Silver Shadow on a budget ?

[cjhillman]

I had this idea from a Rolls Royce i noticed around my area (Chorlton-cum-hardy) in manchester.
I was driving my very boring Focus on the way to a recording session and noticed a beautiful, black, Silver Shadow. My mind started thinking how cool it would be to drive one of those with the rock star heritage but, on a budget... a quick Ebay search bought up some "cheapies" for newer Focus money.

I also remember being in Stoke (where I'm from) and briefly speaking to a guy who had a white Silver Shadow with a Union Jack on the roof. I don't think he was a millionaire... is it just a classic thats not that sort after?
I cant be the only one whos thought this? Anyone own one who has a normal job? can they be maintained with the ease of any other classic? I've not found any threads in Reader Rides.



www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/frivolous-fantasy-how-oasis-sank-rolls-royce

[skylinedave]

I think its more the cost of everyday parts like a dozens of bushes , hoses , pipes, suspension etc that you can only get at huge cost . There seems to be plenty of old ones being broken all the time so stuff is avalible but at what price ?

[Adambt]

Not a silver Shadow but we have had a rolls Royce thread. retrorides.proboards.com/thread/130482/rolls-silver-spirit-modern-content

From what I gather they're not the most straightforward of cars to work on!

[cjhillman]

I did spend a little time reading that one. was going to tag it in the original post but, the Sprint? is a bit more regal than rock n roll in my eyes. Although i'm overly impressed with the work he's done on that. Amazing!!

Its probably a ridiculous idea i've had but, i just thought how great for a period in time to have one and lord it up, if it was a possibility.

[cjhillman]

I imagine the petrol costs would be as much as the price tag to buy one.

[BT]

You're not the only one. I love Rolls Royce and have done for years, perhaps its that childhood imagery of if you have one of them, you've clearly made it big time. When you're 10 years old this is perfect logic. I think that has stuck with me ever since and they've got a permanent place on the "one day I will own" list.

Me and my uncle was talking (over lobster dinner funnily enough) and I mentioned that years ago Rollers came with a Rolls Royce Lobster pick in the lunch hamper in the trunk. He, being a classic car fanatic himself said that they didn't quite float his boat, I naturally assumed everyone loved them, but obviously I am wrong.

I have often looked, and I was actually looking this morning at an apparent barn find that even with the poor interior and damaged paint looked pretty cool and I could see myself paying the £3995 that it was advertised for.

I remember the day I realised they were semi-affordable. I had won some motorbike parts on ebay and when I collected them the chaps neighbour was cutting one up with a grinder. My face must have said it all and we started chatting and he said he broke them weekly for parts as they were in quite high demand. The chap only lived a few towns over on a major route and he still has them on his drive now and again all these years on (must be nearly 6 years now).

I do remember an article on top gear years ago, it may have been when James May started and he had one, obviously he was saying its not all its cracked up to be and that although affordable to buy, running, maintaining and all other costs associated to them are eye wateringly expensive.

I still want one.

[Dez]

There's numerous problems associated with their ownership in my eyes. They're very 'british' in design and execution, in that they're quite conservative in the styling department (read- bland) but massively complicated in the engineering and mechanicals.

Any cheap ones are usually utter dogs that have been bodged up and run into the ground until they can't go on any longer, usually as wedding cars.

Throw in the perception that anyone who buys one must be 'rich' so parts are priced accordingly, and it all adds to their general undesirability.

[igor]

I would love to cut a Rolls Royce down into a pickup. Even a rough one could be a bit of fun to play with on the farm.

[dodgerover]

As Dez said, I wouldn't touch an unknown ex-wedding car with someone elses 10ft pole......

[composimmonite]

They rot as bad as any other car from that era but cost far more to repair properly. What might look like a mint car on the surface could be a total heap under filler and welded patches hence why cheap.
There was one in local scrap yard a few years ago and seeing it in that position made me realise they are basically just metal so no better than any other car when at the end of their life.
Personally I'd have a Bentley T Series over a Shadow any day as prefer the grill shape Dump mechanicals and graft body onto a Range Rover or similar rolling chassis -

[cjhillman]

yeah the Bentley T Series does look better. maybe thats what i actually saw as it was black.

Just saw a video coincidentally of a guy drifting a silver shadow in a field! crazy... some people claimed that they didnt cost too much to maintain but... some did. i guess it depends what you got really!

[oldntired]

what's not to love ? I just happened to have this on file ! Del & Rodders won enough obviously !! Nice play on words too. Very cool in my books.

[pauly22]

Buy one and drop a modern diesel in and then should be a decent daily.

BMW 2.5tds engine or something

[igor]

That panel van would be an ideal farmer's vehicle. Bit of bracken on the deck and it'd be perfect for hauling a few pigs or goats off to market.

[richrolls]

It's doable depending on your budget and skills. Mine is the later Spirit. My version of budget and other peoples perception are poles apart. Some people "budget" ££££££££'s, me? i do pennies in car terms. It isn't been tight (no really!)I do everything myself. It is the only way to make the hobby affordable and get the "Budget" past the Boss very month....when I think on to tell her....
They are very well engineered for cars given the age they were designed and made. No more complicated than a Citroen for brakes and suspension. That is where the design and even some parts are from. The suspension is basically manual lever spool valve controlled for height. And think of the brake pedal as a valve, not generating the pressure with your foot. The pumps run up the pressure ("doing the hard work for you sir?").
The manuals are here rrtechnical.info/sz/sz80.htm FOC even! About the only free Rolls stuff you'll get mind. As put up earlier, the parts are hideously expensive. I fully agree and have experienced the " you have a Rolls/Bentley you must be loaded" and therefore i'll crucify you in cost. Thing is, alot of RR and Bentley enthusiasts pay it without batting an eyelid.
That's why I'm engineering mine with other parts where I can. It is all the visible bits that attract the most money at resale and eBay. £200 for a rear window anyone? (I need one for mine, anyone know any of the oval crowd taking them out pre-race?)
I would certainly like to do an earlier Shadow. They are the "classic" Rolls for me. I'd go straight in at the body off and modern underpinnings/floorpan but maintain the classic look.
Good luck with what ever you go for.

[rapidyellow]

Feb 24, 2016 8:57:44 GMT richrolls said:

anyone know any of the oval crowd taking them out pre-race?)

join www.ovalbangerchat.co.uk and ask on there, thats the place.

[dodgerover]

There's been at least 1 all Rolls heat, as above ask on ovalchat

[rsmithy626]

Parts are silly money. Few examples of normal wear and tear parts:

Lower ball joint - £182 including vat
Damper - £570
Front brake pads - £175
Fuel pump - £439

Sod that for a game of skittles as my nan would say.

[Dez]

I'd be able to get round most of those issues by converting other suitable parts to fit, saving me hundreds if not thousands if I owned one.

Depends how much nouse and engineering skill you have I guess.

[skylinedave]

Depends if you want to drive it or spend excessive amounts of time and or money adapting parts to fit , maybe destroying the identity of it and how it drives [ surely the idea is to appreciate for what it is ]