£22k Bentley Continental GT - running costs?
Discussion
279 said:
But getting it serviced at a back street garage who wouldn't have a vaguest clue about the cars and running it around with numerous faults kind of defeats the object of owning such a car, does it not?
Why would they not have a clue? An engine is an engine, the GT doesn't do anything any different to any other modern OHC engine. Brakes and suspension are all fairly simple too.Get any decent mechanic to do the simple things and don't pay through the nose for it. OBDII will tell you of any major faults and if need be or occasionally take it to a specialist to give it a once over. But no need to use them for every single thing.
And I'm not saying run it with numerous faults, but lets face reality, with 100k on the clock and being 8 years old, it is unlikely to be 100% perfect. To either make it perfect or try and maintain perfection will cost you a fortune. An 8 year old Mondeo/3 Series/Golf is just as likely to not be perfect and it's just as fruitless to try and make them perfect either.
Do what you want and what you can afford. But if on a budget don't throw money away for no real gain.
279 said:
If you're happy to spend £22,000 plus fuel, plus whatever goes wrong that actually disables the car on something that is a bit broken (well, in the sense that it could quite realistically take another 5 figures worth of work to bring it up to standard electrically and mechanically) just so that you can say you own a Bentley then rock on. I'd personally rather put the money into a car that I could afford to run correctly.
St John Smythe said:
Nurse! He's out of bed again!
Seriously though. What items that are likely to fail are truly going to cost a fortune to run? I suspect anything engine is the most costly area, but are they know to fail? And if they did, is it really going to cost more to fix than fixing a £22k BMW M3 with a blown engine?300bhp/ton said:
What items that are likely to fail are truly going to cost a fortune to run?
Almost all of the bespoke parts Would suggest you have a look on Euro car parts website for indication of prices of parts . . . you'll also need to factor in the packaging issues with these cars, which makes some maintenance interesting
AndrewW-G said:
Almost all of the bespoke parts
Give us a clue, could you list some of these items. Not being funny, I honestly don't know.AndrewW-G said:
Would suggest you have a look on Euro car parts website for indication of prices of parts . . . you'll also need to factor in the packaging issues with these cars, which makes some maintenance interesting
I don't know about the packaging, but point accepted. Had a quick look at Euro car parts and they don't seem to list much, just says "sorry no parts listed".
That said an oil filter is £12.90 and a PAS pump £179. This doesn't sound unreasonable to me.
As for other bits, well if it needs an exhaust. Go to a custom exhaust shop. There's no reason it should cost anymore for a custom stainless system than it would for a V6 Mondeo.
If it needs a rad - get it recored or a custom one made. They aren't that pricey and people do it all the time for custom and kit cars.
Are the brakes and suspension common to any other cars? I don't know, but someone else said brake pads are not expensive (eBay).
I'm sure some items, electrical ones most likely are costly. But how common are they to fail?
300bhp/ton said:
Had a quick look at Euro car parts and they don't seem to list much, just says "sorry no parts listed".
That’s because there isn’t the aftermarket supply of parts for these cars. . . . .which means that the back street garage suggested, will still have to take the same hit from the Bentley dealers parts counter As per my first post on this subject, the OP is best asking the same question in the RR&B section, there are owners who self-service, use RR&B specialists and use main dealers.
A £22k CGT isn't going to cost the same to run as a £22k Passat. However you know that when you buy it- go into it with a bit of research and hopefully you won't get too many nasty suprises. Twelve months down the line you'll still be opening the garage door and getting a kick from seeing a Bentley in there.
OP- are there any specialists nearby you could talk to?
OP- are there any specialists nearby you could talk to?
279 said:
300bhp/ton said:
Give us a clue, could you list some of these items. Not being funny, I honestly don't know.
This is precisely the problem. You don't know, and yet you're trying to come across as if you do. And then you have the cheek to mock the opinion of someone who does know. 300bhp/ton said:
Because I doubt that most parts are truly bespoke.
Why? Because it shares the platform with the phaeton and A8? Please. There is enough parts differences between the Bentley cars on the platform between GT, GTC, F-Spur, Speed and Supersport cars, and that's before you get the differences between model years. There are literally a handful of parts I can think of that come down with a 'VW' part number.
Not 'bespoke' per say, but the hopes of finding precisely the right component being banged out as a pattern part on anything more complicated than an oil filter is pretty slim.
300bhp/ton said:
Because I doubt that most parts are truly bespoke.
I guess its also the fact that there is just more of everything in the engine. It may be just a VW engine, but it's still got 12 cylinders - so more complex to disassemble than say a 6 cylinder and there are double (or more) of the same parts so everything will cost more. That and VW will just charge more for the parts. I have access to their parts catalogue at home so will try and remember to find some prices for W12 engine parts when I get home later. I'm sure they're entertaining..
AndrewW-G said:
That’s because there isn’t the aftermarket supply of parts for these cars. . . . .which means that the back street garage suggested, will still have to take the same hit from the Bentley dealers parts counter
I don't believe I ever said anything different. But oil is not bespoke and filters seem cheap enough. It's this side of it that I'm meaning more so.Why pay £500+ for an oil change if you can get exactly the same thing for £60? Would make a huge difference in running costs.
Same with brakes, ok even if the discs are expensive to buy (like many other cars... Monaro's with AP's for instance). Don't then pay £200/hr labour to have them fitted. Get them done by someone who charges £30-50/hr.
I certainly don't deny 'some' items are likely to be costly and Bentley only sourced. But how often do you need to replace such things really? I mean a new radiator or new rear axle are hardly service items.
I used to work in a Bentley dealer parts and aervice department. Some of the prices are eye wateringly expensive. There are an awful lot of mechanical and electrical systems in there which if they fail will either cost a lot of replace, or cost a lot to diagnose as there are numerous ECUs and control systems. Only a specialist or a dealer will be able to do anything with them.
Service kit
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
Brake Disc (two required + pads)
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
Front air spring
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
All going to further my point . . . . Only take advice from people who actually know what they are talking about!
In this case, there is a RR&B sectionb, with people who have owned / lived with these cars or service them
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
Brake Disc (two required + pads)
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
Front air spring
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
All going to further my point . . . . Only take advice from people who actually know what they are talking about!
In this case, there is a RR&B sectionb, with people who have owned / lived with these cars or service them
279 said:
Why? Because it shares the platform with the phaeton and A8? Please.
There is enough parts differences between the Bentley cars on the platform between GT, GTC, F-Spur, Speed and Supersport cars, and that's before you get the differences between model years. There are literally a handful of parts I can think of that come down with a 'VW' part number.
Not 'bespoke' per say, but the hopes of finding precisely the right component being banged out as a pattern part on anything more complicated than an oil filter is pretty slim.
But how many of these bespoke parts do you truly need to maintain such a car? And are there no other possibilities?There is enough parts differences between the Bentley cars on the platform between GT, GTC, F-Spur, Speed and Supersport cars, and that's before you get the differences between model years. There are literally a handful of parts I can think of that come down with a 'VW' part number.
Not 'bespoke' per say, but the hopes of finding precisely the right component being banged out as a pattern part on anything more complicated than an oil filter is pretty slim.
As stated previously but I think is a good example.
How much would Bentley charge for a new exhaust? I suspect a hefty 4 figure number. But why? Sure this is a 'bespoke' part for the GT, but an exhaust is nothing mystical or magical. It just some tubing bent to shape with some silencers and maybe a catalytic converter.
Any custom exhaust shop should be able to fab up such an exhaust for around the £600 mark. It certainly should cost any more than a custom exhaust for any other Vee engined car, just don't let people add a "Bentley/rich persons tax" to the price.
So give me a clue, what are some of these ultra expensive bespoke parts that need replacing often?
Chicane-UK said:
I guess its also the fact that there is just more of everything in the engine. It may be just a VW engine, but it's still got 12 cylinders - so more complex to disassemble than say a 6 cylinder and there are double (or more) of the same parts so everything will cost more.
That and VW will just charge more for the parts. I have access to their parts catalogue at home so will try and remember to find some prices for W12 engine parts when I get home later. I'm sure they're entertaining..
This I don't deny, but how often should you be rebuilding the engine? Is this truly a "service" item and expected?That and VW will just charge more for the parts. I have access to their parts catalogue at home so will try and remember to find some prices for W12 engine parts when I get home later. I'm sure they're entertaining..
Also there are plenty of other V12 powered Jags, Mercs and BMW's that don't cost a fortune to maintain.
Yes 12 is more than 4, so plugs and leads will cost more. But are these bespoke to the GT or are they of common design that you can use items from other vehicles? And why buy such items from VW? Surely you'd shop around and buy them at the best price?
300bhp/ton said:
Why pay £500+ for an oil change if you can get exactly the same thing for £60?
Stop talking nonsense, do you even know how much oil these cars use? . . . . .I'll give you a clue, you'll struggle to even buy the oil for £60.You £500+ oil change, is actually
Oil approx.. 10-12L Mobile one - £70
Filter - £20
Labour 1 hour @ specialist rate - £60 Inc. VAT
Cost to change just the oil = £150
And that’s without any of the other tasks that need to be done, even with a minor 10k service
AndrewW-G said:
Service kit
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
All going to further my point . . . . Only take advice from people who actually know what they are talking about!
In this case, there is a RR&B sectionb, with people who have owned / lived with these cars or service them
No offense but how rich or dumb do you have to be to pay way over to top for a serivce kit at includes wipers and hose clips??? what the fk are they charging you, £20/clip or something.http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/bentley-continent...
All going to further my point . . . . Only take advice from people who actually know what they are talking about!
In this case, there is a RR&B sectionb, with people who have owned / lived with these cars or service them
Hell pop down to Halfords for those items. Clips will cost a couple of quid (and likely don't need replacing anyhow ) And I be you could buy wipers for £8-12 a pair if you actually tried.
Your link above is a PRIME PRIME example of Bentley tax and paying way over the odds for cheap easy to attain items.
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