Classic in need of advice

Des61

Hi there,

I've just found the site and am delighted.

I'm just starting a search for a classic Rolls. Friends have suggested I head to the UK. I love cars but only to drive and look at. For anything technical, I'll need assistance.

Anyone any pointers for me on where to start?

ds20prefecture

Hi Des

I would suggest that you join a club here that will get you access to owners and cars. The Blessington car club is a good start. Their Autumn rally is on Sunday 18th September in Russborough house, beside Blessington. Approach the owners and ask as many questions as is polite. See if they can recommend you someone to buy from.

Be clear what you're after
will you use the car daily/weekly/sunny weekends?
Do you want a convertible?
Have you a garage of sufficient size?
Which vintage rolls are you after?
Which model?
How much are you willing to spend?
How much are you willing to spend each year maintaining it?
What features are important to you?

Most Rolls Royce are extremely comfortable cars, with simple and robust mechanicals. But they vary widely depending on vintage and model.
For example, some 60s and 70s Rolls Royce used the Citroën hydropneumatic suspension on the rear of the car. This system was brake fluid based, which meant it was slightly less reliable than the later Citroën LHM fluid based system. This also added a significant layer of complexity to a fairly simple car.

Try to decide on the basics before delving in.

69 mustang

Was over in the UK in July and a scrap yard in Bury (north of Manchester)
took in two of them the square 70s type T reg the were in the auto trader for
£1500 for the both of them,a week before they got them .They may be restoring them for resale it shouldn't be hard to find as all the scrap yards in Bury are in the one ind est.
They looked drive able.

Des61

Thanks for these. I'll certainly head to Blessington this Sunday and have a chat with a few people. I've since spoken to a guy in the service business & he tells me to preferably look for a car with 'points' as opposed to electronics.
Does that make sense to anyone out there?

BrianD3

I assume that it is the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 1 made from around 1965-1977 that you're interested in? This happens to be one of the cheapest but nicest Rolls available. My price guide says that one in excellent condition should sell for 10 grand sterling. The old adage that you should buy the best car you can afford really does apply to the Shadow as if you get a bad one you could easily spend spend tens of thousands on it to put it right.

I'm not sure about whether the car has points or eletronic ignition at a guess I'd say that the early models have points swtiching to electronic after a few years. Points will require more maintenance but could be more reliable but even a car with electronic ignition should be relaible and is relatively simple in the engine dept compared to modern vehicles. In any case as with any classic car with unitary construction, body rust is going to be more of a concern than engine problems.

Parts prices for Rolls Royces are sky high but there are specialists in the Uk that sell 2nd hand parts and huge savings can be made on these. Top Gear did a buyers guide on the Shadow a few years back and gave the name of a parts supplier, will dig out the name for you if you want.

ds20prefecture

Des61 wrote:

I've since spoken to a guy in the service business & he tells me to preferably look for a car with 'points' as opposed to electronics.
Does that make sense to anyone out there?

It makes no sense to me at all. Points & condensors are very prone to wear, mis-adjustment, burning, carbon buildup, shorting, etc. Electronic ignitions are not. The only failure to proceed I've had in my DS in 30000km was due to the points cooking caused by condensor failure. That was 2 months after I got it. I replaced the whole distributor with an electronic unit made specifically for the DS from 123ignition. My car idles much better, revs smoother, is marginally more economical and doesn't drift out of tune. It hasn't missed a beat since.
Granted the car is not as it was originally specified, but the procedure is easily reversed and the new distributor is made specifically for the car, so I can satisfy myself originality-wise.

Perhaps the original electronic units in the Rolls were prone to failure?

MercMad

Yeah but if your DS, god forbid, breaks down in the ar5hole of the Country your stuffed. If it has points you just go to the nearest motorfactor !!

My Merc has points and I've only had to change them twice in 40K and they didn't even need it then ! Never went out of tune and for €5 I have a spare set in the car all the time !

ds20prefecture

MercMad wrote:

Yeah but if your DS, god forbid, breaks down in the ar5hole of the Country your stuffed. If it has points you just go to the nearest motorfactor !!

That's the thing - I couldn't get points for love nor money for the weird-ass SEV dizzy in my DS. Then there's condensors - you either get a good one or a bad one, it's 50:50. When you get a bad one, you lunch your points after some time - you're guessing how long.

Seriously, not many motor factors stock points for every dizzy, and soon they won't stock them at all. For me prevention is better than the cure. Electronic ignitions are the primary reason why modern cars are so reliable compared to their ancestors.

Des61

Yep, its the Shadow I'm chasing. The £10K guide sounds good thanks. I can probably stretch a little further if I find the right one.

Being a classic virgin with no knowledge of anything below the bonnet, can I ask someone such as the UK AA to check a car out for me whilst there? Anyone any suggestions?

Eric318

The AA does not do classic car checks but there are a number of high street companies that do this.

You have to INSIST on a compression test. Most dont bother and just check what any DIY mechanic could check. Any classic car club will give you a list of experts in the area. For a Rolls, given the complexity and the potential cost of repairs, I would recommend you have the car checked by at least two parties.

I bought and sold a Jaguar some time ago and I was amazed at how 3 specialists inspections failed to spot a blown cylinderhead gasket... Oh they did spot some rust on the chassis and a busted tail light...

To be fair, a chain of MOT centres called GM seemed to do a fairly thorough job with various levels of service. Cant find them on the net thoiugh, sorry.

Just call the MOT stations around the place where you will buy the car and see what they can do for you.