunability like etc... ?they are tuneable to about 55hp but after that it all goes down hill, 80hp has been achieved by the 750motor club in f750 cars (they used to run reliant engines and boxes) but at this kind of tuning they are unreliable, although they are limited by the rules as to what they can do. As for parts, most of it is robin and therefore cheap and easy to get, however front suspension is abit of a rarity – we will come to that in a moment. i forgot we had a kitten in hand here! and you where parked next to it at cars too hmm.. bummer... the 3 wheeler reliants don't float my boat so much as the kitten... i've been watching the progress on ratlook reliants project with interest and theres a kitten just down the road from me on top of a pile of rubble/dirt that looks ripe for a rolling restro.... plus the fact theres a reliant parts specialist just down the road from me... its like a 5 minute walk!!!Sorry about the lack of updates…. I assure you its moving ahead, just abit slow atm. will have to research the bike license some more.. i know microcars like the Ligier ambra (what started the whole reliant idea in the first place) or quadracycles as they are called are drivable on a b1 license as are 3 wheelers - a kitten could be classed as a quadracycle i guess (hope/pray) as its mearly a three wheeler with the extra one added???!!You got it, to be classed as a qudracycle it needs to be under a certain cc and a certain weight, get your self over to www.r3w.com – excuse the old beardy curse word, theres a few useful people on there. Kittens have huge potential. They are light, fibreglass body, seperate chassis, double wishbone front, axle rear on leafs. The steering lock is amazing, you do not need a handbrake for the turns!! They are great fun to drive (sideways!!)So true! They handle so well, the leaf springs are dreadful though, complete waste of space, however bond bugs have trailing arm rear suss on essentially the same chassis, which is basically what I'm fitting onto my project car
These reliant often are owned by the kind of clueless beardy folk who dismantle them in the garden then put them back together using odd-sized woodscrews left over from when they did their pigeon loft, and that one looks like a classic example of the ilkToo true. Mine had lumps of lead in the petrol tank to make it run on unleaded…. And a wooden roof rack bolted throughthe roof…. However he drilled the first set of holes wrong so just put bathroom sealant in them. Didnt it used to be that you could drive a 3 wheeler on a bike licence only if reverse gear had been blanked off?Yea, got abit dangerous with people getting out and rolling them about though, aparnetly there is some guy driving around at the age of 16 in one with no passenger seat to get around the laws, don’t realy get how that makes any difference – its probably and old beardy story. Isn't Kitten front suspension based on Triumph Herald stuff?Nope – unfortunately, the rack, wishbones, uprights, bottom ball joints and hubs are all kitten specific one offs, how ever front brakes are mini and the rest (including wheel bearings) is rialto and robin bar a few little bits of trim. Front dampers are available various places for about £150 - £200 including springs for full adjustable jobbys, the only stupidly expensive bits are bottom ball joints at £65 each!! (but I'm looking at alternatives, which will cost about £10 each) and a steering rack at about £120 – although as it goes that’s not too bad. Most other parts are pretty cheap as reliant owners tend to be stuck in the dark ages when you could buy a house for £2.50 and therefore complain about tyres costing £30each fitted and a radiator being £40! Do it, everyone needs a kitten in their life – once you have driven one you will know why – but if you intend on driving it on a bike licence it might be worth looking into it a bit further. Heres a pic of mine:
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Last Edit: Aug 21, 2006 18:31:46 GMT by Mr K
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Aug 21, 2006 18:54:40 GMT
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My bad, just done a little reading and it's the Rebel that used triumph front suspension (made by Alford and Alder apparently). Leaf springs never really work all that well on very light cars it seems. A momo leaf design would function a lot better. Really, as you are working with a chassis and a decent amount of room, you could possibly build an IRS setup... maybe a double wishbome design. That would be pretty cool.
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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