‘Barn find ‘76 Shadow, what can go wrong?.

[charge]

So, first ever post in this section after many many years on P/Heads.
Always had a Silver Shadow on my bucket list, and as per usual one came up when it was least convenient, but with one family owner, 60k miles and full history it looked like a genuine unmolested car I could not pass up.
Bought pretty much unseen in a dark dusty shed, so after agreeing a price, i returned with suitable equipment, connecting a battery to engage N and unfortunately realeasing the handbrake left on 12 years, a quick snatch with a tractor released it and out it came (it was wedged in against two walls, no way to get to either side and remove wheels).

So good points.
Apart from a little gravel rash around the arches that has now rusted, body is solid as is the underside.
Engine oil the colour of honey, new brake pipes, discs, pads, pistons and seals all round, new exhaust, fuel pump, tyres (all Avon Turbosteel) all fitted between 2002- 2009 over 500 miles.
It seems it was collected for an MOT every year, whatever was needed was done and then put back in the shed till 2009-2010 after which the cost for a car going nowhere was probably getting the owner down.

Bad points.
Passenger door locked and jammed, cannot pull up pin, does not work as all the others do on the central locking.
Some silly dents in the bumpers.
Drivers door top wood chipped by probably cufflinks.
Brakes all binding.
A little galvanic reaction on door/ frame joint.

So after getting back to my workshop, and noticing fuel leaking underneath during transportation on a truck we;
Drained and flushed the tank, which was half full, probably a good thing. Was not too bad, no crud came out at all.
Replaced around 12 inches of flexible fuel pipe from body up to engine that was leaking.
Flushed the lines and carbs through.
New battery, and she turned over great, but no spark!
Find the ballast resistor has rotted away one if its steel lugs, and on replacement she was on the key, no smoke, no knock. Smooth as silk!
All lights that were on went out which I also read is good, as in, having lights in the first place and not being disconnected!
Brakes have had pads pulled and pistons pushed out, freed by hand and eased back in. Time consuming but no cost, and has them working fine.
Hydraulic fluid is clean and to the marks and are planning a coolant flush and brake bleed.
I do feel after reading many horror stories I have been very lucky, and should have bought a lottery ticket the day I found it!
My question is, everything looks like it has been done properly, grease on all the right bits etc.
Is there any thing else I should look at, change/ replace before use this summer.
Any seals, filters odd bits that may not necessarily come up in regualr servicing that need attention after a long standup?
And any advice on unlocking that door!
Cannot wait finish the tidy up and take her put for a little light wafting, hopfully roma country pub if/ when allowed!

Cheers

[charge]

Hey! Thanks for the replies.
I agree on the hydraulic fluid.
Will order some RR363 from Flying spares.
Also see they do carb kits for £50 each which is a no brainer, which I would not have thought of.
Tyres wise, I ended up replacing 2 with brand new Avons to match.
There was an undated tyre on on the rear that was showing light cracking, and one front had gone completely flat and was mishapped so got the new ones and put them both on the front.
The other two are on the back, both dates 2006, but look in perfect condition. The store was quite dark and they were fully up after all that time so should be fine.
Everything I look at seems to be done. Pulled the air filter today it it looked brand new.
A pair of new stainless wipers, little bit of light paint correction and she will be good to go for now.

Really weird how excited I am! Its a Rolls Royce for Christ sake!
Despite spending over 20+ times what I paid for it on a family Audi that is (depite fortunately packing a V8 still) just not in the same league?? Somehow no soul, Germanic, beige but fast and reliable, grey and under most peoples radar. No sence of occasion, no specialness!
Please see this onefrom where i dragged it!

Edited by charge on Monday 12th April 21:09

Edited by charge on Monday 12th April 21:10

[charge]

Why does it do that!

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At least this one is the right way up.
Just off my truck ready for the ramp last weekend!

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And her name is Judy.

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Nice picture too!
It was lucky dip on the car. I did not know age or colour, so seeing the car, liking the colour and the later flared arches, the only disappointment was not seeing the twin Shad 2 exhaust. But, I like the chrome bumpers, "C'est La Vie"!
You still have it, can i see?

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Very cool! Lovely colour combo.
Really like the 2 tone thing, brings out the lines of the car.
So, how are the other 3? Is car 2 up and running?
I can see how you have got the bug! It is new to me new but I can see the attraction.
Been into older Porkers for 15 years, loved the build quality, and drive but everyone is all over it in the UK and it seems to be loosing its appeal. One of those classic brands now wrapped up with B.S dealers and city trader owners, and the later stuff is like driving my Audi.
Where in the states are you?

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Wow alabbasi, you really have the bug!
And thank you all for the advice.
I have ordered the rr363 fluid to flush through the hydraulics, the carb service kit with all the new gaskets and o rings, and have managed to get the passenger door open holding the key over while pushing the button, which to be fair did trip the electrics (think it is a seized solenoid) but hey, door is open, card off and I can do a proper diagnosis tomorrow.
Got an antique restoration friend who is picking up the wheel trims to take out any kinks and polish, a company to strip, polish and re laquer the two door caps for £100 each, and a local paint shop to give a cost on a paint tidy up for this year.
The more I look, the more I find, some good as in the fittings, some crap as in the drivers door trim holder at the bottow all bent up, but it is all fixable with a little effort, but can see how a neglected car can be a world of pain to put right, and how a lot end up being strippers. Just glad there is an army of enthusiast out there keeping on top of the remaining cars for the next generation!
I will keep you in the loop!

[charge]

Hi MatthewH5

I have replied through the Audi forum as requested.

So carbs were stripped, and found a missing seal on one of the throttle spindles, a wrongly assempled linkage and A LOT of crap in the fuel chambers which surprised me considering the amount of filtering going on. So full strip and rebuild with the service kit (which oddly did not come with the tiny carb fuel filters which I then ordered)then back to the rear fuel filter near the tank which was replaced and bowl flushed as it also contained a lot of sediment.
Bearing in mind the car paperwork which shows maitenance was kept on top of, and newness of oil and general service items, was not expecting what we found.
The calipers were binding, and a strip revealed new pistons, seals and pipes all round so another bullet dodged. It was simply a little time pulling the pads and easing out each piston and re seating. A good flush through with new fluid and they are working fine.
Wish I had pulled the top off the fluid reservoir and checked for gunk but did not think of this till I searched you tube and found Alabbasi doing it!
Never knew you were even on there, and that Turbo R looked like a world of pain!!

So two front door caps came back looking like new, the oil light which never came on with the ignition turned out to be a small bodge due to the switch being inoperative. £25 later and it works fine (thank god, thought it was a bodge to hide a buggered engine!)
So a guy popped out from ‘Hideworks’ in High Easter, North Essex and over the phone prior had listed a load of work, re-stuffing seats etc. I did wonder what he was talking about till he turn and and could not believe the condition of the interior. He said over the years he has refurbished 20+ shadows, and none held a candle to the condition of Judy!
So it is off to his workshop next week for a full carpet and seat out clean and leather treat.
He promised it would look like new with a small pattina of age and seemed genuinely excited about doing it. He was recommended by a company I found whos team worked producing leather for these cars when new, but were the other side of the country so am sure after seeing the guys work and enthusiasm it will be good.
Not so great are the reponces from two paint shops I have used a lot over the years.
Neither wanted to touch it, saying they had both had their fingers burnt with shadows and mention things such as ‘can of worms’.
I only wanted a little tidy up across the door tops and where the stone chips have left bare rusty metal on the inner arch. We are not talking of slabs of filler hanging out anywhere here, the car is solid.
To use it this summer I have decided to do a little light touch in myself and look at a more comprehensive paint further down the line. 45 years in and some paint is to the primer, the pin line is worn out in places, roof faded and a front wing looks decidedly un Rolls Royce in its finish, plus there has been a little galvanic corrosion along the door to window seals and most annoyingly just behind the flying lady on the bonnet which is otherwise flawless.
11 years in a barn in England will do that I guess.

So final job is coolant flush, and work put why the flashers both ways are way too fast.
Checked all bulbs which are correct wattages, so can only assume the flasher unit is tired?

I will get some pics up once interior is done
Cheers

[charge]

So brief update.
She had her first run on the road in 20 years yesterday.
A four mile round trip to the petrol station for a £60 squirt of super, then back to the yard for aa check up.
All good!
No leaks, rad getting warm, check wheel nuts etc, and thought she can make the 20 miles to Hideworks, whats the worst that can happen’.
Well, 18 miles in, and all was good. I had a smile on my face with the unbelivable feeling of driving a car unlike any other i had driven before.
No smoke, no over hearing, no funny smells, it was all too good to be true.
Then coming to a corner, a little brake, is it me or is the pedal getting a little long??
1 mile to go, another corner (down a small country lane) that pedal is getting very long.
3/4 mile to go, round a corner with some parked cars, foot on the brake, and no brakes!!
A quick pump got some back, and a short run got me there with a very gentle drive.
Anywhere built up and it would have been game over.
So, no fluid leaks, and red hot O/S rear disc that was smoking, along with a feeling that i did not want to experience that again without some brown safety pants.
I can only think one of the good looking brake pipes was not so great inside and has trapped fluid.
So it will be back on the lorry after the interior clean for 12 new pipes, and a lot of new rr363.
It almost took my mind off the heater stuck on full on a 20 degree afternoon;-)

[charge]

So a little update.
Hydeworks in High Easter did a stunning job on the interior.
I need to get some pics on here.
Seats and carpets out, cleaned and treated, all the mould from door cards, dash and even steering wheel gone. He even polished all the wood and stainless entry trims.
It now looks almost as new, with a little patina on the leather still.
After collection with a truck and back to the yard ramp, we changed out 8 lines (still have the two to do going into the box under the drivers seat) and opened and cleaned the reservoir.
Fluid looked OK in the sight glass, but the was a world of crap in there!
Thanks Alabbasi for the tutorial on youtube for that, gave me the confidence to pull it apart.
A quick bleed up and the breaks are fine.
The heater actuator had a crack in the casing, and testing found it faulty.

A replacement arrived today £75- ebay, but yet to fit it.
Its first ‘engagement ’ was last Thursday, collecting outlaws for lunch at a nice restaurant for their 60th wedding anniversary, and it was amazing how the older generation are blown away by these cars.
I suppose they were always way out of reach for the average working man back in the day (i had pushed the heather valve closed so we did not cook!)
On the run home I cautiously switch on speed control, but it did not hold the speed, so another thing to fix.
Is there a common fault like bellows leaks or broken speed cable from the gearbox to look out for?
Also still to flush coolant, not sure what to do as there are so many versions of events and opening taps, half hour with a hose in here, half hour there. Maybe it is one for a specialist?

It is looking so good the paintwork is now showing it up.
I want to get it fully there mechanically this year, and think about paint next year, and start saving!

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And now it has sprung a leak!
Do feel like what i thought was a bullet dodged is turning to get me!
Big pool of fluid under the car today.
Looks like the rad has to come out.
God knows how much I would be into if I was paying an indie to sort the constant faults that are rearing thier head!
I can see how these end up falling into disrepair is you dont have the facilities to fix your self, or a wad of cash to throw at them every 100 miles!
Should have expected it after such a layup, but this car has done less miles than my 5 year old peugeot van that just gets a service once a year and topped up with diesel occasionally and only needed tyres.
I guess the worst thing you can do is leave them standing for long periods?

[charge]

Six months since the last ( and reading back, depressing) post and things actually were not that bad.
The leak turned out to be blocked drain holes in the front valence, and water was trickling out after if must have filled after a heavy shower while outside, so it trickled out for 3-4 days in the barn leading me to believe it had done the rad.
So since then it has been great to be honest!
Got the A/C going which took a little time but not much money.
After a visit to the excellent Silver Lady rolls specialists in Ongar for a check over and idle set up, it was found the compressor had a leak on the rear plate seal.
They were talking a new unit, but I found a company in the states that did the seal kit for the Harrison A6 unit, and once fitted with new oil (after a purge of the original form the whole system) some R134A was eased in and we had cold air for a week!
Turned out the schrader valve was letting by, so a new one from Flying Spares and re gas it was job done.
Other thing that did not work was the spped control unit.
I looked in depth to its operation and was quite worrried about takling it.
Last thing I wanted was to cock it up and the cruise control comes on and doesn’t deactivate.
Anyway, 4-5 attempts to use it, and it suddenly started working fine.
A little surging, say engagining at 35mph, it drops to 31 then picks up to 36, then 33 and settling at 35.
Consol light did not work, tuned out the feed for that and the clock was dead. Could not find the break in the cable so new line from the fuse box fixed that, and the switch line for the floor mounded high beam also lost its switch line, but all now fixed.
Apart from the clock that will not adjust, i think it is all there.
Put her into a nice modern storage unit a few months back now as it was regularly in and out of the work barn and with the winter now here wanted her tucked away for 6 months, and she rolled up next to a very nice corniche so will be in good company for the winter.
A few pics of interior and after a wash. Inside has come up great, but the better it gets the more it shows up the paint!

[charge]

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Find the bargain!
I see lots of low mileage or low owner cars for sale at £30k plus and think, ‘yes,good paint, straight bumpers, but the dash wood is tatty’ or ‘engine bay looks tired’ , mine is better than that, for just over a tenth of the price!
Yes, I found a bargain, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Keep trawling facebook market place, Gumtree, anything a little off the ebay or autotrader sites and you may turn up a good one.
Lots made and lots tucked up in garages!