Scimitar FF at Brightwells auction

[Peter Rothery]

Interesting Lot:

https://www.brightwellslive.com/lot/details/522646

scimitar FF.jpg (123.45 KiB) Viewed 2731 times

scimitar FF chassis.jpg (211.55 KiB) Viewed 2731 times

[Peter Rothery]

...sold for £14,300 incl costs last time out.

[AH1951]

Very interesting front suspension arrangement. Different from the Jensen FF. Would love to see a full set of drawings for that.

[Mark1Stu]

Good spot Peter. Looks at first glance to be fitted with Volvo 144/164 wheels.

[mikebyrne]

Chassis had to be cut away on the n/s for the transfer box. I hope the fan belt can be removed ok !!
Mike.

[johnw]

It still has those Volvo like wheels on it since the original bare chassis photo. 5 stud as well, so no chance of fitting a set of Princess Anne alloys.

The front suspension is a simple double wishbone setup, and seems to use a modified Scimitar style shock tower. I think the angle of view makes that offside suspension look like it is more complicated than it is in their photo.

This seems to be a very different transfer box to the FF, without the provision for a Maxaret on the transfer box. Not worth buying it for the Maxaret and servo bits then!!! The transfer box also looks different to the one in the Schuler FF Range Rovers.

Have a look from this angle:

FFScimitarGTE.jpeg (94.81 KiB) Viewed 2622 times

It is strange why they notched that chassis tube, which in its self is a new tube. If anything, the new chassis is simpler to make than the original with two straight parallel box sections either side of the transmission.

ScimitarGTE chassis.jpeg (11.29 KiB) Viewed 2622 times

[mikebyrne]

How many of these were constructed ? Just the one ?
Mike.

[Peter Rothery]

It does seem to have the FF type servo and shuttle valve associated with the anti lock brakes but agree with John...no sign of a maxaret unit on the transfer box. Not sure what the two spare wires nearby might be for....Also not sure about the wisdom of the fuse box positioning relative to the shock tower which is open to the road.

scimitar ff underbonnet 2.jpg (108.81 KiB) Viewed 2596 times

[Peter Rothery]

According to the Reliant website quoted "The Scimitar was never intended for production, it was more of an engineering exercise."

The maxaret is shown on the engineering drawings at the rear of the transfer case alongside the rear propshaft but the original intention appears to have been to use a Borg Warner 35 autobox rather than the manual box now fitted.

[Jens]

... Not worth buying it for the Maxaret and servo bits then!!! ...

That would indeed be a sacrilege. This is a unique prototype and should be treated like the C-V8 convertible or the FFF100 or the P66 ...

[Jens]

Sold for £17k + 15% premium = £19.5k

A bit too much for me but what an interesting car it is. FF with manual gearbox.

[johnw]

Yes a very interesting car. I wonder why it had a Maxaret on it? I wondered if it was tested with an automatic transmission at some point? Also it is fitted with the later viscous type transfer box same as the FFF100 which had the same shape later xferbox by the looks as well. The press photos of the bare chassis show the manual box, the later viscous transfer box, and no Maxaret sender on the transfer box. Another possibility is that the Maxaret sender is in a different position on the later viscous box. I have never seen one of those up close, apart from a much later 1980s version in a (non ABS) Ford I once owned.