i am the exact car owner you have described. Had the Bentley Flying Spur. 2011 with 27k miles. It never stranded me, but the elegant leather headliner fell down. I had it repaired and the repairer said, "That is a common problem with Bentley". I said, Why doesn't someone tell Bentley their ##%!**^# headliners are falling down!! Windshield whistled a tune at 90 mph. Power steering hoses corroded, and on and on. I have a 1976 Lincoln Continental Mark IV with 42K miles. So much quieter, smoother and more comfortable than the Bentley. Filling with gas is an event with the Mark IV. People LOVE it and tell stories of family members having had one and the memories were grand. NO ONE ever said hello with the Bentley.
The Jaguar XJ Series One was decades ahead of any car available at the time anywhere. And to this day, it an icon, beautiful and a better vehicle to buy.
The most ironic part of all this is in order for this car to be in a better condition from the horrendous build it started with, you used a MITSUBISHI of all cars. I totally understand why, the suspension proportions matches up perfectly and it's very necessary for this kind of car, I just find it hilarious given the reputation of Mitsubishi beyond the 90s.
I used to own a silver shadow and I've owned a silver spirit. 😊😊😊 . Both great cars , if you get a really nice one with excellent history 😊and use it 3 or 4 times a week they really are magnificent. The worse thing is to leave it in the garage and don't use. These cars need to be used at least 3 times a week. I had no real problems with mine.
I owned a pair of 1973 Silver Shadows, one steel bumper car and one rubber bumper car, srb15286, and SRB 16884, where you Rolls-Royce people you know what those mean. One car was from Florida and one was from Alabama. They ate quite a bit of money, I put the Harvey Bayless suspensions in them I replace the leather interior in the Florida car I had a wholesale parts guy in New Jersey, and I had a British mechanic who worked on the assembly line in Atlanta. I was able to drive the cars at least 50,000 miles per car with the help of those guys, I'm also mechanic and did a lot of the work myself to cut expenses. This man is right about everything he's saying about these cars. I have a 83 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit is the only car I kept of the four rolls-royce's I used to have I decided to let someone else's wallet support them and took a loss and received only 10 cents per dollar invested for the cars I sold. I decided I'd open up my car collection do a whole bunch more Cadillacs Datsun Volkswagens Chevrolets, and Audi a Lincoln and a couple of diesel Peugeot 504 one wagon one sedan. And so glad I did. I tell people that when they asked what happened to the Silver Shadows I said I got cured of Rolls-Royce disease.
I expected overwhelming amounts of apologists, or even just lucky owners in the comments, but its reassuring to see that my experience was both far from the exception, and also not just chalked up to being a 'rough' example. Pity, and quite remarkable that they managed to still keep their reputation despite these cars, rather than because of them...
Absolutely admire your HONESTY. A must view for any classic car admirer who want's to enjoy the experience and not be saddled with an endless nightmare and money pit.
Now I realize why Q told Bond in one of the opening scenes of Goldfinger that James' Bentley had "seen it's day" and introduced him to his new Aston Martin work car.
I have owned 8 Crewe products over the years; one S1 Bentley, two S3 Bentleys, three Silver Cloud IIIs, one Silver Shadow and one Phantom V. I can tell you that the S Series cars, including the PV , were the cheapest cars I've had in terms of maintenance and service ( I'm including American cars in that too ). I can't say the same for the Shadow. They are way over-engineered, unnecessarily complex and , as you pointed out... a nightmare. The beauty of the S Series cars are that you can pretty well go in your garage and make any part you need to keep them running. While the Shadow was awful, it wasn't as bad as the Volvo I had. They can't even make ignition keys that don't break off the lock.
Had a key break off in the boot of this one funnily enough, and good to know the S-Series lives up to the look of quality and sturdy build which they have
From the outside looking in, they're nice. As time goes on though, I'm starting to hear a lot more horror stories. Whereas with your Lincoln, the answer to most parts and issues would probably be "It's a Ford part" and I just have to respect that. No need to have everything be bespoke when you have an already existing and solid foundation to build upon. It's probably a good thing that I like Lincolns, Cadillacs, older Buicks and Chryslers when it comes to luxury cars (though modifying a Silver Shadow to accommodate a Griffon V12 is something I'd love to do)
@5:02 That sounds like a Mitsuoka experience. You know, this Japanese coachbuilder who use modern underpinnings to design cars that resemble classic British design icons.
Yeah exactly, I've been saying for years on the channel that more manufacturers should make modern cars which look old. Some half ass attempts have been done like the PT Cruiser, but now some are at least trying with retro EV's
Iain Tyrrell repaired his Shadow and drove it from England to the North Pole and back. He seems to have an unlimited budget though. I subscribe to his channel Tyrrell's Classic Workshop.
Its definitely one of those cars (much like Maserati or TVR for some of us) where you have to love it to stick with one, otherwise it definitely isn't worth the money
@@HSGAutomotive Though wonderful machines when in perfect order, the design quirks have often seemed to follow the spirit of Henry Royce who invented nothing, but studiously over-engineered the designs of others. Even the aero engines have, perhaps, benefitted from myth and hype when compared to the products of rival WW2 producers. Regarding cars, my interest peters-out after 1970 or so. Legend has it that when considering the adoption of automatic transmission in the early post-war days, R-R obtained a G.M. unit and were dismissive of its wayward engineering tolerances,....so they rebuilt it to R-R standards, and it failed to perform! And take a close look at their 'Heath Robinson' version of the gearbox-driven brake servo of Renault/Hispano-Suiza origin.
12:54 The "rat trap" brake linkage seems like a holdover from pre-1950s cars. I remember a somewhat similar arrangement in rear-engined VWs and it seems that most American cars went to the hanging brake pedal setup between 1950 and 1955. Maybe Rolls had the luxury of keeping the master cylinder that low because their cars were still about 4" higher than most others in 1973. In all fairness, I'm sure they didn't count on the car being spliced to a Mitsubishi chassis, but the low master cylinder looks like a maintenance headache even when left in its original state. Good luck with the rest of your project; I'm sure it will be impressive when finished.
Lincoln continental mark 3 or 4 or 5 is a reliable classic car to own? I want to buy one and drive it 1 to 2 times per week not for every day drive what do you thing it's worth to buy one and finding parts or not worth it?
As with anything they're not 100% bulletproof, but mine's a '68. Things get messy with 'Mks' within Lincoln, especially around the 50s when they tried to split it into two brands, Lincoln and Continental. Didn't last thankfully. I'd recommend anything from 61-69 for the best all round experience. Most switchgear and maintenance parts can be found from RockAuto etc, but most garages won't want to touch engine work as they are very big, extremely heavy (~500kg engine and box) so make sure you find a competent garage or have your own lift. My 1960 shape Premiere (also here on the channel) was a wonderful car too, but had quite a few outdated 50s ideas like the vacuum system etc, so buy a 50s car with caution depending on your funds and knowledge
@@HSGAutomotive thank you for answer my question. I buy a mercedes w124 to introduce my self in to wold of classic cars, to have a good quality car to make my life easyer about mechanical problems and finding parts for a 35 years old car. So I use to have in mind to buy a mark 5 from 1979 but living in Europe is harder to find parts for that car also find people how want to work in to American classic cars but I still want a American classic car. Im looking forward to the future to improve my knowledge in to classic cars and who knows maybe i I'll buy one continental. Thanks a lot for your time
I brought a silver shadow after trying to find the right one I got one for £10k knowing it needed some work to rear suspension. Turns out it needed a full brake and suspension rebuild. Got that done for £7k Spent another £1.5k on a service and check up 2 months later, turns out the engine needs a rebuild piston linings leaking. Got it back and the reverse gear stopped working, turns out it needs a gearbox rebuild. Sold the car for £4k I was sick of it and wanted it gone, stupidly I then did the same two years later and got another one and the fucking gearbox went again so I sold it again losing more money oh my god yes I was stupid!!! Don’t buy one guys it’s a financial grenade!!
I remember when i went to London in the 70:s. I thought, the best car in the World, with rust holes... But they were taken by surprise by the salting, as everybody else. They had once been alloy. Now they are alloy again... The new alloys dooes not seem wheelable, it more coke-can alloys...
If I was in the US and had the money, I'd buy one of these or a Bentley from the 90's...but LS-swap it, just for the cheap maintenance [again, if I was in the US], yet I'd build the engine as close to the original, as in 416-ci [6.8L] stroker, and depending on the model, single turbocharger. Nothing crazy, low-revs like the stock V8, plenty of torque, but a bit more power...
I know of at least one LS swapped Shadow, white one with big chrome rims and a blower, so its definitely doable. Biggest issue on them when it comes to modification is how different everything is tooled and spec'd compared to conventional cars. Spring sizes, wheel nut pattern etc
@@HSGAutomotive Purists will hate me, but the idea of a Rolls-Royce with everything underneath [powertrain, brakes, suspension, etc.] from something more readily available [not even about cheaper prices, but easier maintenance], and like the LS, with great aftermarket support...I'd totally go for a project like that.
Exactly, that's why I went with my Dakar build on it instead of scrapping it. Heavily inspired by the 1981 Jules Corniche which ran in the Dakar Rally on a Land Cruiser chassis with a big block V8 and fiberglass body
You may want to swap the rear axle for a Ford 9" unit as well. WatchJRGo did an LS swap to one and almost immediately blew up the Rolls diff. And his actually ran (barely) when he bought it
Sold the old Rolls diff to an enthusiast last week funnily enough. Brought it home still bolted into the 'T' shaped diff carrier piece in the Lincoln's trunk, he was riding slammed with that in there, lol. Made the unwise choice to load and unload it alone too, messed my back up for a week
I owned a couple of Australian Fords and they were even better than US Fords. I know because I worked on US cars and trucks, Aussie quality is better. I did have British cars as well and for me the Rover P5 was the best, better than the Jaguar MK1 or 2 or the first S-type. Yes we had those as well. In my life I have owned until now 120 cars, 25 vans, 49 motorbikes and 19 big trucks. So I can compare, which was the worst and which was the best. Cars worst Ford Taunus 12M, best Peugeot 404. Vans, best Citroen Jumpy diesel 1,9L no turbo, worst VW T2 .
No they don’t actually, as mentioned I’ve had other classics which were older, and both more and less expensive, and were far superior. RR’s problem is they seemed to think making something more complex made it better. It doesn’t.
A joy to drive a certain pride to own a nightmare to maintain. Be warned folks from an owner of a Bentley T1 1970. An absolute money pit. I have spent in excess of £63 grand 😮. The restoration just snowballed. Still not ready for the road 😢.
I knowww. How could anyone possibly be so crude as to modify the worlds finest car to use Citroen suspension...GM gearbox...Lucas lights...Yale locks....sacrilege indeed.
★ You can watch my 'High Roller' Dakar Rolls-Royce project build here on the channel: ruclips.net/video/yz11KF-bZ6E/видео.html
i am the exact car owner you have described. Had the Bentley Flying Spur. 2011 with 27k miles. It never stranded me, but the elegant leather headliner fell down. I had it repaired and the repairer said, "That is a common problem with Bentley". I said, Why doesn't someone tell Bentley their ##%!**^# headliners are falling down!! Windshield whistled a tune at 90 mph. Power steering hoses corroded, and on and on. I have a 1976 Lincoln Continental Mark IV with 42K miles. So much quieter, smoother and more comfortable than the Bentley. Filling with gas is an event with the Mark IV. People LOVE it and tell stories of family members having had one and the memories were grand. NO ONE ever said hello with the Bentley.
The Jaguar XJ Series One was decades ahead of any car available at the time anywhere. And to this day, it an icon, beautiful and a better vehicle to buy.
Never driven one of those, oldest Jag I've driven was a 1960 Mk2. Always liked the design of the MkX, not sure how they'd compare
The most ironic part of all this is in order for this car to be in a better condition from the horrendous build it started with, you used a MITSUBISHI of all cars. I totally understand why, the suspension proportions matches up perfectly and it's very necessary for this kind of car, I just find it hilarious given the reputation of Mitsubishi beyond the 90s.
Hah, yeah it was between this and a Ford Ranger ~2005 ish shape, and I don't hear much positive about those, whereas the L200's are everywhere
@@GLxGL I’d rather change Mitsubishi parts than Rolls anyday, especially for their prices 😂
I used to own a silver shadow and I've owned a silver spirit. 😊😊😊 . Both great cars , if you get a really nice one with excellent history 😊and use it 3 or 4 times a week they really are magnificent. The worse thing is to leave it in the garage and don't use. These cars need to be used at least 3 times a week. I had no real problems with mine.
I owned a pair of 1973 Silver Shadows, one steel bumper car and one rubber bumper car, srb15286, and SRB 16884, where you Rolls-Royce people you know what those mean. One car was from Florida and one was from Alabama. They ate quite a bit of money, I put the Harvey Bayless suspensions in them I replace the leather interior in the Florida car I had a wholesale parts guy in New Jersey, and I had a British mechanic who worked on the assembly line in Atlanta. I was able to drive the cars at least 50,000 miles per car with the help of those guys, I'm also mechanic and did a lot of the work myself to cut expenses. This man is right about everything he's saying about these cars. I have a 83 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit is the only car I kept of the four rolls-royce's I used to have I decided to let someone else's wallet support them and took a loss and received only 10 cents per dollar invested for the cars I sold. I decided I'd open up my car collection do a whole bunch more Cadillacs Datsun Volkswagens Chevrolets, and Audi a Lincoln and a couple of diesel Peugeot 504 one wagon one sedan. And so glad I did. I tell people that when they asked what happened to the Silver Shadows I said I got cured of Rolls-Royce disease.
I expected overwhelming amounts of apologists, or even just lucky owners in the comments, but its reassuring to see that my experience was both far from the exception, and also not just chalked up to being a 'rough' example. Pity, and quite remarkable that they managed to still keep their reputation despite these cars, rather than because of them...
Always enjoy these real life car reviews! Thanks for sharing HSG!
Absolutely admire your HONESTY. A must view for any classic car admirer who want's to enjoy the experience and not be saddled with an endless nightmare and money pit.
I always wanted one of these ever since having the Matchbox version as a child.
Now I realize why Q told Bond in one of the opening scenes of Goldfinger that James' Bentley had "seen it's day" and introduced him to his new Aston Martin work car.
Indeed, lol
i remember seeing in the 70s, rolls royce body shells being transported un covered on the transporters.
I have owned 8 Crewe products over the years; one S1 Bentley, two S3 Bentleys, three Silver Cloud IIIs, one Silver Shadow and one Phantom V.
I can tell you that the S Series cars, including the PV , were the cheapest cars I've had in terms of maintenance and service ( I'm including American cars in that too ). I can't say the same for the Shadow. They are way over-engineered, unnecessarily complex and , as you pointed out... a nightmare. The beauty of the S Series cars are that you can pretty well go in your garage and make any part you need to keep them running. While the Shadow was awful, it wasn't as bad as the Volvo I had. They can't even make ignition keys that don't break off the lock.
Had a key break off in the boot of this one funnily enough, and good to know the S-Series lives up to the look of quality and sturdy build which they have
From the outside looking in, they're nice. As time goes on though, I'm starting to hear a lot more horror stories. Whereas with your Lincoln, the answer to most parts and issues would probably be "It's a Ford part" and I just have to respect that. No need to have everything be bespoke when you have an already existing and solid foundation to build upon.
It's probably a good thing that I like Lincolns, Cadillacs, older Buicks and Chryslers when it comes to luxury cars (though modifying a Silver Shadow to accommodate a Griffon V12 is something I'd love to do)
@5:02 That sounds like a Mitsuoka experience. You know, this Japanese coachbuilder who use modern underpinnings to design cars that resemble classic British design icons.
Yeah exactly, I've been saying for years on the channel that more manufacturers should make modern cars which look old. Some half ass attempts have been done like the PT Cruiser, but now some are at least trying with retro EV's
Iain Tyrrell repaired his Shadow and drove it from England to the North Pole and back. He seems to have an unlimited budget though. I subscribe to his channel Tyrrell's Classic Workshop.
Its definitely one of those cars (much like Maserati or TVR for some of us) where you have to love it to stick with one, otherwise it definitely isn't worth the money
Long before the Shadow arrived, the late Gerry Crozier viewed R-R cars as "doing less, for more money, than any other car.". Sad.
It is very strange given their legacy, especially when the 60’s when these began wasn’t really that far removed from their origins
@@HSGAutomotive Though wonderful machines when in perfect order, the design quirks have often seemed to follow the spirit of Henry Royce who invented nothing, but studiously over-engineered the designs of others. Even the aero engines have, perhaps, benefitted from myth and hype when compared to the products of rival WW2 producers. Regarding cars, my interest peters-out after 1970 or so. Legend has it that when considering the adoption of automatic transmission in the early post-war days, R-R obtained a G.M. unit and were dismissive of its wayward engineering tolerances,....so they rebuilt it to R-R standards, and it failed to perform! And take a close look at their 'Heath Robinson' version of the gearbox-driven brake servo of Renault/Hispano-Suiza origin.
12:54 The "rat trap" brake linkage seems like a holdover from pre-1950s cars. I remember a somewhat similar arrangement in rear-engined VWs and it seems that most American cars went to the hanging brake pedal setup between 1950 and 1955. Maybe Rolls had the luxury of keeping the master cylinder that low because their cars were still about 4" higher than most others in 1973. In all fairness, I'm sure they didn't count on the car being spliced to a Mitsubishi chassis, but the low master cylinder looks like a maintenance headache even when left in its original state. Good luck with the rest of your project; I'm sure it will be impressive when finished.
It is one of the more notorious maintenance points for sure, bleeding valves etc. And thanks, hopefully sooner than later it'll be on the road!
Lincoln continental mark 3 or 4 or 5 is a reliable classic car to own?
I want to buy one and drive it 1 to 2 times per week not for every day drive what do you thing it's worth to buy one and finding parts or not worth it?
As with anything they're not 100% bulletproof, but mine's a '68. Things get messy with 'Mks' within Lincoln, especially around the 50s when they tried to split it into two brands, Lincoln and Continental. Didn't last thankfully. I'd recommend anything from 61-69 for the best all round experience. Most switchgear and maintenance parts can be found from RockAuto etc, but most garages won't want to touch engine work as they are very big, extremely heavy (~500kg engine and box) so make sure you find a competent garage or have your own lift. My 1960 shape Premiere (also here on the channel) was a wonderful car too, but had quite a few outdated 50s ideas like the vacuum system etc, so buy a 50s car with caution depending on your funds and knowledge
@@HSGAutomotive thank you for answer my question.
I buy a mercedes w124 to introduce my self in to wold of classic cars, to have a good quality car to make my life easyer about mechanical problems and finding parts for a 35 years old car.
So I use to have in mind to buy a mark 5 from 1979 but living in Europe is harder to find parts for that car also find people how want to work in to American classic cars but I still want a American classic car.
Im looking forward to the future to improve my knowledge in to classic cars and who knows maybe i I'll buy one continental.
Thanks a lot for your time
I brought a silver shadow after trying to find the right one I got one for £10k knowing it needed some work to rear suspension. Turns out it needed a full brake and suspension rebuild. Got that done for £7k Spent another £1.5k on a service and check up 2 months later, turns out the engine needs a rebuild piston linings leaking. Got it back and the reverse gear stopped working, turns out it needs a gearbox rebuild. Sold the car for £4k I was sick of it and wanted it gone, stupidly I then did the same two years later and got another one and the fucking gearbox went again so I sold it again losing more money oh my god yes I was stupid!!! Don’t buy one guys it’s a financial grenade!!
Subscribed !
This was brilliant !
I remember when i went to London in the 70:s. I thought, the best car in the World, with rust holes... But they were taken by surprise by the salting, as everybody else. They had once been alloy. Now they are alloy again...
The new alloys dooes not seem wheelable, it more coke-can alloys...
I'm glad I don't have to buy one now
If I was in the US and had the money, I'd buy one of these or a Bentley from the 90's...but LS-swap it, just for the cheap maintenance [again, if I was in the US], yet I'd build the engine as close to the original, as in 416-ci [6.8L] stroker, and depending on the model, single turbocharger. Nothing crazy, low-revs like the stock V8, plenty of torque, but a bit more power...
I know of at least one LS swapped Shadow, white one with big chrome rims and a blower, so its definitely doable. Biggest issue on them when it comes to modification is how different everything is tooled and spec'd compared to conventional cars. Spring sizes, wheel nut pattern etc
@@HSGAutomotive Purists will hate me, but the idea of a Rolls-Royce with everything underneath [powertrain, brakes, suspension, etc.] from something more readily available [not even about cheaper prices, but easier maintenance], and like the LS, with great aftermarket support...I'd totally go for a project like that.
Exactly, that's why I went with my Dakar build on it instead of scrapping it. Heavily inspired by the 1981 Jules Corniche which ran in the Dakar Rally on a Land Cruiser chassis with a big block V8 and fiberglass body
You may want to swap the rear axle for a Ford 9" unit as well. WatchJRGo did an LS swap to one and almost immediately blew up the Rolls diff. And his actually ran (barely) when he bought it
Sold the old Rolls diff to an enthusiast last week funnily enough. Brought it home still bolted into the 'T' shaped diff carrier piece in the Lincoln's trunk, he was riding slammed with that in there, lol. Made the unwise choice to load and unload it alone too, messed my back up for a week
From rat rod rolls to mad max monster. Sir, you can camping without leaving your roller mansion.
Haha yeah 😆
I owned a couple of Australian Fords and they were even better than US Fords. I know because I worked on US cars and trucks, Aussie quality is better. I did have British cars as well and for me the Rover P5 was the best, better than the Jaguar MK1 or 2 or the first S-type. Yes we had those as well. In my life I have owned until now 120 cars, 25 vans, 49 motorbikes and 19 big trucks. So I can compare, which was the worst and which was the best. Cars worst Ford Taunus 12M, best Peugeot 404. Vans, best Citroen Jumpy diesel 1,9L no turbo, worst VW T2 .
My father had, Triumph 2000, Rover P6, Opel Record, Ford Granada etc, but the best car he ever had was a 1971 Peugeot 504.
@@flatheadV8 They were very good as well, never owned a 504, did have the Triumph and the Opel Record and Commodore and the Ford Granada.
Comments apply to every 50 year old car, RR's are just bigger and more expensive.
No they don’t actually, as mentioned I’ve had other classics which were older, and both more and less expensive, and were far superior. RR’s problem is they seemed to think making something more complex made it better. It doesn’t.
Mitsubishi bombed pearl harbour
Yeah and nazi scientists helped with the American moon rockets, what's your point?
And America used German war criminals to get to the moon. And British museums are full of stolen goods from other countries. Etc etc etc
What happens when you phone your insurance company and they say 'has your car been modified in any way?'
Say yes, not that complicated, lol
@@HSGAutomotive Nice one. Total respect for what you have done.
Cheers, haha. Hopefully it'll be running sometime in the next couple months when the Mitsubishi wiring is done
@@HSGAutomotive That will be a great video.
told you so 🤣
Nope, you liked it when it was standard, which is where all the problems are xD
A joy to drive a certain pride to own a nightmare to maintain. Be warned folks from an owner of a Bentley T1 1970. An absolute money pit. I have spent in excess of £63 grand 😮. The restoration just snowballed. Still not ready for the road 😢.
Lol, a Rolls Rant 😅
Why game is this ??? 😅
GT World, day one patch ;)
@@HSGAutomotive I have no clue what I meant 🤣. Love the channel btw
The Brittish never build a good quality car..........
Pretty much for the most part 😂 supercars being the only exception, McLaren, Lister, GMA etc
Sacrilege
I knowww. How could anyone possibly be so crude as to modify the worlds finest car to use Citroen suspension...GM gearbox...Lucas lights...Yale locks....sacrilege indeed.