Every so often whe restoring an old car it is necessary to take a step back, review whats been done, and plan the next phase. I have now reached the stage where all of the obvious and relatively easy work is done. …Stripping, cleaning, painting & reassembling. General assembling and getting the major components into place.
Now for a bit of problem solving! What to do about a waterpump for the Riley 9 chassis with 12/4 engine & gearbox. The engine has no pump fitted. A standard 12/4 type pump is very expensive, (several hundred pounds), and it takes a lot of room at the front of the engine and makes it difficult to fit the radiator as far back in the chassis as I would like. …. I`ve heard about a Ford pump that can be fitted at the side of the engine and belt driven from the pulley on the timing cover, (driven by the exhaust camshaft). … I`m going to investigate this and will put my findings in a later blog entry.
I also need to find a back axle for the other, (Sprite like chassis), now that I know the wide track axle I have won`t fit the narrow track chassis. (I found a cheap post war RMA axle and bought it on spec, but it is far to wide in the track so I won`t be using it).
I have spent about a week sorting out a set of wheels & tyres for the Riley 9 chassis project. … There was a set of wheels with this car, but they had suffered through poor storage. They had been respoked, tensioned & trued, but had areas of surface rust & chipped paint, etc. …. I have spent a week checking, cleaning, de-rusting. I have removed tyres & tubes. Re-enamelled the wheels and refitted tyres with new tubes, and fitted the wheels to the rolling chassis. … This project is now sitting on good wheels which will enable me to start planning coachwork. … I just need to flatten the rear springs a little. They have the chassis sitting a little high now that the heavy saloon body that it once carried has gone, but that will be included in a later blog.
Phil Smith is a vintage car enthusiast with many years experience of owning, restoring and using vintage, PVT and classic cars. A longstanding member of The Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC), The Riley register and The MG Car Club. Makes he has owned include Alvis, Bentley, Lagonda, MG, Talbot and Riley, of course. Now retired, Phil satisfies his 'old motor urges' by competing in the MGCC Luffield Speed series in MG Midgets from the 60's and 70's. This blog will chart his return to vintage/PVT cars.