rascal running gear

I might get burned at the stake but how similar is the running gear on a rascal

Well they are both:-

Rear wheel drive using a live axle
Mid engined
Have a lean over engine installation

Just like a vauxhall astra is the same as a ford focus

What you will find is the Bedford Rascal is the same vehicle as the Suzuki Supercarry.

Are any bits interchangeable or are they really that different

Yeah you can swap the tyres, some of the bulbs, fuses, brake fluid, some of the oils possibly, some nuts/bolts, definitely the flare nut and copper brake pipe and I guess the windscreen wipers.

   

Honestly I don't know, but I very much doubt any real parts.

mattyo wrote:Are any bits interchangeable or are they really that different

Only the the odd few bits and pieces.

Gra

mattyo wrote:I might get burned at the stake but how similar is the running gear on a rascal

Burned at the stake ?? Stake through the Heart seems a safer way out .
. I think HJ has been very eloquent in his summing up. On the running gear side of things as he says Tyres are about it. Wheels are different PCD, axle,springs, prop, gearbox, clutch, engine, radiator are all non interchangeable --- not even spark plugs .

I am curious to know what plans you had in your mind about this.

The headlights will fit but the Lucas units are not much cop and are best avoided.

Gra

I guess they are the same sealed beam unit on the Rascal as the old shape pre 1997 hijet, and the Daihatsu Fourtrak.

Maybe that is why some people have found that one of their headlights have a 410 lamp on one side but a H4 headlight on the other - someone has swapped a broken one with an old Rascal one????

HighlyJetted wrote:I guess they are the same sealed beam unit on the Rascal as the old shape pre 1997 hijet, and the Daihatsu Fourtrak.

Maybe that is why some people have found that one of their headlights have a 410 lamp on one side but a H4 headlight on the other - someone has swapped a broken one with an old Rascal one????

Yes that's quite likely.

I bought a Rascal pickup new in 1989 and run it till it was stolen a few years back. I have to say that the Hijet is a vastly superior vehicle.

Gra

woody wrote:
I am curious to know what plans you had in your mind about this.

Im guessing hes seen the auction on ebay for the bedford pickup and hijet van?

HighlyJetted wrote:I guess they are the same sealed beam unit on the Rascal as the old shape pre 1997 hijet, and the Daihatsu Fourtrak.

Maybe that is why some people have found that one of their headlights have a 410 lamp on one side but a H4 headlight on the other - someone has swapped a broken one with an old Rascal one????

The 1 litre headlights are not sealed beam and are Cibie not Lucas, so although a similar shape may not actually interchange.

Excuse my poor description of the use sealed beam!

The headlight unit from a pre facelift head light looks like this I think:-





Where you can remove the beam unit from the mounting frame.

Which looks a lot like this unit found here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Halogen-HEADLIGHT-Bedford-Rascal-Headlamp-H4-RHD-NEW-/400286104666?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5d32e93c5a





I would be very interested to know if they are the same fitment unit as I get asked for old style head lights from time to time, and I really like being able to help people find what they need.

I am not sure of his descriptions at all.

In one place he talks of not having standard H4 connections, which I would have thought would mean that the bulb is not an H4 (surely that itself is a standard which must define the connections). In another he seems to say that it is indeed a standard H4 and he sells them!

He also mentions sealed beam so he seems unsure. Without going home to get my Rascal manual I can't say for sure but this does seem a little odd.

Another thing I noticed is that the first picture of a headlight fitted to a vehicle appears to show the front of a Hijet 1litre, the last picture looks more like a Rascal. So I am still not sure whether they would actually be the same size; it certainly looks a lot smaller in the last picture but that may just be the way the picture is taken. (Looking again, the first picture looks more like a Cibie anyway).

He also talks about the headlights being symmetric where I think he means they are identical. However, my recollection is that European headlights are asymmetric (because of the dipped beam cutoff) and it is American headlights which are known as symmetric.

Anyway, if it were me, I think I'd keep away; I wouldn't be happy.

Fine if it works but that is up to you.

Right. Noticed that the ebay seller gave dimensions so I noted them down and took them home. So, next day after it had stopped raining I checked and found that the dimensions are about the same for the Hijet 1 litre. However, the Rascal manual shows that the headlamp does not have the cutouts for the H4 lugs so it presumably won't take the same bulbs. (The Hijet does take H4 bulbs, I fitted them).
 
Bulbs listed in the Rascal manual are:   40/45, 50/60, 55/65, no sealed beam.
 
According to another Haynes book halogen bulbs are mainly 60/55 and lists common Halogen 60/55 bulbs as:
 
BPF(P36t)      UEC(P45t)      H4(P43t)
LLB463           LLB012          LLB472
                                      LLB476 (yellow)
 
Common non halogen bulbs are listed as:
 
45/40                   60/40
UEC(P45t)             UEC(P45t)
LLB410                  LLB416
LLB411 (yellow)      LLB417 (left hand drive)
 
NB:-
     a) LLB numbers are Lucas part numbers.
     b) The H4 bulb is the only one with the three tabs.
     c) I have no idea what makes a bulb left hand drive but obviously, don't buy one.
     d) I don't believe the list to be exhaustive.
     e) I presume the P numbers define the electrical pin arrangement.
 
So the Rascal does not seem to take common halogen bulbs which may cause a problem in sourcing replacements and may mean the electrical connector will need to be changed. (Although it looks as though it would take the UEC bulb at 60/55w).
 
Oh, there are no sidelights in the Hijet headlamp units.

Very good research and investigation.

I think those lights for sale on ebay take the standard H4 lamps,

The black thing is a gap filler for the new headlight, so during transport, stray items don't get inside the lamp. There are the 3 lug gaps for the H4 bulb.



So although they are sold for Rascal fitment, they do not use a standard rascal bulb.

The black bit is the rubber boot to cover the back of the bulbthe connector going on after the boot is on.

Not that bit, the bit in the back of the headlight!!!

HighlyJetted wrote:Not that bit, the bit in the back of the headlight!!!

Hadn't spotted the bulb blank wrong angle on the screen.  

These light units are not idelly suited for the Rascal as they do not have a provision for the sidelight. They may suit some of the early Suzuki variants though. Some later Rascals did have light units with H4 bulbs.

Gra

Wish someone could find a cheap replacement for the later headlamps.

Logi wrote:Wish someone could find a cheap replacement for the later headlamps.

I think you echo the thoughts of just about every Hi-Jet owner on the planet there Logi.  

Did you ever find out whether these ebay headlamps would be ok for the 1Litre Hijet, or even get some, HJ?