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Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons?

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Silverghost

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I am considering a late 70's Silver Shadow as a daily driver. Appreciate any feedback. I am on the hunt for a RHD car that can carry 5 or 6. My Mini is RHD and I love it, but it is not a year round car so......

Give me the good, the bad, the ugly.....(appropriate whistle music here)
 
A friend of mine had a mid-late 60's Bentley,said
that the costs of parts was outragous.He sold it.

- Doug
 
True, the cost of parts is high, VERY high. Fortunately they don't often need parts. It's just that WHEN they do (not if) they will set you back.

I could say to go get a surplus post office car, but I figured you'd want something nice. (A friend had a P.O. van with a big back.) Try an English import Range Rover or Land Rover SIII. They hold a lot of people.

I drove a rhd 420 Jag for about a year with no problems, and a - get this - 48 Bentley for about 6 months, also with no problems, just a little tinkering every now and then.

Back in Washngton DC, I had a customer who drove his Shadow daily and often came in with small problems, most of which he could have fixed himself, and then he skipped town without paying a few thousand bucks. But you see that way it didn't cost him much to drive the car!
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

They're great while they're running properly. As was mentioned by Doug, the parts prices are astounding. Up side is: Rolls will have about every part you'd ever need or want. Sometimes it takes a while to get 'em but they're available. That lump has a hydraulic system from Hades, BTW. Ride height and brakes are powered with a "special" mineral oil. Two li'l pumps ride up on the cam galley cover, fore and aft. Accumulators work at around 1500 PSI, IIRC. Built like aircraft; if three bolts will do the job, Rolls put six in place instead.

We had a client with a Corniche who wanted his intermittant wipers to work, the fault was in the "brainbox" up under the dash. I think the car was built around it. Complete removal of all the instruments/wood/facia/heater-a/c... before you could even SEE the thing. Days of effort. The "black box" was $600, the labor about the same. I ~told~ him ahead of time it would be easier for him to just hit the switch momentarily once-in-a-while, but he ponied up. Amazing.

The other amazing thing was it all worked and there weren't any "extra" parts left over! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

Here's a few of the Rollies we cared for alongside Horsemits' MGB. The B was tryin' to hide in the crowd. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

I agree. My friend has a '79, and he's having a heck of a time with the brake accumulators.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

John! Has he checked the pushrods under the pumps for correct length? They wear, get shorter then the pumps don't produce correct pressures... just a thought. The accumulators can develop bypass problems, too. But start with th' "dumb stuff" first.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

Hey, I thought that hydraulic system is from Citroen. I know they're not normally available in the US, but Citroen stuff is easily available here. Probably different threads on the accumulators or something stupid like that so nothing's interchangable. The systems are really quite good... but I still advise people to stay away from them when they buy another car.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

DrEntropy said:
John! Has he checked the pushrods under the pumps for correct length? They wear, get shorter then the pumps don't produce correct pressures... just a thought. The accumulators can develop bypass problems, too. But start with th' "dumb stuff" first.
Click to expand...

Dunno, Doc, but I will ask.

I know it's been a Hangar Queen at Frederick Motorsports, where Scott has an ex-Rolls Tech on it.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

ISTR we had a set of accumulators "reconditioned" at some point as opposed to getting new ones... It's been a while but I ~think~ White Post was involved. I'll see if I still have those notes in a file someplace.

If there's a guy who's got Rollie experience involved, he's likely already checked the rods. It was a "known" issue on the cars as they aged.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

Guess I got some bad info from The Grapevine. The Rolls brake problem turned out to be calipers and lines.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

Good news, actually. Much more bearable to repair. Internally collapsed flex lines?
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

I'll ask 'im when he comes over to get a TR3 part I've got for him.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

I wouldn't recommend one as a daily driver. I'd suggest a Jaguar or even an older 'S'-Class Benz as an alternative. They all have their issues, but the Benzes were extremely well-built, over-engineered and reliable. Plus, you can still get all the parts to fix 'em.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

You mean to say the Rollies are NOT over-engineered, Steve? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

There is a lot to be said for driving someone elses Roller for a while. Take the corniche thru Mc Donalds.... They are probably not a great choice for a daily unless you are a really good home mechanic, or have deep pockets. Sure wows 'em out when you drop the kids off at school.

How about a Daimler DS 420 limo. It is all Jaguar underneath, Kind of an odd mix of Mk 10 and XJ6. Lots (sort of) RHD imports around. As easy to fix as any Jag, it is still a limo,and you won't see yourself coming and going.
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

jessebogan said:
There is a lot to be said for driving someone elses Roller for a while. Take the corniche thru Mc Donalds.... They are probably not a great choice for a daily unless you are a really good home mechanic, or have deep pockets. Sure wows 'em out when you drop the kids off at school.

How about a Daimler DS 420 limo. It is all Jaguar underneath, Kind of an odd mix of Mk 10 and XJ6. Lots (sort of) RHD imports around. As easy to fix as any Jag, it is still a limo,and you won't see yourself coming and going.
Click to expand...


We've done the "someone elses" many times.
'smits has her "Queen Wave" down pat. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

Doc,

Did she ever try this? -


"Why doesn't the Queen wave with this hand?"
(Waves right hand).......



......"Because it's my hand".

- Doug
 
Re: Silver Shadow for daily driver? Y/N? Pros/Cons

I have a 1966 Bentley T that I purchased "cheap". It runs well, looks good BUT the brakes and hydraulics needed major attention. I started with having the callipers rebuilt, then all hoses replaced then one thing after another. It is a very complex and expensive system. I have yet to retrieve from the garage doing the work, too much ???. I really would like to sell it now that it is compleated and roadworthy. I am not comfortable with such expensive repairs. I would entertain an interesting trade for a Triumph TR250 to get back into my element.
 
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