Recommissioning a Shadow-era Rolls-Royce or Bentley after long term storage

"It’s only got 25,000 miles on the odometer!  It’s been stored for ten-plus years!  It’s got to be in great shape, right?  How much will it take to put the car back on the road?  The seller only wants ten thousand dollars.  It's got to be a bargain, right?"

Quite a lot, in most cases.  This is the story of one of those cars.

1980 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith II (c) JE Robison

The late70s long wheelbase Shadows were badged as Silver Wraith II cars  (C) JE Robison

Jay’s Silver Wraith II arrived at Robison Service in the beginning of August, 2015. We saw a fairly clean-looking 1980 Silver Wraith II that had not run in some time.  The inspection sticker dated from the spring of 2007 – 8 years previously.  The owner believed the odometer reading of 30,300 was original.  The interior and mechanicals looked original; the body was repainted but clean and undamaged.  There was no sign of mildew or corrosion – at least where we could see. 

This was not a recent purchase.  It was Dad's old car, and now that he was getting on in years, his sons wanted to bring it to life for him to enjoy one more time.  That's often how these jobs begin . . . with a treasured old car from a parent or relative.  Other times we start with a purchase - a barn find.

We began this project by getting the car running (temporarily) and doing an evaluation of what we could see without a road test. The original fuel pump had failed and we had to make some modifications to install a new style pump from Bentley, because the current replacement unit uses entirely different line fittings and mounts.  The old Opus electronic ignition had failed in storage and had to be replaced. We identified a number of basic drivability problems that would have to be addressed before the car could be evaluated on the road:

- The owner was aware of inoperative brakes when he put the car in storage;

- We also found an inoperative parking brake;

- We found deteriorated fuel in the tank and corrosion/leakage at carburetors;

- There were a number of damaged rubber bushings in the front end that would lead to noise when driving;

- We saw collapsed brake supply hoses and aged hoses to wheels;

- All four tires were badly dry rotted.

We noted that the car was still a ways from being drivable and there could be other issues when it was on the road.  With an optimistic outlook, we set out to solve those major problems first.  The owner felt that most accessories had worked when the car was put in storage and he hoped they were still okay.

The first focus of our attention was the brakes, which did not work. There was no system pressure.  We replaced the supply hose to the front pump and tested the circuit. The front pump did turn out to be damaged, and we ordered a new one.  From there we moved on to the wheels.  We removed all six brake calipers and found rusted and frozen pistons in all of them. This is characteristic of a car that sat a long time without the required annual fluid flushes.  The cure is new pistons and seals.  The caliper bodies are generally usable once they are cleaned and honed, which we did.

When we took the calipers off we also examined the flexible hoses and found several of them were collapsing internally like the supply line. All appeared to be original and all were scheduled for replacement.  Rolls-Royce calls for these hoses to be replaced at the 8-year service interval but few owners do that.  In modern times, Land Rover and other carmakers have seen failures of 8-year-old brake hoses so the risk of failure is clearly real.

We pulled the combined accumulator/valve assemblies apart and found more rust and corrosion.  We tried to clean them, but in the end, the accumulator valve units were too corroded to repair and both had to be replaced.  Those valves are no longer available new so we sourced rebuilt units from the UK.  The accumulators themselves were rebuilt with new diaphragms and seals and recharged in our shop.  That was a bit of a challenge as the accumulators had been rebuilt at some time in the past and they were assembled incorrectly, so the factory holding tools could not be put in place.  We got them apart and they are assembled in correct alignment now.

We fitted new brake pads and retaining hardware once the calipers were rebuilt (most of the anti-rattle hardware was missing when the car arrived). The calipers were refitted to the car with new rubber hoses, and the parking brake calipers were rebuilt.  With this work done, we had proper functionality in one hydraulic circuit but the other pump continued to fail the test and we replaced it. With that done we had brake pressure in both systems. 

Moving on to the engine, we completed overhaul of carburetors and setup of the engine.  We drained the fuel system and refilled with clean gas, to find the gauge did not work.  The sender turned out to leak internally and we replaced it.  We replaced the aged ignition wires and mis-matched plugs, and repaired the distributor balance weights and springs which had been damaged by rusting in place. The bimetallic choke element was broken and we fixed that.  We tracked down and fixed a number of vacuum leaks and some under hood wiring errors that stemmed from prior vernacular repair efforts.  With that done the engine ran well.

The owner provided a set of Hankook tires which we mounted and fitted to the car.  The owner decided against fitting the original Avon tires due to the high cost and limited availability.  We have had good success with Hankook tires in the past.  The only issue we’ve seen is that the sidewalls are a lot softer than the Avon tires, and that makes for mushier handling.  However, that is not a concern for many owners of these cars.

We then turned to the transmission, which still had the original undercoating on the pan bolts, indicating the fluid had never been changed.  Inside we found a lot of sludge – no surprise with 35-year-old fluid.  We cleaned the valve body and pan, changed the filter, and filled with fresh fluid.  With the amount of sludge we found inside we have some concerns for the life of this gearbox, but there is nothing more we can do right now.

When we ran the car we measured normal brake pressure on our test gauge but the warning lights did not work properly.  We rebuilt the switches (a common job.)  The car was taken on its first road test and some issues were noted with the accessories.

The air conditioning system was empty; we charged it with the owner’s supply of R12.  The heat worked and the dash outlets worked when the Fascia switch was operated. Two windows were inoperative. We took apart both right side window motors and cleaned them up as best we could as new parts are no longer available.  We repaired broken wiring in the driver door and passenger front door for locks and windows.

The car was all over the road on road test so we replaced all four shocks and we also changed the bushings that had been rattling.  After review with the owner, we fitted Bilstein shocks front and rear; they are the most common choice for this type of car with a slightly more positive ride than the original units.

We continued to road test the car and experienced a loss of pressure on both brake hydraulic systems.  We traced that to one inch of sludge blocking the outlets on the bottom of the reservoir. We cleaned out that sludge and replaced the screens and seals on the reservoir. That remedied the loss of pressure when hot but we were still seeing contamination from the level control in the rear circuit. 

We took apart and cleaned the level control rams, valves, and lines. We removed quite a bit of gelled fluid from that last area.  When we did that work the rear level control began working (it had been inoperative.)  We were finally able to bleed it and eliminate most knocking noise from the rear.

After further running the engine oil and filter were changed.  The transmission was drained and filled again, and the rear axle fluid was changed.  Engine coolant had been changed in the earlier round of work (we drained it for the carburetor work) so all fluids are now fresh.  The fuel system is all clear; the tank was removed and cleaned and the outlet hoses were serviced as needed when it was out.  Some lines were changed on the motor; there are others that may need attention in the future.

All the running lights were checked and several exterior lights were repaired. Most of the light repairs were simple, but a few required tracing dead wire circuits back to the main distribution panel, and some hours were spent bringing the lights back to life.  One shock absorber ball joint was changed, and the compliance mounts were renewed in the front end.  With that done the car steered well and all joints are tight.  New carpet mats were laid into the passenger compartment and the trunk and battery tray was reassembled.  Interior detailing was not within the scope of this job, but the interior is complete and most accessories seem to be in working order.

The car is driving fairly well now.  It starts and runs well, and the engine is quiet.  There are no major fluid leaks at this time.  Steering and ride are normal.  Brakes are working properly though there is still some roughness from the brake rotors – which the owner elected to leave alone for now.  There is slight sag in the front and rear springs.  All in all, this car is now better than 90% of the Shadow II and Wraith II cars on the road.

Going forward, I recommend that the transmission fluid be drained and refilled next season.  The brake hydraulic fluid really needs to be changed on these cars annually and that should be done next fall (or in spring 2017) to protect the work we did on that system.  Other than that, future maintenance needs will be limited to issues that arise in use, and cosmetic fixing up.

I advised the owner to always use the highest-octane fuel he can get.  If the car is to be stored I actually suggest filling with aviation fuel as that does not have the ethanol that proves so destructive. These cars use Mobil Delvac engine oil, 15-40 or 15-50 weight.  The GM 400 transmission uses regular Dexron fluid.  The coolant is the traditional green ethylene glycol mix.  Brake fluid is a special RR363 product and that’s the only fluid you should use in that system.  I suggest putting the tires up to the maximum pressure for winter storage, and I recommend the rubber chocks from www.flatstoppers.comto preserve the tire roundness.

This job is typical of a comprehensive re-commissioning of a Shadow-era Rolls-Royce or Bentley motorcar.  We spent a bit over 200 hours on this project between August and November 2015. Our labor was divided among mechanical work, alignment and tire work, electrical troubleshooting, and cosmetic and detail work.  Most of the parts we needed were available, though no one vendor had them all, and the factory no longer supports many of the pieces we used.  When considering the time spent, remember we have lifts and all factory tools, and we have experience (some of us were trained on these cars when they were new!)  A hobbyist doing this at home would likely need considerably more time.

I hope this gives a perspective of what it will take to bring a long-stored RR/B back to life; this car was actually in better shape than many we see.  It’s worth noting that many of the major service headaches on this car could have been headed off by proper preventative care before the car was put away.  Sadly, that does not usually happen.  The best we can do is go through all the key systems step by step and bring the car to life in an orderly and efficient manner, knowing that we will still probably encounter unforeseen problems and complications. 

(c) 2015 John Elder Robison

John Elder Robison is the general manager of J E Robison Service Company, celebrating 30 years of independent Rolls-Royce and Bentley restoration and repair in Springfield, Massachusetts.  John is a longtime technical consultant to the Rolls-Royce and Bentley clubs, and he’s owned and restored many fine British motorcars.  Find him online at www.robisonservice.com or in the real world at 413-785-1665

Reading this article will make you smarter, especially when it comes to car stuff.  So it's good for you.  But don't take that too far - printing and eating it will probably make you sick.

Land Rover Defender restorations at Robison Service

As we near the end of another extensive Defender restoration, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on what makes a quality restoration, and what it takes to achieve that result.

Looking at the photo of the near-finished truck, it does not look very different from any other new Defender.  Except that this Defender is 19 years old!  And the fact is, with the work we did, it would not matter if the Land Rover we started with was 20, 30, or 40 years old.  The end result would look essentially the same, with the exception of period details.

You can go to any car show and see beautiful paint jobs.  But a paint job does not make a restoration.   Sometimes, all it makes is a mess.

When you paint a modern car, you are repairing damage on a vehicle that’s basically complete and serviceable.  So you can paint a scratch or repair a dent, blend the repair to the existing paint, and you’re fine. 

You can’t do that on an older vehicle like this.  In most cases, vehicles that are 20 years old have started to corrode on the seals and joints.  That’s usually where corrosion begins – there, and the places water is trapped under or inside.

A true restoration won’t hide corrosion.  It will remove it.  And a good restorer will take steps to reduce the chances of corrosion happening again, to the extent possible.

A proper restoration usually requires disassembly of the body.  Not just stripping the paint off – but actual disassembly.  On a job like this, we begin by taking the vehicle apart. We take photos every step of the way, and bag and tag the fasteners and hardware as we go.  Even when we use new hardware – often the case – having the original stuff tells us what sizes we need.

On a Defender we lift the body off the frame, and dismantle each section.  In this photo you can see the rolling chassis – rusted framing and all – in the process of teardown.  

A little while later, we begin the process of assembly – in this case, with a new galvanized frame.  We can use the old frames over – we can even galvanize them – but they are often weakened and building them back up will cost more than a brand new part.  Since the look is the same, we usually go new for this core component on 1990s trucks.  With an older vehicle we may go either way but a restored original frame will almost always end up costing a good bit more and that’s always a consideration.

As soon as the vehicle is apart we begin the process of stripping and overhauling the components.  This is a more extensive process than what we do when a vehicle comes in for component overhaul in our service department.  The difference:  In a restoration, we take everything apart, have the metal tank cleaned and blasted, and then we re-plate or powder coat every part before it goes back on.  The result is a subassembly that’s finished far better than it ever was new, and will hopefully outlast the original version as well.

The body sections are also broken into their component parts, and depending on the job, are liquid painted or powder painted after being cleaned up and repaired as needed.  On this truck we saved almost all the exterior sheet metal, though a good bit of repair was needed on some sections.

Disassembly and paint removal often reveals corrosion you never knew was there!

When the vehicle goes back together we replace or rebuild just about everything we handle under the car.  In many cases, we install upgraded or improved parts.  You can’t see this work unless you look close, but this kind of detail separates a paint job and cleanup from a true restoration.

Many of the parts we plate or powder coat were bare metal when these vehicles left the factory.  That may have been fine a few decades ago, but we cannot let them continue to corrode – in 20 more years there would be nothing left, and no replacement parts to be had.

Here are some examples, all of which are visible in the images of this truck

• -       We replace the steel fuel lines with stainless
• -       Rubber brake hoses are swapped for performance braid hoses
• -       All bushings and joints are new, as are springs and shocks
• -       Brakes are totally rebuilt with all wear items replaced
• -       Exhaust is new, and assembled with non-corroding copper fasteners
• -       Extensive use of stainless hardware to reduce corrosion on the body
• -       Everything under the car is finished with the same care as the top

We often make subtle improvements.  For example, this vehicle has a custom Badger top.  You can buy cheaper tops from a catalog, but I have never seen a better piece of work than what we get from The Badger.  He’s slow and he’s finicky but if you want the best . . .

This Defender also has the Exmoor premium seating, which looks fairly original but is light-years better than what was supplied in this truck new.

The wheels are another area of change.  In America, these trucks came with allow wheels and BF Goodrich general purpose tires.  For this fellow’s use we installed military Michelin XZL tires on NATO steel wheels – which were also powder coated.  They are very different from original, but they are what armies use on these rigs all over the world, for good reason.

It’s no surprise that we installed a better stereo.  For a beach truck “better” means water resistant.  For that, we turn to marine radio and speaker components.  The original Rover stereo would be ruined in the first rain shower.  This system will shrug that off, and it has Bluetooth, ipod control, and a host of other features.

We’ve also swapped the non-secure wood console for a lockable steel Tuffy Box.  The vehicle is open all the time, and some secure storage is needed, even on a small island. 

A job like this will eat up at least 1,000 hours and require the skills of a number of different craftsmen.  This particular truck employed:

-       general Land Rover mechanics

-       two body men

-       a painter (liquid)

-       a powder coat specialist

-       several metal platers

-       a fabricator/welder

-       several upholstery men

-       a good detailer

-       a stereo/electronics installer

The list goes on . . . this kind of project is far from a one-man task.

We’ll be sending this truck to its summer home in a few more days.  Stay tuned for the finish photos and description . . .

Repair or Restoration - which will it be?

You’ve got a nice vintage sports car, but it hasn’t run in many years.  Auction prices for these cars are rising.  Should you restore the car to show condition, or just fix it up to drive it?

Here at Robison Service we see situations like that all the time.  Sometimes the prudent course of action is clear, but other times it’s hard to decide what to do.

Sitting in the garage, it's a memory or a dream, but making it real may cost more than you think . . . 

In today’s market, the cars that bring those jaw-dropping prices on the televised auctions have been meticulously restored and detailed.  We do that level of work but owners must understand it comes at a price, as compared to basic mechanical repair.

Let’s look at the restoration or repair of a Jaguar XKE front end as an example.  This photo shows a typical old unrestored Jag; this particular car arrived here a month or so ago to join two other similar specimens in line for fixing up.

The problems in this front end are pretty well visible. The brake rotors are rusted. The rubber boots on the ball joints have rotted away, and the joints are loose.  The brake calipers are frozen from lack of use.  And the wheel bearings are sloppy.  The fix: a complete front end and brake overhaul.

If this was a modern Jaguar, we’d be able to do this repair in a day, using complete hubs and exchange brake calipers.  The parts would pop off and the new assemblies would slide on.  Old cars don’t usually go that smoothly.   We  can’t simply buy new brake calipers for an old XKE; the calipers the car has must be rebuilt.   Same for the hubs.  Everything is more time consuming because we repair, rather than replace.

In addition the scope of these jobs tends to expand when compared to service on a new car.  For example, we might need to replace the steel brake pipes if they don’t unscrew.  We might struggle with rusty parts that won’t come apart, and we will spend time cleaning things up.

The one-day job on a newer Jag may become a two or three day job on an older car.  Here's an example of how a simple task like "do the front brakes' expands from fitting front pads and rotors.  You pull the rotor and hub off the car, and the bearings are galled and the grease is chunky.  Add a few hours to rebuild the hubs.   When you remove the brake caliper for access, you see the rubber hose has cracks.  Add some time to take it off.  When you remove it, the steel line to the master cylinder snaps. Add half a day to run a new line.  When you go to bleed the system you feel a "bump" when pushing the brake pedal.  On closer examination, you find the master cylinder was corroded inside and the extra push of bleeding has pushed it over the edge.  Add a few hours to replace the master.  Do this at all four corners of the car, and you've added several thousand dollars of parts and labor to a seemingly simple job.  Every job on a vintage car has the potential for this kind of expansion.

So far, all we’re talking is mechanical repair.  What if the goal is restoration?

That adds a whole new level of complexity, because everything has to look new as well as function 100%.   That affects every single task.

First of all, when the area is stripped down for service, we now have to look at the underlying frame or body area.  Is it rusty?  Does it need paint?  Several days labor may be expended preparing the front frame to be serviced.  In many cases we spend more time on the cosmetic restoration of the areas being serviced than the repairs themselves take.

It’s no longer enough to simply replace parts.  Parts may not be available new, or else the current replacement part is a low quality reproduction you don't want to use.  It may be "new old stock;" a part that sat in a warehouse forgotten for fifty years, and it may not be good anymore.  Parts are a major hassle for vintage cars.  In the end, we often find ourselves making parts ourselves, or doing our own machining and rebuilding.  Once again that eats up time and money.

In this shot you see how a simple brake repair has expanded.  The brake caliper pistons are corroded and leaky.  The parking brake has worn out. The hubs need overhaul.   "Simple" jobs are rarely simple on a forty-year-old Rolls-Royce



When restoring, a simple functional repair is not enough.  We must also return the appearance of the parts to a new condition.  That may mean corrosion repair, cleaning, painting or plating.  We may choose to use techniques that were not available when these cars were made, in the interest of finish, performance, or durability.  A good example would be powder painting.  We may need to find alternative processes because the old ways are no longer done due to safety or environmental issues.  Examples of that are lacquer painting or cadmium plating.   All that adds labor time, wait time as paint and plating is processed, and of course there is the cost of it all.

The one day job on a modern Jaguar becomes a week, maybe two, maybe more of restoration work on the vintage car.   Always remember this:  restoration means bringing back the appearance and the function.   A true restored car drives like new - maybe better than new.  It doesn't just look good.  Painting over worn out parts is not restoration, though it's all too common as a means of cutting costs.

Service and repair is usually limited in scope. Restoration isn’t.  You can’t restore the front frame of a vintage car and ignore the back.  You need to keep going.  The result can be beautiful, and impressive.  But it is very time consuming, and time is money.

Repair work is guided by our knowledge of good practice, and we have many opportunities to save money.  Restoration is often guided by that car make’s Concours Judging Guide, and we have to follow the code strictly if we are to deliver good value in the end. 

It’s very common for a big British sports car restoration (Jaguar, Austin Healey, Jensen, Aston Martin) to eat up 1,000-2,000 hours of labor.  No matter how reasonable the labor rate is in your area, that makes for a big bill.

Wood steering wheels are beautiful, but they were seldom original.  Opinions about these custom touches vary from owner to owner, and car make to make.

Some cars will justify that work.   A rare Jaguar – a 120 roadster, a three-carb XKE – or an exotic Aston Martin may fetch $150-250,000 when restored.  For those cars, a very high level of work is justifiable. 

What about their little brothers – Triumph, MG, and  other cars that are so much more common?   They may be a little simpler to restore, and parts will cost less, but a top quality restoration will still eat up 1,000+ hours of labor.  If top quality examples of your make only fetch $25k it’s hard to justify restoration unless you do it yourself, as a labor of love.  Indeed, that’s what many of these projects are.

The XK120 above has been in the same family for sixty years now.  How do you put a price on that?  If you're in it forever, nothing but the best will do . . .

The final car I’ll consider is the top end – Rolls-Royce and their ilk.  These are much more complex cars, with higher standards of fit and finish, more expensive materials, and “more car” in general to work with.  Where a Jaguar can eat up 1,500 hours in a total restoration the Rolls-Royce convertible may consume 3,000, maybe more.

Values of finished cars vary wildly.  A 100-point restoration on a Silver Shadow may still fetch only $50,000.  A one-off Phantom drophead that was only a little more work to restore may be worth ten times that much in the end.  In that world you need to pick your projects carefully if value is your goal.

And then there’s the custom job – the times we are asked to take a car that was built as one thing, and make it into something else.  We make 88-inch Land Rover hardtops into 130 inch pickups.  We make stock Rovers into fire-breathing rock crawling monsters.  We put Rolls Royce leather and wood into American iron that newer saw anything but Detroit vinyl.

For those people – and indeed for most of our clients – cash value isn’t the goal.  Rather, the value for them is the joy they get owning a fine one-of-a-kind piece of automotive machinery, and using it for its intended purpose.  Most of these projects are Dad’s car; Grandpa’s car; the car we first dated in; or something else that gives that particular vehicle special significance and a value that goes beyond dollars and cents.  And those owners tend to be our happiest clients.

So what’s the takeaway from all this?  Think carefully about what you want.  Don’t confuse mechanical fixing up with concours restoration.  Don't confuse nicely painted but worn out junk with restoration.   If you want a custom job, think that through before you begin.   Remember that different people are happy with different jobs, and there are no right or wrong answers, provided the work you choose is done well.  That’s what we take pride in most of all.

If you’ve got a project you’d like to discuss, call me at 413-785-1665 or email Robison@robisonservicecom

John Elder Robison

J E Robison Service

347 Page Boulevard

Springfield, MA 01104