Very cool and looking forward to this. Its your van and your project but I think it would be cooler as a clean standard restoration rather that a trotter replica. The world has plenty of trotter vans.Respect what ever you do. I hope Al's involved, Im enjoying his content too.
I agree, but wrapping it yellow n adding decals won't hurt it. Plus they aren't worth a lot standard anyway worth more as an only fools and horses van.
@@moreton61 I could go with that (wrapping rather than painting), also has the advantage that it'll hide any defects (cracking, crazing and "spiders webs") and strengthen (only slightly but the GRP has age embrittled so is more prone to stone chip damage) the bodyshell.
What a beauty. I'm glad to see she's getting another chance to be on the road. I, for one hope, she stays standard. To many end up as Dell Boy reps. ✌️
This brought back some fond memories, I had a Supervan ( known as a Plastic Pig back then ) as a teenager back in the 70's after having my CB 750 was stolen, bit of a performance difference but none the less still a lot of fun.I remember it needed some welding on the framework underneath and my brother in law didn't fancy laying under a fibreglass car with the fire risk so we rolled it onto its side on a mattress," jobs a good un".
My grandfather has got a Reliant rebel 750 sitting in his front garden. Like most people he is very reluctant to sell it even to me! Once I've saved some money and got myself a big enough garage I will hopefully get it inside for a full restoration. It must have been sat for over 30 years but most of this time its been under a cover and a bush. It was regularly started but hasn't had the key turned for a few years now. Best of luck with this one Colin! Cant wait to see future videos on this :)
I owned three Supervan llls in the 1980s , ' Plastic Pigs ' drove mine on a full bike licence lol .. always makes me smile when people say ' Del Boy ' drives a Reliant Robin ! 😁
It’s great that you have rescued the Reliant Regal Supervan. It will be great to see how the restoration project goes. So many people turn these into Del Boy lookalikes.There can’t be that many of them on the road now. I’m glad that you’re giving this one a second chance.
Great to see you rescuing this rare little thing, please don't turn it into a Del Boy replica though, the world doesn't need another one of those, much better to keep it original.
Sad to hear yet another trotter rep is to be made from it yawn…. So many of those around now, more than original vans, would be more rare left as it was I’d think personally. Nice to see it saved though. Good luck with it.
Agreed theres quite a few trotter replicas! Some aren't good at all, i have one myself which is close as to the TV as possible, but would love to have a normal one without OFAH! Like royal mail or PO telephones
My dad had one with roof rack and towing hitch for boat trailer, it took four of us plus camping gear and sailing boat an OK all over the country with no problems, Happy days.
My dad drove reliants his whole life. I keep thinking about getting one to restore but the ones I've seen always seem to need a kingpin replacement and they're so hard to find nowadays. I've thought about seeing how much an engineering firm might charge to knock one up.
Great rescue Colin. 'TV' is a Nottingham registration number, so that gives you an idea where it started its life. There's a brilliant book called 'How To Restore Reliant Regal' by Elvis Payne, which would be well worth getting as it includes tons of photos and step-by-step guides. Also Classics Monthly mag are currently restoring a Regal saloon, so you should maybe check that out too. Have to say I'm with those saying restore the van to it's original colour, which would look fantastic. Best of luck!
I’m really looking forward to more content on this oh so cute Regal supervan III, I have a real passion for the lovely Reliant tricycle range, I’m so glad this very rare 1971 example is being saved❤.
Thank you for saving it! A shame that another example of this van will be given the OFAH treatment, but at least it'll be used and enjoyed rather than languishing in a garden. Good luck with the project 👍
This is truly a stunning discovery. I saw a Reliant Robin saloon for sale here in Colwyn Bay last week, the first I've seen for years, but to discover this 'K' reg. Super Van is ace. I assume that it's a 1971 registration. Glad for you that it looks restorable, and I just hope that you have many hours of enjoyment working on it. Looking forward to see how you progress. Good luck.
I bet this is probably the first and last time we'll see this - like all the other rescues, lol. C'mon, Colin - we want to see a few updates on your other stuff too! 💕
I want to see it when you get the engine to start…. That video I want to see first. Also when it is being restored great video My Bearded Friend. Classics are the best.😎😎👍👍🙌
It’s the same as only fools n horses , I think they called it a robin. But really a regal as this one , if yure interested in these the kitten had four wheels , I think better but they were more robin spec , maybe wrong
My biker older brother had a purple K reg van like this. Fully carpeted interior which his drunken and stoned biker buddy's rolled around in. It was all fun and games until they hit the hump on a mini rounded about and it fell over and folded up like a cardboard box!
My first ever 'car' was a reliant regal saloon car ( also a K reg 71/72 model ) which I could drive on a motorbike licence. Exactly the same inside as this van. Chances are the chassis will be totally shot and you may have to make an entirely new chassis from scratch.
Great find mate ithink you should clean her up keep her as a surviver car maybe a set of nice 70s style wheels just to set it off . Loads of old trotter vans been done . Good luck with it anyway mate 👍👍
I'm in the facebook group for these as I have one myself don't let people put you off painting it yellow mine is yellow and always was they are worth a mint ...good Luck
Hard to believe Reliant built and manufactured the 3 wheeler and the beast of a car in the Ford RS200 for Ford. They built manufactured the body and built the cars on the production line that had previously built the Rialto.
Blast from past there as my dad had same van but in light green ,I was really young but still remember the dashboard now and choke on right of dashboard
oh happy days, i had 1 of these back in the 80`s, at the time it was winter and i had an RD250 with microns on , which sounded ok, but i was freezing me nuts off, a mate of mine had a green 1 of these and to cut a long story short, he ended up with the RD and i ended up with this, i`m not sure as me memory ain`t what it used to be , but i`m certain it was driven by a chain to the front wheel only, anyway, as i used to do a bit of off roading, this little beast was great at that, as it had a good power to weight ratio and was lightish, and yes, it would go up on 2 wheels if you cornered too fast, as my mates found out when i gave them a lift in the back, oh happy days, ps, the heater was better than the 1 on the bike......................🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
I remember those from "Only fools and horses" and "Mr Bean". Unusual vehicle that due to it havin 3 wheels was able to get registered as a motorcycle. But I always thought that it would look better with 4 wheels.
The actual Trotters Independent traders reliant van was at the Scottish motor show one year.....And I touched the drivers side door!! So if yer needing any advice,......
Of all the cars I have had in my life the reliants I have had all gave the most smiles per mile I would go the restoration or even restomod route though the " trotter" van has been done to death
This car is fairly well preserved and minimal rust from the interior, the undercarriage appears to be in good shape. I grew to like these quirky three wheelers.
Vantastic! Great to see the Reliant saved. Well done. I assume the reference to using a hair dryer to get the dent out means getting the engine running! I think I might know why the steering is light!
Had a sixties one in my twenties loved it instead of a Delboy mobile put a later 850? Lump in it like I did ( frightened a few Escort drivers !) And turn it into a camper I know I got up to all-sorts in mine ( carrying band gear to gigs weekend fishing trips etc ) have fun whatever you do I shall watch with interest good luck🤘🤣👌👍
Myself and two mates bought one of these in the mid nineties ...for 45 quid..we painted it black and adorned it with huge flames down the side.What a beast.We called it one mean rasher...until someone burnt it to the ground..then we called it smokey bacon..happy days
I think that truck at the beginning had a bent frame possibly. Seen em crab walk like that before, sure enough the frame was bent and never repaired properly. Had a few like that working at a bodyshop.
You said you wonder why you keep buying them in this state rather than ready done but it's the sheer joy of the find, the restoration and the continued guess work, just the love of old cars 😍 I've never seen inside the footwell of a three wheeler before, they seem so squashed 😂 I'm astounded it moved without issue, and hope your plan for it works out well 😊
I can not wait for all your videos on restoring this old Dell boys look a like please show this restoration I’m sure everyone are thinking the same only 43000 Miles and stood for 37-38 years 🫶🏻 be great watching how it’s coming along great video 👏🏻
Would look better restored or re commissioned with the patina . But another trotter van? Tbh they have been overdone by people making robin vans into a trotter van . Do the right thing mate , restore or recommission as is .
One mistake a lot of ppl do when they get their Regal is they slap on radial tyres then the car turns turtle first corner it encounters, the whole suspension is built around crossply tyres which act as the rear's dampers as they are intentionally stiff, drive it like an old racing car, go into a corner or turn like a lamb and roar out like a lion I drive these north Dorset roads in my MK2 Robin van like I stole it, never lifted a rear wheel and I can take corners better than a 4 wheeler although I do have Peugeot GTi anti roll bars on the back of my Robin and Mini front gas dampers on the back, goes round like its on rails :)
Saw this at Al's the other day 👍 Bit of work to do 😉 hope it stays standard. Keep the crossplies on a three wheeler much more fun getting a drift on rather than tipping it 😁
Wow!!! What a project,I really did'nt think you were going to be able to move it. So well done on just doing that,I am really looking forward to watching your progress on this project as only Fools and Horses was one of my favourite shows. So making a Del boy van will be excellent. Good luck and take care.😃
Fantastic, that car was made where i'm from, tamworth, i lived 1mile from the reliant car factory, was a sad day to see the factory demolished when they went out of buisness, it was a really lovely style art deco building, very sad it should have been saved by the national trust or something, it was historic, again corrupt councilor's filling their pockets from building developments, shame on them all, hope you can save this one, 👍🏻
Its quite funny that your mate's workshop is just literally on the doorstep of where they filmed OFAH's most iconic episode "A touch of glass" with shots from Child Okeford, Marnhull, Blandford etc, years past I bought a tidy Merc estate from a chap next door to the auction house in the episode over in Child Okeford and the yellow MK3 Cortina is quite a local star in its own right round here. Welcome to the Reliant club, used to be tons of north Dorset Reliant owners but only a few of us left, check out We Do Vans in Gillingham as they have a tidy R reg Ant pickup which has the same front chassis and engine/box as your Supervan and not sure if the chap is still about but the closed Semley railway station there was a Reliant chap who did sell some hard to source bits and of course there is Joe Mason who can sort out anything from a bodyshell to chassis for most Reliants.
Oh Bennet's Field garage in Wincanton is a class 3 MOT garage abs sterling folks and Triumph Dolomite nuts but know Reliants old and new, also ask your mate to see if he can speak with a mechanic called Sparky at the Five ways garage as he was Reliant apprenticed time served, its between Shaftesbury and the Tollard Royal (where Madonna and Guy Ritchie lived) turn off on the A30.
Cushdy.....ere Rodders if we keep rescuing and restoring Grandads old bangers......this time next year we'll be millionaires.....LUVLY JUBBLY. well done Rodders you Plonker 🤣🤣🤣
Me and the husband owned our own garage last 40yrs, now retired, he hated working on them being cut by strands of fibre glass and access awkward, in the end for head gasket job it was quicker to drop engine and box down , he used to do the recovery of them when requested by our Reliant dealer due to the three wheels after they tried towing one and the driver being towed ran over the tow rope and got pulled half way round the roundabout on its side, that said although we tried not to work on them, it's in a funny way seeing one being rescued gave us a smile, but in our opinion we would restore it to original spec, we loved the trotter van but in this day to many copies and not that great, original best trotter would devalue it, just saying good luck keep up the great videos.
