Questions about Robin Hood 2b

[theduck]

Posted on behalf of @Nicholas M Walker

 

Hi,

I have just puchased and collected a complete and running Robin Hood 2B with stainless steel chassis and Sierra Mk I running gear.  The car is solid and generally not in a bad condition given it's age (built 1994-97) but is has a rather wheezy 1.6l Ford Crossflow Engine and a 4-speed gearbox, which makes it slow and steady rather than sporty.

I am looking to bring th car up-to-date without going too far.  I have already managed to source a Ford type 9 5 -speed gearbox and I understand that this can be mated to a Ford Duratec engine without too much difficulty - this will be a medium term project hopefully next winter.  More immediately the car is fitted with the long wings and I would like to replace these with the cycle type - this is a personal preference for the car.  I note from the original build documents that both options were provided by Robin Hood from new but the sketch showing the arrangement of the two-part cycle wing stays is not very helpful.  I am assuming that the stays are bolted onto either side of the top of the front hubs - can anyone confirm that this is correct?  If anyone has photos of the brackets fitted on their car and/or links to a supplier, drawings or even some original stays that I can copy and make new ones from that would be really helpful.

Any help on this matter, or guidance on the engine options and experience from other owners on what works and what doesn't would be very much appreciated.

[theduck]

@Nicholas M Walker you can buy cycle wing stays for a 2B from great British Sportscars / kitspares

@Thrashed May be able to offer guidance in the duratec conversion as he is doing one in his zero at the moment which is being covered in the magazine. 

[Jez Morton]

Are we sure this a 2B, 94/97 seems a bit early for one, didnt they start around 2000?

Cross flow and swept wings are also unusual on a 2B.

[blue]

Hi the duratec needs the Mazda gearbox it's a different bolt pattern to a type 9 

The type 9 fits a zetec 

[Thrashed]

54 minutes ago, blue said:

Hi the duratec needs the Mazda gearbox it's a different bolt pattern to a type 9 

The type 9 fits a zetec 

You can buy adapter plates to make the type 9 fit the duratec.  Might be cheaper and easier depending on what the overall plan it.  I went the mx5 route but it is not 100% straight forward as you need to change starters clutches and flywheel to all match and does and Mazda parts not work together. 

[IanS]

97-99 was series 3 mono cars

95-96 was exmo

93-94 early sierra mono with swept or cycle wings as options.

[Nicholas M Walker]

Thanks to theDuck for posting my original enquiry on here and thanks to the rest of you for comments. 

I believe that I have misunderstood what the car I bought is - I have the original bill of sale from Robin Hood Engineering Ltd, dated 12th November 1994.  It describes the kit as being a 'Robin Hood Sierra based kit' with a fully welded stainless steel body/chassis.

I have not had the chance to drive the car as much as I had hoped, partly because the weather has been crap but also because I had to completely rebuild the carb as it turned out the inline fuel filter was very much a later addition!  Once I had it apart, there was dirt in almost every place it wasn't meant to be - since it went back on the car has been significantly better!  I have purchased the Accuspark distributor and coil kit but have not had the time to fit it.

I have purchased a Type 9 gearbox and the cycle wings - I just need the time to design the wing stays to suit the Sierra front hubs and make the changes.  I'm not certain now whether to update the engine, it seems wrong given that it's a Sierra based kit to use a more modern lump although I am thinking of upgrading to a 2.0l Pinto if I can get hold of one.

[theduck]

Sounds like you have a similar car to what mine started life as.

[Nicholas M Walker]

Interesting theduck - am only in Cheshire so it might be worth a meet-up to compare setups?

[theduck]

Mine looks quite different now, but the underpinnings are all still the same.  As for cycle wings, I used 2b ones on mine before moving to the current bodywork and they worked well.

[Nicholas M Walker]

I have the cycle wings but not the stays - did you fabricate yours or are there stays that work with the Sierra hub/suspension arrangement on the S7?

[theduck]

These are them, but note they come in two different styles for different wheel offsets and that price is per side!  I bought mine used and they worked great.

https://www.kitspares.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1164

 

[brumster]

That price is criminal

[theduck]

I know!  Think I paid £10 for mine

[Nicholas M Walker]

Thanks theduck - I assuming that these fit on top of the hub, with the McPherson strut dummy insert passing through the hole in the flat plate.

Has anyone got a phot of these in-situ of their car for reference?

I certainly won't be buying a set from Kitspares at that price but I will use that as the basis for my own design!!