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.

Pre Purchase Inspection of Cars

A beautiful dropped Bentley like this would be a fine addition to any collection

Experts agree - If you’re looking for a pre-owned high end car – of any vintage – you are well-advised to get a pre-purchase inspection.  In the real estate trade many banks won’t grant a mortgage to a home that has not been inspected and given a clean bill of health.  It’s a mystery to me why auto lenders don’t impose the same sort of rule with high-value cars. 

Interior of a Rolls-Royce Corniche S (c) J E Robison

Most home inspectors are certified or licensed and they have a set of standards they adhere to in the course of their work. Unfortunately, auto inspectors do not have licensing or standards that apply to this situation.  Most states license collision damage appraisers but that’s a totally different job.  Some states license mechanics as well but that does not say anything about their knowledge of a specific brand.  And fixing the mechanical problems isn’t the same as evaluating the whole vehicle. Dealerships may be of help, but their capabilities are often limited to current-generation cars and they tend to have a focus on quick maintenance and warranty repair, which has little to do with collector car evaluation.

The other issue with dealerships – and this is not too well known – is that looking cars over for problems kind of goes against what the manufacturer tells them.  One of the things carmakers watch closely is the stream of warranty repairs from their dealers.  Most manufacturers discourage dealers from looking for problems; they are supposed to respond to customer complaints but they are not supposed to go looking for little things to fix in warranty, unless they are safety hazards.

That makes sense from the manufacturer perspective, as they want to keep costs down.  But that and the fact that dealer technicians are mostly paid on a piecework basis means the techs have every incentive to whip through a job as fast as possible, and small issues that are unmentioned by the driver go ignored.  That’s not what you want when checking a complex old car.

Ideally you want an inspector who is a recognized expert on cars like the one you want to buy.  Inspecting a 1995 Rolls-Royce is very different from inspecting a 1995 Chevy Silverado.  A good used car appraiser can judge the originality and condition of paint on any car, but someone who is accustomed to “ordinary” cars may dramatically underestimate the costs to repair cosmetic flaws in Rolls-Royce or other high end vehicles.

Mechanical inspection is much more specialized and brand specific.  A successful inspection is predicated on knowledge of what goes wrong with particular makes and models.  This is particularly important when a manufacturer model line undergoes significant technological change.  For example, a technician who was trained on the 2003 and newer VW-based Bentley would have little to guide him when inspecting the servo brakes on a 1965 Bentley, which uses totally different systems.

My suggestion is that you look for an inspector on the forums of the marque club for the car that interests you.  For example, a prospective Rolls-Royce buyer would do well to join the club – www.rroc.organd ask about inspectors in the area on the club forums.  An endorsement from several club members would mean more to me than an ad from the Internet.

If the car club can’t point you to an expert, your best bet will be to find a qualified and impartial service facility and engage them to evaluate the car.  Thanks to the Internet it’s easy to look at reviews and descriptions of shops all over the country, and those shops may also be checked out on car club forums.  You could, for example, search out “independent Porsche service in Des Moines, IA” or “independent Land Rover repair in Springfield, MA.”  Call the shop, talk to them, and see what they say.

Once you find a person to inspect the car, it’s important to cover what will be inspected.  Here are some thoughts.  At a minimum, he(she) should . . .

• Evaluate paint and body condition, including paint thickness; and the originality and completeness of trim
•  Evaluate the interior condition, particularly with respect to the need for and cost of leather and wood repairs.
• Evaluate the structural integrity of the car, including the frame and body.  This requires familiarity with the use of wood in coach-built bodies, and the structural weak points of the car under consideration.
• Evaluate the mechanical condition of the car with respect to things that don’t work, are worn, or possibly unsafe.  This requires familiarity with all the equipment on the subject car and how it should work.  Knowledge of what fails and why is brand and model specific and valuable.
• If you're looking at a pre-1990s car, you should expect a compression test and possibly a leak down test.  Compression is seldom checked on newer cars because compression is monitored by the engine ECU and a compression loss in a post-1997 car will result in a check engine code.
• Expect a physical check of suspension, brakes, hoses, and undercarriage.  This will typically require a lift, and it’s one reason we only do these inspections in our shop (as opposed to wherever the car happens to be.)
• Check the age of the battery, its condition, and the condition of charging and starting systems.  On a collector car look for a battery tender and possibly a cutoff switch.
• Review the service records for the car and look for exceptionalities.  Also look to see if the car was cared for properly and what services may be due now.  Compare the written record to the observable evidence of the vehicle.
• If you are looking at something exotic and fairly new a well-connected inspector may be able to access manufacturer service records.  They may also access the as-built record and compare that to the car’s appearance now.
• The inspector should drive the car and evaluate its function on the road.  Does it feel right?  Is it free of rattles and annoyances?  Does it perform as it should, without overheating or showing other signs of trouble?
• Look for the manuals, tools, and other little bits that came with the car when new. The more of that you have, the better in the collector world.  The inspection report should tell you what's there and what's not, and if there are any additional materials (car cover, sales literature, etc) that should be mentioned.  On a car like the Corniche S Rolls in the photos below you would spend several thousand dollars to replace missing manuals, tools, and key fobs. So be sure the inspector pays attention to that.
• If the car being evaluated is newer than mid-90s, you should expect a scan of electronics and a report on issues that the scan reveals.  This would include fault codes, odometer discrepancies, changed modules and anything else unusual.  Note that a manufacturer specific scan tool is needed for this level of inquiry; the inexpensive generic OBD scanners won’t give this detail.
• Compare the car to others of its kind – is the vehicle under study better than 90%, or just average? Why?  This requires extensive knowledge of the car line and model under study.

Don't forget the little things - owners manuals and tool kits for example

Here at Robison Service we produce a written inspection report backed up with photos, and I would expect the same in any intensive inspection.  But keep in mind that time is money – a really thorough inspection backed up with a well-documented report may cost you 6-8 hours of labor. Checking everything I list above is not a quick casual thing. That said, you don't always need that extensive a check. In some cases you may be well enough served by paying for 1-2 hours of the inspectors time and a verbal report.

When we inspect complex cars like Rolls Royce I tell potential buyers that I might reject an obviously unsuitable or problem-filled car in an hour's time but a thorough evaluation of where to go next on a promising car might take be 4-5 hours more as we check hydraulics and do other time consuming tests.  

I encourage is to have the seller present when the car is inspected, and I recommend you ask the inspector to present his findings to the seller.  That way you have less chance of a seller disagreeing with what’s being reported – he can disagree right then and there and a good inspector will support his position or recognize his error.

I hope this gives you a sense of what’s involved in a comprehensive pre-purchase inspection, and how to get one done.  The biggest problem – once you get outside the big cities – is finding qualified technicians to do the work.  If you are making a major investment, don’t hesitate to pay the costs to transport the car you are considering to someone really qualified to look it over.  And if the seller refuses when you offer to pay costs there (and back if needed) . . . consider that a big red flag. 

This process is often complicated when the car is in an auction environment.  At a Kruse or R-M style live auction you can usually arrange to inspect the car at the auction facility in the days before the sale, but the inspector will have to go to the vehicle and that may limit what they can check in the absence of a workshop and lifts.  When the car is on eBay there is no telling what the inspection environment may be.  Some cars will be at dealerships while others are at homes.  Sellers may or may not be responsive to your request to bring a car to a shop for inspection in an auction environment.

Depending on the complexity of the inspection and the detail of the report, an inspection like I describe may cost anywhere from $150 to $1,000+. If the inspector has to travel to the car or the car must be brought to the inspector those costs will accrue too.  Expensive as that may sound, it's a lot smarter to spend the money in due diligence than it is to pay top dollar for a piece of eye candy that falls apart as soon as it lands in your driveway.

It’s a buyer beware world out there, folks. Know what you’re getting.

(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 specialists in Springfield, Massachusetts.  John is a longtime technical consultant to the RROC and other car clubs, and he’s owned and restored many fine vehicles.  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.

The Commodore's Jeepster

When you’re the Commodore and you can buy any new car you want, what do you choose?  It’s a weighty decision.  After all, as Commodore, you set the standard.  That means you can’t just buy a mass-produced idea of style and form.  You must create your own; an expression of automotive craftsmanship fine enough to park beside the finest hand built yachts. You commission a motorcar as others commission a new kitchen.

It’s a hard choice, but someone has to make it.  American or foreign?  You’ve got both, and for this car, it’s going to be American.  They build some beautiful yachts in Europe but our native craftsmen are very fine too.

Sedan or utility?  That’s an easy question.  This vehicle’s job is to travel to the waterfront, and there may be a need to carry rigging, guests, live bait or giant fish.  An open utility is the only answer.

Open car or closed?  It’s summer on the oceanfront, folks! The only way to ride is under and open top.  How else will you move the fishing poles, and how will parade guests stand and wave? Open tourer it is.

Now we’re getting down to it.  Who makes such a vehicle?  Not Cadillac.  Not Lincoln. Not Chrysler. International Scout?  Too boxy.  One of the best loved open top sport utilities in the postwar period is the Willys Jeepster.  That, folks, is the Commodore’s Choice.  Isn’t this a magnificent example?

The common Jeepster had an economy level of finish, with inexpensive vinyl seats and basic, simple trim.  But even simple can be interpreted with beauty.  Basic lacquer can be replaced with the finest Glausurit urethane finishes.  Basic vinyl seating can be replaced with the finest leathers.  Wilton wool can pad the floor better than tar paper.

It didn't start out that way.  This is what we began with. And it was described as "restored!"

What did we do instead? Try powder coated seat frames, new marine plywood bases and cushions, Connolly leather upholstery and top-grade Wilton carpet. Which seats would you prefer?

Some people would change the engine for a new hot-rodded piece of iron.  But why? This engine was good enough to take American solders to victory all around the world.  Surely a rebuilt version can take a few modern day connoisseurs to the club and back!

This is the famous Go-Devil motor, the engine that earned a reputation as “the motor that won World War II” in the original Jeep.

Here's how it began . . .

And he she is today . . .

1948 Jeepster engine bay with Go Devil engine

You won’t win any drag races in this old Jeepster, and you won’t be running the fast lane on the Interstate, but in a car like this you will have something truly unique.  Like a fine wooden boat, this is a car to treasure for a lifetime.

There’s restoration, and then there’s Restoration.

We started with what was optimistically called "a well restored example."

In the image above expert body man Al Keinath looks at what we're facing.  Three different shades of burgundy on the nose alone. A full quarter-inch of plastic filler in some spots. Rust holes covered in household caulk. A cardboard firewall that's painted car color to hide the crumbling. Chips, bangs, and nothing fits. It takes two hands to shut the door, and a good kick to get it open.  The bottom of the hood has a layer of black goo to hide the imperfections.  And the condition of the undercarriage . . .

But we will make it new again! Better than new, in fact. We'll be finishing this with the level of  craftsmanship you find in a fine wood boat. No corners cut in this job . . 

Reshaping the rear contours

The body work is done on a stand

A thousand little parts to refinish or rebuild

Almost ready for paint

Lots of metal work

The burgundy paint is on!

Painting the gloss black two-tone

Some final welding on the body

The convertible top attachments are handmade wood

Inner panels get painted first, in Glausurit

Fitting the frame for the convertible top

Fitting up the interior

The finished body

Rebuilt engine and transmission ready to install.

The Go-Devil engine goes back in place

Installing new vintage wiring

Summer has arrived, and this 1948 Jeepster is once again . . King of the road . . .

At Robison Service, we started out restoring European classics, many years ago. We were lucky to find patrons who appreciated our work and commissioned more and more. As we grew, people asked for higher and higher standards of workmanship.  I wasn't surprised - after all, we worked on some of the finest cars in the world.  Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, and Rolls Royce. Then people said, "Can you do that level of work on my father's old Willys?" And of course we can.  And we did.  These are the cars America grew up with and loved, interpreted in a whole new way.  You may have seen Jeepsters, but I guarantee you've never seen one like this!

The greatest thing about these projects is that each one is totally unique. I'm proud to call them expressions of the auto restorer's art; translating our client's visions into drivable pieces of sculpture..

John Elder Robison is the general manager of J E Robison Service Company, independent restoration and Bosch Authorized Car Service specialists in Springfield, Massachusetts.  John is a longtime technical consultant to the Land Rover, Porsche, and Rolls Royce Owner's Clubs, and he’s owned and restored many of these fine vehicles.  Find him online at www.robisonservice.com or in the real world at 413-785-1665