God I'd love to see the video for that :D or even a series of videos of him trolling mechanics. An alignment for the Robin a tuneup for the weego and a fuel filter change for the coda.
@@adewilliam9047 To be fair, there's no "bumper" under that bumper, so it was a deathtrap from the beginning to anyone that treated it like a car (expecting it to protect them from any impact at the front... or anywhere else for that matter). But yes, it would be uncharacteristic for Rob to actually fix something just because it's a hazard. Where's the fun in that? 😂
@@VeganAtheistWeirdo They're surprisingly safe cars. Fibreglass has more tensile strength than steel, and doesn't bend. It shrugs off hits until it reaches it's breaking point, then it shatters. Combined with the light weight and pointed front they tend to get knocked out of the way rather than crushed. It also has the advantage that the engine is between the passengers, not in front, so it can't be forced into the footwells. The chassis rails go up at 45 degrees or so to form the upper suspension mount, so in a direct hit the Robin gets scooped over the incoming car and dumped on one side, cabin still intact. But still, the point is not crash safety. If your kingpin is worn it can and will eventually break, and the wheel will come off. This happens to Morris Minors all the time.
Are you trying to say something about British build quality? I have owned several Britmobiles and I will not stand for it! Mostly because of the rotted floors.
British cars aren't so much built as they grow together from a stack of diverse parts. If you've ever watched Project Binky, you'll know the "quality" of a British car. If you HAVEN'T watched Project Binky.....what's wrong with you? Go watch it NOW!
@@mooneyes2k478 I don’t think they’re really even cars. Just an assemblage of random parts resembling a car and moving in a similar fashion.…until they are not. Most likely due to Lucas wiring
I kind of like this business arrangement. You get paid to stop procrastinating and clean your vehicles, the company gets a good advertisement for their products, we get a good video.
This is why Robert is one of my favorite UA-cam creators... and I sorely miss regular posts from him! Even his commercials (and, let's face it... this is a commercial!) are extremely entertaining and well-produced. And he is genuinely funny... unlike some creators who may think that they are funny, but are really not. Thanks for another great video!
When you say genuinely funny, you mean he has slightly awkward joke execution, yeah, he's great, I'm always coming back for more. I love the split screens where he argues with himself since I do that a fair bit.
@@robertbarker5981They even have the nerve to call their language "English". As an actual Englishman, this is both a source of amusement and frustration in equal measure. 😁
I'm a pretty sweary bastard, but even for me a "bollocks" licence plate makes me suck my teeth a bit. I'd cringe if my six year old said, "Dad,, does that car's license plate say 'bollocks'?" I don't know what would be equivalent in our transatlantic cousins' vernacular? It'd be much closer to an "oh, shit" than a "damn it".
If the front wheel is at a angle you may have king pin problems....if you have the car in the air give the front wheel a wobble, if it has play up and down then you need to rebuild the king pin
I know there has to be some way to correct it since the thing is (in theory) used to steer. Right now it's standing as if on a steer tube joint like the front of a motorcycle (wheel flop), but apparently the body was engineered to eliminate as much of the kinship to cycles as possible, without regard for anyone who might have to maintain it.
The residue from the wording was most probably “NEW YORK” “PARIS” “PECKHAM”. If the Robin was a fish and chip shop delivery car chances are the owners were British, the wording was most probably a subtle nod to a very iconic British BBC comedy television show from the 80/90s set in Peckham in London called only fools and horses who’s main characters drove around in a yellow reliant robin. Sorry for the useless information but if u ever get a chance to check out that show it’s wonderful with British humour at it finest… Great video I love ur taste in cars lol regards from Northern Ireland.
@@kyle8952Quite right. It’s a shame that those who “Trotterised” loads of Robins and Rialtos over the years didn’t realise they were doing it to the wrong car. The worst one I’ve seen was a Rialto saloon with the back windows painted over. The only things they got right were getting a Reliant with 3 wheels and painting it yellow. That’s it. Everything else about it was wrong. Even the sign writing was wrong, with the H missed out of Peckham.🤦🏻♂️
The way you play with creative editing in every video is so fun. And they're all such relatively easy tricks to pull off, you have to wonder why nobody on this platform uses them more often.
As a former owner of a reliant bond bug I would advise you make sure that the king pin is well and often lubricated. They are a pain to replace (if you can get one) and wear fast once lubrication is washed off by rain. The body work may look flimsy but is actually astonishingly strong. I used to stand on the roof of my Bond Bug regularly at sports events for a better view.
Glass reinforced polyester parts can almost always be salvaged and even improved upon. Topcoat cracks however MUST be treated. Otherwise water gets into the glass fibers themselves, making them expand which will keep increasing the damage over time. My minimal advise would be to let the car dry as long as possible and then simply gratuitously rub matching paint / topcoat into the scratches. Should have done that before the buffing and such though. Maybe the ceramic coating can be used in a similar way if it is stable enough on the long term but you'll need a lot of it. Otherwise: Very good show, chap! Rather! :-)
This car looks like you could strip off most of the body, and you will be able to just build a whole new body onto it. So instead of a reliant Robin, you can have an, ibishu pigeon (Videogame car)
Ok, wait a minute. Glass fibers absorb water? That... doesn't sound like a property of glass that I've ever heard of. I mean, it would make sense with the cellulose fiber in the Trabant, but glass? Maybe capillary action between the surface of the glass and the surrounding epoxy? Maybe in spaces between glass fibers? But... glass fibers themselves absorbing water and expanding? Are you sure about that? Ok, just looked at a few papers, and I'm not going down that rabbit hole any further. Glass reinforced composites can absorb water. None of the papers I read had a definitive answer as to the mechanism, but one speculated that "It is assumed that the moisture proceeded by the inward movements due to concentration gradient between the ends and its centre of the composite samples, slowly reacting with the silane coating detaching it from the glass fibre surface allowing further penetration."
The thought of you protecting the shine on your bollocks with Armor Shield IX, made me spit my afternoon tea out. Perhaps you should consider looking to Manscape for sponsorship!
About the scratches, it's very likely that they just sent the Robin though an automatic contact car wash. They're notorious for shredding the paintjobs on cars when the brushes that are used aren't regularly maintained or replaced (which they aren't, because an automatic car wash owner is trying to maximize profits). The vinyl wrap probably protected the paint job from the abrasive brushes. For those people out there who want to go through an automatic car wash, always go contactless!
@@lightningdemolition1964 Neither the Robin or the Trabant would pass tech. I mean, it is a real race series, and they do have safety regs, and you have to get a roll cage in there. If he tunes into Lemons Carspotting, he can get a pretty good idea what the organizers want to see as an entry. The weirder the better, and Aging Wheels excels in that, lol...
OK people. What is the car most likely he'd go for while still meeting the regs for LeMons? A beat up Bricklin? Subaru SVX? VW Thing? An Isetta wouldn't qualify. How about a 2CV? A Peugeot 203, 403 or 404?
@@alexandermckay8594 Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that Durango, if he still has it. He said he paid $500 for it, with the intention of making a Kill-The-Durango video. $500 is the max a car can cost for lemons, so that's convenient, lol. I mean, he already has the vehicle. Just come up with a good theme for the car and team... Otherwise, some Eastern European two-stroke, maybe like a Lada or Fiat clone. It doesn't have to be fast, it just has to last the race. And not sold in the US. The Lemons guys were enamored recently with this Caddy that had the rear seat section removed. It was a 4 door that had the rear of the cabin chopped out and turned into a two-seater, with ridiculous front and rear overhangs, lol. (Some company actually did this as a conversion.) That sounds like something right up Aging Wheel's wheelhouse. 😁 Think of the number of videos he could get create out of this...
Most of the archetypal tight-fisted Reliant owners from Northern England would never have splashed out on such expensive cleaning products. That’s not to say they wouldn’t have looked after their Reliants - they had spent their hard earned cash on them after all - but they would have been washed in the cheapest way possible. Most likely with a hint of washing up liquid in a bucket of cold water, with a rag made from a pair of old y-fronts. Every pound was a prisoner with those blokes.
@@BungleBare I wasn't even referring to any particular type of owner; but the Reliants seem like a budget car to me and that makes me think "budget care" too :)
@@atkelar it wasn't a budget car at the time surprisingly. A new Reliant cost around £8000 (11,000USD). I assume it was due to the body being fibreglass and the car costing pennies to maintain.
@@John-ci2sd interesting... it always struck me as a cheaper solution than most other cars... Maybe around here there were plenty of 3-wheeled semi-car like things that were certainly cheper... But I still say that this one has gotten one of the best care packets of the entire fleet 😁
@@jamesengland7461 elbow grease is the effort you use to do a job right and gives you the satisfaction you will never feel half-assing a job or paying someone else to do it for you! 😉🙈🙉🙊
London, New York and Peckham is a reference to a classic UK sitcom called Only Fools and Horses in which they had a yellow Reliant Robin with that sign writing. Guess the chippy was on Rugby (a UK town) so London, New York and Rugby as an homage to the sitcom
I seriously get very happy when you post new content! I would like to think we would be friends if I lived anywhere remotely close to you but more realistically I would constantly ask you for advice and occasionally beg you to borrow tools... and help. So yeah, a friend :)
I managed to put a Reliant SE4a through a wall once, and the fibreglass did absorb the impact by flying apart. There was no mechanical damage and I was able to drive the car home minus half the front end. Graft on new fibreglass repair section, and away you go!
My friend rolled one through a wire fence into a field at a fair speed on one occasion. It was quickly set upright on the wheels again and dove away with practically no damage. Same car pulling out of the driveway had the whole nose ripped off it by a passing vehicle at 30mph, we thought that was the end of it but someone in the know put it right in about three days and back on the road. On another note though these things burn out fast and I mean fast! Five to ten minutes and everything is near enough gone. Down to a frame, engine block wheels, seat frames etc in a moment.
@@agingwheels video suggestion? If your in an area which receives snowfall drive the Robin at the point where the road has a snow covering with two black strips cleared by other road users. The single front wheel and rear wheel drive makes for an interesting commute
I had a Regal because at the time in UK you could drive a Reliant 3 wheeler on just a motorcycle licence. It was great fun but I didn't keep it after I passed my car test because I knew they do not come out well in any sort of collision. A neighbour had one and he crashed at about 20 mph. The fibreglass was just wrecked and the car was written off.
Steel panels aren't much better though. Severe creases in the metal can mean complete replacement of the panel. And a lot of cars have some very large, one piece panels. Which is why 'bumpers' are usually made of plastic. At least the Reliant won't rust away. 😁
One of these days you should try and get your hands on an example of Reliant's other car, the Scimitar, and do a comparison. It's sort of the antithesis of the plastic pig in every way except the body construction. Ideal for America too, goes like stink but doesn't like bends very much.
This video was really nice. At the end I was happy about the Reliant, good progress was made! I didn't feel like I was rushed through checkpoints of stuff, it all had a nice flow to it. Sorry this is a bit of a weird comment I guess. Thanks for the nice entertainment for a couple years now!
"Your windshield, your headlights, your bollocks... ", and just like that I got a repeat lesson on what phosphoric acid feels like when shot out the sinuses. Well done.
you're good at the whole "lets disguise a sponsor spot as an actual on topic video for my channel" thing by "good" i mean that i don't mind it so strenuously with you as i do with others
Love the video, Robert. I would love to see a picture of this Reliant Robin next to the Hubnut Reliant Fox, Foxanne. Almost the same colour, but Foxanne was painted with household paint applied with a roller and sealed with something. It was a bodged job, anyway. How very Hubnut!
Reliant did make a four wheeled version of an earlier iteration of the Robin, known as the Kitten. See also the related Sipani Dolphin - a licence-built variant of the Kitten.
Just an FYI the camber of the front wheel was set to offset the camber of UK roads (drainage pooling down to the left) to give straight tracking on our roads, and wasnt meant for exporting to LHD countries with the opposite camber! Also get someone sat in the drivers seat and it soons gets much straighter - camber adjustment using load relocation! Love how you got her all cleaned up. Wish mine still looked like that but it has no body or anything now and a motorcycle front end!
We had a Reliant Robin for a few years back in our 20s that we resprayed in Trotter colours (I know, theirs was a Realto, we worked with what we had got). I remember three things about it 1) the acceleration was impressive for such a tiny engine, on account of the overall weight being very low 2) the handling was atrocious at low speed and lethal over 30 mph 3) I'm an averagely built man and the tapered driver's footwell was only just large enough to accommodate my legs when the seat was at full reach. Your knees are the crumple zone. Lots of fun.
I watch your videos and legit think in my head man this guy is doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing. You are in your element doing what you love and it shows on camera and that’s one of the big reasons that I enjoy watching it so much. You’re awesome! keep doing your doing and I can’t wait to see the next video!!
Ah, the good old 'plastic pig' as we used to call them here in the UK, actually went for a test drive with my dad in one of these (the older, boxier type you guys probably never got) and it felt soooo scary but (presumably due to the lightweight construction) quite quick!
Big love from Manchester, UK. Love seeing the occasional one of these out on the roads. Nowhere near common (I've seen more Ferrari's on the road than Reliants) but I take a good look when I can. When are you going to rally cross it?
Hey Rob, your videos are sincerely funny, no bullshit, humble, creative, educational, not overedited, original in style, just pure great. Greetings from far away Finland and I hope you enjoy making these, wish you all the best!
For shits and giggles, and huge WHY factor, you should airbag this thing. Would be HILARIOUS to see a robin laying frame at car shows. Those scratches look just like the ones on my BMW, even on the glass. You know what tells me? SOMEONE used the forbidden scrubby brush at the self serve car wash. Never use the scrubby brush at the self serve car wash.
Ideally you should buff off with a soft dry microfibre, then flip the cloth and spray dilute IPA (10-20%) or panel wipe so you have a pristine surface on which to apply your ceramic coating. Saves going over it twice 🙂 also allows inspection of the finish with no polish oils making things look nicer than they really are
She looks really lovely - a car you can be proud to own! Here's hoping to another little trip video in her one day - or maybe there's a classic car meet you could take her to?
That Robin doesn't have defects, it has _character._ Good thing its owner is one as well! Thanks for an enjoyable video. By the way, does a Reliant Robin have a spare tire? If so, stored where? And how do you change the front wheel? Inquiring minds want to know!
At c. 01:10 - Back in the 1980's, I had a neighbour who drove a Robin, and he crunched the front end. A day or two later, involving a visit to a workshop, the car looked brand new again. It was much cheaper to repair than a metal bodied car. Reliant bodywork repairs will look invisible if done properly.
Make it look tons better. I like that you have an odd cars collection of cars. They're all special in their own ways. Maybe you should add a Niva to the lot. I like the Niva. Wouldn't buy one, but I like it.
I dont know if you've seen a British sitcom called Only Fools and Horses but the main character famously drives one of these (bright yellow 60s or 70s van version) and that I expect is the reason for 'London, New York, Rugby' being on the rear, its a good show, watching it is rather a right of passage for a Robin owner
There's a bit of a problem with attaching things with JB Weld. It can crack and the whole thing just pops off. Don't ask me how I know. The reason they used fiberglass originally is because even if the resin cracks the fibers will still hold it together. I would strongly recommend redoing your mounting studs with something containing fibers. I know it's not "factory original" but I probably would have reattached the grille mesh with hardware that would make it easy to remove and replace in the future. That said, all your work was worth it. It looks a LOT better and is protected to stay looking better longer.
I worked in a place that made these shells in Colchester, UK, The dust and working conditions were awful, I went home at lunchtime on my first day and never went back, late 1980`s
Sept 2018 I used Avalon King on my cars. Worked very well. I’m overdue for a reapplication. I ordered the kit. Actually I took the 1/2 price deal and got a second bottle, too. I just applied it to my GTI for the second time. It looks great but I’ve got an amazing tip for any of you that might wish to take the plunge. That fancy chrome looking bottle is in fact made of glass. If you’re like me you’re probably detailing your car on a cement garage floor. And you might be wearing the latex gloves that came with the kit. Know this: Slippery Gloves + Glass Bottle + Cement Floor = A very expensive mess to clean up. Ask me how I know. Oh, well. At least I had the second bottle. Bummer. But the car looks great.
Looks good ! The scratches I’m sure are from factory we didn’t really give a shit here in the uk when we made our cars. We just made it three paint at it and sent it to the showroom
For the cleaning off of the compound, it depends. There should be an instruction(s) on the compound itself. Most are dry (usually hand) afterwards, however, I ran across a few that said they needed to be cleared off with either only water, very mild soapy water (iirc, 1/4 the amount of soap you would use for per gallon of water), or standard washing. If the compound doesn't say, remove dry by hand is the way to go.
A few things to do when you decide to do this again. First off after the prep wash, use a claybar and clay lube to decontaminate the paint. Once that is done and you've buffed the car, you need to dry buff the extra polish with a microfiber towel. From there you can do the ceramic coat. I'd personally let the car sit inside for 24hrs before any water should touch it.
I hope you see this. The "London New York" decals on the back would have been a parody of the Only Fools And Horses Robin Reliant. It was a comedy show in the UK, and their logo was "Trotter's Independent Traders" or TITS for short LOL. Every time I see the license plate on the front I burst out laughing. I lived in the U.S for 9 years and they absolutely loved the word bollocks. The funny part was hearing them trying to say it properly. Most said "Bull ox". So congrats on your perfect rendition :D
I've got five bucks on those scratches being due to washing at a coin-op car wash, using the brush. Brush has tons of embedded dirt from washing tires, but whoever at the fish and chips joint was tasked with washing the delivery car just took it to the car wash and smeared a dirty brush all over it. Glass and all.
"Excuse me while I struggle. " As someone who has spent several years struggling with automobile service, I totally understand. But look at the results - it looks at least 5 times better 🙂👍
Just for the laughs, you should take it to an alignment shop to get a front aligned.
LOL
I'll bet they do it for free!
Hopefully someone doesn't drive it into the inspection pit....
These cars are a bitch to front end align. The castor and toe rods are always seized.
God I'd love to see the video for that :D or even a series of videos of him trolling mechanics. An alignment for the Robin a tuneup for the weego and a fuel filter change for the coda.
If a Reliant front wheel is leaning like that, the kingpin is worn out and needs replacing.
This is a safety issue, so watch him not do it.
Ah, yes, just as per his favorite category of car, deathtrap
@@adewilliam9047 basically every old car of the time
@@adewilliam9047 To be fair, there's no "bumper" under that bumper, so it was a deathtrap from the beginning to anyone that treated it like a car (expecting it to protect them from any impact at the front... or anywhere else for that matter). But yes, it would be uncharacteristic for Rob to actually fix something just because it's a hazard. Where's the fun in that? 😂
“So I’m gonna go ahead and do the Right Thing, and pretend we didn’t look under there…”
@@VeganAtheistWeirdo They're surprisingly safe cars. Fibreglass has more tensile strength than steel, and doesn't bend. It shrugs off hits until it reaches it's breaking point, then it shatters. Combined with the light weight and pointed front they tend to get knocked out of the way rather than crushed. It also has the advantage that the engine is between the passengers, not in front, so it can't be forced into the footwells. The chassis rails go up at 45 degrees or so to form the upper suspension mount, so in a direct hit the Robin gets scooped over the incoming car and dumped on one side, cabin still intact.
But still, the point is not crash safety. If your kingpin is worn it can and will eventually break, and the wheel will come off. This happens to Morris Minors all the time.
Some of those scratches may be factory standard. Either way, it looks nice and shiny.
Are you trying to say something about British build quality? I have owned several Britmobiles and I will not stand for it! Mostly because of the rotted floors.
@@WayneMoyer british cars especially Leyland liked to rot, I've been there too
@@Charlie-zb5oh They used compressed rust instead of steel.
British cars aren't so much built as they grow together from a stack of diverse parts. If you've ever watched Project Binky, you'll know the "quality" of a British car. If you HAVEN'T watched Project Binky.....what's wrong with you? Go watch it NOW!
@@mooneyes2k478 I don’t think they’re really even cars. Just an assemblage of random parts resembling a car and moving in a similar fashion.…until they are not. Most likely due to Lucas wiring
I kind of like this business arrangement. You get paid to stop procrastinating and clean your vehicles, the company gets a good advertisement for their products, we get a good video.
This is why Robert is one of my favorite UA-cam creators... and I sorely miss regular posts from him! Even his commercials (and, let's face it... this is a commercial!) are extremely entertaining and well-produced. And he is genuinely funny... unlike some creators who may think that they are funny, but are really not. Thanks for another great video!
All true.
When you say genuinely funny, you mean he has slightly awkward joke execution, yeah, he's great, I'm always coming back for more. I love the split screens where he argues with himself since I do that a fair bit.
More infomercial than commercial, but you're not wrong
As a Brit, I'm really enjoying your attempts to say "bollocks". 😁
It's really strange hearing an American say very British words
@@robertbarker5981They even have the nerve to call their language "English". As an actual Englishman, this is both a source of amusement and frustration in equal measure. 😁
I'm a pretty sweary bastard, but even for me a "bollocks" licence plate makes me suck my teeth a bit. I'd cringe if my six year old said, "Dad,, does that car's license plate say 'bollocks'?" I don't know what would be equivalent in our transatlantic cousins' vernacular? It'd be much closer to an "oh, shit" than a "damn it".
The results of his pronunciation attempts are such bollocks.
If the front wheel is at a angle you may have king pin problems....if you have the car in the air give the front wheel a wobble, if it has play up and down then you need to rebuild the king pin
I know there has to be some way to correct it since the thing is (in theory) used to steer. Right now it's standing as if on a steer tube joint like the front of a motorcycle (wheel flop), but apparently the body was engineered to eliminate as much of the kinship to cycles as possible, without regard for anyone who might have to maintain it.
The residue from the wording was most probably “NEW YORK” “PARIS” “PECKHAM”. If the Robin was a fish and chip shop delivery car chances are the owners were British, the wording was most probably a subtle nod to a very iconic British BBC comedy television show from the 80/90s set in Peckham in London called only fools and horses who’s main characters drove around in a yellow reliant robin. Sorry for the useless information but if u ever get a chance to check out that show it’s wonderful with British humour at it finest…
Great video I love ur taste in cars lol regards from Northern Ireland.
It wasn't a Robin, it was a Regal. The Regal is a much more old fashioned car
lol , me and every other british ( or only fools & horses fan ) subscriber were probably shouting at the screen
@@kyle8952 Indeed, but most people don't know the difference. I actually think it was a supervan, the regal being the passenger version.
I think I'd take issue with "British humour at it finest" - maybe seventies british humour that feels painfully dated?
@@kyle8952Quite right. It’s a shame that those who “Trotterised” loads of Robins and Rialtos over the years didn’t realise they were doing it to the wrong car. The worst one I’ve seen was a Rialto saloon with the back windows painted over. The only things they got right were getting a Reliant with 3 wheels and painting it yellow. That’s it. Everything else about it was wrong. Even the sign writing was wrong, with the H missed out of Peckham.🤦🏻♂️
The way you play with creative editing in every video is so fun. And they're all such relatively easy tricks to pull off, you have to wonder why nobody on this platform uses them more often.
This is exceedingly satisfying ☺️
Bumper? No. Robin has fascia.
As a former owner of a reliant bond bug I would advise you make sure that the king pin is well and often lubricated. They are a pain to replace (if you can get one) and wear fast once lubrication is washed off by rain. The body work may look flimsy but is actually astonishingly strong. I used to stand on the roof of my Bond Bug regularly at sports events for a better view.
Glass reinforced polyester parts can almost always be salvaged and even improved upon. Topcoat cracks however MUST be treated. Otherwise water gets into the glass fibers themselves, making them expand which will keep increasing the damage over time. My minimal advise would be to let the car dry as long as possible and then simply gratuitously rub matching paint / topcoat into the scratches. Should have done that before the buffing and such though. Maybe the ceramic coating can be used in a similar way if it is stable enough on the long term but you'll need a lot of it. Otherwise: Very good show, chap! Rather! :-)
This car looks like you could strip off most of the body, and you will be able to just build a whole new body onto it. So instead of a reliant Robin, you can have an, ibishu pigeon (Videogame car)
Ok, wait a minute. Glass fibers absorb water? That... doesn't sound like a property of glass that I've ever heard of. I mean, it would make sense with the cellulose fiber in the Trabant, but glass?
Maybe capillary action between the surface of the glass and the surrounding epoxy? Maybe in spaces between glass fibers? But... glass fibers themselves absorbing water and expanding? Are you sure about that?
Ok, just looked at a few papers, and I'm not going down that rabbit hole any further. Glass reinforced composites can absorb water. None of the papers I read had a definitive answer as to the mechanism, but one speculated that "It is assumed that the moisture proceeded by the inward movements due to concentration gradient between the
ends and its centre of the composite samples, slowly reacting with the silane coating detaching it from the glass fibre surface allowing further penetration."
*advice
the scratches are probably from automatic car washes and it was probably washed weekly like that so it probably just eroded the paint away over time
The thought of you protecting the shine on your bollocks with Armor Shield IX, made me spit my afternoon tea out. Perhaps you should consider looking to Manscape for sponsorship!
I'm pretty sure you adjust the camber by steering into the curb and hoping that fixes it.
Ah, the hi tech approach
About the scratches, it's very likely that they just sent the Robin though an automatic contact car wash. They're notorious for shredding the paintjobs on cars when the brushes that are used aren't regularly maintained or replaced (which they aren't, because an automatic car wash owner is trying to maximize profits). The vinyl wrap probably protected the paint job from the abrasive brushes.
For those people out there who want to go through an automatic car wash, always go contactless!
That was my first thought. You want your delivery car to be clean and the "free with a fill-up" car-wash is hard to resist.
As a Brit I approve of the 'bollocks' license plate and fish n chips history.
Robert needs to put together a 24hrs of Lemons team.
He's good at fabricating, and could get some oddball junker and turn it into a Class C racer...
24 Hours of Trabant
Maybe the robin?
@@lightningdemolition1964 Neither the Robin or the Trabant would pass tech.
I mean, it is a real race series, and they do have safety regs, and you have to get a roll cage in there.
If he tunes into Lemons Carspotting, he can get a pretty good idea what the organizers want to see as an entry. The weirder the better, and Aging Wheels excels in that, lol...
OK people. What is the car most likely he'd go for while still meeting the regs for LeMons? A beat up Bricklin? Subaru SVX? VW Thing? An Isetta wouldn't qualify. How about a 2CV? A Peugeot 203, 403 or 404?
@@alexandermckay8594 Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that Durango, if he still has it. He said he paid $500 for it, with the intention of making a Kill-The-Durango video. $500 is the max a car can cost for lemons, so that's convenient, lol.
I mean, he already has the vehicle. Just come up with a good theme for the car and team...
Otherwise, some Eastern European two-stroke, maybe like a Lada or Fiat clone. It doesn't have to be fast, it just has to last the race. And not sold in the US.
The Lemons guys were enamored recently with this Caddy that had the rear seat section removed. It was a 4 door that had the rear of the cabin chopped out and turned into a two-seater, with ridiculous front and rear overhangs, lol. (Some company actually did this as a conversion.)
That sounds like something right up Aging Wheel's wheelhouse. 😁
Think of the number of videos he could get create out of this...
I love how the Reliant's front is just a badly molded Corsa
Well the headlights are off of a corsa
@@RockyFoxxowo I'm not sure which of the two cars looks more cross-eyed with those lights.
@@jasejj I think the corsa
@@RockyFoxxowo pretty sure it's the same headlights as the Corsa hatchback (aka the Corsa Wind as it was known here in my country) from the 90s
Robert, just wanted to say, your videos always makes me laugh! And I really enjoy you showing off your pet chickens!
This is probably more cleaning action **any** of these cars has ever gotten! 😁
Most of the archetypal tight-fisted Reliant owners from Northern England would never have splashed out on such expensive cleaning products. That’s not to say they wouldn’t have looked after their Reliants - they had spent their hard earned cash on them after all - but they would have been washed in the cheapest way possible. Most likely with a hint of washing up liquid in a bucket of cold water, with a rag made from a pair of old y-fronts. Every pound was a prisoner with those blokes.
@@BungleBare I wasn't even referring to any particular type of owner; but the Reliants seem like a budget car to me and that makes me think "budget care" too :)
@@atkelar it wasn't a budget car at the time surprisingly. A new Reliant cost around £8000 (11,000USD). I assume it was due to the body being fibreglass and the car costing pennies to maintain.
@@John-ci2sd interesting... it always struck me as a cheaper solution than most other cars... Maybe around here there were plenty of 3-wheeled semi-car like things that were certainly cheper... But I still say that this one has gotten one of the best care packets of the entire fleet 😁
You just gotta love the classic British Leyland standard of quality 😁
At least, the Robin won't rust.
It's best to dry buff the polishing compound off. Even though it requires more elbow grease at times.
What's dry elbow grease?
@@jamesengland7461 elbow grease is the effort you use to do a job right and gives you the satisfaction you will never feel half-assing a job or paying someone else to do it for you! 😉🙈🙉🙊
But he is too lazy to do it right 🙄
@@datasecure5790 there's a new dry version? lol
@@jamesengland7461 I'll check it out maybe I was wrong 🤔
London, New York and Peckham is a reference to a classic UK sitcom called Only Fools and Horses in which they had a yellow Reliant Robin with that sign writing. Guess the chippy was on Rugby (a UK town) so London, New York and Rugby as an homage to the sitcom
What a lovely little car, you'll certainly get noticed in that. Thanks for the ceramic coating demo too.
Those time lapse edits are so clean.
Pun intended
I seriously get very happy when you post new content! I would like to think we would be friends if I lived anywhere remotely close to you but more realistically I would constantly ask you for advice and occasionally beg you to borrow tools... and help. So yeah, a friend :)
Thanks Avalon King! The robin has never looked better and I loved watching the transformation.
Rob, are you getting into a cleaning frenzy? It’s hilarious to watch
More like he's getting that _sweet_ Avalon King money, but they don't need to be mutually exclusive. 😏
@@danielseelye6005 Sponsorship money and free cleaning products? Yeah, I'd wash a few cars for that.
On the accident all one panel thing, you can smash those things with a sledgehammer, it will bounce off.
In the owner's manual they practically brag about that fact, but they also add the panels may "splinter or break, but they always retain their shape".
😂 Amazing
I managed to put a Reliant SE4a through a wall once, and the fibreglass did absorb the impact by flying apart. There was no mechanical damage and I was able to drive the car home minus half the front end. Graft on new fibreglass repair section, and away you go!
My friend rolled one through a wire fence into a field at a fair speed on one occasion. It was quickly set upright on the wheels again and dove away with practically no damage.
Same car pulling out of the driveway had the whole nose ripped off it by a passing vehicle at 30mph, we thought that was the end of it but someone in the know put it right in about three days and back on the road.
On another note though these things burn out fast and I mean fast! Five to ten minutes and everything is near enough gone. Down to a frame, engine block wheels, seat frames etc in a moment.
@@agingwheels video suggestion?
If your in an area which receives snowfall drive the Robin at the point where the road has a snow covering with two black strips cleared by other road users. The single front wheel and rear wheel drive makes for an interesting commute
I had a Regal because at the time in UK you could drive a Reliant 3 wheeler on just a motorcycle licence. It was great fun but I didn't keep it after I passed my car test because I knew they do not come out well in any sort of collision. A neighbour had one and he crashed at about 20 mph. The fibreglass was just wrecked and the car was written off.
Steel panels aren't much better though. Severe creases in the metal can mean complete replacement of the panel. And a lot of cars have some very large, one piece panels. Which is why 'bumpers' are usually made of plastic. At least the Reliant won't rust away. 😁
Shinier than a new pin. Hope you're all good. Be well and stay safe. UK.
How can you not love a guy who has a Trabi, a Robin AND Chickens 🐔?
Cheers🍻
Greg😎
One of these days you should try and get your hands on an example of Reliant's other car, the Scimitar, and do a comparison. It's sort of the antithesis of the plastic pig in every way except the body construction. Ideal for America too, goes like stink but doesn't like bends very much.
Just went and Googled it. It's actually a pretty cool car. Would fit in his collection pretty well too.
You forget to mention what the Scimitar is best known for.
@@dave4803 Going through hedges backwards?
Mandatory fact: Princess Anne drove one or two.
For its age the scimitar actually handled pretty well considering the boat anchor in the front. Although i'm biased since i own one.
This video was really nice. At the end I was happy about the Reliant, good progress was made! I didn't feel like I was rushed through checkpoints of stuff, it all had a nice flow to it. Sorry this is a bit of a weird comment I guess. Thanks for the nice entertainment for a couple years now!
"Your windshield, your headlights, your bollocks... ", and just like that I got a repeat lesson on what phosphoric acid feels like when shot out the sinuses. Well done.
you're good at the whole "lets disguise a sponsor spot as an actual on topic video for my channel" thing
by "good" i mean that i don't mind it so strenuously with you as i do with others
I'm really impressed how hard you worked your bollocks, you really managed to get a nice shine on them.
Love the video, Robert. I would love to see a picture of this Reliant Robin next to the Hubnut Reliant Fox, Foxanne. Almost the same colour, but Foxanne was painted with household paint applied with a roller and sealed with something. It was a bodged job, anyway. How very Hubnut!
That picture would be difficult logistically; the cars are on different continents.
Such a fun car! I am glad to learn that they are not as dangerous as I thought they might be haha! Super cool to see you take care of it!
The car actually looks kinda neat and sporty from the quarter panel angle at 6:20. The only thing missing is a matching front wheel 😂
Reliant did make a four wheeled version of an earlier iteration of the Robin, known as the Kitten. See also the related Sipani Dolphin - a licence-built variant of the Kitten.
Just an FYI the camber of the front wheel was set to offset the camber of UK roads (drainage pooling down to the left) to give straight tracking on our roads, and wasnt meant for exporting to LHD countries with the opposite camber! Also get someone sat in the drivers seat and it soons gets much straighter - camber adjustment using load relocation! Love how you got her all cleaned up. Wish mine still looked like that but it has no body or anything now and a motorcycle front end!
I drive Robins for years before moving to the states , I had 3, loved every one of them
We had a Reliant Robin for a few years back in our 20s that we resprayed in Trotter colours (I know, theirs was a Realto, we worked with what we had got). I remember three things about it 1) the acceleration was impressive for such a tiny engine, on account of the overall weight being very low 2) the handling was atrocious at low speed and lethal over 30 mph 3) I'm an averagely built man and the tapered driver's footwell was only just large enough to accommodate my legs when the seat was at full reach. Your knees are the crumple zone. Lots of fun.
Watching this was incredibly entertaining- thanks!
The ONLY sponsor segments I don’t skip
I watch your videos and legit think in my head man this guy is doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing. You are in your element doing what you love and it shows on camera and that’s one of the big reasons that I enjoy watching it so much. You’re awesome! keep doing your doing and I can’t wait to see the next video!!
Ah, the good old 'plastic pig' as we used to call them here in the UK, actually went for a test drive with my dad in one of these (the older, boxier type you guys probably never got) and it felt soooo scary but (presumably due to the lightweight construction) quite quick!
The first time I was on a Reliant the driver drove 50mph around corners and did 80 on the motorway... It was interesting
@@John-ci2sd yep, like I said, disturbingly quick for a car one wheel short!
@@splatmanhooha4264 it really is. You get used to it though. I tend to always hold onto the door's glove box when going around corners.
Big love from Manchester, UK. Love seeing the occasional one of these out on the roads. Nowhere near common (I've seen more Ferrari's on the road than Reliants) but I take a good look when I can.
When are you going to rally cross it?
Neat
Hey Rob, your videos are sincerely funny, no bullshit, humble, creative, educational, not overedited, original in style, just pure great. Greetings from far away Finland and I hope you enjoy making these, wish you all the best!
Robert's Reliant Robin restoration. I'd love to visit his shop, so much cool stuff.
The “Yodeling Grinder”!! 🤣
3:12 It sounds like SpongeBob laughing! 😂
For shits and giggles, and huge WHY factor, you should airbag this thing. Would be HILARIOUS to see a robin laying frame at car shows.
Those scratches look just like the ones on my BMW, even on the glass. You know what tells me? SOMEONE used the forbidden scrubby brush at the self serve car wash. Never use the scrubby brush at the self serve car wash.
Ideally you should buff off with a soft dry microfibre, then flip the cloth and spray dilute IPA (10-20%) or panel wipe so you have a pristine surface on which to apply your ceramic coating. Saves going over it twice 🙂 also allows inspection of the finish with no polish oils making things look nicer than they really are
I don't usually have IPA, would a lager work?
@@aaronscholl9560 Really need Weissbier as it's German precision
@@ckyliu it’s a British car, needs a traditional ale.
She looks really lovely - a car you can be proud to own! Here's hoping to another little trip video in her one day - or maybe there's a classic car meet you could take her to?
"Gotta clean off my bollucks real good" - Aging Wheels 2022
That Robin doesn't have defects, it has _character._
Good thing its owner is one as well!
Thanks for an enjoyable video. By the way, does a Reliant Robin have a spare tire? If so, stored where? And how do you change the front wheel? Inquiring minds want to know!
Love how good his transitions are
At c. 01:10 - Back in the 1980's, I had a neighbour who drove a Robin, and he crunched the front end. A day or two later, involving a visit to a workshop, the car looked brand new again. It was much cheaper to repair than a metal bodied car. Reliant bodywork repairs will look invisible if done properly.
You know, I was just looking for a detailing video on a Reliant Robin. Perfect timing.
That ceramic coat is impressive. I might have to bite the bullet and buy some
Beautiful work friend, watching it is deeply satisfying: D. This is a return to the good old garage videos. Greetings from the Czech Republic!
Make it look tons better. I like that you have an odd cars collection of cars. They're all special in their own ways. Maybe you should add a Niva to the lot. I like the Niva. Wouldn't buy one, but I like it.
Love what you have as the licence plate...!
What kind of magic juice did you use to remove the sticker residue?
Second this! Inquiring minds want to know.... 🤠❤🔥⚒
I’ve used goo gone to get off similar residue
Dunno what Robert used (IPA maybe?), but I find eucalyptus oil works a treat for removing sticker residue.
6:12 "..That's going to go away after I buff it." Sounds like both a prayer and a threat.
I dont know if you've seen a British sitcom called Only Fools and Horses but the main character famously drives one of these (bright yellow 60s or 70s van version) and that I expect is the reason for 'London, New York, Rugby' being on the rear, its a good show, watching it is rather a right of passage for a Robin owner
It's like polishing a turd. Do go on.
Reminds me i haven't cleaned my own 3 wheeler in a year: sinclair c5.
Ooh! Robert need to review that!
@@daddyspooge1 yeah i bet he'd love it, its the quirkiest thing with pedals ever made. in the us sadly very rare
Ive never seen or heard of a goat-powered die grinder before. I learn new things on this channel all the time.
Congratulations on the success of your last video!
I'd love to know what kind of MPG that thing gets you should do a fleet MPG comparison
from memory about 40 MPG ( unless you're trying to go up a steep hill )
@@888johnmac remember American MPG's are less than UK MPG's, Imperial gallons vs. what we call a gallon here 😉
There's a bit of a problem with attaching things with JB Weld. It can crack and the whole thing just pops off. Don't ask me how I know. The reason they used fiberglass originally is because even if the resin cracks the fibers will still hold it together. I would strongly recommend redoing your mounting studs with something containing fibers.
I know it's not "factory original" but I probably would have reattached the grille mesh with hardware that would make it easy to remove and replace in the future.
That said, all your work was worth it. It looks a LOT better and is protected to stay looking better longer.
I worked in a place that made these shells in Colchester, UK, The dust and working conditions were awful, I went home at lunchtime on my first day and never went back, late 1980`s
Sept 2018 I used Avalon King on my cars. Worked very well. I’m overdue for a reapplication. I ordered the kit. Actually I took the 1/2 price deal and got a second bottle, too. I just applied it to my GTI for the second time. It looks great but I’ve got an amazing tip for any of you that might wish to take the plunge. That fancy chrome looking bottle is in fact made of glass. If you’re like me you’re probably detailing your car on a cement garage floor. And you might be wearing the latex gloves that came with the kit. Know this: Slippery Gloves + Glass Bottle + Cement Floor = A very expensive mess to clean up. Ask me how I know. Oh, well. At least I had the second bottle. Bummer. But the car looks great.
Looks good ! The scratches I’m sure are from factory we didn’t really give a shit here in the uk when we made our cars. We just made it three paint at it and sent it to the showroom
I totally wish I had your car collection. Love love love them all. You need a Zaporozhets or (ZAZ), to go nicely with your Wartberg and Trabant.
You really are the Internet's premier owner of ironic cars. hats off to you
I love how the thumbnails of polishing videos always look like "Before: normal car. After: same picture with the gamma turned up."
You gotta love the old English car imperfections. Or as Derek from Vice Grip Garage would say, "It's Factree"
Honestly I love the old cars, but I'll never get one because of the safety issues. You're a braver man than I am.
For the cleaning off of the compound, it depends. There should be an instruction(s) on the compound itself. Most are dry (usually hand) afterwards, however, I ran across a few that said they needed to be cleared off with either only water, very mild soapy water (iirc, 1/4 the amount of soap you would use for per gallon of water), or standard washing. If the compound doesn't say, remove dry by hand is the way to go.
A few things to do when you decide to do this again. First off after the prep wash, use a claybar and clay lube to decontaminate the paint. Once that is done and you've buffed the car, you need to dry buff the extra polish with a microfiber towel. From there you can do the ceramic coat. I'd personally let the car sit inside for 24hrs before any water should touch it.
I hope you see this. The "London New York" decals on the back would have been a parody of the Only Fools And Horses Robin Reliant. It was a comedy show in the UK, and their logo was "Trotter's Independent Traders" or TITS for short LOL. Every time I see the license plate on the front I burst out laughing. I lived in the U.S for 9 years and they absolutely loved the word bollocks. The funny part was hearing them trying to say it properly. Most said "Bull ox". So congrats on your perfect rendition :D
Nice to see a vid from you after getting covid
Robert they are not scratches, they are speed lines. Think of it as a micro approach to air dams and foils. It helps the RR track straight on the road
I just spent 12 minutes watch some guy washing his "car", and loving every second of it.
I've got five bucks on those scratches being due to washing at a coin-op car wash, using the brush. Brush has tons of embedded dirt from washing tires, but whoever at the fish and chips joint was tasked with washing the delivery car just took it to the car wash and smeared a dirty brush all over it. Glass and all.
Love your videos. Thanks for the laughs. Peace.
Thanks for the laughs after a hard day. Like the left in mistakes, your editing is great.
I have no clue why you dislike BuffOUT, Robert (5:09). It's one of the best Fallout boosts, it saved my life countless times lol
Another great video!!!......Robbins are terrific in an odd sort of way...lol
You are clearly a bright fellow.
☮
"Excuse me while I struggle. "
As someone who has spent several years struggling with automobile service, I totally understand. But look at the results - it looks at least 5 times better 🙂👍
you got a thumbs up for no other reason than using the word 'yodeling' in a car video :) Keep up the great work Robert.
I thoroughly enjoy your editing style.
Keep going you are soooooo much fun to watch plus you have some real cool cars!
Love the tag! I wish I could drive around with that! I assume you have seen the top gear RR clip...
That car is so perfectly imperfect!
Definitely a big improvement. You probably put more work into that than has been put into all other Robins combined.