Scimitar ownership - good idea?
Discussion
They’ve always been on my radar, but never had one. I’ve looked at a lovely, original, well cared for car, with very few owners & a huge file of paperwork. Hard to believe it’s nearly 50 years old & is lovely to drive.
Have never worked out why they’re not more popular, as they seem to offer a lot, for not crazy money.
The Scimitar section on P/H seems dead, so thought I’d ask here if anyone has one, has had one & if they’re as good an ownership proposition as they appear to be.
Cheers
Have never worked out why they’re not more popular, as they seem to offer a lot, for not crazy money.
The Scimitar section on P/H seems dead, so thought I’d ask here if anyone has one, has had one & if they’re as good an ownership proposition as they appear to be.
Cheers
I always lusted after one in my younger days as my daily driver and only car. I had two test drives in what looked to be lovely cars and was convinced I would be buying.
They both broke down on the test drives and had to be recovered back to the dealers, and that ended my desire to own one.
They both broke down on the test drives and had to be recovered back to the dealers, and that ended my desire to own one.
On my shortlist to replace the Saab this year.
Positives are practicality, space, ease of parts availability and simple oily bits.
Negatives are the boat anchor of a V6 (assuming you're talking about a late Coupe or a GTE), and the slightly fragile seat materials. Oh, and they all seem to be beige, or brown
Get a good one, though, and yeah - they seem quite the thing, and good value really.
Positives are practicality, space, ease of parts availability and simple oily bits.
Negatives are the boat anchor of a V6 (assuming you're talking about a late Coupe or a GTE), and the slightly fragile seat materials. Oh, and they all seem to be beige, or brown
Get a good one, though, and yeah - they seem quite the thing, and good value really.
Somebody will be along with far more knowledge and experience than me, but I seem to recall they had some issues with catching fire, causing them to be something of an insurance headache. I'm sure it's all been sorted by now though.
Regarding GTEs, it seems to come down to whether you prefer the slightly more delicate, earlier SE5 look or the more squat, wider, more butch-looking SE6. The latter is my favourite: the SE5 looks too narrow. I'm told the run-out 2.8 is not as torquey as the earlier 3.0. Many seem to have fitted 3.5 V8s from Rovers, or 2.9 24V units from Scorpio Cosworths.
Regarding GTEs, it seems to come down to whether you prefer the slightly more delicate, earlier SE5 look or the more squat, wider, more butch-looking SE6. The latter is my favourite: the SE5 looks too narrow. I'm told the run-out 2.8 is not as torquey as the earlier 3.0. Many seem to have fitted 3.5 V8s from Rovers, or 2.9 24V units from Scorpio Cosworths.
Great idea!
I can qualify this as an owner.
Practical, quick enough, nice driving feel, genuinely classic and yet still affordable.... what is not to like?
I can answer that too.... they're invariably damp as they pretty much all leak (variously windscreen, rear hatch seal, rear window seals and doors); don't be fooled by 'no rust - it's fibreglass' as the chassis can rust spectacularly and is tricky to repair properly (check roll bar moutings and outriggers particularly, plus nose behind front panel); they pretty much ALL have paint 'issues'; normally micro blistering of some sort and finding anyone to tackle it can be challenging (read: expensive); they often have tired mechanicals (front suspension needs regular greasing or the trunnions wear out), noisy rear axles (Salisbury) which are expensive to rebuild, overheating issues (cooling is marginal and relies on the OE fan working properly and all the ducting being in place) and the lottery of 'fibre timing gears'...; electrics can be frustrating (Lucas and fibreglass!); interior trim can wear badly (thin plastic of dash is brittle and delicate, dash pad warps, carpets often look ghastly); things like heating are marginal in winter, but there is plenty of heat soak in summer! Fuel economy isn't great! etc. etc. There'll be plenty I've forgotten too...........
BUT
A good one is fun to drive and handles surprisingly well (accepting a tendency to lift and spin the inner rear wheel)! They sound glorious (better on mild steel exhaust than stainless curiously) and rev well. The engine is quite well suited to both the auto or manual transmission, so you can choose based on what you prefer (note: auto revs higher on motorway than manual o/d). They're comfortable keeping up with modern traffic and will happily cruise at sensible speeds on the motorway. Brakes aren't horrifically scary (though will lock wheels quite easily). The practicality is great - you can just about get four small grown-ups in one, but kids are an easier fit, - the easy access boot is very useful. They very much retain the 'classic feel' of a proper old sports car. Service parts are readily available and good value. Subjective, but I think the design has mellowed well and I get plenty of compliments on mine from appreciative admirers of all ages - it's a good looking car.
As a usable classic there is much to like. Personally I prefer the cleaner, purer SE5 / 5a shape to the later and slightly more bloated (and heavier) SE6 / 6a (instantly recognised by the larger outer headlights) shape, but they share the majority of mechanicals. There used to be loads of tatty, poor cars around that could be had for nothing, but the standard of cars has largely improved and prices have reflected the improved stock. Prices have also been slowly appreciating, so I think the secret is starting to get out there - I've certainly noticed more wanted ads and good cars appear to be selling quite quickly. In my opinion, bought wisely, with a sound knowledge of what to look for, it ought to offer an enjoyable, practical classic experience that you would be unlucky to lose your shirt over. The RSSOC forum over on Scimitarweb is an excellent place to start gathering knowledge and looking for decent cars. You should still be able to get into a nice, well sorted car for less than five figures, with the best ones comfortably over that now. The days of picking up decent running, usable cars for a couple of thousand seem to be well past and fishing in this bracket will likely buy you one needing plenty of work ... but it's not hard to do if you're handy with the spanners.
If it's something you've been thinking about, I'd be surprised if fulfilling the ambition led to disappointment. Good luck in you search!
I can qualify this as an owner.
Practical, quick enough, nice driving feel, genuinely classic and yet still affordable.... what is not to like?
I can answer that too.... they're invariably damp as they pretty much all leak (variously windscreen, rear hatch seal, rear window seals and doors); don't be fooled by 'no rust - it's fibreglass' as the chassis can rust spectacularly and is tricky to repair properly (check roll bar moutings and outriggers particularly, plus nose behind front panel); they pretty much ALL have paint 'issues'; normally micro blistering of some sort and finding anyone to tackle it can be challenging (read: expensive); they often have tired mechanicals (front suspension needs regular greasing or the trunnions wear out), noisy rear axles (Salisbury) which are expensive to rebuild, overheating issues (cooling is marginal and relies on the OE fan working properly and all the ducting being in place) and the lottery of 'fibre timing gears'...; electrics can be frustrating (Lucas and fibreglass!); interior trim can wear badly (thin plastic of dash is brittle and delicate, dash pad warps, carpets often look ghastly); things like heating are marginal in winter, but there is plenty of heat soak in summer! Fuel economy isn't great! etc. etc. There'll be plenty I've forgotten too...........
BUT
A good one is fun to drive and handles surprisingly well (accepting a tendency to lift and spin the inner rear wheel)! They sound glorious (better on mild steel exhaust than stainless curiously) and rev well. The engine is quite well suited to both the auto or manual transmission, so you can choose based on what you prefer (note: auto revs higher on motorway than manual o/d). They're comfortable keeping up with modern traffic and will happily cruise at sensible speeds on the motorway. Brakes aren't horrifically scary (though will lock wheels quite easily). The practicality is great - you can just about get four small grown-ups in one, but kids are an easier fit, - the easy access boot is very useful. They very much retain the 'classic feel' of a proper old sports car. Service parts are readily available and good value. Subjective, but I think the design has mellowed well and I get plenty of compliments on mine from appreciative admirers of all ages - it's a good looking car.
As a usable classic there is much to like. Personally I prefer the cleaner, purer SE5 / 5a shape to the later and slightly more bloated (and heavier) SE6 / 6a (instantly recognised by the larger outer headlights) shape, but they share the majority of mechanicals. There used to be loads of tatty, poor cars around that could be had for nothing, but the standard of cars has largely improved and prices have reflected the improved stock. Prices have also been slowly appreciating, so I think the secret is starting to get out there - I've certainly noticed more wanted ads and good cars appear to be selling quite quickly. In my opinion, bought wisely, with a sound knowledge of what to look for, it ought to offer an enjoyable, practical classic experience that you would be unlucky to lose your shirt over. The RSSOC forum over on Scimitarweb is an excellent place to start gathering knowledge and looking for decent cars. You should still be able to get into a nice, well sorted car for less than five figures, with the best ones comfortably over that now. The days of picking up decent running, usable cars for a couple of thousand seem to be well past and fishing in this bracket will likely buy you one needing plenty of work ... but it's not hard to do if you're handy with the spanners.
If it's something you've been thinking about, I'd be surprised if fulfilling the ambition led to disappointment. Good luck in you search!
Turbobanana said:
Somebody will be along with far more knowledge and experience than me, but I seem to recall they had some issues with catching fire, causing them to be something of an insurance headache. I'm sure it's all been sorted by now though.
Had an SE5a as a second-hand runabout in the early 1980s and I found it was not as good as I'd hoped. The heavy Salisbury rear axle and TR4-type front suspension did not work as well as it did in the Daimler SP250s I'd had.The fire raising was caused by the fuel feed pipe of the carburettor which was a bit of brass pipe cast into the mazak carb body. That pipe could work loose and come out, spraying petrol into the V of the V6 Essex engine where it evaporated and when the vapour got to the distributor up it went, taking the fibreglass bodywork with it!
Simple way of prevention was to cross-drill the carb and pipe for a pin which kept it in place.
I used mine (SE6a) as my daily for a couple of years and have fond memories. The only downside were a tendency to overheat and a noisy diff. Also – unique in my experience – discovering that a local derelict was using it as his overnight place of residence, introducing old methadone prescriptions and fleas into the brown velour interior.
Had an SE5 (3.0 V6 Essex, manual o/d) in the early 80's until the family got too big for it to be practical (3 under 5!).
I've often said I would buy it back if it ever came up for sale - & would be tax & MOT exempt - but unfortunately I now know it no longer exists.
Join the Owner's Club.
Excellent forums. Wealth of information & advice freely given.
Here: www.scimitarweb.co.uk/homepage
The fuel pipe issue I found in the Club magazine of the time (Slice) & when I checked mine it was indeed loose :eek;
Simple mod as outlined above - drill vertically through the carb body into the pipe, remove pipe & clean out swarf, apply sealant to the pipe, push it back in & run a No8 self tapper in from the top. Reliant threatened to void the warranty of any car they found with the mod.
One of the Slices had a series of photos of the going, going, gone variety showing one on fire starting with smoke pouring out from under the bonnet & ending with just the metal bits, even the tyres had gone, & a pile of the glass fibres - the resin had burnt away.
I've often said I would buy it back if it ever came up for sale - & would be tax & MOT exempt - but unfortunately I now know it no longer exists.
Join the Owner's Club.
Excellent forums. Wealth of information & advice freely given.
Here: www.scimitarweb.co.uk/homepage
The fuel pipe issue I found in the Club magazine of the time (Slice) & when I checked mine it was indeed loose :eek;
Simple mod as outlined above - drill vertically through the carb body into the pipe, remove pipe & clean out swarf, apply sealant to the pipe, push it back in & run a No8 self tapper in from the top. Reliant threatened to void the warranty of any car they found with the mod.
One of the Slices had a series of photos of the going, going, gone variety showing one on fire starting with smoke pouring out from under the bonnet & ending with just the metal bits, even the tyres had gone, & a pile of the glass fibres - the resin had burnt away.
Edited by paintman on Wednesday 9th March 12:38
Edited by paintman on Wednesday 9th March 12:40
I had two Se5's in succession and I think you too will start developing a wad of bills soon enough...
Always something going wrong mostly small and inexpensive but inaccessible and labour intensive.
Rear wheels bearings are very hard to change needing a huge press and they are weak
They are heavy especially with an o'd version and far too heavy for the Essex to make it any thing other than a lazy GT.
They are surprisingly small especially in the back.
They sweat and that causes issues with the interiors
They can rot the chassis although the usual oil leaks can mitigate that.
The values despite endless ramping over the decades tell their own story.
Always something going wrong mostly small and inexpensive but inaccessible and labour intensive.
Rear wheels bearings are very hard to change needing a huge press and they are weak
They are heavy especially with an o'd version and far too heavy for the Essex to make it any thing other than a lazy GT.
They are surprisingly small especially in the back.
They sweat and that causes issues with the interiors
They can rot the chassis although the usual oil leaks can mitigate that.
The values despite endless ramping over the decades tell their own story.
larrylamb11 said:
Great idea!
I can qualify this as an owner.
Practical, quick enough, nice driving feel, genuinely classic and yet still affordable.... what is not to like?
I can answer that too.... they're invariably damp as they pretty much all leak (variously windscreen, rear hatch seal, rear window seals and doors); don't be fooled by 'no rust - it's fibreglass' as the chassis can rust spectacularly and is tricky to repair properly (check roll bar moutings and outriggers particularly, plus nose behind front panel); they pretty much ALL have paint 'issues'; normally micro blistering of some sort and finding anyone to tackle it can be challenging (read: expensive); they often have tired mechanicals (front suspension needs regular greasing or the trunnions wear out), noisy rear axles (Salisbury) which are expensive to rebuild, overheating issues (cooling is marginal and relies on the OE fan working properly and all the ducting being in place) and the lottery of 'fibre timing gears'...; electrics can be frustrating (Lucas and fibreglass!); interior trim can wear badly (thin plastic of dash is brittle and delicate, dash pad warps, carpets often look ghastly); things like heating are marginal in winter, but there is plenty of heat soak in summer! Fuel economy isn't great! etc. etc. There'll be plenty I've forgotten too...........
BUT
A good one is fun to drive and handles surprisingly well (accepting a tendency to lift and spin the inner rear wheel)! They sound glorious (better on mild steel exhaust than stainless curiously) and rev well. The engine is quite well suited to both the auto or manual transmission, so you can choose based on what you prefer (note: auto revs higher on motorway than manual o/d). They're comfortable keeping up with modern traffic and will happily cruise at sensible speeds on the motorway. Brakes aren't horrifically scary (though will lock wheels quite easily). The practicality is great - you can just about get four small grown-ups in one, but kids are an easier fit, - the easy access boot is very useful. They very much retain the 'classic feel' of a proper old sports car. Service parts are readily available and good value. Subjective, but I think the design has mellowed well and I get plenty of compliments on mine from appreciative admirers of all ages - it's a good looking car.
As a usable classic there is much to like. Personally I prefer the cleaner, purer SE5 / 5a shape to the later and slightly more bloated (and heavier) SE6 / 6a (instantly recognised by the larger outer headlights) shape, but they share the majority of mechanicals. There used to be loads of tatty, poor cars around that could be had for nothing, but the standard of cars has largely improved and prices have reflected the improved stock. Prices have also been slowly appreciating, so I think the secret is starting to get out there - I've certainly noticed more wanted ads and good cars appear to be selling quite quickly. In my opinion, bought wisely, with a sound knowledge of what to look for, it ought to offer an enjoyable, practical classic experience that you would be unlucky to lose your shirt over. The RSSOC forum over on Scimitarweb is an excellent place to start gathering knowledge and looking for decent cars. You should still be able to get into a nice, well sorted car for less than five figures, with the best ones comfortably over that now. The days of picking up decent running, usable cars for a couple of thousand seem to be well past and fishing in this bracket will likely buy you one needing plenty of work ... but it's not hard to do if you're handy with the spanners.
If it's something you've been thinking about, I'd be surprised if fulfilling the ambition led to disappointment. Good luck in you search!
What he said ↑I can qualify this as an owner.
Practical, quick enough, nice driving feel, genuinely classic and yet still affordable.... what is not to like?
I can answer that too.... they're invariably damp as they pretty much all leak (variously windscreen, rear hatch seal, rear window seals and doors); don't be fooled by 'no rust - it's fibreglass' as the chassis can rust spectacularly and is tricky to repair properly (check roll bar moutings and outriggers particularly, plus nose behind front panel); they pretty much ALL have paint 'issues'; normally micro blistering of some sort and finding anyone to tackle it can be challenging (read: expensive); they often have tired mechanicals (front suspension needs regular greasing or the trunnions wear out), noisy rear axles (Salisbury) which are expensive to rebuild, overheating issues (cooling is marginal and relies on the OE fan working properly and all the ducting being in place) and the lottery of 'fibre timing gears'...; electrics can be frustrating (Lucas and fibreglass!); interior trim can wear badly (thin plastic of dash is brittle and delicate, dash pad warps, carpets often look ghastly); things like heating are marginal in winter, but there is plenty of heat soak in summer! Fuel economy isn't great! etc. etc. There'll be plenty I've forgotten too...........
BUT
A good one is fun to drive and handles surprisingly well (accepting a tendency to lift and spin the inner rear wheel)! They sound glorious (better on mild steel exhaust than stainless curiously) and rev well. The engine is quite well suited to both the auto or manual transmission, so you can choose based on what you prefer (note: auto revs higher on motorway than manual o/d). They're comfortable keeping up with modern traffic and will happily cruise at sensible speeds on the motorway. Brakes aren't horrifically scary (though will lock wheels quite easily). The practicality is great - you can just about get four small grown-ups in one, but kids are an easier fit, - the easy access boot is very useful. They very much retain the 'classic feel' of a proper old sports car. Service parts are readily available and good value. Subjective, but I think the design has mellowed well and I get plenty of compliments on mine from appreciative admirers of all ages - it's a good looking car.
As a usable classic there is much to like. Personally I prefer the cleaner, purer SE5 / 5a shape to the later and slightly more bloated (and heavier) SE6 / 6a (instantly recognised by the larger outer headlights) shape, but they share the majority of mechanicals. There used to be loads of tatty, poor cars around that could be had for nothing, but the standard of cars has largely improved and prices have reflected the improved stock. Prices have also been slowly appreciating, so I think the secret is starting to get out there - I've certainly noticed more wanted ads and good cars appear to be selling quite quickly. In my opinion, bought wisely, with a sound knowledge of what to look for, it ought to offer an enjoyable, practical classic experience that you would be unlucky to lose your shirt over. The RSSOC forum over on Scimitarweb is an excellent place to start gathering knowledge and looking for decent cars. You should still be able to get into a nice, well sorted car for less than five figures, with the best ones comfortably over that now. The days of picking up decent running, usable cars for a couple of thousand seem to be well past and fishing in this bracket will likely buy you one needing plenty of work ... but it's not hard to do if you're handy with the spanners.
If it's something you've been thinking about, I'd be surprised if fulfilling the ambition led to disappointment. Good luck in you search!
Brinyan said:
Quick update - despite a few negative remarks, I’ve ignored those & paid a deposit.
Part of the deal includes a new clutch being fitted, along with getting an MOT done.
Looking forward to owning a GTE. Cheers
Good for you and I hope it works out for you. I would agree with the comments from "larrylamb11". I owned a 1974 SE5a manual OD with a Webasto sunroof. The paint microblistered terribly which was a shame. I had no problem with parts from Nigel at QRG, very responsive and helpful. I found it a very engaging and fun car to drive with a great rorty soundtrack (I think the primary silencers had been removed by a previous owner). Talking of which it had been run on a shoestring by the long term PO and I did spend a lot of time and few quid recommissioning it. It was no worse than most cars of the era for reliability I'd say. You just need to stay on the maintenance and drive it regularly. Oh, and I owned mine in the USA and it certainly turned heads. Post a pic when you've got it and first impressions.Part of the deal includes a new clutch being fitted, along with getting an MOT done.
Looking forward to owning a GTE. Cheers
Brinyan said:
Quick update - despite a few negative remarks, I’ve ignored those & paid a deposit.
Part of the deal includes a new clutch being fitted, along with getting an MOT done.
Looking forward to owning a GTE. Cheers
Good show. You'll get negative comments on anything. I'd happily have another, the few bad bits more than offset by all the good things.Part of the deal includes a new clutch being fitted, along with getting an MOT done.
Looking forward to owning a GTE. Cheers
I consider what larrylamb noted about downsides, all correct, however I would also consider many of those to be common to pretty much every classic going. Those particular to the Scimitar would be replicated by other, probably more serious and costly, issues pariclar to any other car.
Glad you went for it. You won't find a better club than the Scimitar Club, the cars are great fun, practical and fine in modern traffic. As with any classic you will have maintainence to keep up with and breakdowns and problems but the more you use it the better it will get. Don't take the easy way out and keep it for special occasions becasue you will find when you do get around to using it, it may well let you down becasue of lack of use and because any problems were not discoverd and fixed after a trip to Tesco, instead of during a family day out- that's how these things fall out of failure until they are sols a few years later becasue "i never use it"
Glad you went for it. You won't find a better club than the Scimitar Club, the cars are great fun, practical and fine in modern traffic. As with any classic you will have maintainence to keep up with and breakdowns and problems but the more you use it the better it will get. Don't take the easy way out and keep it for special occasions becasue you will find when you do get around to using it, it may well let you down becasue of lack of use and because any problems were not discoverd and fixed after a trip to Tesco, instead of during a family day out- that's how these things fall out of failure until they are sols a few years later becasue "i never use it"
Thanks all. I have every intention of using it. It’s not just going to sit there doing nothing. I’m even considering taking it to Wales (from Kent) a few days after getting it. I’m prepared & happy to give it the maintenance it needs. The history file from new is incredible & it’d be wrong not to keep that up.
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