PennSilverTaco's European vehicle photo montage and rant/rave thread!

1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III

Hand-built, with 727 produced from 1936 to 1939...

7338 cc (447 cubic inches) V12, 4-speed stick, and approximately 8.4 MPG on average....

Insured value is well over $100K...

Escalade and H2 owners, eat your heart out!

 

I am guessing late 70’s or early 80’s. I will inquire next time I cross paths. Last time I saw it it was looking a little neglected, so not a concourse winner.

 

So many uninformed people write off Rolls-Royces and Bentleys as being "money pits" and just plain pieces of shit. Unfortunately, most of these people are Americans.

It is true that Rolls-Royces and Bentleys are much more expensive to maintain than a "typical car." However, to call them unreliable or a piece of shit isn't fair.

Even a Tacoma or Tundra will break down if you don't take care of it, and neglect to do simple stuff like change oil and other fluids. It is not uncommon for a well-maintained Rolls or Bentley to last well over 200K miles without a major overhaul. A 1997 Rolls-Royce (I believe a Silver Spirit) purchased new by the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong as part of a fleet, had about 500K miles on the clock when the fleet was retired in 2006 at the age of 9 years. The fleet of '97 RRs was replaced with a fleet of brand new 2006 Phantoms, all finished in the hotels signature "Peninsula Green."

Granted, it is my opinion that a 2003-present Rolls-Royce Phantom is not a true Rolls-Royce but just a BMW in drag. However, every one of those 2006 Phantoms in the Peninsula fleet has over 200K miles!

The engine used in the 2003-present Phantom is NOT a Rolls-Royce design, but rather a variant of the V12 engine used in the BMW 7-Series. However, while it is rather blasphemous to use a BMW engine in a Rolls-Royce, BMW still makes good engines, and the Pensinsula Phantoms are proof that if you are good to your vehicle, it will be good to you.

As for Rolls-Royces being unreliable pieces of shit, all I've got to say about that is that a Rolls-Royce is a motor vehicle, and a motor vehicle is a machine. Even machines that are built to the highest standards and well maintained for their entire life can break down! Rolls-Royces are among the most reliable vehicles in the world in my opinion. They just cost a lot more to fix than a Tacoma when something does eventually break, and that brings us to the somewhat unfair labeling of all Rolls-Royces as money pits...

A new Rolls-Royce will not be cheap to fix if something like a starter or the HVAC controls break, and if the car is out of warranty hopefully you have a lot of money saved up!

What costs a couple hundred bucks to fix on a Toyota, a Ford, or even a Benz can cost several hundred dollars or even a thousand bucks or more to fix on a Rolls.

So-called entry-level vehicles can rack up a hefty repair bill too. However, what costs a little over a grand to fix on a Honda, Toyota, or Chevy can cost several thousand on a Rolls!

It's just the nature of the beast!

 

Is this mechanically fuel injected?

 

Back in 1980, since every other market still used carburetors, I'm gonna go with yes...

One model of Rolls-Royce used 4-wheel drum brakes right up until production ended in 1992!

 

Here's another Rolls-Royce factoid...

Some clueless owners of certain postwar models (specifically the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S-series, produced from 1957-1965) believe that using radial tires instead of the old school bias-ply/corded tires will improve the ride of the vehicle. This so incredibly not true that it isn't even funny. The Silver Cloud and it's S-series twin (that's Bentley S-series, not the popular compact pickup built by Chevrolet from 1982-2005, LOL) were never designed to have radial tires installed. Every aspect of these automobiles, especially the chassis and suspension, was engineered for bias-ply tires! Thus, the ride is better with bias-ply tires and the car will handle better as well!

Some people think that older postwar Rolls-Royces and Bentleys "ride like trucks," and incorrectly assume that this because of the bias-ply tires. They throw a set of incorrect radials on, and the ride improves somewhat, but the car is not truly fixed. If a Silver Cloud or S-series is suffering from a truck-like ride, putting a new set of tires on it (bias-ply only, folks) won't hurt, but it's a given that the problem lies with the suspension...

Sir Henry Royce had one goal in mind when he teamed up with Charles Rolls back in the day, and that was to create the finest motorcars in the world. Every aspect of these cars was designed to operate seamlessly, and the founders wanted them to have a ride like nothing else on the road. I don't know much about prewar Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, but one unique feature of the Silver Cloud and S-series is that certain chassis and suspension components are bound in leather to create a ride quality like nothing else on the road. Over time, this leather inevitably wears out with age, along with all other components. Doing a full chassis/suspension overhaul on a 50-year old Rolls-Royce is never going to be cheap or easy, but it's critical to bringing the car back to it's former glory!

 

Never, never, never, EVER...

EVER, EVER, EVER!

Never buy a so-called "restored" Rolls-Royce or Bentley. After talking to my old acquaintance in Hong Kong, I developed an eye for detail in Rolls-Royces that I guarantee very few people in the United States have. I am far from being an expert, but I can tell you which tires and wheels are incorrect, which paint color is incorrect, and whether or not the interior upholstery has been done properly...

"Restored" Rolls-Royces and Bentleys may be of a high quality, but high-quality and correct are two totally different things when it comes to these cars!

The few months I spent chatting with my friend in Hong Kong transformed me into a purist when it comes to these cars...

About all I'd ever do to a vintage postwar Rolls-Royce or Bentley in terms of customization is adding a modern stereo system...

Other than that, these cars are pretty much the Mona Lisa of automobiles...

 

One of several brochures sent to me by my old acquaintance, all the way from Hong Kong!

This is 1989 Rolls-Royce full line brochure, detailing U.S.-spec motorcars...



Look closely, and you'll see that the factory stereo cassette is Pioneer! My truck has the same stereo system as a Rolls-Royce! I love it!


More stereo system details...



Printed in England, but a New Jersey P.O. Box...

Further evidence that this brochure is intended for the United States market...

 

If diehard Rolls-Royce enthusiasts were to select a book as their equivalent of the Holy
Bible, this would most certainly be it!

 

Info on the only model (that I'm aware of) to leave the factory with a limited-slip rear differential...

 

TRUE STORY: My obsession with my Tacoma often gets on my boss's nerves...

One time she said something along the lines of "Dammit Charlie, you treat your truck like a Rolls-Royce!"

My response was "You say that like it's a bad thing!"

 

This 1982 Camargue (identifiable as newer than 1978-79 by the front quarterlights) is an example of how and why these cars are color-sensitive...

NOTE: The emblem near the bottom of the fender by the driver's side door is not correct.



These pictures were taken at an auction in Connecticut in July 2005, and I found them on Wikipedia (the photographer released them into the public domain).

 

Here is a very rough pre-1979 Camargue (identifiable as such by the quarterlight), photographed somewhere in Europe in 1999...

In addition to not being in the best condition, this Camargue is also highly incorrect!



Where shall we begin? The tires appear to be incorrect for starters, and I'm pretty sure the steel wheels are supposed to be black. Also, while a gold ornament is not technically incorrect, it is generally frowned upon by true Rolls-Royce enthusiasts...

There were many variations of white available on these cars, so I do not know for sure if this is a factory color, but either way it does not take an expert to tell that the color is all wrong. Look in the first picture add you will see that the paint on the door doesn't match the paint on the right quarter panel. All of the trim is supposed to be chrome or aluminum. It would appear that somebody removed all of the trim and painted it in the same off-white color as the body (and the wheels).

If you look at the picture below, you will get a better look at the interior. That's a technically a correct factory steering wheel, but I'm 99% sure the steering wheel is supposed to be black.

The body also seems to have some surface rust! You bastards! It honestly looks as though the owner fell on hard times and had to move to a flat (European term for an apartment to the layperson) with no garage...

Anybody who lets a Rolls-Royce get into this kind of condition has no business owning one!

 

'77 Silver Wraith II

 

This one, a copy of the actual image would be awesome.

 

Huh?

 

Not asking, I just saw that and thought it would make a great poster.

 

Ah...

I was confused by what you said originally...

 

Bias ply tires do not perform consistently, or particularly well with heat or cold extremes. They ride terribly before they have reached operating temperature... mainly balance issues that cause steering wheel wobble when cold, and when hot, they cause understeer. Aside from leather seals/dampeners, I wonder what modifications they made to better-accommodate bias ply tires? They may have assumed that as the leather became more pliable with movement, it would complement the design of the bias ply tire... Then again, you could say the same for rubber. Interesting for sure.