Rubellion

1936 Austin Saloon

Owner: John Attridge (Spock)

Originally built as a hot rod in the late 1970s by Pip Biddlecombe, Rubellion has been through many guises over the years. Originally the car ran a 2.5 litre Daimler Hemi V8.

The body was chopped in the ’70s and the rear wheel-wells were moved up in the early ’90s. All the floors are new and the A-posts have been re-done. The seat is hand-made with round tube and copper sheet. The speedo pod is from an early ’60s Galaxy and was picked up at the Brayfield swap meet for £10. The steel-work around it is part Metro roof and part Ford Pop grille (picked up from a skip outside a fellow rodder’s house). The switchgear is Daimler set in a pod of unknown American parentage. The steering column is Austin Devon and the pedals are Mk1/Mk2 Cortina.

The chassis is a homebuilt box frame. It was originally intended for a ‘T’ bucket, but has been extended and fitted with outriggers to support the body. The front end is Ford Pop, turned back-to-front so that the spring is behind the axle and mounted “suicide” style. It currently runs Anglia drums and the wishbones are made from whatever was on the garage floor at the time (bits of Pop, tube, Freelander and flat stock). Rear end is Escort, mounted on a transverse Pop spring, ‘T’ bucket style.

The engine is a 1400cc ‘K’-series from a Metro. The throttle bodies were donated but have never been set up, just bolted on and run (not perfect, but a lot better than the “experts” said it would!). It runs a Sierra 5-speed ’box with an aftermarket bell-housing that bolts straight up to the ‘K’. The rocker cover is from a hemi-motor. The radiator is from a forklift truck -another swap meet find! The exhaust is homebuilt out of all sorts of bits and pieces, though soon to be replaced with a stainless system.

Wheels and tyres are rare (apparently) - Devon commercial, rims 17”.

The fuel tank is homemade with a built in swirl pot for the injection. It also has a Jack Daniels bottle as a fuel gauge, but this is under the rear ’shelf so I can race it!
Rubellion has run 15.4secs for ¼ mile. Gearing is still wrong, so there is more in it.

Not too shabby for a Metro motor.