RILEY BROOKLANDS 1929

CHASSIS.

ORIGINAL RILEY BROOKLANDS CHASSIS VERIFIED IN HAND WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE WITH BARBARA FARQUHAR ,THE FOREMOST AND UNDISPUTED EXPERT ON RILEY BROOKLANDS .THIS BROOKLANDS WAS SUPPLIED TO COX`S MOTOR COMPANY,BRIDGE STREET OF CAMBRIDGE ON THE 17TH DECEMBER 1929 AND THIS IS CONFIRMED IN A BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY HERITAGE TRUST CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY.

THE CHASSIS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY OVERHAULED BUT MAINTAINS ALL IT`S ORIGINALITY.ONLY ONE CROSS MEMBER HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT EVEN THIS HAS THE ORIGINAL END MOUNTINGS ON TO THE CHASSIS RAILS WITH ONLY THE CENTRE SECTIONS BEING REPLACED.

CHASSIS NUMBER 8060 HAS BEEN RECENTLY MOT`D AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED WITH A REGISTRATION NUMBER BY THE TIME OF SALE,THE ORIGINAL HAVING BEEN LOST IN THE MISTS OF TIME. COUNTY ARCHIVISTS IN CAMBRIDGE ADVISE THAT IN ALL PROBABILITY THE CAR WOULD HAVE HAD A `VE` PREFIX.

THE STEERING COLUMN IS ORIGINAL RILEY BROOKLANDS AND CAME WITH THE BODY.IT HAS THE CORRECT EARLY CONTROL LEVERS AND ORIGINAL 3 SPOKED RILEY STEERING WHEEL.THE FRONT AXLE IS POLISHED AS WAS OFTEN THE CASE FOR RACING AND THE BRAKE DRUMS ARE LIGHTENED AND DRILLED AS ARE THE REAR HALF SHAFTS, HUBS AND BRAKE SHAFTS.

A DASHBOARD HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED AS PART OF THE PAINSTAKING RESTORATION AND CONTAINS ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTATION INCLUDING ROTAX SWITCHPANEL, CLOCK,AMMETER,WATER TEMPERATURE GAUGE,OIL PRESSURE GAUGE,SPEEDOMETER AND 6 INCH JAEGER REVCOUNTER. ALL HAVE BEEN RESTORED BY A WELL KNOWN EXPERT IN THE FIELD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CLOCK.

THE ENGINE IS A WORKS ENGINE AND IS ONE IF NOT THE LAST TO BE BUILT BY NEV FARQUHAR,PROBABLY THE MOST EXPERIENCED FETTLER,RESTORER AND RACER OF RILEY BROOKLANDS IN POST-WAR YEARS.IT IS MODIFIED IN ORIGINAL PRE-WAR STYLE WITH MANY LIGHTENED PARTS INCLUDING ROCKERS,CRANKSHAFT WHICH IS BEAUTIFULLY COUNTERBALANCED. NON STANDARD FEATURES INCLUDE STRENGTHENING WEBS,EXTERNAL OIL SYSTEM AND LARGE OIL PUMP ETC.

THE ENGINE STARTED ALMOST INSTANTLY ON THE TEST BED AND GAVE EXCELLENT OIL PRESSURE AND AFTER AN HOUR OR TWO OF BEDDING IN GAVE EXCELLENT RESULTS AS ONE WOULD EXPECT.

THE ENGINE CAME FROM GEORGE SLATER,WHO WAS T C HARRISON`S MECHANIC AFTER THE WAR ,ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN TCH`S EXPLOITS WITH RILEYS AND ERAS.IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THE ENGINE WAS A RACE ENGINE SUPPLIED TO GEORGE SLATER FROM THE RILEY FACTORY AND BELONGING TO F W (FREDDIE)DIXON .ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE IS INCLUDED IN THE SALE TO CONFIRM THIS AND THE ENGINE WAS PROVIDED AT 12:1 COMPRESSION RATIO. INTERESTINGLY THIS ENGINE WAS SOLD TO SLATER ONLY BECAUSE THE ONE HE WANTED HAD BEEN SOLD ON BUT A LETTER QUOTES:

“ WE VERY MUCH REGRET THAT THE OTHER ENGINE WAS SOLD WHEN WE RECEIVED YOUR LETTER BUT THE DIXON ENGINE SHOULD BE JUST AS GOOD. AT ANY RATE DIXON MADE THESE CARS GO A LOT FASTER THAN ANYONE ELSE”

THE ENGINE WAS SUPPLIED WITH 4 AMAL CARBS AND ALTHOUGH FITTED PRESENTLY WITH TWIN SU`S FOR EASE OF TUNING AND OPERATION 4 AMAL CARBS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE CAR .IN ADDITION A NEWLY OVERHAULED BTH MAGNETO THAT CAME WITH THE ENGINE WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED , A MAGNETO/DISTRIBUTOR/COIL CONVERSION BEING PRESENTLY INSTALLED.

A 4 BRANCH EXHAUST SYSTEM SPECIALLY FOR RACING HAS BEEN FABRICATED ALONG THE LINES OF THE ONE OUTLINED AGAIN IN ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. THE REST OF LETTER OUTLINES BROOKLANDS TECHNICAL ENGINE SPECIFICATION FOR REFERENCE.

THE GEARBOX IS THE TYPE THAT WOULD BE ORIGINALLY FITTED TO A BROOKLANDS,NAMELY A 4 SPEED SILENT 3RD TYPE FITTED WITH CLOSE RATIO GEARS.THIS ALSO WAS OVERHAULED ACCORDING TO PREVIOUS OWNERS BY THE LATE, GREAT BROOKLANDS AFFICIENADO,NEV FARQUHAR.

BODY

UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST ORIGINAL AND IMPORTANT RILEY BODY TO BE OFFERED ON THE OPEN MARKET. BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BUT LANGUISHING IN THE BACK OF A WORKSHOP FOR MANY A LONG YEAR THIS IS THE BODY FROM RILEY BROOKLANDS VC 8304 ,WINNING CAR DRIVEN BY WHITCROFT IN THE 1932 ARDS TT AND WINNER OF THE INDEX OF PERFORMANCE IN THE 1933 LE MANS DRIVEN BY VON DER BECKE AND PEACOCK .

THIS ARDS AND LE MANS TT BODY ACQUIRED WITH CHASSIS 8060 BY THE LATE PETER CATTELL ,IN THE OPINION OF MOST THE BEST RILEY RESTORER OF HIS GENERATION,STILL BEARS THE WITNESS MARKS FROM IT`S ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY.

THE UTMOST CARE HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN OVER THE CONSERVATION OF IT`S ORIGINAL PATINA AND TO THIS END THE BODY HAS BEEN LEFT IN ALUMINIUM WHICH A NEW PROSPECTIVE OWNER MAY WISH TO PAINT BUT WHICH PROVES IT`S PROVENANCE BEYOND DOUBT. AS AN EXAMPLE UPON REMOVAL OF THE HANDMADE LEATHER REAR SECURING STRAP CLEARLY VISIBLE ARE THE WEAR MARKS OF THE ORIGINAL STRAPS AS SHOWN IN PERIOD PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ARDS TT WINNING CAR.

THIS ARDS TT WINNING BODY FROM VC 8304 IS VIRTUALLY INTACT AS SHOWN IN PERIOD PHOTOGRAPHS .INTERESTING FEATURES ARE THE PANEL BEATEN BODY SIDES TO TAKE A SPARE WHEEL AND THE INTERNAL BRACKETRY TO SUPPORT IT BEHIND THE REAR SEATS.THE SLOTS IN THE BODY WHICH BARBARA FARQUAHER HAS CONFIRMED IN INCLUDED CORRESPONDENCE ARE ADJACENT TO THE MOUNTING BOLTS TO ENSURE SWIFT REMOVAL OF THE BODY. THE BODY FRAME IS OF EXTREMELY LIGHT SECTION TO KEEP IT AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE CAST OR FABRICATED LIGHT ALLOY BRACKETS TO REINFORCE IT AND ARE POSSIBLE MAGNESIUM.

THE HOLES FOR AUXILLIARY BRAKE/REAR LIGHTS ARE INTERESTING. APPARENTLY THEY WERE A REQUIREMENT TO RUN IN THE TT AND ALSO IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PLACE TO RUN AT LE MANS HENCE 2 SETS OF DISTINGUISHABLE HOLES TO TAKE SUCH LIGHTS ONE OF WHICH HAS A PERIOD LIGHT AS MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED INSTALLED AND WORKING.

EXTRA BRACKETS HAVE BEEN FITTED TO REINFORCE THE LIGHTWEIGHT BODY FRAME AND TO FIT ROAD LEGAL WINGS FOR MOT. THESE HAVE BEEN FITTED UTILISING EXISTING HOLES IN THE FRAME TO PRESERVE THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THIS UNIQUE BODY.IN ADDITION THE AEROSCREEN AND MIRROR FAIRING WERE CONSTRUCTED AND FITTED USING THE ORIGINAL RIVET HOLES WHICH HAD BEEN WELDED UP AT SOMETIME IN THE SCUTTLE BUT WHICH WERE CLEARLY VISIBLE FROM THE UNDERSIDE AND WHICH ARE SHOWN IN PHOTOGRAPHS.

EVEN DISCOVERED BY PETER CATTELL WERE THE ORIGINAL BRACKETS TO SUPPORT A WINDSCREEN CLEARLY SHOWN IN THE FAMOUS PICTURE OF VON DER BECK AND PEACOCK IN WHITE OVERALLS SITTING ON THE REAR OF THE CAR AFTER THE 1933 LE MANS.

THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN RETRIMMED IN HIGH QUALITY BROWN LEATHER AND EVEN THE DRIVERS LEATHER ARMREST USES THE EXISTING HOLES DESIGNATED FOR SUCH. NO EXTRA HOLES HAVE BEEN DRILLED AND THE BODY FITTED SNUGLY ON TO THE CHASSIS WITHOUT NEED FOR EXTRA DRILLING. A NEW FUEL TANK HAS BEEN FITTED TOGETHER WITH A PERIOD UNDER DASH OIL FEED TANK AS THE HIGH CAPACITY FUEL TANK HAS LONG SINCE DISINTEGRATED . TWO FAST FILLER TANKS USED IN RACING WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE SALE AND CAME WITH THE CAR.

TO COMPLY WITH MODERN REQUIREMENTS ESPECIALLY FOR CONTINENTAL MOTORING CYCLE WINGS,SIDELIGHTS WITH INDICATORS , REAR PORK PIE LIGHTS AGAIN WITH INDICATORS HAVE BEEN FITTED TOGETHER WITH DIPPING ROTAX HEADLAMPS. IN CONCLUSION AN ORIGINAL VINTAGE RILEY BROOKLANDS WHICH HAS UNDERGONE A PAINSTAKING AND EXHAUSTIVE RESTORATION WITH THE MOST HISTORIC RILEY BODY, THOUGHT LOST FOR MANY YEARS FROM VC8304 AND THE ENSEMBLE IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS EVENTS .