1979 Rolls Royce Shadow II
Discussion
Monday 13th December, I was out in Portugal on the Praia da Luz inaugural Padel Tennis Club Christmas do... The club is mainly full of younger lads (well, under 30), and as such you can imagine it quite a messy day.
Five or six beers (and plenty of wine) were consumed with lunch in Lagos, followed by a couple of beers in another bar, a couple of beers in another bar, a couple of beers in another bar, before we then got cabs back to the 'home' bar in Praia da Luz at around 7pm.
At 8pm that evening, an auction was ending on a well known Classic & Collectible Car site for a 1979 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II.
I've lusted after a Shadow for some time, partly fuelled by Harry's Garage on YouTube and his Arctic adventure in a white Shadow I. I've even been to look at a few that have appeared in various classic auctions, but I've never managed to find 'the one'.
Now the car in the auction was an interesting, if slightly risky proposition. It was being sold by a finance company, and clearly was the result of a repossession in the not too distant past. It was being sold as a non-runner, with absolutely no paperwork whatsoever, not even a log book. All that was confirmed that was the outstanding finance on it would be cleared once funds were paid.
So, In a slightly beer-fuelled state, I watched the end of the auction, and as the hammer fell I was the highest bidder (although the reserve was not met) on a non-runner of a Rolls Royce that I hadn't even seen in the metal.
It took a few more days for a deal to be struck, I increased my offer slightly over the final hammer price, it was accepted, and funds transferred. That was the Thursday (16th), and was the day I was due to be leaving Portugal driving back to the UK.
We arranged for a driver to collect the car the following Tuesday (21st) from the auctioneers base in Abingdon, and that evening it was delivered to our yard. As it was a non-runner, we cleared the garage that has a ramp in it, and had it unloaded from the transporter straight onto the ramp, so we didn't have to move it manually!
Delivery straight onto the ramp photos...
First impressions were really good. You have to feel for the previous owner that had this gorgeous car taken away from them - perhaps a wedding car driver who fell on hard times as a result of Covid - who knows. I won't be able to get in contact with them until I have a V5 with the previous owners details on it.
All we managed to do over Christmas and New Year was fit a new battery, which meant the car spun over but alas wouldn't fire. The ignition had really strong spark, but clearly no fuel. Given it had been standing for some time, the fuel pump was the obvious culprit, and looked like it still had the original unit fitted. We ordered a new one up, but it didn't arrive until after the New Year.
We also ordered up a new front bumper rubber, full service kit, new wiper blades, and a steering rack refurb kit as it had leaked all of its fluid out.
After a bit of toing and froing on parts, we got her up and running. As it turns out some late model Shadow II's have parts fitted from the Silver Spirit as production changed over to the new model. Also some parts like the fuel pump weren't fitted in the location the manual said they should be!
Yesterday, the car rolled out of the garage for the first time under its own power (and thankfully reversed back in there afterwards as well
).
New fuel pump works a treat, and we have fitted the new bumper rubber and wiper blades. Cooling system has been filled, and the car ran for a couple of hours yesterday without missing a beat.
Now we're happy everything is holding fluid (bar the power steering, but that's the next job), everything can be flushed and filled with the correct fluids. The parking brake also needs adjusting to enable us to put an MOT on it.
V5 has been applied for, but with Christmas and New Year that's likely to be 4-6 weeks, so end of January at the earliest before I can tax it, and take it out on the road. That gives us plenty of time to get the remaining jobs done. It also needs a new set of tyres as three are ancient Kumho's with cracks deeper than the grand canyon, so will order up a new set of Avon whitewalls - there's one newer Goodyear on the car which we can swap onto the spare wheel.
It might sound like a bit of work, but the car is remarkably good, it's clearly been loved and cared for throughout its life. It just seems to have been standing for a while, so the work is more recommissioning than repairs.
Plans are to keep this, and move on the Arnage Red Label I bought for Dad last year - we don't need two cars over five metres long!
Once I have the log book, I will try to make contact with the previous owner, although obviously it may be a sore point for them, but they may well have some history that would be better with the car than not - we will see what happens. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for reading....
Jon
Five or six beers (and plenty of wine) were consumed with lunch in Lagos, followed by a couple of beers in another bar, a couple of beers in another bar, a couple of beers in another bar, before we then got cabs back to the 'home' bar in Praia da Luz at around 7pm.
At 8pm that evening, an auction was ending on a well known Classic & Collectible Car site for a 1979 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II.
I've lusted after a Shadow for some time, partly fuelled by Harry's Garage on YouTube and his Arctic adventure in a white Shadow I. I've even been to look at a few that have appeared in various classic auctions, but I've never managed to find 'the one'.
Now the car in the auction was an interesting, if slightly risky proposition. It was being sold by a finance company, and clearly was the result of a repossession in the not too distant past. It was being sold as a non-runner, with absolutely no paperwork whatsoever, not even a log book. All that was confirmed that was the outstanding finance on it would be cleared once funds were paid.
So, In a slightly beer-fuelled state, I watched the end of the auction, and as the hammer fell I was the highest bidder (although the reserve was not met) on a non-runner of a Rolls Royce that I hadn't even seen in the metal.
It took a few more days for a deal to be struck, I increased my offer slightly over the final hammer price, it was accepted, and funds transferred. That was the Thursday (16th), and was the day I was due to be leaving Portugal driving back to the UK.
We arranged for a driver to collect the car the following Tuesday (21st) from the auctioneers base in Abingdon, and that evening it was delivered to our yard. As it was a non-runner, we cleared the garage that has a ramp in it, and had it unloaded from the transporter straight onto the ramp, so we didn't have to move it manually!
Delivery straight onto the ramp photos...
First impressions were really good. You have to feel for the previous owner that had this gorgeous car taken away from them - perhaps a wedding car driver who fell on hard times as a result of Covid - who knows. I won't be able to get in contact with them until I have a V5 with the previous owners details on it.
All we managed to do over Christmas and New Year was fit a new battery, which meant the car spun over but alas wouldn't fire. The ignition had really strong spark, but clearly no fuel. Given it had been standing for some time, the fuel pump was the obvious culprit, and looked like it still had the original unit fitted. We ordered a new one up, but it didn't arrive until after the New Year.
We also ordered up a new front bumper rubber, full service kit, new wiper blades, and a steering rack refurb kit as it had leaked all of its fluid out.
After a bit of toing and froing on parts, we got her up and running. As it turns out some late model Shadow II's have parts fitted from the Silver Spirit as production changed over to the new model. Also some parts like the fuel pump weren't fitted in the location the manual said they should be!
Yesterday, the car rolled out of the garage for the first time under its own power (and thankfully reversed back in there afterwards as well
). New fuel pump works a treat, and we have fitted the new bumper rubber and wiper blades. Cooling system has been filled, and the car ran for a couple of hours yesterday without missing a beat.
Now we're happy everything is holding fluid (bar the power steering, but that's the next job), everything can be flushed and filled with the correct fluids. The parking brake also needs adjusting to enable us to put an MOT on it.
V5 has been applied for, but with Christmas and New Year that's likely to be 4-6 weeks, so end of January at the earliest before I can tax it, and take it out on the road. That gives us plenty of time to get the remaining jobs done. It also needs a new set of tyres as three are ancient Kumho's with cracks deeper than the grand canyon, so will order up a new set of Avon whitewalls - there's one newer Goodyear on the car which we can swap onto the spare wheel.
It might sound like a bit of work, but the car is remarkably good, it's clearly been loved and cared for throughout its life. It just seems to have been standing for a while, so the work is more recommissioning than repairs.
Plans are to keep this, and move on the Arnage Red Label I bought for Dad last year - we don't need two cars over five metres long!
Once I have the log book, I will try to make contact with the previous owner, although obviously it may be a sore point for them, but they may well have some history that would be better with the car than not - we will see what happens. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for reading....
Jon
Great thread OP. In the 1990’s I bought a Shadow 2 privately from a chap quite local to me. It was in a lovely shade of metallic blue with cream leather interior, complete with sheepskin mats! My idea was to do a few weddings and Executive Chauffeur type jobs. I found a good Rolls/Bentley Independent Garage near me and they did a few jobs, nothing major. One time, I remember the low fuel light come on, drove a couple of miles to a petrol station, topped it up with a fiver, drove off the forecourt and the low fuel light was still on! On the road there was no envy displayed by anyone, in fact at junctions etc I was always waved out and let into queues. Even for a 25 year old car at the time, the ride was excellent and so quiet in the cabin.
I kept it for about 12 months, it drove beautifully, but in the end it wasn’t for me and I traded it in for a TR6 of all things. The Dealer gave it to his Father to waft about in for several months and I heard that he had to spend quite a bit of time sorting out the brakes.
I kept it for about 12 months, it drove beautifully, but in the end it wasn’t for me and I traded it in for a TR6 of all things. The Dealer gave it to his Father to waft about in for several months and I heard that he had to spend quite a bit of time sorting out the brakes.
Excellent Dr, I've been looking forward to you starting a thread in here since you mentioned you'd bought the car elsewhere. I think the colour combo really suits it and that interior is beautiful. If it were mine the only thing I'd change would be putting a set of 'raised black plastic digit' number plates on, obviously the plates on it now are entirely legal and appropriate but I think the slightly earlier style would look rather nice and still be legal on a '79 car. I bought a decent set for my XJ6 when I had it a few years ago from The Numberplate Center in Birmingham....
Well done again, and I hope you find the right buyer for the Arnage
Well done again, and I hope you find the right buyer for the Arnage
P5BNij said:
Excellent Dr, I've been looking forward to you starting a thread in here since you mentioned you'd bought the car elsewhere. I think the colour combo really suits it and that interior is beautiful. If it were mine the only thing I'd change would be putting a set of 'raised black plastic digit' number plates on, obviously the plates on it now are entirely legal and appropriate but I think the slightly earlier style would look rather nice and still be legal on a '79 car. I bought a decent set for my XJ6 when I had it a few years ago from The Numberplate Center in Birmingham....
Well done again, and I hope you find the right buyer for the Arnage
Plates are definitely on the list, the rear one has delaminated and is in an aftermarket chrome plate holder.....Well done again, and I hope you find the right buyer for the Arnage
Dr Interceptor said:
P5BNij said:
Excellent Dr, I've been looking forward to you starting a thread in here since you mentioned you'd bought the car elsewhere. I think the colour combo really suits it and that interior is beautiful. If it were mine the only thing I'd change would be putting a set of 'raised black plastic digit' number plates on, obviously the plates on it now are entirely legal and appropriate but I think the slightly earlier style would look rather nice and still be legal on a '79 car. I bought a decent set for my XJ6 when I had it a few years ago from The Numberplate Center in Birmingham....
Well done again, and I hope you find the right buyer for the Arnage
Plates are definitely on the list, the rear one has delaminated and is in an aftermarket chrome plate holder.....Well done again, and I hope you find the right buyer for the Arnage
https://www.classicplatesonline.co.uk/plates.asp?g...
OBhBIEiwAG1rIOhhM7wyVoKSRN7cmXzUbMu1Ta51FD3hqpVUBeooIK6f5b6QTRU4vBhoCSpQQAvD_BwE
Max M4X WW said:
Checking into this one.
Point to note, if you don't have a V5, the new one won't have the previous keepers details on it. Thank GDPR for that!
Ahh that is a shame... Well if the previous owner by remote chance happens upon this thread, please feel free to drop me an email through my profile.Point to note, if you don't have a V5, the new one won't have the previous keepers details on it. Thank GDPR for that!
Dr Interceptor said:
Max M4X WW said:
Checking into this one.
Point to note, if you don't have a V5, the new one won't have the previous keepers details on it. Thank GDPR for that!
Ahh that is a shame... Well if the previous owner by remote chance happens upon this thread, please feel free to drop me an email through my profile.Point to note, if you don't have a V5, the new one won't have the previous keepers details on it. Thank GDPR for that!
Voxy said:
Lovely car. I’m not a previous owner, but someone with a friend who is something of an authority on the marque, and he tells me your car was supplied to Byatts of Fenton with several non-standard features. His records also show that as of 2005 it was owned by a Mr Harrison, but unfortunately he has no information beyond this date.
Wow, that is quite some information, thank you. I would be grateful of any information you're able to supply, especially as the car came with zero paperwork or history.In fact the only clue to its past I have is a business card, there were two in the centre console for "Cecilmay Cars - Chauffer Drivan (yes spelled like that) Rolls Royce Shadow II, A Car for all occasions". The number and email on the card no longer work.
Voxy said:
Dr Interceptor said:
Max M4X WW said:
Checking into this one.
Point to note, if you don't have a V5, the new one won't have the previous keepers details on it. Thank GDPR for that!
Ahh that is a shame... Well if the previous owner by remote chance happens upon this thread, please feel free to drop me an email through my profile.Point to note, if you don't have a V5, the new one won't have the previous keepers details on it. Thank GDPR for that!
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