Rechroming.

Well, I have dropped the Elf's rear bumper at Willowchrome in St Helens this morning. Had a good chat with Paul who quoted me £190 cash for the bumper. I also got a price of £80 to do the grill surround (cash again)
I am hoping to collect them in 3-4 weeks time.
Do members think these prices are reasonable?

you gets what you pays for, so if they some back looking good and are still good in 12 months time, then a big YES! fingers crossed and hope it's all done nice for you and your little car

a friend of mine had motorbike bits re chromed by Willowchrome. he is very happy with what they done. it was done 18month ago and still looks new

Thanks for the reasurance of this company. I was quite impressed when I delivered the parts.

have you had your bits back yet?

Yes thanks. Paul rang me up a week later to say they were ready! He asked for three/four weeks and then found a "window" so decided to "get them out of the way!" I think "cash " might have had something to it My new over riders arrived today so took the opportunity to photo them in the Sun! I am very pleased with the rechroming.

they look top quality

patlink wrote:they look top quality

Cheers for that. the rear end is sorted, now for the front! mmmmmmmmmm
What next?
1)Refit radiator grill.
2)Paint cross member black (so that it does'nt stand out too much)
3)Reverse polarity on Battery to alow me to fit an Aldon electronic ignition.
4)Fit electric windscreen wash pump in line and utilising the dashboard light switch hole for flasher switch to operate it(how many peeps use this silly dashboard switch anyway???)
5)Have also thought to change plug leads from blue to black again so they don't stand out too much. Anyone got any thoughts on that? I really want to keep it as original as poss and I don't think blue leads were around in 1964, but then don't suppose many of you were either! Am I the oldest in the club at 63 going on 64 in August?

oooh, we like shiny bits!

looking good!

TONYELF wrote:

patlink wrote:they look top quality

Cheers for that. the rear end is sorted, now for the front! mmmmmmmmmm
What next?
1)Refit radiator grill.
2)Paint cross member black (so that it does'nt stand out too much)
3)Reverse polarity on Battery to alow me to fit an Aldon electronic ignition.
4)Fit electric windscreen wash pump in line and utilising the dashboard light switch hole for flasher switch to operate it(how many peeps use this silly dashboard switch anyway???)
5)Have also thought to change plug leads from blue to black again so they don't stand out too much. Anyone got any thoughts on that? I really want to keep it as original as poss and I don't think blue leads were around in 1964, but then don't suppose many of you were either! Am I the oldest in the club at 63 going on 64 in August?

sorry to say you're not the oldest tony - my mate ray's got about ten years on you! your elf's a bit better than his though! sorry ray!

TONYELF wrote:

patlink wrote:they look top quality

4)Fit electric windscreen wash pump in line and utilising the dashboard light switch hole for flasher switch to operate it(how many peeps use this silly dashboard switch anyway???)
5)Have also thought to change plug leads from blue to black again so they don't stand out too much. Anyone got any thoughts on that? I really want to keep it as original as poss and I don't think blue leads were around in 1964, but then don't suppose many of you were either! Am I the oldest in the club at 63 going on 64 in August?

You know, I actually prefer the old manual washer pump. Somehow I have more control over where the jet hits the screen.

As regards the leads, I'm sure blue was around in the late 70s, but at a mere 47 I can't remember much further back

I'm not a purist by any means, but I try to keep my car original in spirit, but with practical mods. So, because it takes me to work on occasion (and has been my daily at times!), I have an alternator and a modern stereo. The 1988 engine (due to the fragile autoboxes) means it has a pre-engaged starter, so the front of the engine has been rewired to match. Apart from that it's pretty well stock.

The arthritis in the old thumbs can't take the the strain I'm afraid!
I am hoping to put the pump out of sight somewhere and the switch will only be noticed by "experts" such as yourself.
Cheers
Tony

asahartz wrote:

TONYELF wrote:

patlink wrote:they look top quality

4)WFit electric windscreen wash pump in line and utilising the dashboard light switch hole for flasher switch to operate it(how many peeps use this silly dashboard switch anyway???)
5)Have also thought to change plug leads from blue to black again so they don't stand out too much. Anyone got any thoughts on that? I really want to keep it as original as poss and I don't think blue leads were around in 1964, but then don't suppose many of you were either! Am I the oldest in the club at 63 going on 64 in August?

You know, I actually prefer the old manual washer pump. Somehow I have more control over where the jet hits the screen.

As regards the leads, I'm sure blue was around in the late 70s, but at a mere 47 I can't remember much further back

I'm not a purist by any means, but I try to keep my car original in spirit, but with practical mods. So, because it takes me to work on occasion (and has been my daily at times!), I have an alternator and a modern stereo. The 1988 engine (due to the fragile autoboxes) means it has a pre-engaged starter, so the front of the engine has been rewired to match. Apart from that it's pretty well stock.

[b]

Am only half serious about this - but for those of us who were driving when the Elf & Hornet versions of the Mini first
appeared ( in 1961), we have different memories of these cars. In Ireland they were viewed as " posh " Minis and were priced accordingly.
The Elf was the dearest as it had all leather upholstery and of course a full width polished wood dash & it therefore carried a price penalty
of an extra 50 pounds. For that reason alone the Hornet outsold the Elf in Ireland by a considerable amount. To this day, original Irish
assembled Elfs are as rare as the proverbial rocking-horse poo. Hornets, however, do turn up from time to time. Witness if you will
my recent acquisition (given to me as a gift) of an Irish assembled Mk2 1965 Hornet which is on my to-do list for 2013 (I'll be 70 then ).

In 1969 the Hornet was also a familiar site on Irish race circuits, in rallying and in Hill-climb events. The Alec Poole driven Hornet could be
relied upon to land a podium position whether racing or in hill-climbs & on a good day the fibreglass bodied racing Hornet of the late
Freddie Heaney was the star of the Mondello race circuit (newly opened in Co.Kildare in 69). On the second oldest Rally in the world -
The Circuit of Ireland - the Bostik sponsored Hornet of the late Noel Smith was an awesome sight as Noel was a really accomplished Mini
driver with no nerve and a ten tenths philosophy. My Riley Elf owes its FIA Rally papers to the same Noel Smith as when my Elf was
submitted by its then owner Mervyn Johnston to the FIA for approval in 1990 - it was initially rejected as the FIA stated that there was
no record of an Elf being involved in motor sport " back in the day ". Mervyn was luckily able to show the FIA photos and official records
of Noel Smith's Bostik Hornet in the Circuit of Ireland Rally.The FIA (wisely) viewed the Elf and Hornet as basically the same vehicle and
my Elf got its Historic FIA paperwork. However, I say again, there does not appear to have been a competition Riley Elf active in Ireland
back in the day - that is from 1961 to 1969. I can't speak for Elf activity in this period in the U.K. or elsewhere in the World.
Perhaps someone out there knows different ?
David2010.

David2010 wrote:
Am only half serious about this - but for those of us who were driving when the Elf & Hornet versions of the Mini first
appeared ( in 1961), we have different memories of these cars. In Ireland they were viewed as " posh " Minis and were priced accordingly.
The Elf was the dearest as it had all leather upholstery and of course a full width polished wood dash & it therefore carried a price penalty
of an extra 50 pounds. For that reason alone the Hornet outsold the Elf in Ireland by a considerable amount. To this day, original Irish
assembled Elfs are as rare as the proverbial rocking-horse poo. Hornets, however, do turn up from time to time. Witness if you will
my recent acquisition (given to me as a gift) of an Irish assembled Mk2 1965 Hornet which is on my to-do list for 2013 (I'll be 70 then ).

In 1969 the Hornet was also a familiar site on Irish race circuits, in rallying and in Hill-climb events. The Alec Poole driven Hornet could be
relied upon to land a podium position whether racing or in hill-climbs & on a good day the fibreglass bodied racing Hornet of the late
Freddie Heaney was the star of the Mondello race circuit (newly opened in Co.Kildare in 69). On the second oldest Rally in the world -
The Circuit of Ireland - the Bostik sponsored Hornet of the late Noel Smith was an awesome sight as Noel was a really accomplished Mini
driver with no nerve and a ten tenths philosophy. My Riley Elf owes its FIA Rally papers to the same Noel Smith as when my Elf was
submitted by its then owner Mervyn Johnston to the FIA for approval in 1990 - it was initially rejected as the FIA stated that there was
no record of an Elf being involved in motor sport " back in the day ". Mervyn was luckily able to show the FIA photos and official records
of Noel Smith's Bostik Hornet in the Circuit of Ireland Rally.The FIA (wisely) viewed the Elf and Hornet as basically the same vehicle and
my Elf got its Historic FIA paperwork. However, I say again, there does not appear to have been a competition Riley Elf active in Ireland
back in the day - that is from 1961 to 1969. I can't speak for Elf activity in this period in the U.K. or elsewhere in the World.
Perhaps someone out there knows different ?
David2010.

I love your chrome, Tony, it looks so blooming gorgeous!

SHINY!!!

Thanks. It 2009 when I had the rear bumper rechromed and I have just noticed a few bubbles on it around the nearside bumper bolt   I intend to remove the bumper completely and clean it inside and repaint inside as a precaution and try and obtain some chrome spray if possible to repair the damage.
wish me luck!