1974 Reliant 'Rebel with a Cause' Charity Lot In Aid of the NHS

Remarks

The exterior paintwork, resplendent in NHS Blue, was completed in 2k direct gloss to an incredibly high standard atop a repaired shell which had been stripped to bare gel-coat and repaired both structurally and cosmetically.

Remarks

The seats have been re-strapped but wear their original covers, while the interior is painted in HB Body Toughliner, tinted to a grey from the NHS colour pallet, for a smart, bright, hardwearing finish - far exceeding the quality of finish that it would have left the factory with.

Remarks

The engine has been completely rebuilt following issues found with the original build, now benefitting from a replacement crankshaft, NOS main and big end bearings, pistons, cylinder liners, oil pump and more. It has completed some test miles but is still in the running in phase.

Remarks

Untouched by the restoration team, but for replacement detent springs, the gearbox engages all gears as it should and is not unduly noisy.

Remarks

Built up from a bare galvanised chassis, every component was inspected, then restored or replaced as necessary. The car has benefitted from a huge number of new and new old stock parts, and drives as well as you would expect as a result.

Remarks

A new wiring loom was fitted, however this was specified for an earlier Rebel, so has required some modifications to work with the later car's features. It is fully functional and neatly modified.

Remarks

The Rebel with a Cause has been a well-documented project within the pages of Practical Classics Magazine from the project's inception in 2020. All money raised from the car's sale will be donated to NHS Charities.

Restoration Notes

The subject of an extensive and comprehensive restoration, the Rebel with a Cause project has recently been completed to better than new condition by Practical Classics Magazine and partners. Coming in to the magazine's hands in 2020 with much of the running gear already rebuilt, and the chassis rot-free and galvanised, the focus for the team (which included Relaint expert and parts partner James Holland of CHG Classics) was to inspect and reassemble the entirety of the running and rolling gear as well as carry out extensive repair work to the fiberglass body and panels. The body was then painted to an exceptional standard in NHS Blue by Steve Brown of HB Body with assistance from CBR Classic Restorations. With the bulk of the restoration work complete, the car was assembled from bare chassis to running, driving car at the 2022 Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show before returning to the PC workshop for finishing work to be carried out ahead of a charity run. At this point it was discovered that the engine, rebuilt before the project passed into the magazine's hands, had a serious fault so it was stripped and completely rebuilt by PC Workshop Editor Matt Tomkins and CHG Classics's James Holland to as new standard, with new liners, pistons, crankshaft, bearings, oil pump and more. More details of the rebuild can be found in the supplied PDFs of the car's magazine exposure over the past three years. The result of this huge effort is that the car is now in a better condition than it would have been when it left the factory, and is ready to give the new owner many years of enjoyment.