Aefra's challenge. Cars from memory, The one I wish I could forget. (Reliant Robin)

Member Name: kimking

Product:	Reliant Robin
Date:	06/12/03 (2010 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap to buy, Cheap to tax & insure, Cheap to run

Disadvantages: Cheap, horrible

please skip this first bit to be able to read the review with capital letters intact.
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Aefra has set a challenge asking people to write about their old cars, well at first I wasn't going to rise to this as I don't drive and never have. However the other day while out in town I saw a car that really jogged my memory of the first car (if you can call it that) that my ex-husband Mike and I bought when we first got married back in 1972. I would rather try and forget it but Aefra asked so here goes.

When we were just dating Mike had a motorbike but shortly after we married with the thought of starting a family we decided to change to a car. Mike only had a motorbike licence at the time, so until he passed his test for a car, we bought a (don't laugh) Robin Reliant van as you can drive one of these on a motorbike licence.
This was a horrible thing, which I disliked from the start. The seats were very hard and the heater didn't work.

As we were having to pay for driving lessons as well as getting our first home sorted, money was very tight, so it was a rather clapped out Robin Reliant to say the least but it was only to last until Mike got his licence so we made do. It had a horrible green fibre glass body and of course only three wheels, sometimes it got quite scary going around corners but the worst thing of all was the fact the gear box, and radiator was on its way out and Mike had problems getting it into first gear.

To get to the engine to check the oil and stuff you had to remove a panel inside the car down by your legs, a thin fibreglass panel only covered this and the noise from the engine was quite loud. It has to be the most uncomfortable car ever made.

I remember we had an invite to stay with friends who lived nearly 150 miles away for a couple of days, we weren't sure if the van would make but


we decided to try regardless. Much to our relief the van got us up with only a little trouble from the radiator which had to be topped up constantly, but the next morning Mike found he couldn't get it into first gear at all and the next day we had to drive home.

That journey home is one I'll never forget, the van went fine on the flat, even better down hill but to go up hill was such a struggle that on big hills where you need first gear we could only go up in reverse, But we had to go home as we both had to work the next day. Because it had problems with the radiator we thought we?d best not go on the motorway as it meant stopping so often on the hard shoulder, so we took the pretty way with all the hills.

I can remember sitting in the car going up hill backwards and catching sight of us in the reflection of a shop window. I could see a line of cars all facing one way and us in the middle facing the other, what people must have thought who saw us god only knows but we made it back though.

Two days later the front wheel suspension broke, but Mike Passed his test a week later so we were able to get something better, a nice Zephyr Six, but when ever I see one of those awful three wheeled things on the road I often think about that journey. Although it's something I would rather forget.

They stopped making these cars on 14 February 2001, which although I would never want one again is a pity because they are so cheap to buy and run and although I have an eternal dislike like for this car, some people may find them suitable for their needs. For instants my son is 23 years old and drives a Rover 216 GTI now taking his age and his two years no claim bonus and type of car into account his current insurance is a staggering £1,093.07 per year. I put his details into an online quote web site and if he had the Reliant it would only have cost him £343.30.

Also the road tax for the Reliant is only £60 per year
. A few other good points are, if you don't have a full driving licence you can drive one of these on the provisional licence and you don't even need to be accompanied by a full licence holder as it is classed as a trike. The bodywork is fibreglass, so it won't rust and is easy to repair.

Thanks for reading.

**If you want to take part, please include CARS OF MEMORY in the title and include the following paragraph:

"This review is part of the CARS/MOTOR BIKES OF MEMORY challenge where members are asked to write about cars/motor bikes which bring back memories. ** Katie says she will hurry through any item requests. If they are flagged "Motors" she will see they go through as quickly as possible. She also asks that they not be "In General". Any which have consumer information will be eligible for crowns. **

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