Buying a Bentley Turbo R
Discussion
I've been dithering about buying a Turbo R or a Brooklands (I really like the late ones) for the past two years! I came close a couple of times but the potential costs just scare me rigid. So I bought a hybrid Honda... so similar 
My main fears is that my mileage is low and usage sporadic but the poor thing would have to live outside so would it fall to bits in short order?
Another thing that worries me is the prices: they are all over the place! I've seen late cars for £8 grand and early ones for £20 grand. Without touring the length and breadth of the country viewing there seems to be no way of telling which is good and which is bad and why cheap or expensive. A few years ago I was very serious about getting one and travelled all over looking at immaculate cars with full service history that were rusty as hell and had three old MOT certificates in total.
I do want one and can sort of afford to run one... should I?
My main fears is that my mileage is low and usage sporadic but the poor thing would have to live outside so would it fall to bits in short order?
Another thing that worries me is the prices: they are all over the place! I've seen late cars for £8 grand and early ones for £20 grand. Without touring the length and breadth of the country viewing there seems to be no way of telling which is good and which is bad and why cheap or expensive. A few years ago I was very serious about getting one and travelled all over looking at immaculate cars with full service history that were rusty as hell and had three old MOT certificates in total.
I do want one and can sort of afford to run one... should I?
Penguinracer said:
Those of you who've had top flight Mercedes such as the V12 variants & a Turbo R - how would you compare the experiences?
I can see a Mercedes S600 /CL600/S65 etc being extraordinarily fast (for a big car), technologically superb but of course lacking the Bentley's aristocratic presence, exquisite interior & character. I would imagine that on balance the flagship Mercedes is more durable and cheaper & quicker to repair - is that the experience of those of you who have had both?
Ive never had a Merc, but I've had 3 Audi A8's (3.7 quattro / 4.2tdi / S8)I can see a Mercedes S600 /CL600/S65 etc being extraordinarily fast (for a big car), technologically superb but of course lacking the Bentley's aristocratic presence, exquisite interior & character. I would imagine that on balance the flagship Mercedes is more durable and cheaper & quicker to repair - is that the experience of those of you who have had both?
It depends on what goes wrong - some things will cost more to repair on a Merc V12 and some things on a Bentley Turbo. You can't really generalise. Probably a much larger and cheaper pool of used spares for a Merc though. But then I think I'd rather be faced with a major repair on the comparatively simple Rolls push rod V8 than the Merc V12! And I'd suggest the Rolls engine is probably more reliable - they really are bomb proof and the Turbo virtually never goes wrong. Infact, I know the specialist RR&B garages have claimed to have never had to change a turbo on those cars.
Probably easier to find a nice Bentley turbo too - most old S class are totally knackered and full of faults.
A good few years back I owned a 1996 W140 Series Brabus 7.3S. Apart from a failed brake master cylinder it was pretty bullet proof. I don't think my Bentley would be any different. Had the Mercedes had the same smell and opulent feel that you have with the Bentley. I doubt I would have ever sold it. That was the big let down with the monster Merc. They just don't have the architecture of the wonderful Turbo R
I considered buying a Turbo R early last year but talked myself out of it because of the potential for hefty running and repair costs.
Around Christmas I started thinking about it again, but with a different frame of mind.
I decided that I could afford to run one covering a modest mileage, even though large repair bills would of course be unwelcome, but isn't that the case with anything? I also decided that I do not want to look back in 10-15-20 years and regret not buying one when I could, particularly as the Turbo R is a car that I have admired since its' introduction but never thought I would own.
Another factor - perhaps a morbid one - is that I am now in my fifties and have known and been related to too many people that didn't get any older than I am now. All the cliches, "you don't know what is just around the corner", "life is too short", etc., all apply.
I did my homework and bought a 43,000-mile 1996 car from a Cambridgeshire specialist, which in itself was quite a pleasant experience.
The car makes me smile when I look at it, and I feel a sense of achievement at having been able to buy it, even if (or maybe because) my neighbour paid almost 50% more for a new 1-litre Focus....
Each time I use the car it seems to drive better - they really do seem to be cars that appreciate being used rather than standing - and I enjoy and admire it more. Unexpected expenses amount to £230 so far to remedy a leaking PAS pipe (including recovery) and I have no idea what the fuel consumption is!
I could write lots more about events before and since buying the car, mainly involving attitudes of other people, and about what it is like to drive one, if anyone is interested, but have waffled enough for now.
I have no regrets about buying my Bentley and although I originally thought it might be a car I'd run for a year or two while it was financially viable, I plan to keep it a lot longer if I can.
Around Christmas I started thinking about it again, but with a different frame of mind.
I decided that I could afford to run one covering a modest mileage, even though large repair bills would of course be unwelcome, but isn't that the case with anything? I also decided that I do not want to look back in 10-15-20 years and regret not buying one when I could, particularly as the Turbo R is a car that I have admired since its' introduction but never thought I would own.
Another factor - perhaps a morbid one - is that I am now in my fifties and have known and been related to too many people that didn't get any older than I am now. All the cliches, "you don't know what is just around the corner", "life is too short", etc., all apply.
I did my homework and bought a 43,000-mile 1996 car from a Cambridgeshire specialist, which in itself was quite a pleasant experience.
The car makes me smile when I look at it, and I feel a sense of achievement at having been able to buy it, even if (or maybe because) my neighbour paid almost 50% more for a new 1-litre Focus....
Each time I use the car it seems to drive better - they really do seem to be cars that appreciate being used rather than standing - and I enjoy and admire it more. Unexpected expenses amount to £230 so far to remedy a leaking PAS pipe (including recovery) and I have no idea what the fuel consumption is!
I could write lots more about events before and since buying the car, mainly involving attitudes of other people, and about what it is like to drive one, if anyone is interested, but have waffled enough for now.
I have no regrets about buying my Bentley and although I originally thought it might be a car I'd run for a year or two while it was financially viable, I plan to keep it a lot longer if I can.
RB CV8 said:
I did my homework and bought a 43,000-mile 1996 car from a Cambridgeshire specialist, which in itself was quite a pleasant experience.
The car makes me smile when I look at it, and I feel a sense of achievement at having been able to buy it, even if (or maybe because) my neighbour paid almost 50% more for a new 1-litre Focus....
Each time I use the car it seems to drive better - they really do seem to be cars that appreciate being used rather than standing - and I enjoy and admire it more. Unexpected expenses amount to £230 so far to remedy a leaking PAS pipe (including recovery) and I have no idea what the fuel consumption is!
My car is a 1996 - it's surprising how economical they are on fuel. Nowhere near as bad as I was expecting, or as bad as contemporary road tests suggest. I think the Zytec engine management genuinely made a significant difference (and also in power with the chargecooler added too). I think you did well to get the later car.The car makes me smile when I look at it, and I feel a sense of achievement at having been able to buy it, even if (or maybe because) my neighbour paid almost 50% more for a new 1-litre Focus....
Each time I use the car it seems to drive better - they really do seem to be cars that appreciate being used rather than standing - and I enjoy and admire it more. Unexpected expenses amount to £230 so far to remedy a leaking PAS pipe (including recovery) and I have no idea what the fuel consumption is!
Although I looked at earlier cars, and I'm sure wouldn't have been unhappy with a good one, while I was taking the plunge I thought I might as well spend a little more and get the extra bucketful of torque that comes with a Zytec car. I still wanted the standard wheelbase though, which was discontinued shortly after.
Great posts, which still continue to encourage me.
Well, one is still on my list but rule was I had to sell the boat and the bike first, to have any chance at all to get the significant other into the passenger seat.
Boat's gone (after 10 years only lost almost exactly the amount my dream Bentley will cost), and now the bike's ready to be advertised. Here's hoping.
Nearly recovered from the cricket result.
TheValk
Australia
Well, one is still on my list but rule was I had to sell the boat and the bike first, to have any chance at all to get the significant other into the passenger seat.
Boat's gone (after 10 years only lost almost exactly the amount my dream Bentley will cost), and now the bike's ready to be advertised. Here's hoping.
Nearly recovered from the cricket result.
TheValk
Australia
Well after posting above, I have carried on looking and reading and thinking and contemplating... I pick mine up on Wednesday!
Yahooo!
I really wanted a late one with Zytek etc but after reading about and talking to specialists, they are all of the opinion that the head gaskets WILL go at some point unless already renewed. That was an expense I really did not want. So I started looking at Arnages but the BMW engined ones (sacrilege!) as I wanted the reliability and was actually bidding on one up in the land of the kilt... But I really want a Turbo R!
I have looked at loads now and there are so many absolute horrors out there, I find that really saddening as the cars deserve better. In the end, I gave up again and vowed to NOT travel hundreds of miles to view one as it was pointless. Then one turned up less than 20 miles away. But, it was a colour I didn't like, and an earlier model (91) so I dismissed it.
After a few weeks of looking at the advert, I started a dialogue with the specialist selling the car and finally went and viewed it on Wednesday just gone. It is lovely. The colour which looked too dark in the pictures is actually really nice (Balmoral green) even though I remain less than a fan of green cars... The interior is beautiful cream with nice piping and lambswool rugs all in great order, bit of wear on the drivers seat but otherwise spot on, especially the woodwork which is unmarked. Body wise, there is no rust!
Now, have you picked yourselves from the floor? Seriously, all the arches are perfect, all round the windows likewise, sills and underbody. The paintwork is not perfect and has numerous chips which have been touched in and there is evidence of paintwork on the passenger doors from what looks like a scrape and while it looks fine from 2 feet away, there is sub surface scratching, which is annoying. But the car is straight and original and it looks like the car has never been re-sprayed so still TPA.
Mechanically it is sweet. 83000 miles and recent expenditure at the specialists has seen it have a new rack, new spheres, new brake accumulators, brake pump overhaul and a full service with oil and filters, plugs, air filter, gearbox oil change and new filter and axle oil change. It is receiving another service a new rear engine mount and new disc pads as well as a new MOT before delivery. It still has 9 months mot but I wanted 12... I am a funny bugger!
It sounds fantastic, so smooth and the engine is totally silent when the bonnet is up (almost) and it drives absolutely superbly and not at all like the others I have driven: it feels taught and controlled and handles far better than I could have hoped for. Also, when accelerating the nose doesn't rise like the last one I tried and the surge forward is deceptive. Everything works! Even the windows are swift and smooth and the air con is cold. The windows are an important point as the dog does love his fresh air and non functioning rear windows would result in a serious 'strop'. I wonder how long it will be before he works out how to control the windows himself - the everyday car took him 15 seconds from first sitting in the back to the window being open!
I am so looking forward to this I feel like a kid at Christmas!
I know that realistically I can't afford to run a Bentley and that purchasing one is a mistake I will learn to regret when my bank balance slips terminally into the red, but it just had to be done! I think I could have paid a lot more for a far worse car that possibly had better paintwork so instant showroom appeal. My local Honda dealer (who are absolutely superb and bend over backwards for their customers - Speedwell Honda Newton Abbot) are getting me an exceptional paint guy to sort out the paintwork using original stuff and without re-spraying the car and I am going to entrust the car to them for everyday tasks. You may say that is foolish and you could well be right, but, I trust them implicitly (which I have never done in 35 uears of motoring!) and they are looking forward to looking after the old girl.
They also have a sense of humour which is very necessary when dealing with insane old buggers like me!
Yahooo!
I really wanted a late one with Zytek etc but after reading about and talking to specialists, they are all of the opinion that the head gaskets WILL go at some point unless already renewed. That was an expense I really did not want. So I started looking at Arnages but the BMW engined ones (sacrilege!) as I wanted the reliability and was actually bidding on one up in the land of the kilt... But I really want a Turbo R!
I have looked at loads now and there are so many absolute horrors out there, I find that really saddening as the cars deserve better. In the end, I gave up again and vowed to NOT travel hundreds of miles to view one as it was pointless. Then one turned up less than 20 miles away. But, it was a colour I didn't like, and an earlier model (91) so I dismissed it.
After a few weeks of looking at the advert, I started a dialogue with the specialist selling the car and finally went and viewed it on Wednesday just gone. It is lovely. The colour which looked too dark in the pictures is actually really nice (Balmoral green) even though I remain less than a fan of green cars... The interior is beautiful cream with nice piping and lambswool rugs all in great order, bit of wear on the drivers seat but otherwise spot on, especially the woodwork which is unmarked. Body wise, there is no rust!
Now, have you picked yourselves from the floor? Seriously, all the arches are perfect, all round the windows likewise, sills and underbody. The paintwork is not perfect and has numerous chips which have been touched in and there is evidence of paintwork on the passenger doors from what looks like a scrape and while it looks fine from 2 feet away, there is sub surface scratching, which is annoying. But the car is straight and original and it looks like the car has never been re-sprayed so still TPA.
Mechanically it is sweet. 83000 miles and recent expenditure at the specialists has seen it have a new rack, new spheres, new brake accumulators, brake pump overhaul and a full service with oil and filters, plugs, air filter, gearbox oil change and new filter and axle oil change. It is receiving another service a new rear engine mount and new disc pads as well as a new MOT before delivery. It still has 9 months mot but I wanted 12... I am a funny bugger!
It sounds fantastic, so smooth and the engine is totally silent when the bonnet is up (almost) and it drives absolutely superbly and not at all like the others I have driven: it feels taught and controlled and handles far better than I could have hoped for. Also, when accelerating the nose doesn't rise like the last one I tried and the surge forward is deceptive. Everything works! Even the windows are swift and smooth and the air con is cold. The windows are an important point as the dog does love his fresh air and non functioning rear windows would result in a serious 'strop'. I wonder how long it will be before he works out how to control the windows himself - the everyday car took him 15 seconds from first sitting in the back to the window being open!
I am so looking forward to this I feel like a kid at Christmas!
I know that realistically I can't afford to run a Bentley and that purchasing one is a mistake I will learn to regret when my bank balance slips terminally into the red, but it just had to be done! I think I could have paid a lot more for a far worse car that possibly had better paintwork so instant showroom appeal. My local Honda dealer (who are absolutely superb and bend over backwards for their customers - Speedwell Honda Newton Abbot) are getting me an exceptional paint guy to sort out the paintwork using original stuff and without re-spraying the car and I am going to entrust the car to them for everyday tasks. You may say that is foolish and you could well be right, but, I trust them implicitly (which I have never done in 35 uears of motoring!) and they are looking forward to looking after the old girl.
They also have a sense of humour which is very necessary when dealing with insane old buggers like me!
If you buy the right car they are not as expensive to run as people think, i picked up mine in 2010 which had at the time 76k, all the History was from main dealer or specialist and had just been serviced by Broughtons (Main Dealer) with all advisories dealt with, I use the car every weekend regardless of weather and do on average 4-5k Per Annum, apart from a reconditioned Gearbox in 2011, I spend on average £1.5k pa including service each year and tyres, insurance is £250.00.
Enjoy
Good Luck!
Enjoy
Good Luck!
Was it this one? http://www.specialistcars-southwest.co.uk/used-car...
I wish they were that price here in NZ, I'd be buying but they're typically double that for usually a Japanese import.
I wish they were that price here in NZ, I'd be buying but they're typically double that for usually a Japanese import.
Xtriple129 said:
Well after posting above, I have carried on looking and reading and thinking and contemplating... I pick mine up on Wednesday!
Welcome to the Turbo R new boys club!Xtriple129 said:
I really wanted a late one with Zytek etc but after reading about and talking to specialists, they are all of the opinion that the head gaskets WILL go at some point unless already renewed.
I deliberately chose a Zytec car in the end - although I am no marque expert, I'm not sure they are any more prone to HG failure than earlier cars. Having said that, they were replaced on my car a few hundred miles before I bought it!Xtriple129 said:
I know that realistically I can't afford to run a Bentley and that purchasing one is a mistake I will learn to regret when my bank balance slips terminally into the red, but it just had to be done!
I thought similar when I bought mine, and although I have only had it a matter of months, those thoughts don't really enter my head as much as they did, especially as I get more use and pleasure from the car. I originally took the view that I may only be able to keep it for a year or two, but I do not think that way any more. I am not a pauper but I am not wealthy either, so big bills would certainly be unwelcome, but if it happens, it happens - I've bought it now!Although one of my reasons for having taken the plunge may be slightly morbid, the flip side is that I don't want to look back in ten or twenty years time and regret not buying one of these cars while I could.
I hope you enjoy your car, and that it makes you smile, like mine does me.
Thank you for the kind words.
Struggling to find a garage and it's annoying me! But just taxed and insured it all ready for Wednesday and the total bill was just £427! That's with it parked on the road!
I am still in two minds as to what to do with my 'daily' as my annual mileage is very low and I will want to use the BTR whenever I can. I fear my Honda will sit outside unloved...
Struggling to find a garage and it's annoying me! But just taxed and insured it all ready for Wednesday and the total bill was just £427! That's with it parked on the road!
I am still in two minds as to what to do with my 'daily' as my annual mileage is very low and I will want to use the BTR whenever I can. I fear my Honda will sit outside unloved...
Oh hum, all is not well in the world of Bentley ownership. It has started smoking... I know at its age it's legal, but really, it's dreadfully distasteful!
Smoked the first day after it had been stood for a while and has smoked on start up consistantly. It is now smoking on the over run sometimes and I am not flaming happy!
Local chap has just changed the oil for me (pointless but hey...) and stuck a camera down the oil filler neck and says, the valve stem seals are shot!
Anyone know a cheap ( all things are relative...) but good specialist who can do these without bankrupting me?
Smoked the first day after it had been stood for a while and has smoked on start up consistantly. It is now smoking on the over run sometimes and I am not flaming happy!
Local chap has just changed the oil for me (pointless but hey...) and stuck a camera down the oil filler neck and says, the valve stem seals are shot!
Anyone know a cheap ( all things are relative...) but good specialist who can do these without bankrupting me?
Oh dear - not a good start. Sorry to hear that, and hope you can get it sorted without too much hassle and expense.
It seems to me that finding a decent specialist is the key to running one of these cars as reasonably as possible. The place I bought my car from (that has an excellent reputation but is probably a bit far from you) has an hourly rate the same as my local village garage. Parts prices, even for things like gaskets can be a bit hefty though, but I suspect that there are many newer, lesser vehicles that can also run up serious bills.
It will make some people wince, but - if you have no comeback against whoever you bought it from - I'd be slinging a can of Restore in it before taking it to pieces.
It seems to me that finding a decent specialist is the key to running one of these cars as reasonably as possible. The place I bought my car from (that has an excellent reputation but is probably a bit far from you) has an hourly rate the same as my local village garage. Parts prices, even for things like gaskets can be a bit hefty though, but I suspect that there are many newer, lesser vehicles that can also run up serious bills.
It will make some people wince, but - if you have no comeback against whoever you bought it from - I'd be slinging a can of Restore in it before taking it to pieces.
Xtriple129 said:
Oh hum, all is not well in the world of Bentley ownership. It has started smoking... I know at its age it's legal, but really, it's dreadfully distasteful!
Smoked the first day after it had been stood for a while and has smoked on start up consistantly. It is now smoking on the over run sometimes and I am not flaming happy!
Local chap has just changed the oil for me (pointless but hey...) and stuck a camera down the oil filler neck and says, the valve stem seals are shot!
Anyone know a cheap ( all things are relative...) but good specialist who can do these without bankrupting me?
Look on the bright side....at least it's not piston rings.Smoked the first day after it had been stood for a while and has smoked on start up consistantly. It is now smoking on the over run sometimes and I am not flaming happy!
Local chap has just changed the oil for me (pointless but hey...) and stuck a camera down the oil filler neck and says, the valve stem seals are shot!
Anyone know a cheap ( all things are relative...) but good specialist who can do these without bankrupting me?
Xtriple129 said:
Oh hum, all is not well in the world of Bentley ownership. It has started smoking... I know at its age it's legal, but really, it's dreadfully distasteful!
Smoked the first day after it had been stood for a while and has smoked on start up consistantly. It is now smoking on the over run sometimes and I am not flaming happy!
Local chap has just changed the oil for me (pointless but hey...) and stuck a camera down the oil filler neck and says, the valve stem seals are shot!
Anyone know a cheap ( all things are relative...) but good specialist who can do these without bankrupting me?
You have probably sorted this by now and I don't know which part of the South West you inhabit, but if you have not and you are anywhere near Exeter, Specialist Cars SW are excellent and very knowledgeable and won't charge you an arm and a leg.Smoked the first day after it had been stood for a while and has smoked on start up consistantly. It is now smoking on the over run sometimes and I am not flaming happy!
Local chap has just changed the oil for me (pointless but hey...) and stuck a camera down the oil filler neck and says, the valve stem seals are shot!
Anyone know a cheap ( all things are relative...) but good specialist who can do these without bankrupting me?
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