Shite at the Vicarage: Riley RMF

[The Vicar]

As a little aside to the main protagonists of this thread, I also picked this up during the week:

Only 58,000 miles on the clock with 1 nervous nun owner. I was never a huge fan of these facelift K11 cars but I could not turn this down when it was offered to me. It’s a nice and original example and drives so well. No idea what I’m going to do with it really but again, I just couldn’t say no!

[High Jetter]

00-D plates always make me think of Dr.  Who.

[The Vicar]

Fresh NCT (MOT) on the Micra, clean pass and tester full of compliments:

[Matty]

The ideal car to keep and look after then. Cheap to keep, can sit around all summer whilst you use the interesting cars then can be pressed into service as the winter transport.

[hairnet]

@Datsuncog

get down there quick

[The Vicar]

On 9/5/2023 at 9:54 PM, Matty said:

The ideal car to keep and look after then. Cheap to keep, can sit around all summer whilst you use the interesting cars then can be pressed into service as the winter transport.

That’s exactly the plan. For extra frugal points I was able to add it to my classic insurance policy for no charge, so it’s stands me a laughably small amount of money altogether. 

[The Vicar]

Added an auxiliary electric fan to the Javelin today; not particularly out of necessity, it sits perfectly fine in traffic and temp has always been bang on, but I figured it can’t do any harm on a 71 year old car.

Forgot to take a pic but it fit snugly and out of sight behind the rad and wired to a discreet switch under the dash:

[The Vicar]

Also, not sure if I prefer the badge-less grille look that I’ve been trying out:

[Wibble]

Tricky, but on balance I think I prefer badges on. Others will prefer the cleaner look. Great either way to be honest 🙂

[ETCHY]

I like it badges on. 

Sort of looks right & proper somehow.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, The Vicar said:

Also, not sure if I prefer the badge-less grille look that I’ve been trying out:

Badges look like snot, to me I'd put them above the over-riders, I think.

[ETCHY]

6 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Badges look like snot, to me I'd put them above the over-riders, I think.

Yes i think you may be right they might look better there.

[The Vicar]

Well, that’s the Wolseley gone. I could never get it right again after the initial gearbox trouble. Will update later with everything we tried; but it has absolutely defeated us. Engine and gearbox have been out countless times in the last month. A new gearbox didn’t solve it, nor did new cables, numerous fluid changes, a new tc from yet another new box, nothing. 

It was fun while it did work, but never again. As much as I love an old automatic, it’ll be a long time before I bother with another. 

[The Vicar]

I’ve been looking at this in the classifieds for about 18 months now. It’s expensive, quite a bit outside my usual couple-of-grand budget, but it’s been speaking to me a lot lately:

 

[Matty]

It's only money, can't take it with you

[NorfolkNWeigh]

As I’m a bit weird , whenever I see a new Range Rover with double shark fins I think of the twin Flying A’s on the Atlantic.

In the 1960’s Birmingham Science Museum only had a couple of cars , one of them a green Atlantic, I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen whenever I visited on primary school trips. Everyone else was getting excited by the giant trains and industrial machines, I’d be staring longingly at the Atlantic.

[ETCHY]

Oooooh an A90 Atlantic, sooooo cool.

Great colour too.

[The Vicar]

48 minutes ago, Matty said:

It's only money, can't take it with you

The Jowett has been a good and positive introduction to old cars of this generation so I would be confident to roll the dice with something else from the same era sometime down the line. 

My biggest fear with the Jowett was that it might be a bit of a handful, and it turned out to be such a pleasant and simple car to motor around in. I should hope an Atlantic would be even more pleasant!

Anyhow, just a dream…for now 

[The Vicar]

First time to brave Dublin City Centre traffic, predictably with no issues. Taking a little rest for lunch now:

[lesapandre]

2 minutes ago, The Vicar said:

First time to brave Dublin City Centre traffic, predictably with no issues. Taking a little rest for lunch now:

The Jowett - is much the better car - the Atlantic is a bit of a lash-up. They are heavy to drive and suffer from all sorts of ailments. If you do consider buying one take it for an extended drive first.

If you are after another 50's car the Riley RM's are fun with decent steering and engines. Parts supply is good to.

Wolseley 4/44 are nice but glacially slow - designed by Gerald Palmer too but worth a punt.

And of course there is the Morris Minor.

[captain_70s]

I think @Angrydicky had an Atlantic?

I've always thought the Jowett was ahead of it's time in a way the Counties Austins weren't...

[Matty]

2 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Riley RM's

Excellent shout. Stunning things both in pictures and in the flesh

[Rocket88]

Ahem ….. Riley Pathfinder….

[Matty]

20 minutes ago, Rocket88 said:

Ahem ….. Riley Pathfinder….

You'll definitely know more than me, but aren't pathfinders a bit, well, shite?

[lesapandre]

Another Gerald Palmer designed car with very nice styling.

Uses the 2.5 litre Riley engine - with all steel bodywork on a chassis. Very rare now.

Drawbacks are size and fuel consumption and overall cost of restoration. Poor seller in it's day so very few survive. Partly hampered by an odd  right-hand gearchange down by the drivers door and it's early reputation marred by suspension and brake problems - which were soon sorted.

Overall a Riley RM is a better bet -  maybe a Pathfinder if you can find one.

[The Vicar]

I’d absolutely love a Riley RM, but again, a bit out of my couple-of-grand playing around budget. I like the look of this too, but already I have a feeling that I’d get a bit bored of it coming from the javelin:

[Matty]

An mg magnette although maybe a bit modern by these standards, has been on my long list of stuff I want for many a year

[The Vicar]

Nice local spin to the sea today:

[puddlethumper]

A handsome chariot @The Vicar .

[Matty]

@The Vicar did you see there was a javelin racing in the St Mary's trophy at goodwood this year?