Descripción
Welcome to the sale of “The Blue Bomber” Aka my 1972 Reliant Scimitar Se5a with the Iconic Honda F20C (S2000) Engine conversion, hailed as one of the best engines ever produced.
This car is arguably the most recognised vehicle amongst the Scimitar community having been displayed at the NEC Classic Car Show and Restoration show on multiple occasions and winning Owners Choice - “Best in Show” last year at the annual RSSOC Rally.
No expense has been spared whilst building this project over the last 5 years. I’ve built it as a usable vehicle rather than a trailer queen with the intention of attending as many car shows as possible and showcasing the build. I’ve tried to retain as many of the original cars features as possible without butchering the car.
Here’s a summary of the works carried out and some of the benefits.
F20C Honda S2000 Engine Conversion – Pulled from a late, crash damaged S2000 with an excellent service history which is still available to view. Top end rebuild carried out by Honda dealer prior to my ownership. 210 BHP on the Dyno. Ballade Sports Timing Chain tensioner fitted. Engine runs beautifully and sounds incredible, with the timing chain quiet and top end also very quiet.
Honda S2000 6 Speed Manual Gearbox – Silky Smooth gear change. Engine and Gearbox fitted to original chassis mounted points so the gearstick is in the exact same position as standard.
ECU - DTA S60 and Drive By Wire plug in module.
Fuelling - The fuel system has been tailored for best running, it has a 1 litre swirl pot fitted at the rear of the car along with a high flow low pressure Facet Red Top pump as well as a high pressure Bosch 044 pump and filter mounted on the chassis, there is also a fuel pressure regulator fitted in the engine bay. It has a standard size stainless steel standard tank.
Rear Axle Swap – This is a later Se6b axle which is a couple of inches wider than standard to improve handling and grip, it has a Powerlok LSD fitted which works nicely and the axle has had all of the internal bearings seals replaced recently. The rear trailing arms are custom made to accommodate the axle and are fully poly bushed.
Brakes – The braking system has been fully retrofitted to a dual circuit braking system for safety. The Front brakes are Wilwood racing calipers and vented discs. The rears have been converted to discs using VW Golf Calipers, pads and Carriers and rover solid discs. For the handbrake they work on the original cable and are very effective. The vacuum servo for the brakes has been removed and the car stops on the button with no excess effort required and great feel.
Exhaust – The exhaust is custom made, it runs a 4 branch manifold under the drivers side outrigger 4 astride. Anyone who has owned a scimitar will understand the importance of running them close to the chassis to remove the chance of “bottoming out” going over undulations in the road or speed bumps. It is a 3” bore exhaust with a Simonez back box which is LOUD, especially under full throttle and VTEC. If you intend on commuting in this, I’d suggest ear defenders.. but on a sunny day around the country lanes, this is the highlight of the car. When the VTEC kicks in around 6k revs, the smile keeps growing….
Chassis & Suspension – The chassis is unmodified except for being galvanised. It was also described as “the best condition chassis I’ve seen” by a well known Scimitar expert. The suspension is all fully polybushed and in excellent order. It also has brand new Spax fully adjustable coil overs all round.
Body and Paintwork – The paint is extremely presentable with a great shine although not perfect as is the case with any scimitar really, best viewed to appreciate. The body work is very straight, the doors don’t sag, the engine bay is perfect with no stress cracks etc. It has a famous scratch on the body work. Its noticeable however its actually a pretty good story to tell, so I’ll divulge that to the new owner, I’m sure they wont paint over it either.
Interior- Custom made Roll Cage / Roll Over Hoop fitted in place of rear seats. Corbeau Bucket Seats fitted into the front with 3 point harnesses. I’m 6ft 2” and the driving position is fixed at its maximum position. If you are shorter then you’ll need to adjust the seating position which requires unbolting the seats and readjusting. The dash and centre console are original fitment. I really wanted to keep that as a feature the gauges are a mix of VDO and original Smiths gauges. The Speedo is GPS. The steering wheel is a rare and beautiful Mountney Gunsmith wheel, I adore it. Haven’t decided if its going with the car yet or not, but I’m sure there’s a deal to be had.
Wheels and Tyres – The wheels are Weller Formula Ford wheels, they have Billet Alloy Hubcentric spacers as PCD correction and extra width. These cost a fortune to have made as they are the real deal, not cheap ebay specials. The Tyres are the new style Toyo R888Rs, barely any wear and are extremely grippy. You’ll struggle to lose it round a corner.
I appreciate that I’m asking a lot of money for this car, Middlebridge scimitars are asking this sort of money now. This car isn’t just a cobbled together project, it’s an engineering thing of beauty, it’s not perfect, but it is iconic, special and one of a kind. I’ve spent more on this car than I’m asking, but the joy I’ve had from doing it and owning it far outweighs the price I’ve paid. I hope that it will go onto another fanatic that will enjoy it as I have and still be part of the owners club so they can enjoy it too.
For more photos of the car and build please look on instagram @scimitartyper
Here's a video I made giving you a walk round of the car.
- details above
I welcome any questions, comments and viewings subject to being a genuinely interested buyer. The car is located in Horncastle, Lincolnshire.
