The Robin Hood utilises the Ford Sierra 1600cc, 1800cc or 2000cc (Pinto) as donor vehicle. Available since 1982, today there are many Sierra's ripe for use as donor vehicles at very low prices. It is possibly the last rear wheel drive mass made donor vehicles to be made. It is the earlier models that are coming up at the lowest prices. Development work has utilised the Ford Sierra saloon with the 1600cc, 1800cc and 2000cc Single Over Head Cam (Pinto) engines, either caburettored or injection, hatchback or Sapphire. The Sierra Estate can be used with a small modification to the rear suspension. The Ford Sierra's rear wheel drive independent suspension is used. The components used from the donor vehicle are covered in detail on the instruction video supplied with the kit.

Strip down your Ford Sierra donor vehicle, preferably keep everything but if you are pushed for space throw away the body shell, glass, doors, bonnet, tailgate, radiator, bumpers, lights (excluding number plate lights), exhaust silencer, prop shaft (keep the bolts) and soft trim (headlining, carpet) and keep everything else including the VIN plate. We are managing to utilise more and more of the donor vehicle as we progress.

Remove things carefully and note how they go, put back all nuts, bolts and screws from the components you have taken off, take every clip and fastener off the body shell and save. Very carefully label the wiring loom. Do everything yourself, do not entrust this part to any one else. Dismiss the idea of buying all the bits from a breakers' yard, all parts from one good donor will make your build easier. At the end of your build you can then dispose of any items you did not use. We recommend that you obtain a Haynes Workshop Manual to help you strip down your Sierra.

Note: With regards to the injection engine, this has an electronic management system and the injection apparatus protrudes above the bonnet line, you will have to cut a hole in the bonnet for this to fit, alternatively a special bonnet is available from us at only £40 + VAT extra. We do not have any information regarding the conversion from injection to side draught Webbers, if you wish to do this, contact a Webber agent.

Due to the strength of the Robin Hood chassis unit it is possible to fit more powerful engines. It is intended that the Pinto engine be used, you can always identify a Pinto engine as the exhaust manifold is on the same side as the driver.

V6, V8, CVH, automatics, twin cams and motorbike engines can all be used but you will need to carry out your own modifications to the chassis, i.e. engine mountings, manifolds, etc.

If you are going to fit an engine with the exhaust on the passenger side, then you can ask for the exhaust hole in the side panel to be omitted, the same applies if you do not require the bonnet louvres, mark it on your order form.

DUE TO DEMAND WE HAVE INTRODUCED A FORD SIERRA DOHC KIT DETAILS TO APPEAR ON THIS SITE VERY SOON.

This kit will utilise the Ford Sierra Double Over Head Cam as donor vehicle. The chassis and body panels are the same as in the Super Spec to accommodate the larger engine and the bulkier MT75 gearbox, with the exhaust on the left. The kit will contain similar components as in the Project 2B Plus kit.

Just inform us if you are interested in a Ford Sierra DOHC Kit and we will send you full precise details when available.

When you have completed your Robin Hood, it will need to pass a government test to ensure that it is safe. The test is carried out by an MOT style testing station, these are situated in most large towns.

It is no longer difficult to get through the test as most of the early ambiguous areas have been cleared up and most examiners are of one accord and generally decent chaps. Providing you follow our instructions carefully when building your Robin Hood you will get your car through the test. It is our sole intention to get you through this test and our instructional videos dwell heavily on the test. All components supplied by us are compatible for Single Vehicle Approval test in force at the date of sale.

PROJECT 2B - Mini McPherson strut
PROJECT 2B PLUS - Double wishbone system complete with coil over dampers, ball joints, Nylaspa bushes and hub adaptors.

The independent rear suspension is equally well thought out and simple. The donor vehicle's torque tube and rear wishbones are retained together with the diff, drive shafts and hubs. This is a sturdy unit and is totally invisible from sight on the completed car.

Very little weight could be saved by not using this system, it offers a good ride with the wishbones being rubber bushed and trailing. It is steadfast under hard cornering. Complete rear coil over suspension units are available as an optional extra. These are located at the bottom of the roll over bar and there is provision to move the mounting to adjust the height to suit the individuals driving style.

Whilst attending numerous kit car shows over the last ten years, we have always encouraged potential customers to sit in our cars (none of this 'Customers Car - Do Not Touch'). The majority of people were very happy with the previous Robin Hoods and bought a kit because of the better interior room compared with our competitor's vehicles. There were a few that felt unhappy with the room and the seats, understandably because kit car seats generally cannot be compared with the comfort and size of production car seats. We reckon we can now satisfy nearly everybody, as the Robin Hood will accept virtually any seat, even those from the donor vehicle! Yet the overall width is the same as previous Robin Hoods.

FROM SIERRA SEAT BACK FACE TO BRAKE PEDAL, 44" LEG SPACE
Note: You can move the seat forward to suit you

There are no vulgar bulges in our body just clean traditional lines just like Colin Chapman would have liked to see, broken only by the desirable louvres only possible in a metal bonnet. With the government issuing car manufacturers general guidelines to the use of recyclable materials, Robin Hood Engineering have reduced the amount of GRP in the Robin Hood.

This new bonnet / nose cone is easy to fit and honestly makes the building of the kit more pleasant by making the whole under bonnet and scuttle area easily accessible.

The bonnet closes with a satisfying, production car clunk, you can utilise the proper Ford Sierra bonnet catch.

When you receive your kit you will see that all the body panels have been precisely cut out by CNC controlled plasma. Holes for the wipers, demisters, fuel filler neck, handbrake, exhaust, etc, etc, have all been cut out for you. Intricate shapes for the seat back panel, firewall panels and nose cone panels have all been designed, programmed and cut out so that you can fit them with minimal skill. Long folds in the bonnet (double safety) and side panels have all been folded for you, we only leave the short ones with less importance that you can easily form yourself - panels such as the internal tunnel sides and feet panels.

This is a far cry from some kits where you have to make templates, cut all these panels out yourself and have to guess the position of the exhaust hole and end up with a finisher around it to disguise the mistakes you have made. Straight, ripple free bodywork is what we are aiming for.

We have cleverly incorporated provision for the Ford Sierra's fuel tank in the chassis design, copying the Ford Sierra's system means perfect fuel gauge operation and limited leaks. You shouldn't run out of fuel when touring those far off lands either with a possible 13 gallon capacity tank.

Using this system there is still a modest amount of room for luggage, but for maximum room, custom made tanks in stainless steel are available, 30 litres at £59.58 + VAT and 40 litres at £85 + VAT.

In order to pass the SVA test easily you must use a tyre that has a running diameter the same as the Ford Sierra donor and use the donor vehicles speedometer (or the correct one supplied by us).

The Robin Hood has been designed to use either 14" 5½ J wide wheels with 175 x 65 tyres or 15" x 6½J wide wheels with 205/50 tyres. These fit correctly under the wings and wheel arches. (Do not buy any wheels and tyres until you have tried them on your completed Robin Hood).

On the subject of wings, the kits are supplied with the cycle wings as standard. Clam wings (or Americano) are the long swept variety and can be supplied if required at £130 per pair.

It is purely down to your personal preference which you fit. The cycle wings perhaps look more sporty but can be more troublesome (as they turn with the wheels), whilst the long wings are easier to fit and were fitted to the car in the famous 1960's television series which immortalised this style of car, winning a place in the hearts of men worldwide.

If you opt to paint your Robin Hood yourself, cellulose paint can now be bought for about £10 per litre, so for well under £50 you car could be painted in the colour of your choice.

If you entrust the job to a professional body shop then a good paint job will undoubtedly cost you more than our stainless steel panel option (£200 + VAT), this also comes with pre-coloured GRP in either Signal Red, Oxford Blue or British Racing Green that only needs fettling and polishing. The mirror like stainless steel has a four thous plastic protective coating that when removed gives a far greater transformation kick than any paint job. The mirror like finish lasts forever and only needs washing in warm soapy water. If at the end of the day you fancy a change, just rub down the stainless steel and paint it.

We decided that the best marketing plan for the Robin Hood would be to adopt the 'one kit + one donor' policy, sell only at the kit car shows and most importantly keep the cost of the kit low. The cost is an important factor when purchasing a kit and we are continuing with our original 'no frills' policy of selling inexpensive, comprehensive kits that can easily be ordered at the shows or by post. Do not be mislead by the low prices, visit a show and see for yourself exactly what you get in the kits. We believe that you won't find better value for money in the world!

Robin Hood Sports Cars is open for sales of spares and parts by appointment at nearly any time. These can be collected from our reception.

In your kit you will receive instructional videos. To be truthful this is a little bit boring to sit down and watch on its own but when you are actually building a Robin Hood, it is as tense and thrilling as an Alfred Hitchcock movie. You will see the operators with the identical package to yours, working in lifelike conditions, building a Robin Hood in the flesh. The tools we are using are deliberately basic hand tools of a similar quality to the ones you yourself have in your shed.

Although it is truly an amateur production, things are clear and spoken in plain English for the benefit of ordinary people and not engineers. We will show you how to fit the axles, engine and gearbox, all the panels, the alligator bonnet, etc. Even difficult jobs like the wipers, heater and finally the all-important finishing touches. The SVA test is covered in detail with hints and tips on how to get your car "through". Finally there is a section on the optional extras particularly fitting the quality hood and side screens.

We run a unique one to one technical help line which is used by potential customers for advise on the donor vehicle or by builders who need help whilst building the kit. The majority of questions and problems are solved very easily. This is a mobile phone and not a premium rate line, our technicians can make reference to vehicles that are in various states of build at our factory.

The instructional videos are available to purchase at £30 + VAT, unfortunately there is no provision for us to deduct this amount from your kit price. We can sell the tapes for those wishing to see before they buy, but must point out that these have not been compiled as sales aids or promotional videos, only as useful tools to help build the Robin Hood. In order to secure a kit, you must also send £10 deposit.

Our unique collection days where by several (up to 100) kits are all collected by customers, considerably minimise administration and ultimately reduces the cost to you the customer. Collection days (Saturdays) are almost every month, mark on your order form which month you would like to collect and we will advise of the exact date. .

To collect your kit, you will need a van, pick up truck or trailer. The chassis is the largest item (size detailed elsewhere) the other components sit under/inside it. We have even seen kits collected on roof racks and in horseboxes. Whatever you decide on, make sure you bring with you rope, sticky tape, boxes and blankets to package your kit and gloves for yourself and any helpers. All kits are to be collected from our Mansfield Woodhouse factory. We do not offer a delivery service.

On this website our aim is to give lots of information, we have covered many areas and answered most queries that customers raise about the Robin Hood. Please take the time to read it through, after which should you require any other information, please ask us.