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1905 Riley 9hp

1905 Riley 9hp

July 29, 2020

Recently acquired by us here at Bridge Classic Cars with the intention of carrying out a full and well deserved restoration. Our car features in

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Like New – Rebuilding the Magneto for the 1905 Riley 9HP

May 27, 2022

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the restoration of the 1905 Riley 9HP at our Suffolk HQ.

The magneto is the next item to be worked on by our technicians. Although this particular component was not originally fitted to the car, it was installed by a previous owner to help with starting the classic pre-war touring car. For this piece, the team have installed new HT leads to the magneto which are made to the specific lengths needed for the car.

Then, the team could get it bench-tested to make sure it was producing a strong blue spark and then got it fitted into the chassis and its drive chain put into place.

Check out the video we have of our technician Dave testing the Bosch ZEV magneto on the bench!

Driving Forward – Driveshafts of the 1905 Riley 9HP in the Car

May 27, 2022

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have performed the first test fit of the new driveshafts in our 1905 Riley 9HP.

They have been fit into the antique, pre-world war 1 Riley to check for fitment and interference. Also, for the team to check the bearing clearances and ring-gear engagement.

There’s a fair bit going on at the moment with the vintage Riley at our Suffolk HQ so make sure to keep an eye on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more.

Good as New – 1905 Riley 9HP Radiator Refurbished

May 24, 2022

The original radiator for the 1905 Riley 9HP has been with our friends at Newquay Radiators to be completely refurbished and rebuilt for the project.

This is an important part of the restoration project being down by our in-house team at Bridge Classic Cars. It looks absolutely incredible and we love to see the craftsmanship that goes into jobs like this by the best specialists we know.

Sealed Tight – Fuel/Oil Tank of the 1905 Riley 9HP Refurbished

May 10, 2022

The tank for the 1905 Riley 9HP has been completely refurbished and tested prior to it being painted and reinstalled by Bridge Classic Cars.

Although the original tank was in fairly good condition, it did require a full refurbishment. Old school lead soldering and modern TIG welding in the same piece cause their own unique problems which had to be overcome during the refurbishment.

The tank is actually segregated to hold both petrol and oil in the same unit, so it has to be completely sealed.

The refurbished tank does feature the original brass fittings.

Conserved – Restoring the Original Wooden Frame of the 1905 Riley 9HP

April 27, 2022

The original wooden body of the 1905 Riley 9HP has been sent off to our local, trusted specialist joiners to begin the work of both restoring the body and conserving as much of its originality as possible.

For a lot of our woodwork, we use Darren at Ashobocking Joinery. We have worked with them on a number of projects and their attention to detail mirrors our own. Parts of the original body/frame have been kept as they are still structurally solid but other places have been remade and expertly grafted into the now 117-year-old body of the classic Riley.

This is all part of the journey in restoring this beautiful antique Riley and getting it back on the road. In every part of the process, the team (and our trusted specialists) are using a mixture of state of the art and traditional methods to bring this rare and unique piece of history back to life.

Recreating the Past – Removing and Inspecting the Original Seat from the 1905 Riley 9HP

March 16, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has begun the process of carefully taking apart the original interior of the 1905 Riley 9HP in order to recreate and understand the car better.

The original leather was brittle and stiff, so Brian carefully began to remove the trim pieces in order to best remove it from the car as complete as possible to use as a reference when it comes to making the new piece. Each item that has come off the car has been meticulously catalogued and stored for the restoration project even the original springs and hessian backing of the seat and all the hardware.

This is a very exciting part of the project and we’re excited to show you more progress on the 1905 Riley 9HP soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Collection and Delivery – Collecting the 1905 Riley 9HP Radiator and Dropping Off at Specialist

March 16, 2022

The radiator of the 1905 Riley 9HP has been collected from Devon in order for it to be taken to a specialist and refurbished ready for the restoration of the car here at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ in Suffolk.

Our director Gordon made the drive down to the West Country to collect the radiator from our friend Carl who picked up the radiator from the auction house who originally found it and got in touch with us about it.

From there, Gordon made his way through Devon but stopped in Padstow where he couldn’t help but stop and stare at the stunning Caterham Superlight.

After the stop, it was onwards to the guys over at Newquay and Exeter Radiators where the now 117-year-old piece will be refurbished and restored for the car. The guys at Newquay and Exeter Radiators wasted no time beginning to assess the radiator and showing the damage and solder work previously done to the component.

We’re really looking forward to getting hold of this incredible piece of the puzzle that is our 1905 Riley 9HP.

Updated – Lamps for the 1905 Riley 9HP Updated and Refinished

March 16, 2022

The lamps from the 1905 Riley 9HP have arrived back at the workshop of the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ and they look absolutely phenomenal. And, they’re hiding a small surprise.

Along with the lamps being sent off to a specialist to be entirely refurbished and reconditioned, we have taken the decision to have them upgraded to run much newer electric bulbs inside of the classic shells. This upgrade will be a welcome one for if the car is ever used in the darker hours of the day and also for the safety of the car instead of the use of paraffin or other gasses/fuels used to light and run the original lamps over 110 years ago.

With the shells, the finish on the refurbishment is truly incredible. It’s such a joy to see what these would have potentially looked like at the turn of the last century as this Riley left the production workshop.

Massive Thanks – Photos of a Finished 1905 Riley 9HP Sent to Us

February 21, 2022

We are hugely grateful every time we get help with the restoration of our 1905 Riley 9HP here at Bridge Classic Cars. This time, it’s a massive boost to the project.

Emma from Historics Classic and Sportscars Auctioneers has very kindly sent over hundreds of reference photos for a 1905 Riley 9HP that they recently sold at auction. These photos are invaluable to the restoration team to use for reference on our car as the project begins to pick up momentum.

This car is believed to be the only other car in private hands along with our 1905 Riley so the photos taken of this car are massively in-depth and detailed which is exactly what the team need to work from on our restoration.

Again, we are so grateful and thankful to Emma from Historics Classic and Sportscars Auctioneers for these!

A Rare Find – Finding the Original Radiator for our 1905 Riley 9hp

February 9, 2022

Sometimes there is such a thing as fate. Thanks to the incredible work of Hilary Mackay at Beech Auctions, one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for the 1905 Riley 9hp is back on its way to rejoining the car.

During a house clearance, Hilary came across an old radiator tucked away. Thanks to her exceptional knowledge of vintage and antique objects, she identified it to be pre-1920s. With the Riley mark on the radiator shell, she looked online to see about pre-1920s Riley’s and came across our project. Seeing as how there are only 3 9hp’s left in existence, it was deduced that this could in fact be our missing radiator.

With that, Bridge Classic Cars had to get hold of it.

Now with it on its way to our Pettistree Workshop, we cannot thank Hilary enough for her help and tracking us down to let us know this rare find and even rarer opportunity.

Helping Hand – Drawings for the 1905 Riley 9hp

January 21, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars have the absolute honour of restoring one of 3 1905 Riley 9hp’s left. And for that, we’ve managed to get some plans.

These appear to be copies of the original drawings made for the car. These are crucial for our lead restoration technician Dave to work from. They give our team chassis measurements and tolerances of several key pieces of the car. As with all our restorations, we do try and keep the originality of the car but we ensure the car is safe first and foremost.

With these original schematics, Dave can begin to measure the chassis and components to make sure they are safe but also meet the original specifications.

It is truly an honour to work on such a rare and unique car as our 1905 Riley 9hp.

Starting Up – Beginning Work on the 1905 Riley 9HP

January 14, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars has the honour of beginning the restoration on this incredible 1905 Riley 9HP, believed to be one of just three remaining in the world. Our in-house restoration teams have this once in a lifetime opportunity to work on this amazing project.

The rebuild and assessment of the project will be headed up by our most experienced technician, Dave. Daves wealth of knowledge and experience across all eras of classic and vintage cars makes him our strongest team member to assess the car. Using reference photos from our visit to the National Motor Museum, which houses the only complete car publicly accessible, Dave and Gordon could begin to go through the parts and components we have amassed for this very special project.

It’s a very exciting prospect of working on such a rare and unique piece of automotive history for us all here at Bridge Classic Cars. So, expect to see some more updates on the 1905 Riley 9HP soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars newspage.

In Need of a Clean – Send 1905 Riley 9hp Parts for Rebrassing

January 13, 2022

The brass parts of the 1905 Riley 9HP are in need of a clean and refurb. So, these are being carefully catalogued and packaged to be sent off to a specialist to come back as good as new.

These parts are over 100 years old so special care is needed with the refurbishment of them. Bridge Classic Cars works closely with a series of trusted and well-respected specialists for jobs such as this to ensure the best long-lasting results on the parts that are sent away from us here.

Good as New – Sending the 1905 Riley 9HP Parts Away to be Refurbished

December 7, 2021

Bridge Classic Cars have the honour of being the current caretakers of the incredible 1905 Riley 9HP believed to be one of only three remaining in the world.

The car has many unique brass pieces which make up its antique charm. These irreplaceable pieces are being documented and catalogued ready to be sent off for refurbishment for the project. The pieces will be sent to a specialist of early brass automotive parts to be brought back to their former stunning glory.

Although the car is now 116 years old, it is an amazing reference piece for our restoration teams to look back on and see how these types of vehicle were handmade.

And Then There Were Three

January 28, 2021

As the story goes; the car was discovered having been stored in what looked to be a purpose-built building to hide the car during wartime. Whether this was to protect the car from any war damage or to hide it away from sight. Bought recently by Bridge Classic Cars to restore at leisure is our 1905 Riley 9hp. Let’s face it, it is never going to happen without a new owner eager already secured and a definite date in the diary for us to start.

One of only three in existence; one being in Gaydon Motor Museum, our one and one other. Gaydon Motor Museum was kind enough to give us access to allow us to extensively photograph their car to assist us in this relatively simple restoration project.

Simple as there is not much to it and we have as far as we can see most parts to complete. The main part known to be missing is the superb brass radiator. Which can be re-manufactured.

Amazingly, the car benefits from many brand new parts; five newly manufactured wheels, cycle mud guards, top bonnet area, crown wheel and pinion etc. The wooden body is remarkable for its age and only requires repair and sympathetic restoration. This is not destined to be a new 1905 car. It should be restored, original parts repurposed to show the history and origins of the car. We will use all existing parts that we can.

We have running lights, trembler etc and everything to make her what she was then.  The engine has good compression and the gearbox appears to function as we would expect.

The interior will need to be totally renewed but we do have the original to copy and the old will be preserved and framed as a valuable part of her 116-year existence. 

We have a current V5 in our name. Three folders of superb history and manuals. This is totally unrepeatable build and history has already proved that a car such as this is very valuable and a growing asset for any collector, enthusiast, but more importantly a major part of any classic collection.

This is as classic as you can get and the only thing missing (well, the main thing) is an owner. We understand that to most people interested in this timeless classic will also want to follow through on the process of restoration. This is why we’ve set the price as POA (Price On Application). We encourage curiosity about this charming motor and would like to hope that an individual who’s interested in purchasing it, would also want to have it fully restored with us.

You can enquire here or send us an email at info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk

The Rare Riley – British Motor Museum

September 4, 2020

Bridge Classic Car’s Directors, father and son team Gordon and Craig visited the British Motor Museum this week on one very specific mission – to learn all about their 1905 Riley 9HP.

The museum is home to what is believed to be one of only three 1905 Riley’s in existence. Gordon and Craig were invited for a private viewing to get up close and personal with this unbelievable piece of history.

“The Riley 9HP we have here at Bridge needs a full build and restoration,” Gordon describes. “It arrived to us as little more than a truck full of loose parts, so to see the car as it should look is a real treat.”

The visit certainly got Gordon and Craig excited to see what their Riley should look like. They took an array of photo’s to bring back to Bridge HQ that will give our experts some valuable insight into the cars mechanics, electrics and aesthetics. There’s a long road ahead as the technical team start to piece together this extraordinary vehicle. But for now – here’s a flavour of the museums Riley in all it’s glory.

The British Motor Museum is a glorious day out. It’s home to the largest collection of historic British cars in the world and boasts over 300 classic and vintage cars dating right back to the beginning of the 20th century.

The enormous purpose built premises is nestled within 65 acres of Warwickshire countryside. The museum was awarded a Heritage Lottery grant of 1.3 million pounds in 2006, which was used to enhance the displays and build a stunning mezzanine viewing platform.

“I especially liked seeing Fab 1,” expressed Craig. Which is Lady Penelope’s iconic pink car, redesigned by Ford in 2002 from the original 1960’s Rolls Royce featured in Thunderbirds. Bridge Classics are proud to work with Project Plastics in Colchester, who produced the windscreen on Ford’s new Fab 1.

“The James Bond Landrover was also a great sight,” described Craig. “007 cars are always a firm favourite of ours.”

Working with classic cars every day is such a privilege. These cars bring back such special personal memories and nostalgia, it’s been brilliant for Craig and his Father Gordon to see some of the best examples around. Special thanks go to curator Cat Griffin for being such a wonderful host, we shall be back for sure!

Collecting our Riley 9HP

August 1, 2020

Long trip today as we made our way up the A1 to Mold, Cheshire to collect our 1905 Riley 9HP.

First things first, we had to marry the body up with the chassis just to see what she really looks like as a car. Better than a trailer full of loose parts.

We can not wait to get started with this project.

1905 Riley 9hp

July 29, 2020

Recently acquired by us here at Bridge Classic Cars with the intention of carrying out a full and well deserved restoration.

Our car features in the Riley Motors V Twins article

Source: Riley Motors

V Twins

“Also in the Register  membership  CW151 a 1905 1200V Twin. Engine bears the number 20850/860 cast into the side  so probably engine number 850 considering 846 above. This has appeared for sale in May 2020 after according to the advert. This car has spent the last 50 years stored in a old garage. One of 3 in the world the engine will run. The car is semi stripped. New wheels tyres mudguards and bonnet. Car is missing radiator and some other parts. About 90% complete. Comes with a V5 registration document and lots of paperwork books instruction manuals, so after so long it is back out and ready for its rebuild.

Data/Stats: Showing how much was actually Riley design or patent. Duplex parallel tubular main frame with front and rear cross members using a single parallel tubular rear subframe, with tubular cross member at rear. This gave a 6′ 8″ Front Track: 4’1″ Rear Track : 4’1″Riley tangentially spoked wire wheels with forty spokes front and rear on beaded-edge rimmed tyres. Braking System: Foot brake to 8″ internal-expanding shoe brakes to rear wheels only, also hand-ratchet hand brake so quite an improvement from the block brake of the tricar. Gearbox: Riley patent 3-Speed constant mesh 1st – 3.33:1, 2nd – 1.5:1, 3rd – 1:1 using a right hand sliding gear leaver to select the gate using the Riley leather-faced cone clutch. Final Drive: was chain driven from transverse engine with the gearbox quoted as 3.55:1, but with 50:14 chain wheel and sprocket, actual ratio is 3.57:1. Still showing the development from motorbikes and semi transitional. Engine: was a Riley 9hp water-cooled “V”-twin  producing the hp rating: 9.00 The tax horsepower rating was computed not from actual engine power but by a mathematical formula based on cylinder dimensions. At the beginning of the twentieth century, tax power was reasonably close to real power; as the internal combustion engine developed, real power became larger than nominal taxable power by a factor of ten or more. The system introduced a somewhat progressive way of taxing higher value cars more than low-cost ones but was also introduced to protect the domestic British motor industry from foreign imports, especially the Ford Model T. Fuel: 5 gallon gravity feed, dash-mounted under metal tonneau. Cost: 160 Guineas (£168) Optional Extras: Riley Detachable Wire Wheels which became  standard specification from 1907 @12.10s. Spare wheel & tyre @ 7 Guineas (£7.35) Pair of headlights: 9 Guineas @£9.45. Electric tail-light set: @ £2.25 so the standard car was fine if you drove only in daylight and on the flat and we moan re modern ‘optional extras’?

© Bridge Classic Cars Holdings Ltd, T/ as Bridge Classic Cars. Registered in England and Wales with company number 5047706.