Late Silver Shadow or mid80s Corniche as a daily cruiser?

[911Thrasher]

Late Silver Shadow II or mid 80s Corniche ?


I will be looking for a daily cruiser for London in a couple months in view of our first child - my wife's R107 SL or my Challenge Stradale won't do the job (not that we wil sell them, but prob will put the CS in a garage)

Anyways, what is the reliability of a good 20k£ late Silver Shadow or 40k£ Corniche II (or even coupe) ?

The idea is to have it parked outside, run it daily and potentially a trip in the summer to South West coast of France (2000km round trip).

Really like those, and I think they would do perfect cruisers with a big boot - other alternative is to go back to a FFRR supercharged, but no where as cool and stylish!

[911Thrasher]

Camargue? i like the odd shape, but would not live with it: don't think it'll ever be a "classic"
Bentley continental? again don't think it'll reach the "classic" status, not in the same way a Corniche will anyways.

I really really love the Corniche and looks like the poll is showing 60% approval.
Not sure people understood it would be a daily with a baby actually: just hope the front seat are easy to use as i will need to fit a baby seat in the back. And if i dont mind the trouble, i dont know if my wife will...

But at least the boot is huge, so can def fit a push buggy in there

[911Thrasher]

Usable means top notch to me: as new pretty much. It has to be 100% reliable and trouble free. Maintenance budget is not my worry.

But good to hear i dont have to go for the common full fat range rover.
If the other half agrees, i'll be looking for a Corniche (bentley if i'm lucky). It should be quite alright in terms of space, just hope the seat is easily bent/pushed forward.

Edited by 911Thrasher on Sunday 9th December 00:07

[911Thrasher]

POORCARDEALER said:

Corniche in the condition your require for 20k will be much harder to find than a shadow 2.

I have 40k for then Corniche.

20k is for the Shadow or T2

[911Thrasher]

6750cc said:

I caveat that I know nothing about the car, and have no connection with the seller, but this seems to fit with your plans and budget:



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bentley-Contential-Corni...

Cheers,

Andy

Yup saw that! Looks stunning and rare Bentley corniche

[911Thrasher]

graemel said:

Personally I think you'll find they are a little cumbersome. Don't get me wrong they are great cars and we have had a Shadow 11 in the family for over 20 years with still just over 40K miles on the clock. I think you'd find a Bentley Turbo R a more enjoyable experience. I know I would. Just still can't sell it to the missus. She had an 86 500SL 107 series for a while. Two things killed it. One was those crap heater valves that bled hot air in the summer and the door closing on her shin whilst getting into the car. They don't call them the panzer waggon for nothing.

Selling it to Madame is indeed my biggest worry: she too has a 1989 R107 300SL in black with red full leather and abs loves it. No way we are selling.

Turbo R is out of the question: Silver Shadow II or Corniche have a lot more style in my view.

And they just don't do it for me at all.

Bear in mind I'm 37 but look quite young (easily early 30s) - so the car really must be a Classic...or it'll look like I'm driving my dad's car!

[911Thrasher]

campaj1 said:

Haha good shout with ocado yeah I would imagine the S3's more swoopy front and back would make it harder to place than the shadow(s), which has pointers to show the edge of the car

To OP have you considered a Conti Spur/Arnage/Silver Seraph? All seem to fall under budget...

Nope i only want the classic look, and they really the only ones i like...bear the Bentley Azure/Continental R

My budget can actually stretch to 40-45k£ to get the best. And i think this is a min for a good Corniche.

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

[911Thrasher]

nope - haven't taken the plunge yet, as still need to get the baby first, which will be a project for the fall.

In the meantime, did put our pad for sale to get a bigger one. Step by step, getting closer.

But my choice has narrowed: Corniche or FFRR supercharged...totally different beasts, but equally in love with them.
Still looking every week at the Corniche for sale, rather some tempting ones (and some which do not seem to move at all)

[911Thrasher]

I actually use to have a FFRR supercharged in black/ivory and full option. Sold it as couldn't get my wife insured on it as a her first car - now that was 4 years ago.

And now she's had our 300SL R107 for 3 years without any problem...so RR or FFRR shouldn't be a problem.


These two are rather cheap:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C347782
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=3...

This one presents really well and we know IT are happy to sell at the moment:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C271969





There is a few Corniche in Classic magazine that look really good

Edited by 911Thrasher on Wednesday 13th February 23:04

[911Thrasher]

Why not? A good car should be usable in all weather. We drove my CHallenge Stradale in snow a couple weeks ago for quite a few miles.

Not adverse to a series I but not for me. For us, an eighties one only - need a certain modernism.

[911Thrasher]

6750cc said:

^^^ At the same auction:

http://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2013-03...

Yup that Bentley looks superb!

[911Thrasher]

topic closed: we bought a classic range rover, #2 of 25 of the last ones: the 25th anniversary one. Oxford blue with cream interior.

Getting it restored this summer and ready for the fall.

I know it's not a Rolls, but more suitable for my needs: baby, central london and surfing trips...and it is the Rolls of 4x4 and english.

[911Thrasher]

tali1 said:

I saw a P38 Vogue 50 and thought that was rare! -although google picking up more than expected 25s
These 25s i guess are all N reg and therefore registered after P38s which start on M reg

Correct mine was built early 1996, and my reg starts with "N4 xxx"

[911Thrasher]

campaj1 said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C367201

dont come around very often!

Yup that's an older brother #11. Mine is #2....#1 was kept for the factory and put in their museum.

[911Thrasher]

Revival and conclusion: so after many years running toys (430scuderia, 2x Stradale, 575HGTC, 997GT3RS, 964RS...) and now 2 little boys I have sold out of all of them as could only seat one of them at the time (yes baby seats do fit in buckets)

And bought a T2 early this year and recommissioned at Royce...now used as a daily
And who cares about mpg is all I can say: wish I had bought one earlier, so relaxing and enjoyable.

Edited by 911Thrasher on Monday 15th October 14:44

[911Thrasher]

Voxy said:

Wonderful. Is it now grey rather than blue? Or is that just a reflection of the London climate?!

it's light blue metallic...wonderful shade i found, especially in our London weather indeed!

[911Thrasher]

ruhall said:

Lovely; and fitted with a passenger door mirror as well. Hard to believe they weren't even standard fit back then. As an 'S'-reg, does it have headlight washers or not, I can't tell from the photo?

The windows look darker than most (and zone tinted windscreen), are they tinted or is it a film?

A very relaxing mode of transport for our modern roads and traffic conditions, without having to worry quite so much about road imperfections as you do with cars on the really low profile tyres.

My car does not have the headlight washers, but i have something cooler: rear picnic tables and front headrests
Windows were tinted to the minimum last week...as it's a daily, lives outside, and with kids you can never insure that the car is fully fully empty...and had some of my cars visited at night, even parked where we live which is super safe...my 964RS was stolen off Sloane Square...

[911Thrasher]

Penguinracer said:

Unfortunately the extension of the London ULEZ from 25th October 2021 to include the area bound by the North & South circulars will impact the use of pre- Euro 4 petrols & pre-Euro 6 diesels.

I suppose if your vehicle is garaged within the ULEZ you'll only pay the daily charge when you put it on the road, but this isn't great for classic cars which don't yet meet the 40 year-old Historic Vehicle exemption.

Euro 4 came into force in 2005 & Euro 6 in 2014 - so there are plenty of classics in the 15 - 35 year-old age bracket which will be unwelcome in London until they're old enough to collect their vehicular pension!

my car was built as a late 1977 (registered early 1978), used for the 1977 Scottish Motor Show...so will be well over 40years old by 2021