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MG TD TF 1500 - Off subjet ? 1950 Riley

Just courious ...anybody know what these normally go for?
1950 Riley R.M.B. 2.5 Litre Saloon
Caught my eye when I drove past it the other day.

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/riley/unspecified/1235835.html
David Sheward

Both Rileys and Wolseleys are in about the same category....funny that...anyway...they don't have the value of same year Jags or others... people sort of guess at what to charge.... I would say that is about right for that year....bit less for newer (sigh).... pretty well comes down to what you think about the car itself (get ready for 'What the Hell is a Riley.....) I believe that year had a really unique/better engine...overhead cam maybe...forget?
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

I would send a note asking about that last photo...it is of an interior that doesn't belong?
There is a Riley Register in Britain that retains parts for members...that might be a site to check....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Cool looking car, great for rainey days when the TF needs to stay in that nice new garage!
Larry
Larry Brown

I thought maybe it has dual overhead cams, looks like 2 covers, spark plugs in between. And they say 100 HP from it, 2.5 liter.
Al
A W Parker

The Riley, like Lea Francis, has two cams, one either side of the block, just below the head. Very short straight pushrods operate the valves through rockers. This gives much of the advantage of a DOHC arrangement, with a number of constructional & maintenance advantages.
I've never found a link between these two engines, but I'm pretty certain it exists. The Lea Francis was the basis of a number of competition engines, such as Connaught.

FRM
FR Millmore

FRM ...

and the Alta.

I hope Gord Lawson isn't mixing up the Rileys of post-1945 with the earlier ones, like the SM, RM, RMB, RMC, etc.and Wolsleys.

Gord's (very lovely, I might add) Wolsley 6/90 in LHD is a rare car but was a product of the Nuffield group.

I have a box of SM 2.5 bits here. Don't know what to do with them. I'll give or trade them to the first legit asker.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.

Gordon A Clark

Certainly not off-topic !
The Riley, and especially the two and a half litre, was the top of the Nuffield range. The most expensive model of them all. Not only luxury cars but sporty as well. What's more: they were assembled at Abingdon ! So that makes it very much on-topic. Apparently it's not an easy car to restore though...
The double camshaft engine was introduced to Lea Francis by Hugh Rose who, as a designer, had worked together with Percy Riley before he left the firm in 1937 to join LeaF.

Nick, '50TD/'53Wolseley
Nick Herwegh

@Gordon Clark,
The Riley RM-series is also a Nuffield product. The Riley firm was bought by Lord Nuffield around 1937/38. However the cars remained very much independent. Whereas MG and Wolseley often had to use Morris parts: Rileys had their own unique engines etc.
Remember that the Nuffield Organisation was a very tightly controlled firm with most of the designwork coming from the head office at Cowley (even the TD was designed there)and a great emphasis on rationalization.
Nick Herwegh

Wow, thanks for the education. A fellow close by has one, and it is a lovely car. It amazes me what is known collectively on this site. I think it is worth the money, and it truly seems to be mostly all there.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Don't think I will be purchasing it ...just caught my eye the other day when I went to visit my uncle.
Fist glance I thought it was a solon.
(Not very far from my home...like 30 miles)
The dealer was closed and I respected the sign in the window asking that you not open bonnet or doors. The car is outside under a car-port.
When I looked at the pictures on his website I noticed what apeared to be a DHOC engine. I crawled under it and seemed fairly solid...funny I don't remember the interior having those white seats, but green leather. (wrong picture?)
I might make it back up there with a camera when he is open and have a better look just for fun.
Not in a position to take this one on right now but if anybody here wants more info let me know.

It would look nice sitting next to the TF though!

I was talking to someone a few months ago about possible trade of our TR for a later (smaller) Riley.
That one turned out to be a real mess with not much more that a fresh coat of shinnny paint so I backed off on it. The guy had sent me pictures that were 10/15 years old.
David Sheward

"It would look nice sitting next to the TF though!"
Indeed David, it DOES look nice....8^)




Nick Herwegh

And to put the Riley into (price) perspective....
You could buy three Morris Minors or two Oxfords for the price of one ! Look at the price of the Y-type MG ! Rather steeply priced for it's size IMHO.

Nick Herwegh

...Its always nice to have something a little larger to park beside....

gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

"currently not running" in the dealers ad. This would be a red flag to me, especially at his asking price.
Dallas Congleton

Nick ,
Nice ...very nice!
I would love to see some more pics of the Riley if you care to share. dsheward "at" gmail "dot" com.

Thanks for the price list ...hmmm think I'll take a copy of that with me and go talk to Phil! Maybe I can use it as a bargining tool. LOL
I know the dealer that has this, he has done a few appraisals for insurance for me.
I'm not on commision with him, but like I said if anyone has intrest I would be happy to get more info & some photos for you.

Dallas,
Just looking at the pic's there apears to be some missing pieces in the bonnet! (exhaust manifold?...bet that would be a fun one to find this side of the pond)
Definitly more than I would want to take on, but a very neet car.
David Sheward

Both sides, exhaust and inlet/carbs which are off - they appear to be stashed in the boot, along with other stuff including distributor parts. It looks like It has been apart for some considerable time, which leads to the questions of "What was the fault" and "how much worse is it after sitting open for quite a while". I'm guessing blown head gasket to begin and stuck/rusty bores now. Hopefully was not a frozen/bust engine, like so many cars that get stashed. That's complete and very dear rebuild for the engine.

The tacky white interior is certainly not this car, especially since there are several pics of the actual insides. It looks like all the leather can even be saved, if it can be kept out of the hands of the "must be as new crowd" and given to the "patina" gang (me). This car calls for a very complete "repair and servicing" rather than the usual overdone restoration.

Always wanted one, always thought it was a perfect candidate for a blower, which is completely in keeping with the Riley heritage.

Only two hours away and Got no money, boo!

FRM
FR Millmore

Only twenty minutes away and Got no money, boo-hoo-hoo!
Kind of why I stuck it on here.
I think there is probley a bit of wiggle room on the price too, knowing this dealer.

Wasn't sure if that was the manifolds in the boot or not. (something I would check closley having purchased a car once that "looked" like all the parts were in the boot. Parts were there ...just not for the motor that was there! Wrong head/wrong manifolds/wrong carbs, ect...not fun!...never again!)

I'm with you ...this one looks like a "resort & some paint" could make a neat driver ...I'm not into the trailer queen thing. From what I remember seeing the wood inside looked pretty good also. I would have to guess this sat in a garage somewhere for quite a while.
Engine stuck being the "biggie" ...at least the plugs are still in it!
David Sheward

David,
The saloon pictured next to my 1950 TD is not a Riley but my 1953 Wolseley Six Eighty. It's the predecessor to Gordon Lawson's stunningly beautiful Six Ninety. It is equipped with a 2,2 litre single OHC six cylinder engine (designated VC22W), four speed gearbox and independent torsion bar front suspension. Once a very common car with more than 25,000 built against the 6,900 Riley RMB's,but now exceedingly rare with maybe 100 survivors worldwide. As far as I know, this model was never imported in the States. A real head turner and a nicely constructed car but not as sporty as a Riley.
Here is a nice period Nuffield documentary showing both the Rileys and mg td's in action on the 1950 Alpine Rally:
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75435

Cheers,
Nick, '50TD/'53Wolseley

Nick Herwegh

Thought you all would like to see another Riley. My father bought it in VT and we drove it home to VA in December. No heater, just lots of blankets. This was my daily driver in my teenage years. Gave a Jag a run for its money on the George Washington Parkway one night. Wish I still had it.

Regards,
Jim

James Neel

....Nick... and indeed also a lovely example of the 6/80.....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Thanks Gordon.
Finally, for what it's worth:
Approx. 460 Riley RM's were exported to the States, the majority of them being sold by Inskip in New York (200+) but also by Arnolt (13) and Waco (3 !). This includes all 2.5 litre models (oficially the 1,5 litre model was not exported to the States) saloon, DHC and roadster (as in James' photo). A very rare car absolutely !

Nick Herwegh

Nick,
I feel like an idiot ...looked at the 1st picture so quick I thought it was a Riley. Obviously it's a Wolseley. Thanks for all the info on the RM's.
Knowing how rare a bird this is makes me want to go back up there even more to at least document it.
Hope I don't do something stupid, but then again...that sure would look good sitting in the garage.
(Forest Gump: "Stupid is as stupid does".)
David Sheward

According to my father's research, 70 roadsters were imported into the US. I know where one is stored in a barn and has been in the same family for its entire life.

Jim
James Neel

This thread was discussed between 02/08/2011 and 04/08/2011

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