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MG MGA - Riley One Point Five

Sorry to list this on the MGA forum but the guys over at the TD list have been very helpful to me and I was hoping there was some info floating around the MGA site.

Does anyone know anything about the Riley One Point Five. What their rarity or worth is? I may have come across a 4 door RHD. Can they be converted into a left hand drive?
Supposedly the car has been in a warehouse for 20 plus years, has not run in awhile & has some rot in the floors.
Are there replacement parts available in the USA for the body? I know it has an MG engine in it but that is all.
Thanks
V.W. Piņa

V.W. I thought the Riley was a similar car to the Magnette with different trim and badging. If so then the Magnette guys would have the information on body parts as well as driveline pieces. Conversion to LHD could be done using LHD Magnette parts if you can find them. Not many Magnettes in the States, certainly fewer Rileys.
Bill Young

The Riley is based on the Morris Minor, not related to Magnette. Exterior sheetmetal is different, but likely all mechanical bits are identical. The engine/gbx is MGA/Magnette. All this based on my research long ago!
FRM
FR Millmore

Which Riley 1.5 is it - what year is it as there were a couple of them - presume it is an early 1950s one with fabric and wood roof? Cheers Cam
C Cunningham

The Riley 1.5 was based on the Morris Minor floor pan, and used a 1500 B series engine similar to ZA Magnette and MGA.

The earlier Riley 4/44 shared the same body as the Z series Magnettes.

The Riley 4/44 was arguably more of an MG that the ZA Magnette was, - it used the XP series engine as used in the TD and TF.

Cheers
Ian F
Ian Fraser

Manheim gold lists Rileys as being models RMB, RMC or RMD.
Do you know which one it is?
gil

If I remember rightly, In 1957 BMC engineered a new body intended for the Morris Minor but never introduced it as a Morris. (Was it too heavy?) Instead they used it for the Riley 1.5 and the Wolsley 1500. The Riley had the MGA engine and the Wolsley a single carb B series. I don't think that they had a long production run. Fletcher, I'm not sure that BMC used the Minor platform - I remember it as all new.

Dan
Dan Barton

Ian, just to clarify the 4/44 was badged as a Wolseley and not a Riley...a 4/44 shares my garage along with my 2 A's. As you say, the 4/44 shares the same body as the A Series Magnettes but interestingly most of the panels are not interchangable. In fact I would say that my 4/44 has more in common with my father's YB than his ZA.

Cheers

Steven
Steven Hill

The RM series Rileys were the true Rileys before badge engineering took hold. They made 1.5 and 2.5 models. My Dad owned a 2.5 - fantastic vehicle.
Art

The R series were totally different cars. The 1.5 with MGA tune engine was quite peppy, weighing only around 2000 pounds.

The weak point was the rear axle, which regularly broke half shafts.

Put a Magnette axle in it, and Sprite discs on the front, and a tuned MGB engine, and you have a remarkably good little tourer.

If anyone needs a grille, I have one hanging on my wall.
Bill Spohn

You guys over the water must have had very different Riley cars to us as our 1.5 + 2.5L cars had twin side camshafts, two sets of rockers, push rods and hemi head. I/m talking about "Riley" cars and not a BMC re badge. They were quite popular here and there's still a few around. Denis
DENIS H

Further info on the above thread. The Riley 1.5 came out in 1945 and went to the mid 50s which is the one I remember. Then in 1957 BMC brought out the Riley Fifteen(15) which was the wousley rebadge with the B series engine. Denis
DENIS H

Steven you are correct.

Magnette and Wolseley

A few crossed up neurons must have taken hold.

Cheers
ian F
Ian Fraser

here you go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riley_(automobile)This is the B series 1500 one.

Cheers
ian f
Ian Fraser

look here:

http://www.philseed.com/rileyonefive.html

or here

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/rileyrob/specs/1point5.htm

If this is the type, it's actually quite interesting even as a spares car for the A. It has the 1500 engine and carbs from the A, plus all the same gearbox internals. I don't know about the gearbox casing.

Most interesting is that it has a 4.1 ratio diff, that can apparently be used in the A.

According to a magazine values listing, in the UK one of these cars in the condition you describe is worth about 10% of the value of an A in the same condition. That's what makes them great parts cars! (I will go to Riley hell for this!)

The problem with the model is that it suffers from all the issues of unitary construction, poor quality steel, and yet has very low values when restored, as they are simply not desirable. Very few people restore them as a result. When a condition 1 car in the UK goes for less than $5k US, that will always be the case. ( In comparison top price for a non TC A in the UK seems to be around $24k US)
dominic clancy

The Riley 1.5 is not a bad little car.

David (Lord) Steel rallies his 1.5 and says that it's his favourite car.



Nigel Steward

Both pictures from Dominics post above, are the car. I will be looking at it today to see it's tru condition. He also has a decrepid MGA for $700, a B, 4 midgets for $2k a few triumphs and a triumph Boneveille.
Quite a collector but I think they are mostly parts cars.
How can I post a pic?
V.W. Piņa

A decrepid A for $700 sounds like a bargain what ever its condition as long as it is complete. Should be worth more than a restored Riley even when in a decrepid condition! Restoring the Riley would cause problems as I doubt if you could get the body parts - all would have to be fabricated.Cheers Cam
C Cunningham

VW, where are you in NY. Where's the car? I'm way up next to the Canadian border in NY.

The only Riley 1.5 I've ever seen in North America was one that used to live in Montreal back in the '70's near the Montreal General Hospital. I wonder whatever happened to it?

I "possessed" a 1.5 many lifetimes ago when I lived in England. Paid 50 pounds for it but never actually drove it, though it was a runner. Bought a purple(!) '62 Midget (MOO 375) instead for 125 pounds! Much sportier.

The 1.5 was quoted at 68hp like the very early MGAs, if my memory serves me well. The suspension is very similar to the Morris Minor 1000. Drums all around, though the rears are bigger than the 1000. In fact I've a friend who's into Minors who would love to acquire the rear axle as it's a sought after upgrade.

The interior was much plusher than the Minor. Wood and leather. Very posh!

I wish I could jump in a time machine and go back and rescue my poor old 1.5. Registration "1187CR". Even the registration is probably worth a few quid these days. I'd probably bring back the 1 of 37 AC Aces with the Ford 2.6l engine I was offered for 700GBP, the Daimler Barker 3 seater saloon @ 50GBP or the 500GBP '62 E-Type I also passed up. It's going to have to be a hell of a big time machine!

Bill Spohn, how much do you want for the grill. I might want to get it as a present for myself as I prepare to celebrate the 15th aniversary of my 39th birthday.

TTFN to all, and sorry about making you all suffer my stagger down memory lane.


Derek Nicholson

Here are some more pictures, including interior shots.

http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/707/gallery.ehtml

http://www.practicalclassics.co.uk/vehicle/by-id/707/

Gotta get one!

TTFN


Derek Nicholson

Final (maybe) thought. Don't expect to find parts specific to the 1.5 easy to find. Even on eBay UK there are only 38 items showing up after a search! And of these, only half a dozen or so are actually parts, as opposed the generic accessories or literature.
Derek Nicholson

VW
The Riley marque has a very strong following in the UK and the Riley Motors company was a very old family concern and their cars date from around 1896 to 1939 when the company was taken over by Lord Nuffield (Mr.Morris) who kept the Riley name. To a real Riley buff the only true Rileys were made pre war but the post war RM series (from 1946 to 1955) were designed before the war and had very much Riley mechanics including either the Riley designed 1 1/2 litre or 2 1/2 litre (must not be decimalized to 1.5 litre and 2.5 litre!!!) four cylinder engines with twin high camshafts, short push rods and a hemispherical chamber head with twin rocker boxes.
The body design of the RM series was rather beautiful and all the saloons had a leathercloth roof covering. I owned an RME (1 1/2litre) myself for nearly 40 years.
Post 1955 the British Motor Corporation, which included Austin,Morris,Riley,Wolseley marques, brought out the Riley 1.5 (the Wolseley 1.5 was basically the same apart from the badge) which, sadly, had virtually no Riley design features.
RM series cars are difficult to restore as they have ash frames in the body and the doors so they don't fetch very high prices except for the roadster and drop head 2 1/2 litre models. BMC rileys fetch even less and were prone to early rusting.
There are several clubs for Riley cars 1. The Riley Register for pre 1939 2. The RM Club for 1946-55
and 3. The Riley Motor club which caters for all Rileys.
I would suggest you think of contacting the Riley Motor Club if you buy the car.
I should warn you that if you get the Riley bug you will not be satisfied until you get a true Riley!!
Good luck Mike



m.j. moore

Don't write them off as non-sporting saloons. Riley 1.5s were used quite extensively in competion in their day and with success. I didn't go last year, but in 2004 they were still circulating well at the Goodwood Revival meeting.
Malcolm Asquith

Look here to see a real Riley
http://www.reesbros.co.uk/1954r.htm
Art

This thread was discussed between 09/02/2006 and 11/02/2006

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