Technical Riley OHV V8's-Flathead Conversion and SOHC

bttt

 

I really appreciate the effort to post this stuff. Riley was a real pioneer in the days before computer design, and this information really fills out his genius. Thanks for taking the time to educate us.

 

Do you think ther ran the splash aprons to keep from burning their shins on the exhaust pipes on both sides?

 

My new issue of HOP UP arrived today and features Don Orosco's Riley V8....... www.hopupmag.com

 

I don't know about that, but I saw the newest issue of HRD, and I gotta tell you I really like this look!
JK

 

I've had my copy of Riley scrap book for 10 years now. Fantastic stuff, the way America was. Great inventors and innovations. Thanks for the thread, good stuff.

 

Didn't the engine in the Orosco car come out of a sprint car that came out of Northern California 15-20 years ago?

 

The story was that the engine Orosco has did come out of a sprint car, Don has put together some spectacular cars for us to enjoy and hopefully he will do more in the future. This is an excellent thread and great to see some of the very best that speed equipment ever had to offer.

 

Orosco's roadster, pics from Hot Rod Works who worked on that very cool 2-spd Warren quick change.

 

bizarro teardrop car

 

An underhood shot of Eugene Von Arx "Custom-Rod" sporting Riley OHV conversion.

 

clearer pic of the Spaulding Bros. Riley

 

had to post a link to this thread on the 1940's period correct thread...its just too damn good!

 

Is the Orosco Riley V-8 the sole survivor?

 

Speedy Bill has a Riley V8 in his collection

 

I wish this thread had surfaced years ago. I would have loved to have asked Charlie Strang if he ever had seen a Riley outdrive. I used to run into Charlie and Rose over in Lakeway once in a while. Great stories.

 

the riley that don used came out of a t roadster from n,dakota/minn he tried to sell me the car after he took the riley out (Damn i didn't buy it)

 

I bought a copy plans for the K-8 pre-war sprint car and was pleasantly surprised to find a lengthy article by Mr. Riley on building race cars & motors. My copy was listed as a 1938 version but included race results up to the 1941 Indy 500.

Is the Riley book available these days or do I have to search Amazon?

 

I just searched Amazon, and there are two listed from other sellers, both in the $400 (yes, four hundred) range.

 

I know this thread is old but I have the Gene Van Arx’s Riley v8 sitting on the floor of my shop. I have some serious questions about the oiling and getting some schematics on it. If anyone has knoedge of thesee engines or knows someone who does please let me know or call me. 972.741.8211 ask for pete

Thanks

 

I know this thread is old but I have the Gene Van Arx’s Riley v8 sitting on the floor of my shop. I have some serious questions about the oiling and getting some schematics on it. If anyone has knowledge of these engines or knows someone who does please let me know or call me. 972.741.8211 ask for pete

Thanks

 

I'm finishing a 32 ford roadster with a Riley v-8 ohc I got from Don Orosco. Trying to get it ready for the AMBR show week after next. Wish me luck.

 

Good Luck Don I can't wait to see this thing.

 

I believe Stan Vermeil built or helped build the Riley engine in Orosco's roadster.


Stan Vermeil
Vermeil VEO Products
530 432 2881

He was my auto shop teacher around '66 FWIW.

 

Funny this thread is back today …. because just today looking a the new R & C there’s a photo of Speedy Bill’s museum and in it is the Marshal Baldwin car I talked about in post #8.
I bet my POS ex boss got a ton of cash for it.

BTW
I replaced one of Millers missing photos id saved

 

The text is very interesting but the pix do not load at all. Not that I have any advice on how to make that work, as I have all I can do to log in.

 

Thanks so much to all who have posted here. Great leads for research on my current book project! I've been unable to find excerpts from Riley's Scrapbook online - anybuddy have a link? I certainly can't afford to buy a copy.

 

I could really use some info on that Riley V8. I think i have the original race car it was in from 1950.

 

There was a '32 roadster at the GNRS a couple of years ago built by Custom Auto in Colorado with a Riley overhead engine, and it was beautiful. There's a rumor that the Orosco car didn't run, anyone know the story.

 

I think I may have some information about this. I had a partner in my vintage modified that was the grandson of a guy named Carl Dahlen, who was from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Dahlen ran a 4 cylinder Riley and was very successful in the late '40's and early '50's with that 4 cylinder car. From what I can remember, I heard Mr. Dahlen bought a Riley V8 conversion, and installed it a new race car about 1950. I believe the engine it was installed on was a 1937 21 stud engine. I believe his son-in-law (whose name I think was Wayne Allison) was supposed to be the driver of the car. Again from what I have heard, the engine was quite fragile, and the combination was not a success. What happened after this is lost in the fog of history, but after a few years, the car ended up in the hands of a vintage race car restorer named Dave Norgaarden, who lived in Rochester, Minnesota. Mr. Norgaarden restored the car and it ended up being sold to someone in Arizona. About 20 years ago, I had the oppurtunity to buy the car for 13 or 14 thousand dollars, but passed on it. (I know, I know.) I have subsequently heard that this engine was the one used to win the "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" award a few years ago.

This was all a while ago, so I may have some things wrong. I have some pictures from when I was thinking about buying the original race car somewhere, and will try to find them. I will also speak to my former partner to see what he remembers, but I think this part of his grandfathers life was unknown to him.

Again, this has been dredged up from the depths of my memory, when quite frankly, I didn't think that "this old stuff" was important. I am offering it up because there seems to be a lot of interest in it, and it might be of some help.