Model: Rickman Ranger 1600cc
Year: 1989
Mileage: 26,710 - may go up slightly
Tax: 30/09/2014
MOT: 14/03/2015
Pics: See below
Location: Bristol
Price: £1000ovno including tax
Contact details: PM me on here or oh seven 986 3 treble-nine 08.
Much as it pains me to do it - I really do like this car - it's time for the Rickman to go to someone else who'll use it more.
Well, what on earth is it?
The Rickman Ranger - for the uninitiated - is a kit car based on the rear-wheel drive Mk1/2 Ford Escort running gear with a strong separate chassis and a nicely-laid-up GRP bodyshell.
This particular example appears to have been built from a 1600cc Sport Mk2, and as such has the 84bhp 1600cc crossflow with the progressive twin-choke Weber carburettor and 4-branch exhaust manifold. With an unladen weight of about 750kg (according to the logbook), it does go rather well.
The Good
There is a fair amount of online history with this car - I bought it from stuartp of this very forum in December 2012, and at the time I was linked to a build thread on the Rickman forum about this car:
www.rickmancarsownersclub.org.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1312201306
As you can see, at that time it had lots of work done, including new TCAs, overhauled brakes, good used Capri front struts, electric windows, and a conversion to Vauxhall Corsa electric power steering.
Once I had picked it up, I pressed it straight into daily use, and one fault became clear - the head gasket had blown. As I tend to test the cooling systems on the vehicles I own, I treated it to a new HG, thermostat, water pump, and converted it to an electric cooling fan. The temperature now remains under control at all times, and it doesn't use any coolant.
While the head was off I de-coked it, lapped in the valves, reset the tappets, re-set the ignition timing and idle mixture; it now runs smoothly and pulls very well. It does use a little oil, but not excessive amounts, and it doesn't leave smoke trails everywhere.
I have fitted a new petrol tank, so you can now fill it up without it leaking back onto the road.
I have also fitted a set of period-correct Midland Metallic allow wheels, complete with a set of brand new 175/70R13 Uniroyal Rainexpert tyres. These grip wonderfully in the wet or dry, and don't make loads of noise. I think they've probably done about 2,000 miles since I fitted them.
It's fitted with comfortable Metro seats, and is surprisingly good on long journeys for something so light.
During my ownership it has been utterly reliable - it starts first time, every time, and always gets me to where I'm going, even carrying loads of stuff. I've moved house in it twice, and the big boot has been invaluable.
And, best of all, it just flew through the MOT - first time pass, so it comes with a full year's test.
It's correctly registered as a Rickman Ranger Estate, so there are no IVA worries.
The Bad
There were 4 advisories on the MOT: slight play in both front wheelbearings, slight roughness in both rear wheel bearings, and slight deterioration of the handbrake cable. Nothing much to worry about, and at the weekend I'll clean, re-grease and adjust up the front wheel bearings.
The windscreen rubber could do with replacing - or some sealant at least - as it weeps a little when it rains.
The wiper motor doesn't work on high speed, but I've never really found the need for it. Low speed, intermittant and the washers all work prefectly.
The passnger door electric window conversion was not completed; the wiring is there, and the electric regulator is included but not fitted.
The CD/radio only works from one speaker; I've not investigated fully, but a quick test with a multimeter suggests that it's the speaker itself.
The Ugly
The interior is unfinished; The front of the car has carpet and headlining, but the rear is bare GRP. This never really bothered me, but it might bother you. The GRP trim panels, a roll of carpet and a roll of headlining material are all included, so it's just a case of putting in some time to make it much nicer in there.
The steering wheel doesn't really suit the car, being the original Corsa one. Thankfully the squib in the airbag has been removed, but it'd be nice to swap the wheel for somthing else. OMP do make a boss for the Corsa C column, so it can certainly be done.
The centre console could do with rebuilding and properly mounting - it's just resting on the tunnel at the moment, and has a tendancy to slide about when you corner with spirit.
The gelcoat has badly faded, but I'm slowly working my way round polishing it up; more pictures to follow, but here's one of the shine on the LH side:
Overall, I've loved owning this, and will be sad to see it go; it's fun, practical and reliable. And, of course, it's the cheapest way to buy a road-legal Mk2 Escort 1600... :
