A shed of a 1972 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

[2Btoo]

Those old Shadows could rust for England. You clearly have experience of dealing with rust but it will be a whole lot worse than you could almost possibly imagine once you get a grinding wheel to it. Sills are about the only bit that often aren't too bad and everything, everything else will be crusty somewhere. Pay particular attention to the suspension mounting points as these can ruin an otherwise viable restoration.

RR parts prices are insane. Try Ben at Flying Spares but make sure you are sitting down when he gives you the prices.

And keep us all updated.

[battered]

williamp said:

£300 might buy you some of the front valence. RR parts are ferociously expensive. Body , suspension, interior and engine will all need work.

Good luck to you. A daunting task, but a car like that needs to be saved so I am very pleased someone is doing it.

You can repair things like valances with a similar panel and a layer of catty. I've done a few sills this way, you have to do a bit of cutting and shutting but once the MIG is sparked up you can stick anything back together and cover up the grind marks with some artistically applied plod.

[Slow]

13aines said:

Have you got any pictures of what it looks like now? I'd love to see the repairs.

How it sort of looks, obviously not quite finished.

[TooMany2cvs]

Slow said:

Odd small bits of rust on the bottom of doors and on the drivers side front wing.

Please... before you get too deeply emotionally involved... take a twisted-knot brush to that, and get it all back to shiny bare metal. You know you need to anyway. But I really, really want to see how little there is left.

[TooMany2cvs]

Slow said:

Have you seen my E30? This has since all been welded up and fixed. Few bits not perfect but its cost me less than £300 to be made solid.

How much plug in there?

[Slow]

TooMany2cvs said:

How much plug in there?

Haven't done anything to it, gonna replace as it's easy and cheap.

[J4CKO]

TooMany2cvs said:

Slow said:

Odd small bits of rust on the bottom of doors and on the drivers side front wing.

Please... before you get too deeply emotionally involved... take a twisted-knot brush to that, and get it all back to shiny bare metal. You know you need to anyway. But I really, really want to see how little there is left.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rolls-Royce-Silver-Shadow-R-H-Flared-front-wing-/221215547938?hash=item3381796222:g:EHkAAMXQQQhRbni~

Or, much cheaper

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/rolls-royce-silver-shado...

But like 2cv says, dig it all out first and see what you have left.

[.:ian:.]

TheJimi said:

Could this potentially end up making money?

Only for the ops local welding supplies shop!

[Trabi601]

Slow said:

How it sort of looks, obviously not quite finished.

"Not quite finished" is understatement of the year.

I'd strip anything of any value from that Roller and hope to break even on it. It's utterly shagged and in no way worth trying to save.

[Russwhitehouse]

I just don't understand how a once lovely car like that can be allowed to go to rack and ruin to that extent! I wish you all the best with what is likely to be a mammoth task.

[lockhart flawse]

'kin ell............

[Slow]

Trabi601 said:

"Not quite finished" is understatement of the year.

I'd strip anything of any value from that Roller and hope to break even on it. It's utterly shagged and in no way worth trying to save.

I was showing the new metal welded in, of course it needs filled/painted this.

[TooMany2cvs]

J4CKO said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221215547938

Or, much cheaper

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162105381961

£800, new-old-stock.

Or £165 starting price auction, eight days to go, used and scruffy - look at the bubbling at the back edge, and the mess around the screen pillar curve. I'd definitely be asking for better photos, inside and out, of that area...

Actually, I'm not sure the NOS one looks bad value in comparison.

[Trabi601]

Russwhitehouse said:

I just don't understand how a once lovely car like that can be allowed to go to rack and ruin to that extent! I wish you all the best with what is likely to be a mammoth task.

Because they hit the bottom of their depreciation curve at which point maintaining them became a significant portion of their value. Add in a bit of rust and they just became uneconomical to keep on the road. Which is why this one won't have moved for years.

Sorting the suspension and brakes alone on that one could run into a good few thousand quid.

[rb5er]

That is knackered. Good luck, you're gonna need it.

[snotrag]

I don't know where you live but in Sherburn in Elmer near me (between Leeds and York) is a RR breaker with these stacked 3 high and ten deep probably, worth looking up for spares. I drive past every day wondering about those cars.

Oh and, you are mental.

[TacoExcellence]

Not to keep repeating what everyone else has said, but I'm baffled by your assessment of there not being much rust. From the pictures it looks like there's not much solid metal left!

But fair play to you, as someone that doesn't have to do any work on it I will be following this with great interest and I'm excited to see what you end up doing with it. It's a fantastic old car and a real shame it's been allowed to get into this state.

[anonymous-user]

the biggest problem with a car like this, is it will be soul destroying as there is a mountain of work to do on it and parts will be expensive and hard to fabricate yourself.

I would have started on a jag first and bought a better condition roller, maybe body o.k rubbish engine. I admire the gumption of the op but having a 'roller' will wear thin on patience.

[rxe]

You've got plums the size of melons to take this on.

Before you stick a battery in, make sure the wipers are folded back - you've got no blades and the last thing you want to add to your (massive) list of woes is a scratched up screen.

Good luck!

[HustleRussell]

There is very little good metal left in that.