Rust Bubbles

[2708420018]

I have a 2000 Bentley Continetal R Mullner. It has done 57k but is absolutely immaculate. Recently 2 rust bubble have developed in the bottom of the wing panel just in front of the drivers door. Is this usual and how extensive is the treatment required? Anyone else experienced this? For the money that these machines were new I would have expected better rust proofing. Thoughts welcomed

[Bluebottle911]

I had something similar in my Turbo R, albeit rather older than your car (and, of course, a different model, so perhaps not relevant). Ultimately, I had to have the rotten metal cut out and replaced and so forth. Not too big a job. Cost a couple of K, I think, to do both sides. Rustproofing? What's that?!!

[harry diamond]

I had a 2001 conti R Mulliner.very beautiful and very flawed.only 24000 miles but rust around one door handle and at top of door by the chrome strip.also in the drivers door shut by the rubber strip.all these are common problems. Wait till the head gasket goes,that's always fun(about £4500).not cheap cars to run but perhaps the most beautiful Bentley ever made. harry.

[Balmoral Green]

I get the impression from most dealers/specialists that the old Continentals were a bit home made as far as the coachwork is concerned, and that's being charitable. Certainly most that I've seen are a bit rough and ready as far as panels & paint finish is concerned, even the so called 'nice ones' with a Concours rosette pinned to them. A couple of bubbles coming through at ten years old doesn't sound too bad to me. It would have been nice to have bought these cars when new and then had a proper independent rust proofing treatment carried out eh?

[buyer&seller]

The doors, boot lid and bonnet are made of aluminium so do not rust. The badges are brass which have been chromed, not very good at chemistry but brass and aluminium don't like each other and there is a reaction which causes the paint to bubble, not rust as such. Unfortunatly the sills and wheelarches do rot as they tend to hold moisture, remember these cars where basically designed in the 70's so it's not too surprising that they give problems.

[2708420018]

I will pop it down to my favourite body shop and get a quote!!

The big bills are the penalty of ownership. I had a couple of Ferraris so these things don,t come as a surprise and indeed general servicing is far cheaper for a Bentley than a Ferrari apart from the 60k service.

Its well worth the price as that surge of torque is unlike anything else that I have driven. Brilliant!

Paul

[POORCARDEALER]

And remember many of these cars, and other models from the same era where having "retification" work at 2 and 3 years old!

[keith9849]

When I was hunting for a Turbo R I was told by an independent trader, who was a salesman for RR/Bentley when these cars were new, that they all rust without exception. Hence the sill-ends and the wheel arches rust, but bizarrely blistering around the windows, on the C pillar and (as has bene mentioned) around chromework seems to be rife.

It is also not uncommon to see crows-feet in the paintwork on the roof and on the top of the wings. So much for Great British workmanship.

As I understand it the most prone cars are likely those that spend most of the time sitting in the garage. So low mileage cars may be the worst.

The moral (if there is one) is to drive and enjoy, preferably daily, and to park it outside where it has some chance of drying for part of the year.

[dazzalse]

We had a Brooklands R Mulliner new back in 1998 and this had rust around the front wheels arches when she was less then 4 years old, of course rectified by the dealer but i think they all suffer

[2708420018]

I finished up having both front corners of the sills done and I now have a few more very small bubbles by the tread plates! But nothing too serious.

Paul

[bergxu]

2708420018 said:

I will pop it down to my favourite body shop and get a quote!!

The big bills are the penalty of ownership. I had a couple of Ferraris so these things don,t come as a surprise and indeed general servicing is far cheaper for a Bentley than a Ferrari apart from the 60k service.

Paul,

Maybe for a Conti the servicing is cheaper on the Bentley, but if you had a Turbo R or older, I think you'd feel differently. Having also owned several Ferraris, I find that any of my Turbo Rs consumed money much more greedily than any of my Ferraris....except maybe my 400i...

[AndrewW-G]

bergxu said:

Paul,

Maybe for a Conti the servicing is cheaper on the Bentley, but if you had a Turbo R or older, I think you'd feel differently. Having also owned several Ferraris, I find that any of my Turbo Rs consumed money much more greedily than any of my Ferraris....except maybe my 400i...

Greece consumes less money than a good 400i and a bad one will be neck and neck with the EU!

[2708420018]

Annual service from a main dealer on a Continental R is £499 for which you get the all important stamp in the book. I had a Ferarri 456 and 400i and they were always £1k+

On last years service the Continental R came back with a note saying "One of three bolts securing the wiper motor has sheared. New wiper motor £634 + Vat + Fitting" My friendly mechanic drilled out the old bolt and fitted a new one for £30!!

Things were never that simple on the Ferarris. When a hose split in the V of the engine, the hose cost £4.50 and my bloke fiitted it for £250. The dealer wanted £750 + Vat.

I appreciate that things might be different with a Turbo R and I suspect that a lot of them worked a lot harder than my car in their lives and things may tend to stop working occasionally but that's the price of ownership of these magnificent beasts.

Paul