So, That Reliant Isn't Happening

"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked) 04/19/2019 at 16:30 • Filed to: None

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This kind of ticks me off, I’ve been em ailing back and forth with a sales manager at a classic car dealer regarding a 1990 Reliant Robin for about the past month and a half - I ‘d make an offer, it would take a week to hear back, make a counter offer, take another week, then the communication just stopped. I found out today the guy I was dealing with no longer works there, the new guy got the owner to accept my offer within a few hours.

Unfortunately, he emailed back a bit later - the car isn’t for sale after all, it’s part of a display the owner doesn’t want to break up, but it was listed for sale online and we spent over a month back and forth on a price.

This is the only MkII Robin for sale in the Western Hemisphere at the moment, so that kind of wrecks my plans. I had contacted some importers, but ended up telling them to cancel, because it seemed like this deal was going to go through quicker.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > ranwhenparked 04/19/2019 at 16:41

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As Tripper can attest to, I can steer you correct when it comes to importing on your own. As an added benefit, the Reliant Robin was only sold in the UK, so you don’t have any language barrier issues to deal with.

Then again, Robins are so ridiculously cheap, you’re going to spend more on shipping the thing than on the car.

edit: folks, uh, I’m actually being serious. Robins run ~$500-1500UKP for decent-enough examples. That’s $650 to $2000USD . Thanks to Brexit, shipping from the UK is currently priced at “HA HA HA ask us after we finish jumping off this cliff with a noose around our neck OK?” And Robins are special handling, so they cost more.

ranwhenparked > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 04/19/2019 at 17:13

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Prices seem to be rising, I think a really good one is more in the 2000-3000 GBP range now, if you want something with a valid MOT that hasn’t been sitting since the last owner went into assisted living 3 years ago. Either that, or everyone selling on classified sites seems to have an inflated sense of value.

I was quoted $1400 for shipping out of Liverpool, plus whatever it would cost to get the thing to the port, plus customs and other fees on my side.

It would have been a lot easier to just do this deal for $10k and have it in my garage in a week.

There's one guy in Ohio with a Supervan, but it's painted up in Trotters colors, has totally shot brakes, and he wants way too much. There's also a Robin for sale in Michigan, but I don't want it - it's a MkI standard specification, too basic for me. I want the improvements that came with the Rialto. 

MUSASHI66 > ranwhenparked 04/19/2019 at 17:18

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Buying a Robin in non-trotter colors should be illegal :). One of the funniest shows ever. Believe it or not, it has a cult status in Serbia. 

ranwhenparked > MUSASHI66 04/19/2019 at 17:20

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Yeah, I don't want to drive around in a TV prop. It's even worse when they paint up a Robin like that, since it isn't even the right model. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 04/19/2019 at 17:31

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I need somebody to help me import a FIAT 126p from Poland. :P

I have a garage/classic car place in Poland lined up that can find and ship one out for me, but I think I could do cheaper, haha!

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > ranwhenparked 04/19/2019 at 17:42

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When you’re importing, you want to avoid those, because they’re exporter assholes. Looking for some sucker to overpay. I found a couple Robins with completely new engines and pristine bodies up at $2.5kGBP. With complete service records. One or two owners. MOT’s so strict that a lot of them you probably can ignore it because it’s something like “inherited from grandma, hateful car, needs windscreen wipers and a turn signal bulb to pass MOT.”

Best one I saw was a ‘93 in red, very clean with some minor paint fading , new 850cc engine installed just before grandma went into the home, and a stack of service records to go with a current MOT . $2500UKP.

$1400 RoRo out of Liverpool’s what the price was . At this point, I’m hearing $1750-2k. I’m also hearing $950-1250. I mean it’s just a complete fucking mess and nobody knows what the fuck is going on. And if you have to transit EU, yeaaaaaaaaaah don’t even fucking bother.

But $10k is just... I mean... FUCK. SERIOUSLY!? Ten. Fucking. Grand? That’s like the asshole trying to sell a Maserati BiTurbo for $30k. Then again, given they didn’t want to split it up, that’s probably why they set it bullshit high.

ranwhenparked > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 04/19/2019 at 17:45

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That’s about the going rate here when they change hands, which is not often. One just sold in NJ four months ago for 10k even, a 1992 with mediocre paint.

If someone did it right, you might have a tidy business. One dealer I talked to who sold one last year said he got more inquiries on that Robin than he does on a typical Skyline GT.

I think he was asking $12k originally, we settled at 10, which is the most it ever should be. 

MUSASHI66 > ranwhenparked 04/19/2019 at 18:19

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You’d have like 5 people know what it was  if you had one in the states.

ranwhenparked > MUSASHI66 04/19/2019 at 18:25

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Its just too cliche, like painting a Checker as a taxi cab. Not a fan of the yellow, either.