Lot Ended
Description
By Instruction of the Attorney; current owner 24 years;
extensively modified for road rallies and hillclimbs; recent engine rebuild
with Kent cams, Omega pistons, billet con rods etc; in regular use until
recently; vast history file
First registered in Wallasey
in March 1937, this Riley 12/4 started out in life as a Continental Touring
Saloon. In the early 1990s the previous owner, a London gent, converted it
into a Special for hill climb use. This included shortening the chassis by 12”
and it now measures 255.5cm from wheel-centre to wheel-centre.
The engine had a modified centre crank bearing, Omega pistons, Sprite
cams and twin 1.5” SU carbs. It had a spartan aluminium body painted green and
sat on a steel tube frame with cycle wings and a lowered radiator but no doors
or weather protection. It was issued with a VSCC Blue Form in 1995 but it isn't
clear if it actually competed.
The current owner acquired the
car in 2001 for fast road and hill climb use. Over the next 20 years or
so he treated it to a constant process of tuning and modification, as
detailed in a vast amount of invoices, notes and correspondence on file. These
will take the new owner many hours to digest and we can only give you the
briefest summary here.
The body was made more
habitable with the addition of doors, Sprite-type cycle wings, full windscreen
with side deflectors (in addition to the aero screens already fitted), new
bonnet sides and front chassis valance, new fuel tank plus a small luggage
compartment in the tail, the majority of the work being done by Chris Smith
Engineering of Newent. It was repainted in the Pageant blue you see today and
the cockpit was also retrimmed and a new dashboard made and fitted with all the
instruments overhauled.
The history file bulges with
technical literature and correspondence on the subject of tuning the 1,500cc
engine and refining the brakes and suspension, with various improvements
over the years to get the best out of the car while keeping it civilised for
road use. Initially set up for sprinting, the rear axle ratio was lowered to
4.7:1 for more relaxed cruising. It also has a modern steering damper.
It seems from dyno sheets that the engine was producing c.80hp at the
flywheel in 2002 and it has been considerably modified since. The engine and
pre-selector gearbox were rebuilt by Tony Martin of Pershore in late-2016
including a rebore, reground crank, Omega piston rings, Kent BCF1 cams, uprated
oil seals plus much else besides, the bills for this lot amounting to well over
£10,000. It had already been fitted with R&R Custom Pro billet steel con
rods in 2012 and Omega pistons before that.
The electrical
system has been completely renewed with alternator rather than dynamo charging.
The carbs have been improved by fitting post-war Riley specification needles and
a 4-2-1 exhaust manifold is also fitted.
There are 13 old MOTs showing
that it was in regular use from 2001 – 2014, covering some 5,400 miles during
this period, and it has only covered 1,500 miles since so the rebuilt engine
must be fairly fresh. The odometer currently shows 65,675
miles.
Rally routes and show passes
indicate It took part in various Riley Register events, sometimes co-driven by
the vendor’s friend Peter Arnold, well-known in Riley circles. It seems that it
was also a regular visitor to Shelsley Walsh, Prescott and Madresfield. In the
Riley Register Clee Hill Economy Run in May 2006 it came 4th with an
average of 27.9mpg.
Sadly, the owner of this
much-loved Riley is now in a care home and it is being sold here by Instruction
of the Attorney. We have only been able to piece together a brief summary of the
car from the vast amount of paperwork on file and bidders are strongly
encouraged to come and inspect the vehicle and the file for themselves.
Unused for the last few years, we soon coaxed it into life with a new
battery and some fresh petrol and it ran very nicely with healthy 40psi oil
pressure. Some precautionary checks would doubtless be advisable before it is
returned to the road.
Subject to a steady
process of development in the current 24-year ownership, with fortunes
spent, this handome and sporting Special is on offer here at no
reserve so the best bid takes it home.
Consigned by James
Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com