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Post by Roger Holman on Jun 3, 2020 20:29:42 GMT
Good evening everyone. I honestly hope you are all 'Well', which means, you haven't got an unexplained cough, accompanied by a high temperature. Not long ago, we used to ask each other wheter or not we had the 'bug' which was going around. Times have changed, we now ask, "Are you well?" which is a euphamism for, "Have you got a cough?"
I ask myself whether the membership fee is value for money too. I joined the Club for one specific reason; I needed a replacement Brake Master Cylinder, and it ws available nowhere else.
So, I 'ask not what the Club can do for me; ask what I can do for the Club?' (apologies to a well known American President)
There are clearly members out there, spread over the world in fact, who would welcome a bit more interaction. I'm sorry I have been 'inactive' for a bit, I have been, and still am, heavily involved with house re-definition (a step up or two from re-decoration!) and am heavily committed, hardly ever get to drive the Riley (DAG) which is a bit of a bummer, but there we are.
A couple of jobs I have managed to do have involed the front and rear bumpers. I am not a purist, and have always thought that the front and rear umpers on the RMC make the car look heavy and unattractive. The bumpers on DAG were well past their refurb date anyway.
I have removed the heavy looking back plates to both front and back bumpers. I have fitted instead a set of early RMB front bumper blades with just one over rider each side, and at the back, I have fitted a full width late front bumper. The bright guys will obviously say "What about the starting handle hole?" This has been masked by the re-fitting of the large escutcheon and 'Riley' badge which once adorned the original rear bumper.
The result pleases me. I took the idea from a picture I saw of an RMC so treated in the US, I really think that the concept improves the balance of the car no end, but ptobably upsets the purists by a similar amount.
There, now there is someting 'Riley' to talk about. Contentious? maybe. Riley? certainly.
Keep well everyone. Maintain a sense of proportion, and a sense of humour, that's most important.
Roger
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Post by rmcgoun on Jun 5, 2020 21:36:07 GMT
Hi Roger, I rather like the slightly ridiculous bumpers on the Roadster, but I can't see any harm in changing them to suit your taste. I would draw the line at alterations which cannot be reversed at some future date. I remember when seeing more than one RMC at a club event was a cause for excitement. Now they seem almost commonplace, which is remarkable when considering the amount of work required to restore one. Rob
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Post by Mabel on Jun 8, 2020 6:05:17 GMT
My 1960 Riley 1.5 will never be original. The simple fact of running on radial tyres kicks that bit of originality into touch. Electronic ignition, alternator, headlights that actually pierce through the gloom are all modern additions that I’ve no problem using. I’ve even got seatbelts! After having had one bad accident without them they were fitted as soon as possible. Fuel lines will be changed shortlyish (when back from restoration.......one day) as I’m not prepared to have ethanol based fuel weaken and destroy the original pipes resulting in a fire. I’ve seen the consequences. I intend to avoid them. Controversially, and possibly regretfully, the Wolseley 1500/Riley 1.5 Facebook group is way more active than this forum. Just seems easier to use, add pictures, ask technical and non-technical questions and all answered by many contributors in the blink of an eyelid. Just wondering if social media on public forum encourages greater usage. It’s possibly easier to go from looking at a Facebook news feed on one subject and dip into another seamlessly and quickly. The Facebook page of the RMC seems way underused in comparison.
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Post by Roger Holman on Jun 12, 2020 18:30:35 GMT
A fact frequently ignored is that a car is only 'original' when it first leaves the supplying dealer. Every one of us has to change tyres, they wear out or become unusable through lack of use. Exhausts, rust out for a passtime; these days we all put on stainless to try and eke out the life of the exhaust. I was writing on the RMClub forum this evening, recounting the tale of a split ORIGINAL petrol pipe which sprayed petrol over the back of the dynamo. Only a spot of luck, and a bit of foresight saved the whole car, but the replacement fuel pipe is braided stainless over rubber. The quest for originality should not be pursued at the expence of practicality IMHO.
Rob; I have and will retain all the original (rusty) bumper parts. In all honesty, having been rebuilt from two cars, DAG will always be a 'bitza', but it adds a bit to her story. What does one do? the interior leather was shot to bits, and has been replaced. Non original. The hood was smashed in the accident in 1974, it has been beautifully replaced, but not original.
I am very pleased with the look of my 'new' bumpers. I always thought that the 'original' bumpers looked a bit like an American wreckers truck, but I suppose that as the whole car was designed for the US, it makes sense. When I can get her ouside and examine the whole set up in daylight I think the look will be lighter and more sporting, without being racy. Jst awaiting some new brackets for the Butlers to be ready, in mirror polished stainless of course, but not original!
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Post by Roger Holman on Oct 23, 2020 14:31:53 GMT
In an effort to spark discussion, without appearing to make a takeover bid, of course, another 'non-standard modification'.
Seat belts. The original problem was ato find a means of securing the dog in the car; a quality harness required a seat belt 'socket' to be fitted, this was done by fashioning steel brackets using 40x40x5 angle and 40mm flat bar into an extension to the existing framework which supports the flor over the propshaft and UJ. The extension follows the line of the shaft tunnel until it can be dropped down and welded onto the chassis cross member underneath the rear of the cockpit. Straightforward seat belt bolts then drilled through extension and floor attach a short webbing seat belt buckle (obtainable on a well known auction site) the buckle end sits neatly in the centre of the seat. Dgog problem solved.
Whilst engaged in this operation, the question of seat belts again raised its head. Whilst my partner was getting used to a car without belts, few other people are happy with the concept. There can be no question of fitting ordinary lap/diagonal belts, the structure of the car is simply not there, so a decision was made to employ 3 point harnesses with a lap belt and shoulder straps. The inner anchorage bolts down into the above detailed extension, the outer anchorage is drilled down through the body/chassis mount at the base of the B pillar. The mount for the shoulder straps is secured to an angle, 40x40x5 again, which is mounte inside the boot, on the boot side of the corner of the parcel shelf/rear face of the cockpit. The angle is bolted to the structure of the car, and the attachment points are bolted through the two lots of steel. All attachments are eyebolts, and the harnesses are secured with snap hooks (c.f. TR), so, if I ever decide to submit the car for an MOT again, the belts are easily removable, leaving load attachment points remaining.
There is a small notice affixed to the dashboard which points out that the belts and attachments do not and cannot comply with IVA regulations, and are purely for the comfort of the wearer, and the dog, obviously.
I have had a shortish trip with the harness and feel quite comfortable, how it would fare in a head on? I think it would keep my face from hitting the top of the windscreen. How I would fare in an inversion? That is a question. Having seen a Mazda MX5 inverted, there is not a lot of room for anyones head ........
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Post by Harris on Nov 30, 2020 1:38:57 GMT
Hi Roger,
Firstly for a 72 year old you are pretty savvy with your posts!
I do however find your comments about the forum and the club negative and unfair. Yes the forum could be better served by it's members but extending that to a slur on the club is unfair.
I know a lot of good people with a lot of knowledge who are members of the club but because of their fear of technology are not able to contribute to our online community - they prefer talking in person.
The Riley Motor Club does cover a wide variety of models and we have technical advisors for each model. However most do not venture onto the Forum. Does that mean they are not contributing to the club - no. We also have a large base of members with many years of technical knowledge but again most do not venture on the forum. They are however helping each other in person and within their local centres and meetings.
As a 72 year old could you share how you have overcome your fear of technology and what do your friends around you think of this? Have you managed to influence them to come along?
We have published 'How to use the forum' articles in the magazine but largely people still don't want to venture this far.
I personally don't find anything wrong with the nicknames and if everyone published their cars in the avatar we'd have more of an idea of their interest.
So rather than comparing and talking down the very forum which you say should be used more I'd love to hear your thoughts on how we can encourage all our members to join the forum. In my thinking it should be pretty easy to read and comment on posts.
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Post by Roger Holman on Dec 13, 2020 13:09:47 GMT
Hello Harris. I'm sorry it has taken so long to reply to yours, I just have not bothered for a few weeks, however, the weater is so FOUL, and I am waiting for some Loctite to cure, so,....
I'm also sorry that you find my postings unfair; I try to be honest, as I see it, and not to talk any of the organisations to which I subscribe either up, or down, too much. My only wish as far as the Riley Motor Club Forum is concerned is that there was more activity, and therefore more to read, and reply to. Obviously, my interest is RM, RMC in particular, but I do enjoy reading other peoples tales, woes, catastrophies, triumphs, etc if they are available to read.
Thanks for the compliment! My children, and my partner for that matter, and her children, all think I'm pretty useless; I tend to agree. I find I am one of the least IT literate people I know.
I do understand that there is a reluctance on the part of some to disclose ANY personal details on line; personally I look at it this way, if we were all meeting in a clubhouse, or a carpark somewhere, we would shake hands (under normal circumstances) exchange names, where we came from, and all sorts of other personal details, just in the coure of conversation. I am happy to tell anyone where I live (you'e still got to find it though!) and I am happy to talk to anyone about RM matters. I have been very, very forytunate to have been helped by many members of the other Club, and miss that input from this Club, I'm sure the knowledge is out there, but people dont seem to want to share it, or maybe they just don't read the forum! I am not, and will not, 'talk down the forum', I just do not understand how people, members, manage to commmunicate on a regular basis.
I will think very hard about how we could improve the usage of what is, potentially, a very valuable and easy to use resource.
Take care.
Roger
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Post by Roger Holman on Oct 17, 2021 20:18:13 GMT
Well chaps, and chapesses, just to prove that I am still alive, here I am, again.
Not much changes does it, I have looked at various topics to which I have contributed, months ago, and there have been no additions. Whilst it might be considered flattering that my opinions/beliefs are the 'last word', I cannot believe that that is the case.
Never mind guys, so long as we enjoy ourselves who gives a Castlemains 4X.
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