Steve, I not only enjoy your work, but also the way you edit and time lapse. You use a time lapse pace that still allows us to see what you are doing; too many others speed it up so fast that you can not appreciate the work they are doing. Looking forward to more of that hydrolastic suspension.
Gorgeous car! The leak reminds of when I was in high school driving home one day in my Austin Mini Mk2 and hit a nasty pothole. It broke my rear subframe and the drivers side suspension line got snipped along with the brake line. So I was tilted over dragging down the road wondering what the hell just happened! Haha! A weekend of work to install a new rear subframe, hydrolastic line, and brake line, and I was back on the road for Monday morning. Good times. 30 years later, and I still have that car.
Just a gentle 'heads up' on tightening sequence for the new CV / driveshaft through the new bearings. We always used a big flat washer to wind in the first torque then we removed it and put in the tapered washer for final torque setting. Using the tapered washer only can create a false torques setting. But that is one very rare car and looks in excellent condition as well. What a find! Not too hard to convert to Left Hand Drive either.
They're rare in the UK now too. When I was a kid in the late 70s I used to love these as it was a posh Mini. Good to see one in immaculate condition and being enjoyed over in the States.
The sticker in the wind screen is a UK tax disk which expired in January 2001 (I think it reads 01 01). That means Vehicle tax was paid for in the year 2000. Also the V5 date is the last one issued and would have been used after that time. Hope that helps.
You look like a defensive lineman standing next to that thing. In the words of Rosanne Rosanna Dana, "If it's not one thing, it's another...". Definitely need to see the suspension fixed. Good stuff, Steve.
I just re-pumped my hydrolastic suspension a few months ago after the car sat for 30 years, luckily no sudden failures or leaking for me. I'm sure a few neighbours weren't sure what I was doing pumping my car up.
Nice video. Great to see some footage of the Riley, such an unusual car here in the US. Maybe when you do a segment on the repairing the hydrolast suspension you could also give us a few interior shots of the car and a brief walk around.
My cousin was given a new Elf soon after they came out but I think she was really hoping for a Cooper ! I recall the Elf used the 998cc engine block before it became common in the mainstream mini - though without the Cooper twin SU or cylinder head.
I think that is a good upgrade for a classic car, makes for safer driving in modern traffic. Shame the suspension sprang a leak but put that down to age I think.
A lot of Minis get converted to rubber cone suspension now as displacer units are quite rare, I think. Brand new rubber cones are available in the UK but you would also need the Trumpets as they are different. Trumpets could be made or adapted if not available. I just checked and trumpets, including adjustable ones, are available in the UK so at least this car could be fixed fairly quickly.
As the liquid poured all over the floor at the end there must of been a small glitch or hesitation in the sound recording as i did not hear any profuse swearing. Please sort this out as effing and blinding adds to the realism of working on old cars.
Hi Steve . It's obvious you've done this a number of times . I think it's over 50 years since l did my last one ! 😅 But the memories came back and reminded me why l never became a mechanic ! The Elf looks in very sound condition but the colour is very unusal and l'm pretty certain didn't come fom the factory like that . And l was genuinely surprised when the standard wheel fitted . Bad luck with the displacer leaking but it's a common occurance , and l'm sure you know that too ! Thanks Steve
Thanks Steve, great vid. It took me back 40 years with my dad helping me change a cv joint on my first car, a mini. We had only basic tools so had to bang on the ball joints for such a long time to get them to break. Youve got all the gear and make it look so easy. Just slightly puzzled why you changed the drum brakes, obviously discs are better but all the parts must have cost a small fortune and I know some people like to see a totally original car but hey its your car and safety is paramount. Anyways, love the channel, thanks from 20 miles south west of London
Could you do more on this car and perhaps a video walk through including engine etc. Mini's were a huge part of my life in the 70s-80's and I had many of them, but not one of these.
Great build as usual, your videos could properly be used as tutorials for people doing the same jobs at dealership levels (of course, there are no Riley dealerships left anywhere in the world). Here in Australia I remember seeing all of the Mini variants, although the Riley and the Wolseley were fare more rare. There was even a Vanden Plas Princess version, ultra-luxury.
Here in the UK, I have never seen or heard of a Vanden Plas Princess version of the Mini but there was one of the Austin 1100/1300. I am wondering if you got the two mixed up or was there really a Vanden Plas Mini?
I wonder how long this job took in real time. It’s a complicated procedure. His knowledge on such a range of vehicles is extraordinary. Where is it all leading and apart from producing videos, what is the long term plan. One massive auction? And the cost of all the parts. Steve, did you win a lottery?
The issue with the wheels is due to the different hub offset of drum brake cars versus disc brake cars and not due to the diameter of the wheel itself. The original 3.5 x10" wheel 'could' be reinstalled, but in certain cases may bind with the caliper. I say certain as there were numerous manfs for the 3.5 x 10" wheels fitted to Mini's and variants like the Elf/Hornet - some of these will clear the caliper without issue while others will not so it comes down to trial and error checking. Also, in some cases the wheel will also stick out 'proud' of the front fender due to the different wheel offset. Again, this will depend on the wheel manf. If the wheel does bind, a common way around it is to use the 10" wheels originally fitted on a Mini Cooper S. All Mk1- Mk3 Cooper S's had 7.5" front disc brakes as standard so their wheels already have the correct offset and will simply bolt on. They are also readily available from MiniSpares. FYI - I own a Mk 2 Mini and did this exact brake conversion. Doing so is well worth the expense - the improvement in braking ability is massive and quite literally transforms ones confidence in their car. It certainly did for me. As for wheels, my old 3.5 x 10" ones did not clear the caliper so I went with 4.5 x 10" Cooper S steel wheels as I wanted to retain a factory stock appearance. I was also able to simply swap over the tires that had been fitted on the prior 3.5 x 10" wheels.
Good to see this job done. I've driven cars with the conversion but never done it myself. The Rily and Wolesley aren't that common in te UK either. Cool cars though.
Steve I believe I would have to stay old school packing the bearings by the palm of the hand since with the packer you still had to get greasie. And admit it greasie palms are more fun.
Great video. Dropping the rag in the puddle communicated your disgust better than words. Hilarious. Would like it better if you wore safety glasses when pounding on things. I’ve seen chips come off chisels that had to be surgically removed. Not good for eyes.
The Elf was discontinued in August 1969, so this must be one of the last ever built. It's a curious colour for an Elf too; I don't think that's a BMC standard colour, and I don't remember ever seeing a metallic Elf.
with the Mini 10" wheels ive found that USUALLY the riveted wheels dont clear the caliper properly on the disk conversion, but the seem welded ones usually do, in saying that I wouldnt want to run the Rivited wheel anyways, they almost always are buckled and leak if you dont run a tube haha
Interesting and details upgrade. Always impressed (and jealous) that you have the right tools for each job. Certainly the vehicle will be safer, but my only question is: with a rare vehicle like this, does it devalue it by making it non standard? Good luck with the suspension!
Is there a difference in track width with this kit compared to the old drums? I heard some people saying you either had to install some spacers on the back drums or use new drums with spacers built in.
I’m curious why you don’t take the time to clean up rusty parts when you are replacing parts. For example, the steering arm that looks so bad when it’s connected to that nice new hub and rotor assembly?
Colway tyres! Those are more rarer than the cars. Colway was the UK's biggest supplier of remoulds but went under due to cheaper new Asian tyres. That was in about 2001 so they have been on it a while. I thought Leyland missed a trick with the Hornet and Elf, which was not to produce a basic version (which I think they did in Sough Africa I think) to deal with one of the Mini's big problems which was the small boot.
@@ernieleithes6545 The ADO16 contingent (BMC 1100 and 1300 ie MG1100 Austin America) have devised a way to rehose the displacers with a special clamp. It is usually the crimped hose fitting at the displacer that starts to seep or leak.
Take the rubbish hydro fluid out and replace with the rubber trumpet suspension. That is what everyone does. Cheaper with better handling AND no more hassles !!
I restored 2 old Mini's one was my sisters Mini 1000 automatic I think the gearbox was possessed the gears changed without touching the thing , my boss asked my nip over to the Kawasaki dealers price a Mini resoration for someone I thought was his mate , the boss said I thought you would have fobbed him off , said it was his mate so didnt want to , the boss said not my mate you got the wrong lad Oops so I ended doing a job I didn't want and even the boss did not want because I thought it was his mate . Another mate bought his brothers Mini 1000 had bored out to 1150 stage 2 race cam , he wanted 1300 but the company doing it said that would blow up very quickly for what he wanted to do with it said 1150 was the best option , I went in it once that was it for me told him get a roll cage put in or you will not last long driving it was lethal LOL .
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LOL at the despondant way you dropped the blue rag on the puddle at the end! 😆
Steve, I not only enjoy your work, but also the way you edit and time lapse. You use a time lapse pace that still allows us to see what you are doing; too many others speed it up so fast that you can not appreciate the work they are doing. Looking forward to more of that hydrolastic suspension.
Gorgeous car!
The leak reminds of when I was in high school driving home one day in my Austin Mini Mk2 and hit a nasty pothole. It broke my rear subframe and the drivers side suspension line got snipped along with the brake line. So I was tilted over dragging down the road wondering what the hell just happened! Haha! A weekend of work to install a new rear subframe, hydrolastic line, and brake line, and I was back on the road for Monday morning. Good times. 30 years later, and I still have that car.
I hope you show us the hydro elastic suspension repair.
Your organization and cleanliness are more like that of a surgeon!
I'm glad those lovely hubcaps will stay on the car. These videos are so watchable, and never long enough!
Just a gentle 'heads up' on tightening sequence for the new CV / driveshaft through the new bearings. We always used a big flat washer to wind in the first torque then we removed it and put in the tapered washer for final torque setting. Using the tapered washer only can create a false torques setting.
But that is one very rare car and looks in excellent condition as well. What a find! Not too hard to convert to Left Hand Drive either.
They're rare in the UK now too. When I was a kid in the late 70s I used to love these as it was a posh Mini. Good to see one in immaculate condition and being enjoyed over in the States.
The sticker in the wind screen is a UK tax disk which expired in January 2001 (I think it reads 01 01). That means Vehicle tax was paid for in the year 2000. Also the V5 date is the last one issued and would have been used after that time. Hope that helps.
Hahahaha! That feeling at the end when the job is done and you made a new job for yourself in the process. Congrats on your patience.
Nice job on the conversion. I felt your pain when the hydrolastic let go. Please more on the Riley Elf.
You look like a defensive lineman standing next to that thing.
In the words of Rosanne Rosanna Dana, "If it's not one thing, it's another...".
Definitely need to see the suspension fixed. Good stuff, Steve.
Ha! I loved the twist at the end. Looking forward to see what happened
You really are a treat to watch Steve.
I just re-pumped my hydrolastic suspension a few months ago after the car sat for 30 years, luckily no sudden failures or leaking for me. I'm sure a few neighbours weren't sure what I was doing pumping my car up.
Nice video. Great to see some footage of the Riley, such an unusual car here in the US. Maybe when you do a segment on the repairing the hydrolast suspension you could also give us a few interior shots of the car and a brief walk around.
My cousin was given a new Elf soon after they came out but I think she was really hoping for a Cooper ! I recall the Elf used the 998cc engine block before it became common in the mainstream mini - though without the Cooper twin SU or cylinder head.
I think that is a good upgrade for a classic car, makes for safer driving in modern traffic. Shame the suspension sprang a leak but put that down to age I think.
Love to see suspension repair.
Great video Steve! Looking forward to the next one! Thanks for taking the time to video all your work! Cya on the next one!
A lot of Minis get converted to rubber cone suspension now as displacer units are quite rare, I think.
Brand new rubber cones are available in the UK but you would also need the Trumpets as they are different.
Trumpets could be made or adapted if not available.
I just checked and trumpets, including adjustable ones, are available in the UK so at least this car could be fixed fairly quickly.
You would also need to fit shock absorbers.
Never have seen one before. Enjoyed the video on the Riley Elf.
As the liquid poured all over the floor at the end there must of been a small glitch or hesitation in the sound recording as i did not hear any profuse swearing. Please sort this out as effing and blinding adds to the realism of working on old cars.
thoroughly enjoyed this steve i had mini`s with hydrolastic suspension brilliant when they didn`t leak! more of this riley elf please
Hi Steve . It's obvious you've done this a number of times . I think it's over 50 years since l did my last one ! 😅 But the memories came back and reminded me why l never became a mechanic ! The Elf looks in very sound condition but the colour is very unusal and l'm pretty certain didn't come fom the factory like that . And l was genuinely surprised when the standard wheel fitted . Bad luck with the displacer leaking but it's a common occurance , and l'm sure you know that too ! Thanks Steve
Reminds me of the disc brake conversion on the 64 Imp from drum, Vauxhall was the make and fit, only about 6-7” diameter but huge braking improvement
Thanks Steve, great vid. It took me back 40 years with my dad helping me change a cv joint on my first car, a mini. We had only basic tools so had to bang on the ball joints for such a long time to get them to break. Youve got all the gear and make it look so easy.
Just slightly puzzled why you changed the drum brakes, obviously discs are better but all the parts must have cost a small fortune and I know some people like to see a totally original car but hey its your car and safety is paramount. Anyways, love the channel, thanks from 20 miles south west of London
Could you do more on this car and perhaps a video walk through including engine etc. Mini's were a huge part of my life in the 70s-80's and I had many of them, but not one of these.
What a peach of a little car, not many of those around Steve, bummer about the suspension but looking forward to the repair on that.
Great job on those breaks. But Steve always remember when you are picking up those big heavy wheels to use your whole back when lifting...hahaha
I know it's kinda kinky-But we never see any Citroens! A DS would be a big challenge
So sorry at the end man, we've all been there :)
Great work on the brakes, one less job to worry about.
Great build as usual, your videos could properly be used as tutorials for people doing the same jobs at dealership levels (of course, there are no Riley dealerships left anywhere in the world).
Here in Australia I remember seeing all of the Mini variants, although the Riley and the Wolseley were fare more rare. There was even a Vanden Plas Princess version, ultra-luxury.
Here in the UK, I have never seen or heard of a Vanden Plas Princess version of the Mini but there was one of the Austin 1100/1300.
I am wondering if you got the two mixed up or was there really a Vanden Plas Mini?
I wonder how long this job took in real time. It’s a complicated procedure. His knowledge on such a range of vehicles is extraordinary. Where is it all leading and apart from producing videos, what is the long term plan. One massive auction? And the cost of all the parts. Steve, did you win a lottery?
Good Job and Good Video, nice little British four wheeler
The issue with the wheels is due to the different hub offset of drum brake cars versus disc brake cars and not due to the diameter of the wheel itself.
The original 3.5 x10" wheel 'could' be reinstalled, but in certain cases may bind with the caliper. I say certain as there were numerous manfs for the 3.5 x 10" wheels fitted to Mini's and variants like the Elf/Hornet - some of these will clear the caliper without issue while others will not so it comes down to trial and error checking. Also, in some cases the wheel will also stick out 'proud' of the front fender due to the different wheel offset. Again, this will depend on the wheel manf.
If the wheel does bind, a common way around it is to use the 10" wheels originally fitted on a Mini Cooper S. All Mk1- Mk3 Cooper S's had 7.5" front disc brakes as standard so their wheels already have the correct offset and will simply bolt on. They are also readily available from MiniSpares.
FYI - I own a Mk 2 Mini and did this exact brake conversion. Doing so is well worth the expense - the improvement in braking ability is massive and quite literally transforms ones confidence in their car. It certainly did for me. As for wheels, my old 3.5 x 10" ones did not clear the caliper so I went with 4.5 x 10" Cooper S steel wheels as I wanted to retain a factory stock appearance. I was also able to simply swap over the tires that had been fitted on the prior 3.5 x 10" wheels.
Pleased the callipers missed the the original wheels👍
Good video, I'd have opted for the timken bearings though as the cheap ones won't last long.
At a few miles each year these will last forever.
Steve great video. Nice little car can’t wait to see more of it
Great work as usual and it will be able to stop much better now.
The mini variants with a boot, due to the aerodynamics , was a little faster than the standard shaped car
Good to see this job done. I've driven cars with the conversion but never done it myself. The Rily and Wolesley aren't that common in te UK either. Cool cars though.
Steve I believe I would have to stay old school packing the bearings by the palm of the hand since with the packer you still had to get greasie. And admit it greasie palms are more fun.
My god, Steve even has a Riley Elf!
Great video. Dropping the rag in the puddle communicated your disgust better than words. Hilarious. Would like it better if you wore safety glasses when pounding on things. I’ve seen chips come off chisels that had to be surgically removed. Not good for eyes.
The Elf was discontinued in August 1969, so this must be one of the last ever built. It's a curious colour for an Elf too; I don't think that's a BMC standard colour, and I don't remember ever seeing a metallic Elf.
I would have given that zerk fitting a couple of shots of grease. I bet that suspension leak is going to be a real pain!
Thanks ! A mini with an attitude? I googled it and apparently they call it the mini rolls.
Could you tell more/show more of this car please?
with the Mini 10" wheels ive found that USUALLY the riveted wheels dont clear the caliper properly on the disk conversion, but the seem welded ones usually do, in saying that I wouldnt want to run the Rivited wheel anyways, they almost always are buckled and leak if you dont run a tube haha
I would like to see how you fix the leak in the front suspension.
Love your Videos Steve!!
Heck yes I like it
Best mini version ever made
I learn too driver in a Riley elf a fun little car.
great stuff thanks
I'd love to see you fix the Hydralastic leak. You don't get to see that suspension often
Please show the repair of the suspension
I guessing pipe rather than unit
Leak looks like it is from where the hose meets the displacer.
I'm sorry I laughed at your misfortune at the end - it's only because it is so relatable!
Interesting and details upgrade. Always impressed (and jealous) that you have the right tools for each job. Certainly the vehicle will be safer, but my only question is: with a rare vehicle like this, does it devalue it by making it non standard? Good luck with the suspension!
Is there a difference in track width with this kit compared to the old drums? I heard some people saying you either had to install some spacers on the back drums or use new drums with spacers built in.
When I was a kid here in the uk my mum used to take me to school in a car like that 😳
I’m curious why you don’t take the time to clean up rusty parts when you are replacing parts. For example, the steering arm that looks so bad when it’s connected to that nice new hub and rotor assembly?
How is that going to affect the vehicle? If I restored every small part you would never see me get to the point of driving a car.
@@ThisWeekWithCars point taken and I think that answers it. I do really enjoy watching your process.
Colway tyres! Those are more rarer than the cars. Colway was the UK's biggest supplier of remoulds but went under due to cheaper new Asian tyres. That was in about 2001 so they have been on it a while. I thought Leyland missed a trick with the Hornet and Elf, which was not to produce a basic version (which I think they did in Sough Africa I think) to deal with one of the Mini's big problems which was the small boot.
The Morris 1100 and Austin America are kind of like basic versions of this.
@@ThisWeekWithCars In the UK the 1100 was a mid-size! And 1100cc! Too much power for the vicar. I think a lot of them sold here were automatics.
The Riley Elf the mini with a boot
Does the master cylinder need changing to support the differences between drum and disk brakes?
Nope
What was it a displacer or the front to rear pipe i would think both of these would be hard to get.
I think it was at the fitting where the hose goes into the displacer but won't know for sure until I take it out.
@@ThisWeekWithCars the hose is part of the displacer good luck mate.
There are companies in the UK that repair yours or offer replacement units
@@ernieleithes6545 The ADO16 contingent (BMC 1100 and 1300 ie MG1100 Austin America) have devised a way to rehose the displacers with a special clamp. It is usually the crimped hose fitting at the displacer that starts to seep or leak.
One time... at band clamp...
Actually. Appears the Hydraulic Press could theoretically also be used to push down on the device for packing the Bearings.
It might move faster than the grease can move through the bearing and would just break the bearing packer.
Take the rubbish hydro fluid out and replace with the rubber trumpet suspension. That is what everyone does. Cheaper with better handling AND no more hassles !!
Nicely done, ugh, but it went splooey!
Steroid Mini!
I restored 2 old Mini's one was my sisters Mini 1000 automatic I think the gearbox was possessed the gears changed without touching the thing , my boss asked my nip over to the Kawasaki dealers price a Mini resoration for someone I thought was his mate , the boss said I thought you would have fobbed him off , said it was his mate so didnt want to , the boss said not my mate you got the wrong lad Oops so I ended doing a job I didn't want and even the boss did not want because I thought it was his mate .
Another mate bought his brothers Mini 1000 had bored out to 1150 stage 2 race cam , he wanted 1300 but the company doing it said that would blow up very quickly for what he wanted to do with it said 1150 was the best option , I went in it once that was it for me told him get a roll cage put in or you will not last long driving it was lethal LOL .
Wolesley, pronounced, Woolz.lee