Bentley Turbo = any good?

[ejenner]

Just wondering if anyone knows anything about those old Bentley turbos?

I love turbocharged cars and I could afford a nice one of these. Do they have a good or a bad reputation and could you afford to run one on a normal budget or do they always break and cost loads to repair?

[valais]

Find a good indy. Some parts reasonable. Some hideously expensive. As in eye wateringly staggeringly expensive. There is a reason they are affordable used.

Try this:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=bentley+turbo+ru...

[6750cc]

Wonderful cars but maintenance costs can quickly add up, even for a good one.

Several threads in the RR&B forum.

Cheers,

Andy

[greggy50]

Neighbour has one he said some parts can cost a fortune but if do the work yourself routine maintenance is not too bad. He has a last of the line Turbo RT and for a big car the rate it gets down the road is unbelievable.

[silverfoxcc]

If its any help, try an get hold of a RREC advertiser. Lots of cars in there.
As an aside when I was doing weddings for a guy, ( He had a Turbo R, i have a Spirit II) i had to do a job in the Turbo. I was taking it back to him after the job and thought i would try the 'performance' I joined the M3 at J3 and floored it as soon as i was on the slip. 70 came and went while i was still on the slip. frightenly fast. There is a world of difference in handling and ride between the two models. My old girl likes to cruise at 65-70 and no fast getaways. The Bentley just says. 'Press the loud pedal, press the load pedal!!!'

[ejenner]

silverfoxcc said:

If its any help, try an get hold of a RREC advertiser. Lots of cars in there.
As an aside when I was doing weddings for a guy, ( He had a Turbo R, i have a Spirit II) i had to do a job in the Turbo. I was taking it back to him after the job and thought i would try the 'performance' I joined the M3 at J3 and floored it as soon as i was on the slip. 70 came and went while i was still on the slip. frightenly fast. There is a world of difference in handling and ride between the two models. My old girl likes to cruise at 65-70 and no fast getaways. The Bentley just says. 'Press the loud pedal, press the load pedal!!!'

Sounds like my kind of car. So being a mechanic (running it, but still have the touch, hehe) all I'll have to worry about is parts... but they are available and nobody has said anything about gearboxes or engines blowing up?

[stain]

Great cars but can suffer some big ticket failures. Mine did headgaskets and suspension in 12 months. That'll be 14 grand please sir.....

[ejenner]

stain said:

Great cars but can suffer some big ticket failures. Mine did headgaskets and suspension in 12 months. That'll be 14 grand please sir.....

Headgaskets can't be that costly if you can do them yourself. Can imagine the bills being pretty steep if you have to pay someone. The suspension issue keeps cropping up though.

[valais]

ejenner said:

eadgaskets can't be that costly if you can do them yourself. Can imagine the bills being pretty steep if you have to pay someone. The suspension issue keeps cropping up though.

I think you are missing the spectacular part costs for some components; labour becomes the minor of the charges?

[Herman Toothrot]

Isn't the suspension actually all just Citreon parts?

[ejenner]

valais said:

ejenner said:

eadgaskets can't be that costly if you can do them yourself. Can imagine the bills being pretty steep if you have to pay someone. The suspension issue keeps cropping up though.

I think you are missing the spectacular part costs for some components; labour becomes the minor of the charges?

You might be right. But it's a scab I've got to pick. I bought the best 635csi money can buy and I loved it. I've done Saab turbos to death (and more) - The Bentley could be the one which sends me to my grave.

[mybrainhurts]

Balmoral is unusually quiet. Must have received a big bill....

[loafer123]

The other side of expensive parts is that they are worth alot if you have to break them due to something terminal.

[ejenner]

loafer123 said:

The other side of expensive parts is that they are worth alot if you have to break them due to something terminal.

fair point. I doubt you'd quickly claw back 10k though (which is what you'd have to spend on a late one)

[POORCARDEALER]

Head gaskets are common, £4K at a specialist, 40 hour job

[paulrussell]

Herman Toothrot said:

Isn't the suspension actually all just Citreon parts?

Yeah it is. I found that out by watching The Garage on TV.

[Art0ir]

POORCARDEALER said:

Head gaskets are common, £4K at a specialist, 40 hour job

What the actual feck???

[Slow]

Art0ir said:

POORCARDEALER said:

Head gaskets are common, £4K at a specialist, 40 hour job

What the actual feck???

40 hours to do a head gasket? The fk are they doing? Removing the whole engine and licking it clean?

[ejenner]

Slow said:

Art0ir said:

POORCARDEALER said:

Head gaskets are common, £4K at a specialist, 40 hour job

What the actual feck???

40 hours to do a head gasket? The fk are they doing? Removing the whole engine and licking it clean?

Be fair, it's like a 4-cylinder HG but nearly double. Depends on the car. If it has turbochargers there is a whole lot more to remove due to extra induction, exhust and sensors, perhaps the turbos themselves.

Yeah, a Peugeot 106 SPI you can do in 2 hours.

Edit: anyway, not concerned about mechanic time... just parts costs.

[stain]

Mine cost around 4k and whilst they had the thing in bits it made sense to do other jobs adding 1.5k to that. Hydraulics and suspension are the other biggies. Then you get door locks at 250 a pop. Avon Turbospeeds aren't cheap either.

Very expensive cars to run but once you get on top of all this stuff they are not too bad.