miker15@juno.com wrote:
>
> Having written the sad missive attempting to sell my 72 i can tell you
> about the new kid on the block, my Riley RMF - I still have a lot to
> learn about this car and if any of you have any experience or reference
> info about them id be very grateful
> Its a 53 vintage, same year as me! and is an Abingdon product so i wont
> consider it off topic unless you all shriek (Neil help me here - if i
> recall there was a similar MG model, not a badge engineered one or a
> Magnette but a similar car)
> It is a 4 door (front suicide) saloon but has a sleek "sporty" look to
> it, a bit like a Sunbeam Talbot or a very old citroen .It is Black with
> silver side panels and a black vinyl covered roof which i gather is
> wooden!
> The engine is a 2.5 litre twincam which Neil told me is peculiar only to
> this car.
> The trim, lights etc are a combination of TD and A lookalikes, the
> bumpers have what look like doublesize MGA overriders
> The interior is all red leather and walnut with loads of bakerlight knobs
> to play with!
> The guages are similar to the TD but larger
>
> The car sat in a barn from 1975 until last year when a friend of mine
> came by it, it has very little rust and that which exists is only surface
> spots, The odometer reads 26000 miles, it works, from the overall
> condition of the car, this may very well be original but who knows.
> We got it running fairly easily,good compression and runs smoothly, SUs
> but im not sure yet what size.The friend who i bought it from is an
> excellent mechanic and fabricated many of the rubber and gaskets from
> stock parts of various cars (he has a great collection of old gasketry
> for British cars) Went through the brakes, steering, electrics etc and
> the car easily passed CT safety this week including the huge whitewall
> cross ply tyres which are not perished although they must be almost if
> not as old as the car
> This is going to be a cosmetic restoration since the car is so original
> im going to try to keep as much as possible of what is there, including
> the paint which whilst faded and with a few scratches is extremely thick
> and im pretty sure will restore without any spraying. The interior is
> sound but needs total disassembly and cleaning ( ive already poured 3
> quarts of Bill Hirsch into the seats) and will need new carpet and
> eventually a headliner which is not too damaged but rotted to the
> consistency of rice paper! - you darent touch it!
> As with all my cars, this one will be a driver too - i dont intend to
> drive it as much as my MGs but it will make its own way to shows and the
> like, first of which will be sometime in september.
> An exciting time!!!
>
> mike robson
> 69 roadster
> 70 BGT
> 72 roadster
> 53 riley rmf
The RM series of Rileys were built at ABINGDON, alonside the MG YA,YB
and the ZA. A good book to read on them is "Riley RM Series" by James
Taylor, now reduced to £9.99 ( was £30) from Mill House Books, email <
MHBooks2@aol.com > Obviously many parts were used from the 'Morris'
parts bin, but the 'High-Camshaft' engine is a masterpiece. Only 4
cylinders, but produced in two sizes, 1.5 and 2.0 litres. The 2.0 ltr
car could do 100 mph. The biuld is very 1930's, with a lot of wooden
structure.
Goos luck Mike.
|