• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Thinking about a Bentley

Share this page

TRMark

TRMark

Jedi Knight
Bronze
Country flag
Offline
A four door from the early-mid 90's. I think I can afford something in that year range. What models would be appropriate, don't need a turbo. More importantly; am I nuts?
 
I once had an opportunity to buy a mid-70s Rolls SilverShadow. The basic price of the car I could afford. It was the parts and maintenance costs that convinced be I'd be nuts to buy that car.
 
And you won't know "how much" until you need to buy it.
case in point on cost:
New Lambos......brakes....JUST the parts to rebuild the brakes are what, 25K?
I thuink that's what my buddy who ran a shop that did Lambos told me.
Maserati...ONE BARE cylinder head, no nothing on it, $25K.
Saw a bad one once in a machine shop....forensically preserved for insurance to come and view it.

Only Bentley I'd want is something really classic
[h=2]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Bentley_Blower_1930.jpg[/h]
 
Bentley_Blower_1930.jpg
 
I could have done that...but getting yelled at by Basil isn't on my list of things to get done today!
I'll put it on the list for tomorrow.
At least it's not AP!
 
Price of admission is the least of the concerns. Basil, Billy and Dave hit it spot-on. Some of the earlier Bentley/Rolls cars ('70's~'80's) have a LOT of bits interchangeable with other production cars (sussing out what's what can be a puzzle) but they learned. By the late '80's most of the beasts were proprietary parts only. Only "generic" bits I can think of off the top are injection bits, some of the switches and some bearings.

IMHO they went from a philosophy of building an heirloom luxury vehicle for the family estate to building a strictly status symbol/prestige one. A mid-70's Shadow would be about as "economical" a Rolls as you could find. A Bentley of the '90's era would be financial suicide for the average enthusiast.

I wrenched on the things for a couple decades, from a wood-spoked early 1900's (rebuilt the clutch/transmission.. square-cuts!) thru the late 1980's Shadow and Corniche cars. Aircraft-like complexity, made to last generations. I regard the new ones as just high-end throw-aways. Very sad, actually.

Just my tuppence-worth.
 
Thanks for the opinions, I was hoping Doc would give his as I figured he had wrenched on them. Years ago I had a 65 Lincoln four door. We used it as a going out dinner, theater, pub, opera vehicle with our friends. Monstrous vehicle with leather seats, kind of a joke on us and itself. I was thinking of doing that again with a Bentley. For what I am getting in interest these days, I could just as well bury savings in dirt under the house, so I figured what the ****.
 
Better off with a turn-key '61 (or '65) Continental, Mark!
 
TRMark said:
Thanks for the opinions, I was hoping Doc would give his as I figured he had wrenched on them. Years ago I had a 65 Lincoln four door. We used it as a going out dinner, theater, pub, opera vehicle with our friends. Monstrous vehicle with leather seats, kind of a joke on us and itself. I was thinking of doing that again with a Bentley. For what I am getting in interest these days, I could just as well bury savings in dirt under the house, so I figured what the ****.
Click to expand...

Well, with the Lincoln you'd probably get the same MPG's. And, with the Lincoln, if the satellite went down, you wouldn't be stuck if first gear limp home mode when you're 700 miles from home.
 
DrEntropy said:
Better off with a turn-key '61 (or '65) Continental, Mark!
Click to expand...


The only problem with those is the prices have been artificially inflated with "Entourage" but I'm with Doc and Dad.

Why not a Jensen Interceptor? You don't need it "Lincoln" big, do you?
 
kellysguy said:
The only problem with those is the prices have been artificially inflated with "Entourage" but I'm with Doc and Dad.

Why not a Jensen Interceptor? You don't need it "Lincoln" big, do you?
Click to expand...

Grab your Jensen Interceptor while you can...Fast and Furious 6 will have one of the main characters driving one......there go the prices!
 
I seriously looked at Silver Shadows - late 60's early 70's - buy in isn't bad. BUT unanimously told by multiple sources to budget on average $750 a month for service / repairs. I was also told again and again that a Shadow properly sorted will run and run but the slightest sign of trouble needs immediate attention or BIG $$$$$ can be required. As an example, a brake hose for a Shadow is in excess of $1000 EACH - and there are TWO per wheel.
 
Actually, I have a neighbor who drives his 80s Bentley around all the time. He seems a nice guy with zero mechancial knowledge (as far as I can tell). I saw it at Panera Bread last night. I'm not quite sure why he has it....seems like an ordinary guy in most other respects. I drive my MGB a lot less.

Here's a nice article about buying an old one of these cars that just ran in The Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/...g-like-a-high-roller.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


If I wanted a tank (which I do not), I'd look at the new Caddy CTS (or maybe a low mileage lease trade in). Seems more like driver's car.
 
That is entertaining, Nial. It does mention that he's got someone he can rely on to fix the beastly thing, too.
 
I entertained myself the other evening looking at part prices, $750.00 for a reconditioned damper is pretty wild. Other parts are expensive but not like $1000.00 brake lines. Checking on ebay, I see people are not getting any action in their auctions the offers end at half the buy it now price. It is snowing and I am waiting on TR4 parts.
 
Back
Top