Purportedly built for a renowned English Skyscraper Builder, then driven by an Oklahoma Oil Tycoon, then stored for 34 years, this 1966 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Coupe, offered here on eBay from Texas, is said to be one of 13 built in 1966, which was also the first year of the two-door Silver Shadow. With zero bids, it will take $16,900 USD to get in on the fun.
Presenting in surprisingly good shape, this right-hand-drive Roller is described as nearly perfect inside and out. Sadly the seller has had no luck in overcoming the 6.2 liter engine’s stodgy resistance to lubrication. Despite some effort the V8 demonstrates legendary British resolve and remains stuck.
The beautiful wooden dash and tops of the door panels show no signs of cracking or other blemishes. The oversized sunroof makes this rare car even more unique.
White leather perfectly compliments the Regal Red paint and carpeting. Fully restored this rare beauty will be regal indeed. Let’s assume the buyer won’t drop in an LS7 crate motor and go trolling for BMWs. Perhaps a cigar-smoking Texan will fancy this well-heeled two-door and restore it for leisurely outings to the club. Hopefully this well-kept specimen will find itself in “Preservation Class,” as it would be a shame to completely refurbish a complete car in a highly presentable original condition. Ultimately this stylish hydraulically ride-leveled purveyor of the rich and famous will likely grace the tiled floor of a car collection and accumulate few if any road miles. If you could put on airs and pilot this rolling sculpture for a day, where would you go?
If I was moving back to the UK, I’d gladly take this with me. I’m staying in California for the moment though.
That chew mark on the right edge of the dash should give one pause. This car has rested at some point in its life in the Oklahoma rain and sun. Both well know enemies of Rolls Royce. There are many, many much better examples of this car for this ask price.
The engine is frozen?
Good luck with parts availability. It’s not likely that there will be pickets available at the local pull-a-part, let alone in Hemmings.
On the contrary, most parts for most vintage Rolls-Royce/Bentley models are readily available. Not necessarily inexpensive, but generally available. This is a rare model, so some trim parts might be hard to find, but with a stuck engine this car has way bigger problems.
The parts may be readily available but I suspect readily available cash to pay for them might be a problem.
Parts for this instantly available if you know the vendors.
First, RT hand drive. Chain and a fork lift needed to move it. Are we to assume all it needs is a battery and your good to go or…is it locked up..no mention of any of that. Then, 16 K+ price tag? Rolls Royce have terrible resale value. Not like a Farrari or Maserati of the same vintage.
Sorry, English Skyscraper architect? Who cares!
Pretty darn sexy though……..
The ad says that the engine is stuck, so you should assume the worst. I do like it though.
The proportions are all off on this styling. From English Skyscraper magnate to the auto wrecker magnet.
Seriously?
Two doors not seen often, too high a price though. Docs to back up mileage?
A chain pulling the most fantastic car ever made?? I wonder if that’s an omen, of sorts.( do we at least get to keep the chain?) The only bigger money pit than a BMW, is a non-running Rolls.
BMW ? Ouch…
I wonder if they will include the K5 in the background so the buyer could build the 4X4 Rolls of their dreams?!
run
Send this one to Crewe Cutters.
It is a desirable car, one of the few collectible Shadows, so should be saved.
However, price way too ambitious, given the needs and backstory.
Its a shame that its in the newer brick body style. I have always loved these cars but owning one is not for the faint of heart. For $16k there are many other great options out there. For starters a newer Bentley, a Mercedes or a 7 series BMW cross my mind.
Having worked on these if the engine is stuck then there is one too many zeroes in the price.
Too much!!!!
I can get newer, running, and just paint chips with gently worn interior for this price!
I wish him luck…..
I know put a 392 hemi in this with a727 auto tranny and a daul exhaust with cherry bomb mufflers and that way we piss every body off !
Works for me….how about a slant six ??
Unless that a Slant Six is an old Mercedes engine, otherwise you won’t need a speedometer just a clock, as it will take a while to get anywhere.
No. Better yet……..502/502 with a 4L80E, then tub the back for a 9 inch. Skinnies on the front, fats on the rear………a pro-street Roller. Now, that’s different.
If you are going to do that. (502/502) Don’t forget the 6/71 Blower from Hampton. That would really gather a crowd at Hot August Nights!!!
I bought a 69 Shadow 4dr that had been hauled to the crusher. Car ran but the brake system was shot. Thankfully, I have a good friend that offered to see what he could do and he was able to get the brake system functioning with parts off the shelf from a local Brit sports car dealer. After seeing what he went through, I understood why it was hauled to the crusher. Still, not a bad buy for 750.00!
571 coupes built with M-PW bodywork….first unitized body by R-R….Hagerty insurance values this car at $ 10,100….and thats running…..so this one should be about 2-3000…..take 7k to get her up to snuff again….at least it isnt a stodgy 4 dr.
Are you the same Mike Shay that restored a Silver Dawn convertible?? Then you know that this car will suck up perhaps $50,000 before it becomes a $16,000 car again!
As much as I like Rolls this era was a massive pain to keep running. The parts are catastrophically expensive unless you know what regular parts can be substituted, the assembly is wonderful but often the design was just off, not much but off enough to make they really difficult to work on. That this is a two door is nice but it is nice enough to make the price.
I would suspect that a high of 10K should be the limit on this car because mechanically and cosmetically you are looking at a minimum of 20K doing the work yourself and having it done, well you are richer than me.
These Rolls have a reputation of being money pits that is well deserved the only good thing I can say is at least by this time the got the insulation to be long lasting on the wiring system. Which is critical for there is a lot of wires running all over the place.
Good luck.
Engine here for about 3k US
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROLLS-ROYCE-shadow-1-Bentley-T1-1966-71-6-3-ltr-Engine-with-heads-good-ORDER-/152622395857?hash=item238900f1d1:g:tFEAAOSwAuZX1m4Y
There are at least three salvage yards here in USA specializing in Bentley Rolls Royce. No need to spend a fortune shipping from England. But unless the car is nearly free its not worth fixing.
I ran a Shadow for two years and 7,000 miles. Like riding around in a cross between a magic carpet and a library. A very rusty library.
Parts are readily available, and not overly pricey compared to a modern luxury car, but they are not easy to work on, and after 34 years standing this will need everything. A hydraulic rebuild alone will be £6k/$7k, and that will be the beginning rather than the end of it.
Its rarity lies in the fact that it is a two-door Shadow, as distinct from the later MPW.
I hope someone has the wallet width to save it.
It’s lovely and different, and will take someone lovely and quite “different” (with a lot of spare quid) to restore/put right. They are quite the cars when sorted. Smooth. Remember those “good old days” when Rolls sent mechanics out to their customers for an annual check-up ?