Attn Vamp

I was coming round to the idea, but them found the original pics, and it's not a T-Bar, which rules it out for me...... wouldn't mind a T-bar, but want one of these a lot more now:

i'll catch you on MSN and give you the reg has a CAT 2 immob with certificate, stainless exhaust and momo wheel which may stay if asked nice with rare offical momo boss! oh and not t-bar it's a sun roof model

and hang up if the idiot insurance person asks 'how many seats' and the other classic 'how many doors' and yeah i been asked :)

I dont care, i just want a change! No one seems to want the Volvo (surprise, surprise!), so just gonna store that somewhere, and come back to it next year i think!

Heh, cool!

XR3 Engine? Reliant used CVHs? This is the bit where I find out they were owned by Ford or something......

Peter

-- "The truth is working in television is not very glamorous at all. I just go home on my own at night and sit alone and eat crisps."

Standard kit for a small British manufacturer.

It's not a desperately bad choice of engine, but I'd want to uprate to solid tappets to sort the death rattle problem.

ISTR they're mated to a Sierra gearbox and rear axle, or similar.

So, a rapid little Brit. sportster with cheap to fix Ford oily bits.

Lovely.

In all honesty, when I got my first 1.3 Escort after having owned a few

1.1s, it was the latest thing in power and refinement. Seriously. I kept on commenting on how "ahead of their time" the hydraulic tappets were. They're not a bad engine when going properly, just not particularly economical, and prone to valve stem oil seals going all too quickly.

Never thought I'd see you using the word "Lovely" in relation to anything Ford!

Peter

-- "The truth is working in television is not very glamorous at all. I just go home on my own at night and sit alone and eat crisps."

Heh, true.

People seem to forget that I don't hate _everything_ Ford, just most of their stuff from the late 80s onwards.

Besides, they do make some bits that work much better when other people use them properly.

110bhp in a fibreglass ragtop is plenty, and a CVH is cheap for this kind of thing.

You *are* joking I presume?

The CVH is a horrible, horrific mess of an engine with absolutely no redeeming features apart from cheapness whatsoever. If you're going to blight yourself with a Reliant SS1 then at least get the one with the Nissan engine in.

This is, however, true.

Ugly.

Nissan ones are significantly more expensive, and, ISTR, available as a Turbo only. I don't want a turbo, or something that is going to be a PITA to get parts for if it goes wrong.

The CVH isn't all bad - most of my issues with it are because of valve stem oil seals and rattly hydraulic tappets. Converting the head to solid tappets solves the worst of the issues.

In terms of power output, ISTR the XR3 engine put out 95-ish bhp as standard? - that's not too shabby for an 8 valve, single OHC, non-injected engine. Especially as you can pick up a replacement for 50 quid if you break it :-)

The CVH engine was the worst thing Ford ever inflicted on the motoring public at large. Thing that really amuses me is the muppets who make ZeVH engines. Zetec block from a Mondeo or Focus etc (ok), with a CVH head and a turbo (D'oh!). Hmm, how clever is that? Get rid of a good 16v head and put a chocolate one on with a blower instead.

Sheesh.

Erm, I think you'll find there is a thriving industry, for Nissan 1.8 Turbo engine spares...

Joking aside, if it uses the T25 turbo like the S13s CA18ET does, plenty of good ones out there, for under a ton.

-- JackH

Then after saying that, in the same message

"SteveH" wrote

Two Alfas, and you're worrying about a Nissan going wrong?