4th Oct 2011, 08:38
To be honest, installing seat belts isn't the biggest deal with any Rolls Royce. These cars are built like tanks, and if you or any passenger dies in an accident behind the wheel, then that accident was almost unsurvivable period. These cars have superior build quality and materials compared to most of the stuff being turned out today, so you really don't need to worry too much about safety in a Rolls. Just enjoy the car the way it was made, because if you begin tampering with the car and changing it up with parts and features that are foreign to it, is it still truly a 100% Rolls Royce?
4th Oct 2011, 10:05
I have seen some of these at cruise nights and shows, re-powered with domestic drive trains. It will cost as much as the car to convert, but then they have modern reliable drive trains. I just saw one Chevrolet powered at the Hagley 2011 annual show. I have also seen Jag XKE models likewise. I know of one with a Ford 351 in it. Drop a Jasper engine, or better yet a stroker in one. I like stock cars, but if the engine goes, set it aside. I like better tires, disc brake upgrades, cooling without guilt in older cars. I also like modern electric gauge clusters vs the cars with electrical gremlins.
12th Dec 2011, 20:13
All Australian, and many other, delivery Shadows had seat belts installed by the dealer locally, and there is provision for installing them built into every car. Retractable front seat belts have the retractors under a floor plate next to the front seats.
Rear seats belts however have the retractors mounted on the parcel shelf - these are usually covered with vinyl or leather, and dyed to match the shelf.
All the technical information and advice you will ever need for these cars is available **free** on the Australian RR club website. Just google RROCA, and go to the forum for discussion, or the technical section for copies of everything from the mechanic's workshop manual, to instructions for fixing inevitable minor annoyances and more.
Also on the site is Tee One topics - read and enjoy.
My 1974 Shadow is my first (and last!) car, and I don't regret a penny spent on her.
Two pieces of advice for the novice:
1- Get an inspection done by an RR expert on several cars before deciding to buy. Every $100 you spend before you find a good one will save you $1000 afterwards.
2- Drive it as often as you can afford to put fuel in it. Low mileage is not necessarily a good thing on these engines. Repeat after me: Drive, Drive, Drive.
12th Nov 2015, 13:35
Imagine parking a 1969 Z/28 Camaro worth 6 times as much next to this at a car show. Still wouldn't bother me who is next to me at a show. Sometimes it helps not being all the same models together as far as judging.
22nd Mar 2017, 03:46
Someday - this isn't forever ( life).
T.E. Lawrence had it right - enough petrol & tyres to last a lifetime!
Mike Rambeau.
23rd May 2017, 21:13
I have parked next to both Rolls Royce and Bentleys, as well as many really strange vehicle interpretations over the years at shows. No issue just because it's a Rolls, and an old one at that. Most people at shows I have noticed that mainly get upset are with people who arrive very early and park the new or newer family minivan or sedan right in the midst of an active collector or classic car show. Shouldn't even be in there. And they typically always wander off and just leave it. So you can park a 6 figure classic next to an unwashed modern 4 door vehicle for the day. And everyone looks and asks why it's even parked there. Seeing a 10k Rolls typically isn't a remarkable view at a show. I would buy to enjoy driving it more than the image.
20th Oct 2019, 10:45
Comments like these tell me that you do not understand anything about what these cars offer or represent. And most definitely do you not understand their unsurpassed quality and superlative ride. They are not about any of the things you mention, and you are most certainly incorrect in your assertion that the original RR engines are less reliable than some mass-produced horsepower machine. Properly maintained, the RR engine will give limitless good service—indeed, it is hardly ever responsible for causing the car to "fail to proceed".
31st Aug 2010, 15:04
You cannot let a Silver Shadow sit. That's the worst thing you could do, the car is only a daily driver, the more you drive it, the better the car will work and perform.