I feel for this lady because of the rarity of the car and how nice it was before the accident. I had this happen to me when I was driving my 1997 Jaguar XJ6 home one night and a deer ran into the side of the car as I was driving along. It just damaged the right front fender and I was VERY lucky to get a whole fender from a wrecking yard in exactly the same factory color. I hope this lady is able to get this Riley back on the road.
Even in the 60s these things were quite uncommon! As a child back then, I was captivated by the exotic names of the chrome ensconced rileys and wolseleys: kestrel, elf, hornet; er, 1100 😊 Great idea, women's clubs, but how are you gonna get "mansplained"?
Being the rarest ADO16 variant, the Riley - specific panels are extremely hard to find and I'm seriously impressed you managed to find replacements. After all, when a car's been around from 1966 to now, you don't just scrap it because of a crunched front corner. I bet it even drove home after the accident.
I had exactly the same damage to my Morris 1300 many years ago, after someone reversed their Citroen into my path as I was driving along. At the time I lacked experience but made up for it with enthusiasm and optimism. I repaired it at home with a front panel, bumper and other bits from a wolseley and a brand new wing. It now sports a wolseley front end! I would advise that this repair is very doable.
Very true, regular engine parts and electrics are standardised, but unique trim in the rarer variants is like gold. I'm restoring a Wolseley Hornet and luckily almost everything is there apart from a broken right side grille and only three Wolseley branded hubcaps.
Over here in Sweden I had a moose jumping over the Austin 1100 I was driving! This happened back in the 90´s, I had borrowed the car from a friend and was driving to work. All of a sudden my brother who was in the car yealls "en älg"! (a moose). It jumped right over the middle of the 1100, and left a small dent in the left rear door and a scratch on the roof..... I didn´t have to change underwear, but it was a close call 😀 Good luck getting the Riley back to normal state again🙂
Moose collisions are a serious problem in parts of eastern Canada, especially at night when they are virtually invisible. Hit straight on they tend to come through the windscreen, with serious results including the odd fatality.
Great to hear the old car community coming together to help on this one.A very rare car indeed , a friend at the local Technical College in the late 60s had an identical Kestrel 1100 Mk1 in the same colours , reg.FEW 569D - I still recall it !.Many were so envious of it as it was such an up-market car to own as a youngster !.
I was SO gutted for Mattie and Fay when it happened, it sounds weird but I couldn't stop thinking about it for ages after! Especially after we'd just all seen it looking fabulous the week before at Stonehurst Farm. I'm so glad the classic car community has pulled through, it's amazing to see so many people instantly ready to help out others they've never even met, all because of a shared love of old cars. I can't wait to see this car on the road again!
I love the Riley and Wolsley variants of the BLMC Mini, with their smart little grilles and woodgrain dashboards! Nice to hear that women too are getting together and bonding over classic cars.
I always thought the Kestrels were the prettiest of the 1100/1300 family, but sadly the parts are not easy to find. I had my Morris 1100 totalled years ago but, despite the front end sheet metal being almost knocked off, the front subfame was untouched and the car was still driveable. The same car had previously been written off in a rear-end shunt and had been rebuilt. They are an amazingly tough little car.
It is a shame what happened and I understand that you got emotional, but the positive thing is it's great to see young people so attached and invested in classic cars.
You guys are a true testament to each other❤ and the classic car COMMUNITY as a whole and it shows what happens when like-minded and brilliant people come together to help each other out. I just love this COMMUNITY . Keep it up guys x
Good on you Steph for stepping up to help Mattie. Help and encouragement go a long way when faced with a seemingly impossible mountain climb like this. Love an ADO16 BTW, my Gran had an Austin 1300,m which, as a child sitting in the back, I came to appreciate the lack of live rear axle. This Kestrel deserves to be put back on the road. I feel for Mattie. The bonnet of my Morris Minor got badly dented during storm Henk by packaging being blown over from the company next door to my workplace. They wouldn't accept responsibility, so I ended up having to pay for repairs myself. I tried a local insurance accident repair shop and they required a brand new bonnet. A couple of panel beaters turned it down. I got a quote from a well known Morris minor restoration company and to supply a prepped and repainted bonnet was £1200. Thankfully a friend recommended a local mobile panel beater, who did an amazing job for £285. Luckily the paintwork was undamaged by the accident or the panel beating and you would never know what happened to it. Now I know this car is much worse, but I'm sure it will be put back just as it was...
I know the feeling as my Riley 1.5 was destroyed by fire. I did start to repair it but someone wanted to buy it as a project so I let it go. All the glass was gone but I was given a Wolseley 1500 as a donor car.
@bertiewooster3326 there is no shortage of good panels beaters 😉 Parts are still made for this car but they are expensive. Front panel £759.56 Excluding vat 😅
You guys are wonderful. Steph, I was alerted to your excellent channel through the interview with you and Ben at Tasty Classics and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Rustival was amazing. Thank you.
Lucky it was a deer. Here in Australia I have three mates who wrote off their cars after hitting kangaroos. The worst are emus- the front of the car breaks their legs and the whole body comes at you straight through the windscreen - not nice at 110+ kliks
A lot of A40 Farinas are used for racing and they suffer a lot of collisions as a result. Racing owners now buy up lots of the remaining NOS panels but are still minded to beat many panels out, citing just how good quality the metal is compared to modern cars
First of all, glad everyone is ok. Very sad for any classic car owner. Parts rarity is the biggest threat but usually a strong community does help to keep them one the road and I’m happy that this little beauty will live on
That is so sad to see such a beautiful and rare car damaged like that, it's so heartbreaking for anyone who has experienced this (myself included years ago). Love how so many people and the classic car community in the UK have come together to help this poor lady out in getting her car back together. It really renews your faith in people's kindness and generosity. I can't wait to see it all fixed again, and I would like to wish Faye the very best of luck from Western Canada in getting her gorgeous car fixed. The classic car community only exists because of people like you guys.
@CathodeRayNipplez New Zealand is full of surprises 😂 As you saw in the video, they have the front panel and the wings, new Zealand can supply the rest 😅
So pleased to see this story being share, getting it back on the road is going to be a story told for years and years I reckon! Thanks for the WDSC shout out, we've already had a few come over and join us!
I didn't think for one moment that you had crashed the car Steph. Having said that some decades ago a friend had an encounter with a deer and she was in an almost new Mini Metro. The road was on the edge of the New Forest and had not long been open so the deer still used its 'old' track. I think this will definitely be worth saving not only because it is rare but the satisfaction of rebuilding will give the Ladies great pleasure. I hope all goes well and that we will be able to see you do a review next year Steph. 👍👍
We were admiring Fay and Matties beautiful Kestrel only the week before at the womens group meet and we were gutted for them when we heard the news of the accident with the deer 🦌 Im so glad that the car communities helped get the parts to help put it together again. Also a great mention for the Women Drivers Social Club, as a fully fledged member I can honestly say it is brilliant. Ive been into classic cars for over 40 years and I've never enjoyed being a club member as much. We all have a great time on meets, and I've met some excellent ladies who share the same love of cars as I do. Great vid as always, Steph. X
That is such a shame, I hope the Riley is back on the road soon. I commuted out of Hastings for about 15 years without seeing a single deer, then I saw about 3 within the space of a month. Thinking about it, I could have seen the same one 3 times. I missed it on every occasion, fortunately.
How awful Steph I do love those cars. On a lighter note nobody was injured which is a godsend and the car can be repaired although no easily but it will rise again. Looking forward you progress reports on how things go.
As my classic is my daily driver (and therefore not on an agreed value policy) with pretty much no body parts availability, something this happening is a great fear. I'm glad to hear that the damage was not structural, that the classic car community was so helpful and that this lovely Kestrel (love ADO 16s and this and the MG are my favorite versions) will be getting back on the road. Please follow the work being done and keep us updated...
I am really glad that no one got hert well the poor little Riley did but it's wonderful to see that it's going to be fixed and back on the road where it belongs and that the classic car world is so very wonderful with helping out with part's and also in helping with the repairing and I am really looking forward to the next video of it's progress.
So sorry to see this, but so glad that the car has a dedicated fan base, two dedicated owners and the parts to put it back on the road. We need everyone interested in classic cars to own one and to have clubs for them to make friends, swap ideas and have a community. Looking forward to seeing the Riley back on the road for its 60th
I’m looking forward to seeing the Kestrel being repaired. Incidentally, she’s not 60 for two years, in 2026! A suffix D registration ran from 1st Jan 1966 to 31st Dec 1966, your car was first registered in April 1966, so you’ve got a little bit more time than you thought!
Glad no one was hurt! I used to work with a lot of collision repair shops, and as far as deer hits go, you got lucky. Typically, the hood / bonnet is badly damaged, along with the fender. Given the rarity of the car, that likely would have made it unrepairable. Good luck with the repairs, and I'm looking forward to seeing the car back on the road!
I'm so pleased no-one was hurt in your accident. Good luck to you getting the car back on the road. A car as rare as this really does need saving. Steph, you need to do a proper review on this car when it is finished. Faye, good luck for your driving test. Hope all goes well
Shame that happened to the car, but that's risk every time you take an old car out, anything can happen. Enjoyed the video, thanks again for sharing Steph 😊👍
That's restorable, even if you hadn't got a donor panel from another Riley Kestrel, which is very fortunate. The front wings are now available from the ADO 16 club where they are reproduced from the original tooling, the front panel is easily repaired by a good panel beater, the slam panel is repairable. Sham about the off-side chrome trim, but I've seen those down at Beaulieu. It's amazing how people hoard these bits. Look forward to the restoration.
That's always hard to look at, doesn't matter the classic it just stings right in the heart, if something like that happened to my Hudson I would be absolutely heart broken. Glad she's okay cars can be rebuilt people not so much. I wish for all the luck in the world to bring this gem of a car back on the road.
It's a shame what has happened to the car, but it's great you're getting support from the owner commmunity and I hope you can get it back up and running. All the best on your driving test as well!
This is one of those rare occasions where a thumbs down is appropriate…..if only for the damage to your lovely little Kestrel! It’s great to hear that you’re determined to get her back on the road! Hats off to everyone who is helping.
Big hugs, Steph. You did a masterful job on the video. Watching it, nobody would guess you were dealing with the loss of a fur baby. That damned rainbow bridge. A shame about the car. It is very much fixable. I'm so glad to know that the support is there to bring that rare care back to life. Here in Canada we only got the Austin version of the ADO16. Some of them were pretty smart. In particular the Austin America. I believe 72 was the last year for them here. Starting in 73, bumper standards increased to a point where a good many older models ended up with major reengineering to make the bodies stronger. In all this, the important part is that nobody was killed. Deer can do a huge amount of damage to a car and the people in it. One reason the damage is that severe to the bodywork is that the body of the deer is above the crash structure. The damage looks worse but is normally more cosmetic.
I am in Pathos in Cyprus and have just come across an immaculate Wolseley 1100 variant. Both Wolseley and Riley models are very rare now especially the Riley variant. I think there might be a Riley stored in a garage in Caithness northern Scotland to this day.
Glad she found a panel beater, it is amazing what can be fixed when making money isnt the only motivation. i seen a video from India where they where making indicator clusters from old parts, there is no such as a rarity in India! got to love those guys, hopefully someone in the UK will come forward
Dont be worried about showing your emotions, im.crying and im a 56yr old tattoed biker meathead ( soft in the middle) male. So best wishes, peace love and hugs ✌️ ❤️ 🤗
My mum drove hers into the wall by the red cat at Crank. Dad repaired the wing with tin and ended up with one headlamp sticking out further than the other great for seeing around corners LOL!!
Haven't had a vehicular encounter, but a group of white tail just ran across the back of my property along the lake shore again this week. They run the same path in the snow each time since it's flattened down
My parents had a deer jump across the road which they then hit in their 1993 Mondeo about ten years ago. New grille, bonnet, bumper and radiator. They had trouble sourcing parts for that, believe it or not. Another friend hit a badger one night in their Citroen C3. It went through the grille and demolished the gearbox. Looking forward to see the Riley Ride Again! 👍
This ticks all the boxes... Cool car, cool hobby, an unfolding story, and (can't lie) old car enthusiasts with XX DNA! It will be a great story to follow... and should get lots of new subscribers!
It’s amazing how often things like this bring the best out in people. Hope this is fixed soon as there’s nothing worse than your pride and joy being damaged in this way. Had to do a few last minute substitutions on our channel over the years, though nothing compares to the 4 part series on the Marcos Mantula (part 19 currently in post and now the owner has a 1968 Land Rover as well that needs lots of work!).
Yep, the second deer is often the one to watch out for. You can watch out for them but there’s little that can be one once in the wrong place at the right time. It will be that more special once it’s all done.
Yep! So a deer ran across the road 10 feet ahead of me, I watched it thinking ‘phew that was close!’. Just as I was thinking that, a deer number 2 lept and sideswiped my front wheel and handle bars, knocking me off my motorbike. 😂 It ran off down the field following the first one, I’m sure laughing as it went.
It'll take a lotta dosh, but that car can be mended by the right shop with the required people. SO happy the occupants were okay apart from frayed nerves! You are so creative in producing a video despite this car's beyond-knackered state. Lemonade from lemons! Unlike lemons...YOUR talent doesn't grow on trees! Well done! Aloha.
My mum learned to drive in my Grandad's Austin 1100. In order to make an impression for her driving test she took the seat covers off to show off the fancy vinyl seats and put on her shortest mini skirt (it was a different time). She got to the test centre only to find out that the vinyl was so filthy it made the back of her legs go black and that's why grandad hat put the seat covers on in the first place, so she wound up throwing the covers back on and trying to clean herself off in the loo. Apparently it must have helped her take her mind off the test though as she passed with flying colours.
This is one of my favourite stories ever shared in the comments 😂😂😂. I wore false lashes to mine to impress and the bloody tester was a strict headmistress type. Didn’t pass that test.
Absolutely, Look I love Steph and co and am a classic car enthusiast, I really sorry to see this beautiful old Riley pranged! But! I'm also an animal lover and therefore concerned about the Deer, with all due respect I've noticed apart from yourself and a couple of others (Thankyou ❤❤) there is absolutely no concern for the Animal, people saying "Thank God no one got hurt"? Well someone did get hurt! A Deer, it wasn't the lady's fault I know but just the sheer ignorance of the Animals welfare is pretty sad! Thankyou Peace to All ❤❤
@@setter501I agree. Seems horrible to be so emotional over a bit of steel (i'm also car obsessed) and spare no thought for a living creature. It may have been unavoidable but sad nonetheless.
@@antfox7394 Thankyou Antfox I have an old Jag and we have a lot of wildlife around here, North Queensland Australia, I actually avoid driving at night (when the All come out! 😅🦘🐄🐮etc) yes I fear for my "Baby" but I fear for the wild (and domesticated) animals even more, Hit a fox late one night when I was still in UK, severely damaged the grille on my classic rover, however I managed to get the poor animal to a vet, unfortunately she had to put the Fox down but at least I tried, I was pretty cut up about the fox, The Rovers grill was eventually replaced, Cheers Mate 🇦🇺🦘
A sheep ran into the road in front of me December 2022. It left the front of my MX5 in a sorry state but luckily there's plenty of parts for a 2013 MX5. Hopefully you can find what you need to get it back on the road.
There were car mechanics that either loved or hated. At least you could get to most of the engine bits. I liked them except for the nearside upper joints which could be a nightmare. But at 70 I have done it or seen it all. There are places like Ayres Farm near Alconbury or Burtons near Molesworth, DMR at near Ely which are worth a call. The breakers in London tend to be gone, but some still are around and the grills were seen on the TV antique shows. Hydrolastic suspension was a good thing and close to the Citroen/Rolls Royce systems. I run a Range Rover with Air suspension and it is lovely to ride on air/oil.
Sorry to see your damaged Riley kestrel ,my father had a F registration kestrel in two tone white and green I cannot remember the last time I have seen one.
Absolutely Fabulous Little car I love the colour, Luckily it seems to be mostly saveable I think the hardest part will be replacing the damaged bright work. I do wish the young lady the best of luck in not only finding parts but also skilled help where needed
Deer are brutal... I live in central British Columbia and the place is riddled with them, there's no avoiding them sometimes... especially at dawn and dusk - they just spring out into the the road from the bushes! Always liked the Riley/Wolesley brand - none over here though sadly :( Hopefully the kestrel can be fixed soon!
Well done for sticking with it. It's eminently fixable. It will look worse for almost all of the time until it's better but don't worry it comes together in a rush at the end.
Hi Steph , what a nightmare! I wish i could help as i live in the same town. I do however have an equally as rare car your welcome to an episode on when your in town...
