My father bought a 1956 Isis, and that was the family car for just over 5 years. It didn't like hills, boiling over every time we went on mountain highways. We had gravel roads, and the leather-wrapped rear leaf springs ground themselves to a profile too thin to support any passengers in the rear seat. The speedometer cable broke annually, so we had only a sketchy idea of how far the car had gone. The rubber mounts for the front torsion bar suspension wore out regularly, but Dad became an expert at replacing them. After about four years, the rings and valves needed replacing to keep oil consumption to a realistic level. Dad did that too, so I guess the car was more serviceable than what one finds sixty years later. But when it was replaced with an American car, I don't recall any feelings of sadness.
I learned to drive on my father's 1956 Isis. A bit of a beast, but passed my test in it. Parents used it for many continental holidays - I even went on one with them, and drove it over the (old) Grossglockner pass in Switzerland. Ours did not have the overdrive if I remember..
All those 6 cylinder vehicles with the C type engine had the same 4 speed gearbox with no synchromesh on 1st gear. The Wolseley 6/90 had a modified gear linkage that ran from the right hand side of the drivers seat to the gearbox. Was a strange set up , but worked well when new. The older they got , the harder it was to select the appropriate gear, hence many people modified the gear change from column to floor mounted using the Healey 100/6 gear lever. Simple job to do.
Yes it was the C type gearbox as used in the Pathfinder , Wolseley 6/90, Austin A95, Austin-Healey 100/6. Later gearboxes were the same, although a few had syncromesh on 1st gear.
I rode in a '59 Wolseley 6/90 with a right hand floor shift, azlways haver wondered what type of gear box was in the first Riley Pathfinders with the double knocker 2.5 ltr engine because it had a right hand gear change,which made me wonder which bell housing bolt pattern was used for the "C" series engine because the Pathfinder eventually got the "C" series engine.
contrarily to what the owner says, looking at the video i think the isis performs very well ,with lots of torque and a nice noise !! lovely car! good job for preserving it
Most welcome. Anything else I can help you with ? Even the Isis, Austin A95 , Wolseley 6/90 and RIley Pathfinder had the same 2.6 litre single down draught Zenith 42 VIS carburettor.
My Dad had a 6/90 around 1958, with a Borg Warner automatic gearbox. I seem to remember it had a toggle controlled overdrive, but not too sure how this worked with an auto box. The car would show 100mph on the speedo given a reasonably clear bit of road.
Ok, but still does not answer my question,tyhe gear box and bell housing are as one, NOW, was it a "c" series gearbox attached to the original Riley 2.5 litre engine in which case it makes me think BMC decided to use the Riley bolt pattern on the "new?' c series engine.asd Riley's never had linkage out of the side of the box like one built for a "tree" shift.
this is an manual gearbox and not an B-W automatic, the overdrive is an Laycock de Normanville including freeweeling, that means; you drive below the min.speed of OD ( od on) you dont have use the clutch! Even to a lower gear! fabulous The OD selector must than be on! Bij reaching the speed that the OD will be on, you simple lower the press of the accelator pedal and the engine revs decraesed , approx 20 %
Not a Laycock overdrive at all. You description is moderately accurate, but this was indeed a Borg Warner overdrive . The laycock overdrives had positive control i.e. the OD stayed in or out purely on the switch position, unrelated to speed, and there was no kickdown
I had a Morris Minor 1000,1960 model with single 1/1/4 SU and electric pump, and a 1958 Major with a single carb same size as Minor also with electric pump,[majors,Lancers and Wolseley 1500 had Morris minor type back axles,although the parts man told me there was a different part number for the Major,when I broke back axles,{I think they were identical,piss weak idea using Minor rear end for B series engine],The Lancer probably had a mechanical pump in Austin fashion.
Now that is interesting because anything Morris generally had an SU carb and one of those shitty electric fuel pumps that left you stuck in the middle of the road and needed a whack to get you going [if you were lucky] the origin of that bolt pattern still stumps me though, was it Riley adopted by BMC?
I remember the floor mounted gearchnage next to the drivers door. The Wolseley 6/99 had the same set up. Not the most glamours of vehicles to look at. Dont think they could ever reach 100 MPH. Probaly 85-90 MPH would be flat out in those days. Automatics were lousy and unrelibale
All the "B" and "C'" series engine had mechanical fuel pumps which were fitted to the right hadn side of the block. Wolsely 6/90 had twin SU Carbs - only "C" series engine that I recall that had the twin SU's The "B" series all had a single SU carb but the mini1s and the 1100s had that dreadful Lord of Darkness Lucas electronic fuel pump. A heavy whack would get it going - for a while, then it would stop. The cause was a combination of water, rust and burnt out points . !
My father bought a 1956 Isis, and that was the family car for just over 5 years. It didn't like hills, boiling over every time we went on mountain highways. We had gravel roads, and the leather-wrapped rear leaf springs ground themselves to a profile too thin to support any passengers in the rear seat. The speedometer cable broke annually, so we had only a sketchy idea of how far the car had gone. The rubber mounts for the front torsion bar suspension wore out regularly, but Dad became an expert at replacing them. After about four years, the rings and valves needed replacing to keep oil consumption to a realistic level. Dad did that too, so I guess the car was more serviceable than what one finds sixty years later. But when it was replaced with an American car, I don't recall any feelings of sadness.
How quiet it is in there. Conversation without having to speak louder, and no wind noise at 60mph. Very good and fine car you have.
I learned to drive on my father's 1956 Isis. A bit of a beast, but passed my test in it. Parents used it for many continental holidays - I even went on one with them, and drove it over the (old) Grossglockner pass in Switzerland. Ours did not have the overdrive if I remember..
I like the way the language of cars is universal!
Cool! Thank you for sharing this!
All those 6 cylinder vehicles with the C type engine had the same 4 speed gearbox with no synchromesh on 1st gear. The Wolseley 6/90 had a modified gear linkage that ran from the right hand side of the drivers seat to the gearbox. Was a strange set up , but worked well when new. The older they got , the harder it was to select the appropriate gear, hence many people modified the gear change from column to floor mounted using the Healey 100/6 gear lever. Simple job to do.
Yes it was the C type gearbox as used in the Pathfinder , Wolseley 6/90, Austin A95, Austin-Healey 100/6. Later gearboxes were the same, although a few had syncromesh on 1st gear.
Wonderfull - thank you
I rode in a '59 Wolseley 6/90 with a right hand floor shift, azlways haver wondered what type of gear box was in the first Riley Pathfinders with the double knocker 2.5 ltr engine because it had a right hand gear change,which made me wonder which bell housing bolt pattern was used for the "C" series engine because the Pathfinder eventually got the "C" series engine.
contrarily to what the owner says, looking at the video i think the isis performs very well ,with lots of torque and a nice noise !! lovely car! good job for preserving it
Most welcome. Anything else I can help you with ? Even the Isis, Austin A95 , Wolseley 6/90 and RIley Pathfinder had the same 2.6 litre single down draught Zenith 42 VIS carburettor.
👍👍👍 nice
My Dad had a 6/90 around 1958, with a Borg Warner automatic gearbox. I seem to remember it had a toggle controlled overdrive, but not too sure how this worked with an auto box. The car would show 100mph on the speedo given a reasonably clear bit of road.
Ok, but still does not answer my question,tyhe gear box and bell housing are as one, NOW, was it a "c" series gearbox attached to the original Riley 2.5 litre engine in which case it makes me think BMC decided to use the Riley bolt pattern on the "new?' c series engine.asd Riley's never had linkage out of the side of the box like one built for a "tree" shift.
this is an manual gearbox and not an B-W automatic, the overdrive is an Laycock de Normanville including freeweeling, that means; you drive below the min.speed of OD ( od on) you dont have use the clutch! Even to a lower gear! fabulous The OD selector must than be on! Bij reaching the speed that the OD will be on, you simple lower the press of the accelator pedal and the engine revs decraesed , approx 20 %
Not a Laycock overdrive at all. You description is moderately accurate, but this was indeed a Borg Warner overdrive . The laycock overdrives had positive control i.e. the OD stayed in or out purely on the switch position, unrelated to speed, and there was no kickdown
+cstoreyqc
OK, but the mark I I '65 Had a kick down, i don't remmer of the third gear including was...
thanks
Ok thanks for that.
I had a Morris Minor 1000,1960 model with single 1/1/4 SU and electric pump, and a 1958 Major with a single carb same size as Minor also with electric pump,[majors,Lancers and Wolseley 1500 had Morris minor type back axles,although the parts man told me there was a different part number for the Major,when I broke back axles,{I think they were identical,piss weak idea using Minor rear end for B series engine],The Lancer probably had a mechanical pump in Austin fashion.
Now that is interesting because anything Morris generally had an SU carb and one of those shitty electric fuel pumps that left you stuck in the middle of the road and needed a whack to get you going [if you were lucky] the origin of that bolt pattern still stumps me though, was it Riley adopted by BMC?
I drove an Isis with floor mounted gear lever on the right hand side.....
I remember the floor mounted gearchnage next to the drivers door. The Wolseley 6/99 had the same set up. Not the most glamours of vehicles to look at. Dont think they could ever reach 100 MPH. Probaly 85-90 MPH would be flat out in those days. Automatics were lousy and unrelibale
Great video really enjoyed it.
Don’t think the name would sit well in today’s world though.
Humber sceptre
All the "B" and "C'" series engine had mechanical fuel pumps which were fitted to the right hadn side of the block. Wolsely 6/90 had twin SU Carbs - only "C" series engine that I recall that had the twin SU's The "B" series all had a single SU carb but the mini1s and the 1100s had that dreadful Lord of Darkness Lucas electronic fuel pump. A heavy whack would get it going - for a while, then it would stop. The cause was a combination of water, rust and burnt out points . !
SU fuel pump. OK if looked after.