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Rare 1931 War Department Riley Nine


Niels v

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I found this ad for a 1931 WD Riley Nine. These are Fairly/Very rare so thought some one here might like it.

Sadly I dont have the founds for buy any more vehicles, So I hope this would be bought by some who would appreciate the military history of this and not convert it in to a racing special, which happens with a lot of Riley and Bentley's.

Most mechanical components are widely available from various sources and the Riley engines are impressive. Its twin cam, with the cams laying high on the side of the engine block.

The ad is from Classic and sports car, December 2012.

The rear of the body probably looks like the black and white picture.

IMG_0402.jpg

wd-tourer.jpg

Edited by Niels v
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  • 2 years later...

The car mentioned earlier, HX6507, is coming up for sale at Bonhams: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22724/lot/106/

 

For info though, an account of the car appeared the Riley Register's Bulletin No.111, Sept 1983. It is said that during its history the WD spec 21" wheels were replaced by 19" wheels; the crown wheel & pinnion changed from 6.75 to 5.25 and then to 4.89 (from an RM 1.5 litre); twin carbs fitted; and the back end was hacked off to fit a Monaco-style boot. It looks as if the wheels and carbs haven't been re-instated but at least the body has been changed to what looks like the Mk IV style. But why wasn't it painted green? Sigh.

 

Hopefully the next owner will go the extra mile and return it to its original staff car look.

 

At least two other WD tourers exist - at least one of them rescued from Mr Passey's well known yard. For a picture of one of the cars, go the Riley Register's home page, click on the 2012 rally plate and go to image 13.

 

Personally, I think the estimate is too high - I've seen Mk IV tourers, which essentially is what it is, at the circa £15k mark. But the price of these things rarely go down!

 

If anyone is interested, I'll dig out some little known gen on these staff cars.

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  • 1 month later...
The car mentioned earlier, HX6507, is coming up for sale at Bonhams: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22724/lot/106/

 

For info though, an account of the car appeared the Riley Register's Bulletin No.111, Sept 1983. It is said that during its history the WD spec 21" wheels were replaced by 19" wheels; the crown wheel & pinnion changed from 6.75 to 5.25 and then to 4.89 (from an RM 1.5 litre); twin carbs fitted; and the back end was hacked off to fit a Monaco-style boot. It looks as if the wheels and carbs haven't been re-instated but at least the body has been changed to what looks like the Mk IV style. But why wasn't it painted green? Sigh.

 

Hopefully the next owner will go the extra mile and return it to its original staff car look.

 

At least two other WD tourers exist - at least one of them rescued from Mr Passey's well known yard. For a picture of one of the cars, go the Riley Register's home page, click on the 2012 rally plate and go to image 13.

 

Personally, I think the estimate is too high - I've seen Mk IV tourers, which essentially is what it is, at the circa £15k mark. But the price of these things rarely go down!

 

If anyone is interested, I'll dig out some little known gen on these staff cars.

 

hello Runflat

having become the owner of a War Dept Riley 9 some 16 months ago and which I am in the process of totally restoring I can confirm that these are now very rare with 4 known to survive - the Bonhams car mentioned above that has been messed with as you described, although the rear body is still unoriginal as the rear body on the WD was unlike the standard tourer; and three as original as can be cars - one in S.Africa, one in Herefordshire ( the one you refer to above on the Riley Registers site) and mine which is Cheshire based.

The WD model resulted from a requirement for the War Dept for a rough terrain vehicle ( was this the first purpose built off roader?) that could do overseas expeditions as well as use as a staff car and as a result its specification uprated appropriately to include a strengthened chassis; uprated leaf springs; 21" wheels (31" diameter including tyres) - to provide increased ground clearance; a lower differential ratio of 6.75.1 ; larger long distance fuel tank of different design; all steel body of different rear design to a standard tourer which had fabric covered bodies and differing hood arrangement with a roll up rear window to provide better air flow thro' in hot climes.

The War Dept ordered 77 under contracts during 1931/32 but the factory also offered the "Army" model to the public in 1931 -still only in Army Green - although it appears not to have been popular as due to the different spec it was £310 as opposed to the standard tourers £285, and was dropped from the catalogue in '32.

The car was clearly a rough terrain success having been used to cross cross the African continent including the Sahara, taken the Jo' burgh- Capetown (961 miles) record in '32 and used in many other expeditions and rallies including a 7th place in the Monte Carlo Rally of 1934.

 

If you have any further info on these cars I would be pleased to know more.

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in 1932 the war office produced a report entitled experimental convoy the convoy was made up of a CROSSLEY six wheeled

30 cwt a COMMER 4 wheeled 30 cwt a MORRIS-COMMERCIAL 15 cwt van and lastly a Riley 9 H.P CAR

They left CAIRO and travelled south to LADO which then was in the BELGIAN CONGO then after a short break back up by a different route back north to CAIRO a total of five and a half thousand miles a total of ninety days time lost three hours fifty minutes due to mechanical defects six hours to soft sand and bogs and five punctures the report gives a report on each vehicles performance

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Please do post pictures and keep us update about this, Riley's are a very interesting mark, and would love to have one again

 

Neils - car is still in a state of build and not very picturesque at the moment, will post pics when "coming together " a bit more.

 

Wally - is there an online link to view the report? Or do you know where I can get a copy from?

Nearly four hours downtime for mechanicals between four vehicles over that distance in those conditions isounds really exceptional to me for the time period.

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attached is the front cover of the report l got my copy over thirty years ago from the then MOD LIBRARY which l believe

is no more it was for reference on a paper on the early exploration of the middle eastern deserts by mechanical vehicles by the British military up to the end of world war two as to been available on line l do not know

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Hey Mon V! It is the rust bucket, part pictures that we are most intrested in. :D

 

OK - some pics to date but not necessarily in the right order!! . These show the vehicle as found which looks in much better condition than it was as pics tend to do!! By example rear wings shown before with lots of tinworm and after repair. The fronts were the same. Rear three quarter body panels also needed repairs all around the wheel arches as pic shows. After blasting chassis found to be in excellent condition as was the ash framework. All the running gear though was another story with everything worn and needing full refurbishment/replacement. Pic shows chassis after refurb of all pins/bushes/ springs/ axle with new seals,bearings, brakes etc etc. The rear footwell was remade as was beyond saving. Engine and gearbox fully stripped and rebuilt - crank found to be cracked and block frost damaged, rebored/new Pistons/rocker shafts/oil seals etc etc etc ££££££'s etc etc etc . pic show rebuilt units fitted with a sourced correct BTH magneto that was missing. Final pic shows repaired scuttle ready for primer. Next job - final fettling and fitting of all wings.

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Edited by Jet10k
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  • 2 months later...
The car mentioned earlier, HX6507, is coming up for sale at Bonhams: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22724/lot/106/

 

For info though, an account of the car appeared the Riley Register's Bulletin No.111, Sept 1983. It is said that during its history the WD spec 21" wheels were replaced by 19" wheels; the crown wheel & pinnion changed from 6.75 to 5.25 and then to 4.89 (from an RM 1.5 litre); twin carbs fitted; and the back end was hacked off to fit a Monaco-style boot. It looks as if the wheels and carbs haven't been re-instated but at least the body has been changed to what looks like the Mk IV style. But why wasn't it painted green? Sigh.

 

Hopefully the next owner will go the extra mile and return it to its original staff car look.

 

At least two other WD tourers exist - at least one of them rescued from Mr Passey's well known yard. For a picture of one of the cars, go the Riley Register's home page, click on the 2012 rally plate and go to image 13.

 

Personally, I think the estimate is too high - I've seen Mk IV tourers, which essentially is what it is, at the circa £15k mark. But the price of these things rarely go down!

 

If anyone is interested, I'll dig out some little known gen on these staff cars.

 

Good Afternoon Runflat,

 

I am the new owner of the above car and would welcome any details you can provide, there are some fairly significant plans for the car - but I will update on these over the new few weeks. I can advise that the details on the rear axle ratio being changed were incorrect, the car had been fitted with a 5.25 at some point in its past history, but not any other ratio changes.

 

Kind Regards

 

John

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Just a note about the Blue Diamond website concerning the Monti Carlo Rally which mentions the Hon Victor Bruce as a participant. This was in fact The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce an intrepid lady aviator and driver.

 

Good afternoon Mr Grundy,

 

Many thanks for this - I have changed the text to fully recognise that 'Victor' was Mrs Victor.

 

Kind Regards

 

John

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  • 1 month later...

Dear All,

 

I just thought I would update you on the progress of the WD, unfortunately the car suffered a cracked cylinder head on the way back from it's first major run to the VSCC Goodwood sprint in October. This meant that the car had to have a full engine re-build in order to compete in the Monte Carlo Historique rally, at this point the decision was also taken to check and overhaul all the mechanicals and electricals, the end result was as follows;

 

Engine

 

  • Full engine strip down and rebuild
  • Replacement Omega pistons
  • Crank crack tested and overhauled
  • New timing gears fitted
  • White metalled throughout
  • lightened flywheel
  • New cams to 'Imp' spec
  • Twin 1" SU's - overhauled and re-built
  • modern 4 branch exhaust
  • modern Bosh distributor fitted (for reliability)
  • modern alternator conversion

 

 

 

Gearbox

 

 

  • Full strip down and re-build
  • Uprated 2nd gear fitted (to reduce the gap from 2nd to 3rd)
  • Blue Diamond Oil seal conversions for the front and rear of the box fitted.
  • Crown Wheel and Pinion replaced with a 5.1 ratio

 

 

 

Chassis

 

 

  • Suspension components checked and replaced where required
  • Shock absorbers checked and re-conditioned where required
  • Front valence fitted with additional catches to prevent lifting

 

 

 

Electrics

 

 

  • Total re-wire
  • Full weatherproofing of all wiring
  • New headlight dipping switch fitted
  • Headlights uprated to LED's
  • Additional twin driving lamps fitted
  • Additional pillar spot light fitted to passenger side
  • 1960's rear lights replaced with period twin 'diving style lamps'
  • Additional internal light fitted to assist with navigation
  • Twin USB power sockets added to glove pocket
  • Cigarette lighter socket added to glove pocket
  • Twin USB power sockets added to rear seats
  • Cigarette lighter socket added to rear seats
  • Additional battery fitted to rear passenger foot well
  • Compressor fitted to rear drivers foot well
  • Additional high level checker board fitted to top of spare wheel
  • Go Pro mount fitted to passenger side pillar
  • Uprated BOSCH wiper motor fitted
  • Peltor headset Intercom system fitted

 

 

 

Trim/Bodywork

 

 

  • Front drivers side vent closed off (we are not expecting to need the cooling effect!)
  • Bespoke period twin tool boxes added to both running boards
  • Rear seats removed and replaced with flat rubber coated wooden floor
  • Additional spare wheel fitted
  • Twin 20 litre removable tanks fitted, one for water and one for fuel
  • Metal cross brace fitted to allow new tonneau to be fitted to rear space only
  • Windscreen side pillars modified to prevent water leakage through side screens
  • Period radiator muff copied and re-made

 

 

All of the changes to the trim bodywork have been designed that returning to the previous spec is possible and relatively easy. It was my intention to have the driver's side tool storage area re-made for the rally but the level of work required to prepare the car for the rally mean that this is likely to have to wait until the spring.

 

Whilst not yet returned to it's Historic Military Vehicle Spec, the car is now being used and will be seen by members of the public on the road - much better than being stored away and never seen. I've also included a picture of Rupert Riley from 1932 - he competed in the Monte in a WD in 1932, 33 and 34.

 

John

 

 

DSCF3343.jpg~

 

John

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DSCF3383.jpg

1932 WD @ Monte Carlo.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

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