Thank you ever so much Aaron. You make many good points that I needed to hear. In some ways I am a good candidate for such a car, and in some ways I am the worst candidate. Basically, I can affort the car and the bills should they come, but I don't know if it's the car for me and may find I want to sell it in a year. So I am in a terrible position to try one, since as you say, reselling can be tedious and protracted. It is always hard for me to get over my personal preference of having a car with low miles, and in mint condition. Since if it's higher mileage I would feel guilty for every mile I put on thinking I won't be able to sell it should it cross that "next" threshold. And it needs to be mint or I will spend my life trying to make it so, and I am rather tired of doing that. It makes me insane. As you say, one must understand that various repairs, like the brakes, can be horrendously expensive, yet, only need to be done rarely, so on a "per-year" basis, it's not bad. Ferrari's require "majors"...same logic. But it's the $3000 ignitions that you can't get...that scares me. I think it's a car that you either have tons of money for and a dealer, or some interest in it to research each issue and get it cheaper, and I'm not sure I want to get into it that much. Though I do have a very good local repair shop that can handle the service, who knows for sure, when it comes to special tools. I am attracted at this moment to an early 90's Rolls Royce. I may get it home and find it's a "What was I thinking" moment when I take it anywhere, or I may find it's the most fun I've had in years and ask to be burried beside it...hehe... so I don't know till I try, yet what a mess if I don't want to keep it...I'm stuck. To spice up this thread I think it would be just fine if you wanted to post pics of the cars you have for sale, that would be aweful kind of you. Personally what I like in these is a lot of rear legroom, so for me I'm only interested in cars with the long wheelbase. But others might benefit from the pics as well. I know it's no where near the same thing, but my only other option is a newer Jaguar XJ8 or VDP. It would be easier to maintain, more modern features, a nice interior and ride, and more practical day to day, but I certainly would never have experienced the "Real Thing". Gosh these decisions are tough, in a way there's no wrong answer, there's always logic each way. Though I take your point seriously about resale. I must be cautious, that's for sure. Thanks again! Wes
Wes, No sweat in the info. It's always best to approach RR/B ownership with plenty of knowledge! I actually haven't photographed either of the two cars that are for sale, as I've been to busy, but I'll get some at the next opportunity. As for the Jag, those are excellent cars as well, the X300 and X308 chassis XJ6 and XJ8 cars. One thing to watch, however, are timing chain problems on '98 and '99 V8s. There is an update for it, but make sure it's been done on any prospective car you're considering. Better yet, go for a '95-'96 XJ6 VdP. They have the AJ16 inline four litre six which is a bulletproof engine. The trans is (if memory serves me correctly) a GM4L80E, which is also tough as nails. And if you want some performance, a '95-'97 XJR can't be beat. It uses the same engine as the early Aston DB7, albeit blown, and it's great fun. 322hp out of the box and with an underdrive pulley, you can squeak a little more out of it. Cheers, Aaron
The Jags I would be looking at would be the 2004 on ones. I know it doesn't have the magic ride, but I like the better interior space in those. Interesting....a Bentley I was watching on EBay did eventually sell...... http://www.mohrimports.com/view_inventory_details.php?car_id=166 ...so they do eventually sell. I suppose if one gives it 3-6 months, like a Ferrari, you can sell them. Agreed? You should have seen this one's white interior....sweet.... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Don't be afraid of that GM400 transmission. As is, it can handle something like 800hp. If it blows, it can be rebuilt for around $1k. They used it in the V12 jags, and 400-412i auto Ferrari's also.
Someone with experience suggested the cost is roughly $500.00 per month. Does that sound about right to you as well? Wes
Wes, If you budgeted $500/month for Turbo R operating expenses, I think you'd be ahead of the game in that department. But you'd better budget $1K/month in fuel Re: your other question about slow sellers; yes, they'll take a few months (at least) to shift. Although when I decided to sell my Red '89, it got close on eBay but didn't make reserve. One week on the RROC message board and it was gone. Go figure. On the '04-'05 Jaguars; they're good cars, but you'll be at the mercy of a dealership for service as nobody has developed an aftermarket diagnostic system worth a damn for late model Jags. Ask me how I know
Thank you. I would say $500 a month is not that bad. Any decent car can cost you $5000 more or less a year to operate. You will either pay it in depreciation if it's on warranty, or repairs if it's not. So thank you for confirming that. And I know what you mean about selling cars....I was selling a kitcar a while back and had no luck....till I tried a kitcar sales page and wow, that made all the difference. But if you have some to sell you can always post them in the classified section here, but my advice would be to also open a thread here about it. If you're a member it's OK, and it makes a difference to the impact of your ad. I'll let you know what happens on my end, if anything. Cheers! Wes
Hey Aaron, Do you know if there is much information in the forum on this site? http://www.rroc.org/page.asp?sid=1&page=6 Seems you have to pay the full membership to see inside the forum and I don't want to do that if there's only like 6 people who post once a month, you know? Thanks! Wes
FWIW, I was a member of the rroc and had access to the forums. This was approx. 3 years ago. At that time, they were hardly any posts and very little activity. The rroc seemed to operate more face to face or person to person. They had technical experts for each series of car in every region. You could contact them directly for info and advice. It worked well and everyone was very helpful. That, and access to the classifieds of member cars for sale, made it worth the price of admission.
Indeed. The Flying Lady magazine is actually quite informative with respect to technical articles and also provides a good insight into the RR marque and community. It is a diverse group.
Wes, These days, the RROC forum is pretty active. There is one fellow in Switzerland who is immensely knowledgeable about those cars. I believe he is an ex-factory or dealer mechanic. Not many other places on the web to get info, unfortunately.
Important question here.... If I wanted to own a newer Rolls or Bentley, like a 2000 or newer, my mechanic doesn't have the scanners and tools for those cars. Are those also available to rent? Is owning a newer one of these possible without a dealer? Thanks so much in advance. Wes
Wes, I'm not sure if the RROC has the tools, etc...for the newer cars. You could always give them a shout to see. I'm curious though, as to why you'd want a newer model over a Turbo R? The Arnage feels like driving a BMW...
Haha....funny you should put it that way, since I already drive a 745. I find when I look at the early 90's Rolls for example, that I like the interior etc. till I look at a newer one, and I find it much more to my liking. Same with the Bentleys. I also would expect there would be other tech and quality improvements I would notice too. Plus, there's just no substitution for having a newer vehicle, they always feel newer no matter how well one maintains a car. So there's those things plus selection. I always wonder if BMW can service the newer cars. Have to ask them that some day. Similar question to the VW dealers. But getting back to price...when a dealer wants $30g for a 1991 and for another 10 or $20g more I can have a late 90's one, I wonder why I would buy the older one. So while they may be BMWs underneath, BMW doesn't make those interiors. Wes
Hi Aron, I truly enjoyed your article on the Bentley TURBO R. I am the lucky owner of 2 Bentley Turbo R that I imported from Japan. A 1992 model with 34,000 KM - brand new. And a 1991 Model with 74,000 KM. Also as new but both cars need full service. I own many collector cars and for the amount of money you pay for these Bentleys make them the biggest bang for the buck ever. When new these cars cost in the neighbourhood of $ 212,000 US back in in 1992. My question is this - as I am new to Bentleys - how do you add the LHM fluid to top up the reservoir? I removed the label and there are 2 adding covers - correct??? Please advise how to add this fluid. I am using LHM PLUS the green fluid that I use on my Citroen SM and DS. This is correct??? My email is [email protected] Cheers, Erik
Erik, Indeed there are two reservoirs. One for system 1 and one for system 2. You need to use the special filler bottles of LHM which are from Castrol. You can use LHM+ from TRW or other brands, however the only company to offer it in the correct bottle is Castrol. Just go to your nearest Jaguar dealer and see if they still stock any as the older XJs (XJ40 era) use LHM in their ride leveling systems. You can refill the bottles with the other branded stuff. As for filling the reservoirs; on top of each tank, you'll see a clear cylinder with a green float in it. Just aft of those level indicators are the filler holes which will have little black plastic plugs in them. Twist and remove the plug (it'll stay attached to the reservoir by way of a "cable". Then, with the Castrol filler bottle, insert the "tit" end of the tube into the hole and twist it to lock it in place. You can then fill each reservoir, respectively. Remember, the level will drop when one of the pumps begins to pressurize its own system so fill slowly and just bring the green floats to the top of their respective cylinders. In the boot, there should be a compartment which is meant to house two bottles of Castrol LHM. Good luck. I love Turbo Rs and in fact, just got my fourth one a month or so ago!
It's a old thread I am just wondering what's the magic in the old cars the engine seems smooth than the new w12. Well I could be wrong but that's how I felt about the old turbos
Head gaskets!! I didn't read the entire thread, but head gaskets and the studs pulling from the block are a huge issue. I have thrown a few out the door because of this issue. The repair cost is more then the car is worth.
Thank you for bumping a great thread. And thanks to Aaron for a great post! I may have a Brooklands in my future... Matt
Unless you mean the later 2-door coupe, I would ignore the Brooklands and go for the Turbo R for the extra performance. I have owned mine ('90 active ride model) for almost 14 years now and I have enjoyed every one of the just over 30,000 miles I have driven in it. I have never had any problems in the sense of "failing to proceed", but over the years it has cost me over £40,000 in servicing and repairs, so don't expect to run it on a shoestring. I have attached a spreadsheet of expenditure to give you an idea of where all that cash has gone. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Image Unavailable, Please Login
