1961 Reliant Regal Mk VI van (1 of 3 left)

1961 Reliant Regal Mk VI van.

It's been quite a tough call to sell this van though unfortunately it is not family friendly and isn't something I can take both my wife and 2-year old son out in so I've decided to sell it and buy something that we can all enjoy. This van is one of three Mk VI vans known to survive with one of those being in Sweden.   Unlike later Reliant 3-wheelers this is powered by a 747cc side-valve engine and has a steel chassis with fibreglass body panels attached to a hard wood frame.   The vehicle has been used for various films (see below) and this explains its current look as it was painted and sign written by the BBC to look like a gardener's van for the BBC film Toast.

The Good Bits 

Where ever the van has been showed she always draws a lot of interest as Mk VI vans are an extremely rare sight.   She was even lucky enough to be exhibited at the Classic Motor Show in 2010 at the NEC.

The van was mechanically restored between 2006 - 2008 where the previous owner wax oiled the chassis. recored the radiator. had the dynamo. starter motor and engine rebuilt. fitted a new wiring loom. overhauled the brakes. fitted new windows and door rubbers and replaced various parts of the wooden frame.

In my ownership. I've fitted a new brake master cylinder. new hand brake cable. new track rod. span >  new carburettor. new coil. new HT leads. new spark plugs.  new exhaust (it's still shiny and rust free). new head lights. new front indicators. new head gasket. new radiator cap and fitted a fire extinguisher.   The van also has two brand new chrome bumpers on the front which for this vehicle are like hen's teeth.   Ironically they were far too shiny and so I had to cover them in brown shoe polish to help them blend in with the look of the vehicle.

Please note that this is an old van. as such. luxuries like seat belts. radio. heater. winding windows etc do not exist.   It has sliding windows in the door and features lights. a passenger seat. a horn and windscreen wipers.

The van is tax free as she is classed as a historic vehicle.   The current tax runs out in Feb 2014

The van is MOT'd and the MOT runs out in April 2014.

I have all old receipts and MOTs since the van has been back on the road along with a DVLA history of the vehicle that will also be included.

The Bad Bits  - PLEASE TAKE NOTE

Despite the engine rebuild by the previous owner for a couple of years the van has had a slight cough whenever she gets hot.   She would start fine and run happily for a couple of miles (longer on a cold day) and then start to have a slight cough with the occasional misfire.  I took the head off once to investigate further and decoked the pistons though the cough was still there.   As the vehicle would still run at 60mph with the odd cough I never worried about it too much.

I have been looking at other more family friendly classic cars for a while and having spotted one thought the time is now right to sell. though decided to go a local classic car show about 3. 5 miles away.   This was last weekend (July 6th) and for the first 2 miles she seemed Ok and then the cough arrived. which I actually expected sooner given how hot it was.   However about 0. 5 miles from the venue she started to miss and backfire like a machine gun and certainly made an entrance at the car show.   I figured she must be really hot and so checked the water level. that was fine and so did what I could with the tools I had. clean the plugs and check all the HT leads etc.   Come 5pm the same day. I started her up expecting the worst and she seemed happy and drove off the field quite peacefully and into the street.   However. about a mile down the road she then started backfiring again and bouncing along as though she were a kangaroo with a machine gun.   The journey home was slow . noisy and probably most frustrating for those behind me.   Today I started her up and again she started straight up and ticked over happily though I'd not even got to the end of the road before she started backfiring.

I did notice last weekend that there was a whisp of smoke coming from in between the manifold and the block and so I wondered if the manifold had come loose.   A couple of nuts did tighten up but one of them sheared straight off (pictured).   Luckily it was right at the end so the manifold needs removing and the old stud removed (there is plenty of it sticking out) and a new one screwed in.  

I think the main problem now is that one of the valves may be sticking and needs investigating.   I will therefore include in the sale a new full top end gasket set that includes head gasket. manifold gasket. exhaust gasket etc etc.

Please also note that the fuel gauge and the temperature gauge fitted in the speedometer do not work.   This have never ever actually worked so may just be a wiring issue as the fuel gauge always reads full.

History

The Mk VI van was the last vehicle Reliant made with a coach built body and a side-valve engine.   In total 3. 52 Mk VI vans were made between Nov 1960 and Oct 1962.   At that time the van they then continued until May 1963 renamed as the Mk VI-A as they were fitted with a 600cc engine.   (500 Mk VI-A vans were made).    To date 3 Mk VI vans are known to survive (2 x MK VI and 1 x Mk VI-A)

Media

As detailed above the vehicle has been used for filming and is still registered with the agency for further work.   Therefore if the winner is happy to. should anything further come up I will pass their details over to the agency.

The van was used for the film “Soul Boy” and I'm told was in the original screening but was cut on the actual DVD version (which unfortunately does not contain cut scenes)

It was used used by the British Forces for adverts.  

Perhaps its longest appearance on TV was in the last ever episode of “The Royal” where it appeared it two scenes.  

Finally it also make a brief appearance in the BBC film “Toast”

To see video clips of the van on TV see http://www. 3wheelers. com/lucietv. html

More history and details of what the van has been up to can be seen here:   http://www. 3wheelers. com/psl879. html

The winner must make their own arrangements to pick up the van.   She is currently garaged in Tamworth. Staffordshire.    I would prefer cash on collection or it can be paid before hand but must clear before the van can be picked up.

I also have numerous spare parts (most NOS items) and will give first refusal for any parts to the winner.

On 15-Jul-13 at 12:57:56 BST. seller added the following information:

As an addendum I missed out that the van also has a new condenser. new oil filter and a new air filter (the metal type filled with gauze).   In addition the fire extinguisher is a 2Kg Powder extinguisher and not one of the small ones that you get from motor shops.

I should also point out that there is very little carpet in the van and this will need replacing.   

On 16-Jul-13 at 16:06:05 BST. seller added the following information:

Wow. over 800 views and almost 150 people watching this after just 1 day.   To anyone who has contacted me off ebay offerering various amounts. nbsp;please note that I will be letting this auction run to the end so will not be ending it early.   I'm not in a rush to sell the van and if it doesn't meet its reserve price and sell then that's not a bad thing as I get to keep it a bit longer and will think whether to readvertise it again at a later date.  

On 18-Jul-13 at 23:02:01 BST. seller added the following information:

UPDATE

Tonight I rolled Lucie (the name I've always called her) out of the garage and changed the wires over on the coil in case it was cross wired.   I primed the fuel pump and turned the key a few times and she would not start.   I then put the wires on the coil back as they were and she fired up straight away.   On some occasions it takes a couple of turns of the key to start but she usually starts on the second or third turn and then once warm starts straight away.

Whilst she was out of the garage tonight I made this little video.   http://youtu. be/dWsovHu4-xM

Towards the end of it I reverse off the driveway and back on it and you can hear the cough she has though ironically today I couldn't get her to back fire for the camera.   I imagine its still there though she probably just needed to be hotter.   (The yard brush that creeps into the shot was part of the gardener's tools that were in the back for when she was on show in a car show on July 6th)

On 22-Jul-13 at 22:31:53 BST. seller added the following information:

ANOTHER UPDATE

Thanks to James Holland at CHG Performance the winner will not need to source a new stud for the manifold as I now have a new stud and nut to replace the broken one so I will pass this over to the winner along with a full top end gasket set as detailed above.   A few years ago I also brought enough black automotive carpet and an additional length of sound proofing to carpet the whole vehicle.   I never actually used it though as with the filming work the old carpet in the van suited it better for a worn down look.  The carpet  and sound proofing I  purchased is new and still in the bag it arrived from the makers in.   Its a bit big and bulky to keep so I will also include this in the sale.   The carpet will need cutting out as it is straight of a large reel but there is enough there for both the front and the back of the van if need be.    

Please note that I was asked today if the car could be driven back to the winner's house.   I am afraid not. unless you have breakdown cover I'd highly recommend that it is collected on a trailer. dolly or towed.   With its current back fire issue it wont get too far.  

Also. for those who have the book "The Reliant Three-Wheeler 1935 - 1973" this is the van pictured on page 7.

Just to recap though a new stud and nut will be included to fix the broken one in the manifold. a complete top end head gasket set if the head needs to come off and enough new carpet and sound proofing to furnish the interior.

Want to buy this car?