HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

10,216 · January 9

11 hours ago, wuvvum said:

That body looks late '30s to me - definitely more modern than Six-cylinder's one. It's got an MG WA / Jaguar SS sort of look to it.

It could have been rebodied. Maybe the original got severely damaged, or maybe was very dated by the mid to late 30s. There are a number of 1920s 20hp cars around with much newer looking bodies.

Edit:- Looking at other Rippon bodies, it looks like the body is 1934 or 35. You can't see from the pic above, but the boot, while fairly streamlined, is not fully integrated into the main shell which became more of a thing from 1936 on .

39,715 · January 9

followed a little trail found by @lesapandre

39,715 · January 10

Works car park

By coincidence i bumped into the partner of the editor of Classic Retro Modern this morning so showed her what i turned up in. A faded stately home on wheels basically.

15,988 · January 10

38 minutes ago, HMC said:

Works car park

By coincidence i bumped into the partner of the editor of Classic Retro Modern this morning so showed her what i turned up in. A faded stately home on wheels basically.

It's the contrast between everyday blandness and the shod you bring to work that makes each purchase feel even more special, to me anyway. Just makes their character stand out so much more, and makes me wonder how much more interesting the automotive landscape could be in the UK if just 1% of the driving population would do the same and choose this over convenience.

39,715 · January 11

Out in the rolls getting a curry. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Next up a mc drive thru?

Ive ordered all the data for the car that the RREC holds. Invoice, warranty card, build sheet, road test report and a heritage cert.

Not cheap, but im hoping for a celebrity first owner, or some obscure shell organisation although most likely a northern “business man” of some sort.

10,216 · January 11

6 minutes ago, HMC said:

a northern “business man” of some sort

It's an Oldham plate.

39,715 · January 11

22 minutes ago, HMC said:

Out in the rolls getting a curry. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Next up a mc drive thru?

Ive ordered all the data for the car that the RREC holds. Invoice, warranty card, build sheet, road test report and a heritage cert.

Not cheap, but im hoping for a celebrity first owner, or some obscure shell organisation although most likely a northern “business man” of some sort.

OTT but I feel this car is half way between life and death. It was almost banger raced, its got a non original interior and paint and no history, and the parts fetch a fair bit - im just giving it a bit of a send off most probably. But is it giving me a send off? untimately we are all condemned to the scrap pile.

#seize the day

25,469 · January 11

Not sure really. Most of the Big Scary with these is the eye watering costs of brake and suspension work so often needed if they've been sitting around, which makes them very expensive to recommission. However someone has already done that...likewise trim, interior and exterior is sodding expensive.

So long as nothing goes badly awry with it and it stays in the hands of a sympathetic owner who knows what they're letting themselves in for, and it's not rotten (which as someone has already done that much work to it, I'd assume it's not or they would have already bailed) there's no reason it can't live on. Yes it's probably worth more as a pile of parts, but that's true if plenty of classic cars to be honest.

If it weren't for being vastly over committed here already I'd probably be getting an itchy finger asking to add myself to the queue as a Roller has always been on my list - albeit a slightly later one (I've spent many happy miles wafting around in a friend's mid 80s Silver Spirit) than this, but I'd definitely not turn it down because of details like that!

20,983 · January 11

50 minutes ago, HMC said:

Out in the rolls getting a curry. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Next up a mc drive thru?

Ive ordered all the data for the car that the RREC holds. Invoice, warranty card, build sheet, road test report and a heritage cert.

Not cheap, but im hoping for a celebrity first owner, or some obscure shell organisation although most likely a northern “business man” of some sort.

18,409 · January 11

ffs - least it wasnt that other herbert

ya think it might fit in the drive thru - bit wide - some of them can be a bit pinching

25,469 · January 11

40 minutes ago, hairnet said:

ffs - least it wasnt that other herbert

ya think it might fit in the drive thru - bit wide - some of them can be a bit pinching

I managed to thread Craig's Silver Spirit through the KFC drive through in Aberdeen so should fit just fine! Don't think they're even massively wide compared to a lot of moderns, just bloody long more than anything!

3,265 · January 12

And right on cue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBjxeVT8xSg

6,691 · January 12

14 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Not sure really. Most of the Big Scary with these is the eye watering costs of brake and suspension work so often needed if they've been sitting around, which makes them very expensive to recommission. However someone has already done that...likewise trim, interior and exterior is sodding expensive.

So long as nothing goes badly awry with it and it stays in the hands of a sympathetic owner who knows what they're letting themselves in for, and it's not rotten (which as someone has already done that much work to it, I'd assume it's not or they would have already bailed) there's no reason it can't live on. Yes it's probably worth more as a pile of parts, but that's true if plenty of classic cars to be honest.

If it weren't for being vastly over committed here already I'd probably be getting an itchy finger asking to add myself to the queue as a Roller has always been on my list - albeit a slightly later one (I've spent many happy miles wafting around in a friend's mid 80s Silver Spirit) than this, but I'd definitely not turn it down because of details like that!

Agreed - This doesn't seem like a scrapper. It has working brakes and suspension - that's far more important than originality

Shads are becoming more desirable. I think this one has life in it

39,715 · January 12

Could be my imagination but this is getting better with use, the brake pedal feels more positive and its starting instantly. The handbrake has stopped working but the mechanism is free and in good order, but the forward cable to the pull has snapped- so an easy fix.

83,729 · January 12

8 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

And right on cue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBjxeVT8xSg

I watched this, it was absolutely shite. It was just full them waffling on about nothing .

It went from them having to hotwire the starter solenoid to it it starting off the key because the changed the fuel pump with nothing in between.

2,393 · January 12

Loving the Shadow. Always makes me think of Charlie Hungerford.

41,356 · January 12

Makes me think more of Charlie Higson🙂

January 12

22 minutes ago, timolloyd said:

Loving the Shadow. Always makes me think of Charlie Hungerford.

Charlie Hungerford had a Cloud - it was wedding white though.

3,014 · January 12

To be honest you could probably improve the value just by respraying the black tidemarks under the bumpers white. Even if you use Smoothrite or something it will look instantly look better for a 6 footer view or in photos.

If it’s got a little bit of cream in the white, I can recommend Fiat ‘Bossa Nova’ white, it’s 97% white but ‘not quite’ in the words of 1980s Dulux ads. Easily available in Halfords as it’s a standard 500 colour.

If it’s full on WHITE AND NO MESSING than whatever 80’s Fords were painted in will do the job. I remember ‘Diamond White’ on my Mk4 Cortina but it had probably been renamed for the mid80s heyday of the XR3 & XR4x4.

3,014 · January 12

Because I am a bit of a hoarder, I have a Ford brochure stash to hand.

Diamond White is the shade named in both a 1979 ‘Cars’ catalogue and the Mondeo launch brochure so there are probably thousands of gallons of the stuff still about on factor’s shelves.. It is a proper old school cop car/bathroom porcelain white.

39,715 · January 12

local social media sensation 😂

17,741 · January 12

4 hours ago, HMC said:

Could be my imagination but this is getting better with use, the brake pedal feels more positive and its starting instantly. The handbrake has stopped working but the mechanism is free and in good order, but the forward cable to the pull has snapped- so an easy fix.

Useful to work out what it's got in the fluid reservoir.

These require specific brake and suspension fluid which is now out of production in it's original form but has been remanufactured.

It's explained here:

https://www.flyingspares.com/news/homepage-featured/rr363-brake-fluid.html

The bugbear with these early RR systems is the RR363, as with all DOT3 & DOT4 fluids, is hygroscopic, which means that the fluid will absorb and chemically combine with water from the atmosphere.

Which is part of the reason the systems fail due to water/corrosion. Which is why these cars thrive with use to keep everything moving otherwise they do seize up. They require regular flushing.

Workshop manual pdf is here:

https://rrtechnical.info/sy/tsd2476/8.pdf

In 1980 Rolls-Royce took a step forward when they changed from brake fluid to LHM mineral oil - to power the braking and suspension systems - which is not hydroscopic - but is not for these early cars.

Worth having a look and having the right stuff in stock.

If the system fails - they do lose their brakes pretty quickly (check the twin warning lights are actually working on start up) and if these come on - on the move stop immediately...

I'd also get the handbrake working...

My friend Toby has one of these - he lost his brakes...but was ok.

The Spirit of Ecstasy needs to be GOLD. 😂

25,469 · January 12

Aye that's a good reminder actually, remember that these are like hydraulic Citroens in that there is no brake servo etc...you are simply switching on a hydraulic circuit to power the brakes - no system pressure = no brakes whatsoever, no matter how hard you stand on the pedal.

I've made the mistake of rolling Craig's one out of the garage before the pressure had come up one day and very nearly went through the fence. He thought it was hilarious mind you...thank god the steering is so light that I was able to spin it round fast enough to get round the corner.

I didn't know the earlier cars didn't use LHM, every day's a school day.

36,908 · January 12

4 hours ago, HMC said:

Could be my imagination but this is getting better with use, the brake pedal feels more positive and its starting instantly. The handbrake has stopped working but the mechanism is free and in good order, but the forward cable to the pull has snapped- so an easy fix.

I do think that tide of underseal needs raising somewhat and some really rough filler repairs with fish eyes grinning through the Poundland Diamond white paint.

17,741 · January 12

Here is some early factory film - no sound.

12,972 · January 12

3 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

Because I am a bit of a hoarder, I have a Ford brochure stash to hand.

Diamond White is the shade named in both a 1979 ‘Cars’ catalogue and the Mondeo launch brochure so there are probably thousands of gallons of the stuff still about on factor’s shelves.. It is a proper old school cop car/bathroom porcelain white.

Ford Diamond white predates Mondeos! Mk 2 Escort, maybe even earlier than that.

39,715 · January 13

17,741 · January 13

14 minutes ago, HMC said:

Low coolant or engine temp warning light?

39,715 · January 13

9 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Low coolant of engine temp warning light?

Coolant light, but coolant level ok. One of a number of electical gremlins 😂

17,741 · January 13

Yes. It's discussed here on this site. May be your transistors in this early electronic system:

http://au.rrforums.net/forum/messages/17001/4676.html?1412523601

(At least its not the brake pressure lights which are the other two on the right of the clock ...)

HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

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