Chatting with the owner’s family and looking at the photos from the 1989-90 restoration we can’t help admire the skills needed to complete a ground up restoration in a tiny garage and back garden.
Once completed the Riley was obviously quite spectacular; a credit to the owner.
Sold in 2000 to another Riley Club member, it was then bought back again in 2003 to add to a small fleet of Rileys that were used for weddings and proms.
Eventually the owner gave up driving and the Rileys were garaged, being started and driven occasionally.
Ready for a new owner, this car is a nice example that is ready to return to the road.
Opening the rear hinged driver’s door reveals a charming and well preserved interior.
The 1990 restoration has aged well and the interior is all intact if a little worn in places. The grey leather seats have some surface cracking that would respond well to some leather treatment, but there are no rips or holes.
The rear seat is in better condition, and shows little wear. The matching door cards with Art Deco style stitching above blue carpet panels are in nice condition with just a few marks here and there.
All the chrome interior handles and window winders are in place and have a good shine. The metal sill plates show some dents and there are a few chips and cracks to the paint in the sill areas.
The dash has aged well, the wood all being intact with no obvious cracks or damage. There are burr walnut sections housing the instruments and on either side of the dash above the useful parcel shelves.
The instruments themselves are all correct period Riley items, with delightful Deco style font in black on brass coloured background. The fabric headlining is clean and well attached.
On the floor there is dark blue carpeting throughout which would respond well to a good clean, with some areas that could do with repair, particularly around the drivers foot well.
In the boot there is more blue carpet in good condition, plus jack and tools, with the spare wheel being mounted under the boot floor and accessed by a lift out rear panel.
Overall the interior is acceptable as it is, but we think it would benefit from a good clean and some light repair here and there.
According to the history file soon after the restoration was completed the Riley was in Concours winning condition and was featured in Practical Classics magazine.
Looking at the photographs you cannot but be impressed that such a high level of workmanship was achieved by someone self-taught, working in a small garage and back garden!
There are numerous photographs in the history folder documenting all the work at every stage. It appears that most of the work was done at home, with only a few jobs farmed out.
That means we don’t have many invoices, but we can see that the restoration was completed to a high standard.
However, that was more than 30 years ago, and the Riley was pressed into duty as a family car, caravan hauler, wedding car and then spent some time garaged for the past few years.
This has taken a gentle toll on the bodywork and trim, with areas of paint that will require attention at some stage. The black vinyl roof is in excellent condition with little evidence of lumps or bumps underneath.
A good look at the photographs will reveal the areas that could be improved. There is some pitting of chrome parts, particularly the rear bumper and side trims. There a numerous chips and cracks in the paint, understandable for a car of this age, but small areas that will need attention soon to avoid becoming a bigger issue.
These include the driver’s side front wing where the paint has peeled away, and the boot lid which is showing some blistering. The sills also have some cracks in the paint, along with the rear edge of the passenger side front wing.
The wheels could also do with a refresh as the pale blue paint has started to peel off with corrosion revealed beneath.
BUT, there is nothing that would stop the new owner enjoying the car as it is, and it’s dry, comfortable and looks lovely as it is.
Engine completely rebuilt as part of the restoration
Starts easily and drives well
May require some recommissioning before undertaking a long journey
As part of the 1990 restoration the engine was the subject of a complete rebuild with new pistons, bores, new big ends and main bearings. The head was skimmed by 60 thou which gave an increased compression ratio.
It was built to be dependable and still has plenty of torque and is said to cruise nicely at 70mph. Although it has spent the past few years garaged we were impressed with our short ride in the Riley. It started easily, and drove well with no strange noises, and stopped well too!
It has been well cared for, and started regularly, but we can see that very few miles have been covered in the past few years. An MoT from 2011 gives us the mileage at 60,485 and the Riley has only covered 120 miles since then.
We would suggest that it would be prudent to give the engine a thorough going over for peace of mind, but we’d like to think that there would be no nasty surprises of a mechanical nature.
Summary
This Riley is a good example of a car that could be enjoyed as it is, or improved as you go.
The older restoration is still evident, and it’s obvious that plenty of time and money was spent resulting in a Concours winning car.
Nothing appears to require urgent attention, so drive it as it is, use it as a good solid base for a light recommissioning, or go to town with another restoration.
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