Seldom seen here on Barn Finds is a Rolls-Royce. But this one is too good to pass up. It’s a 1978 Silver Shadow II that’s been dormant for a few months because it needs brakes. The body is good, and the paint looks nice until you get up close to discover a few blemishes. But if you can find a good mechanic who won’t charge you an arm and a leg to keep this vehicle on the road, imagine the heads that would turn! Located in Seminole, Florida, this R-R is being offered by a private party (not a dealer) and is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $5,600. No reserve!
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a full-sized British luxury car produced in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first time the manufacturer would use unibody and chassis construction. The Silver Shadow (I) was built thru 1976 and then succeeded by the similar Silver Shadow II in 1977. No other Rolls-Royce line of hand-made cars has come close to the volume of the Silver Shadow. Over four years, the Silver Shadow II saw 8,425 units made.
We’re told this Rolls-Royce only needs brakes to go back into regular service (but they’re not fuel-friendly automobiles). The seller says he has no time to deal with getting them fixed, which doesn’t sound all that hard. Take it to someone who’ll work on the car and then write a check later. It hasn’t moved out of the driveway in a couple of months, yet it will start up and idle just fine, but it will need a trailer to exit the property. The odometer reading is approximate 56,000 miles.
No immediate attention is required with the paint, although some minor rust bubbles have begun to pop up. The finish shines up nicely and only a couple of places are at issue. The lavish blue interior looks quite good and beckons you to climb inside and enjoy how the other half lives. One way to have fun with this car is to get yourself a chauffeur’s uniform and dress up for Cars & Coffee, telling everyone your name is Jeeves.
Needs brakes? – I can do that for $75,right?
Plus a zero or two!
License plate expired 12-19. Methinks me lady parked this beast over 2 1/2 years ago..
License plate expired 12-19. Looks like this beast has been off the road for over 2 1/2 years.
Jeeves is the butler.
Multi-tasking.
Jeeves, the butler did it in the garage with a wrench.
Brakes can be done if you know where to go. If this was mine I would bring it to the body shop.(after the brakes are fixed) Get those bumpers off and put the early ones on. Non Federal. Fix rust and dent issues. Clean the engine and it’s a sweet ride. Drove one and been in the back seat. It’s really cool driving them. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
A brake job could start with removing the engine to replace the camshaft, which operates the 2 hydraulic pumps for the power brakes and the rear suspension.
That’s no problem just take it to Midas – they even have coupons !
Yep ! That hydraulic pump is adjusted by shims – I needed a 4 thousandths thick shim and so I cut a coors light beer can apart and it measured exactly what I needed. Its probably still in there to this day working just fine.
Not to mention the recharging of the nitrogen accumulators and bleeding about 6 miles of brake lines
“Needs Brakes”…..Scary words on a shadow. The braking system on these is very complex, and is interconnected the hydraulic suspension system. As Chas H rightly pointed out, the hydraulic pumps may be part of the issue. The system also uses special fluid, and when mixed with standard DOT 3 fluid, quickly ruins all the seals. This is a common issue. If the car is sitting low, with multiple puddles…..someone put in the wrong fluid, and it will require a Major overhaul. On cars of this age, the brake/suspension piping/lines are also often corroded, and will require replacement. This is a big deal. If you see one on a hoist, the lines near the brake-pedal look like a bowl of spaghetti. Many are not accessible without removing other components, and special tools are required, even for flaring the lines. There is no such thing as a “cheap” Roller ( I speak from experience, owning and maintaining several). They are also typically hard to unload, once you are ready to sell. As always, have a genuine Rolls expert fully inspect any prospective purchase, before you make an offer. BTW, I have also seen some very nice restomod Shadows with modern brakes, suspension, LS engine etc.
Midas can do it ! They even have coupons !!!
The brake job on my Silver Shadow cost $7,600, enough said.
That is a good halfway point but if you have to go through the hydraulic pumps six brake calibers and rear strut Rams you’re usually double that by anyone that knows what they’re doing
Restomod is the way to go. Simply drop in a 350 (If I recall correctly it already has a GM TH400 trans) , put coil springs and Wilwood discs on it, and enjoy that interior without the expense.
If you´ve got to have a Rolls, that is the only way to go, ditto for old Jags.
I believe that Richard Rawlins and Aaron Kaufmann of Gas Monkey Garage did just what you are suggesting a few years ago, and the trials, tribulations and expense involved that they had, didn’t make it sound like a good idea and I doubt that they would ever do another one.
Cam W is correct.
I ran a restoration and service shop that specialized in Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars. When the Silver Shadow was introduced in the mid 1960s, most factory car repair manuals were about 3/4″ to 1″ thick, while the multiple factory repair manuals for the Shadow cars were over 9″ when stacked up.
These cars are very complicated and require a lot of maintenance. It’s generally accepted by those who work on them, that for every $1 of deferred maintenance, the cost to do the work at a later date will exceed $5, and in some situations, even $10.
The number one reason for a 1966 and newer Rolls-Royce or Bentley to be parked for long periods of time is it needs a brake overhaul. Prior to retiring and closing my shop in 2001, we charged about $6,000 for a TOTAL brake system overhaul, and the dealership in the Washington DC area was charging at least $10k.
To give you some insight into how complicated and precise these repairs can be, let’s take a look at the hydraulic brake pumps. They are located in the cam cover, and require the removal of the entire carb and intake system just to see them. Then the cam cover must be removed. The 2 pumps are operated off 2 additional cams on the camshaft.
When removing and replacing the cam cover, there is no gasket to replace. Instead of the gasket, there is a tiny SILK thread that must be carefully installed around the mating surface between the block and cam cover. If something else is substituted, the clearances between the 2 cam lobes and the pump pistons will not be correct, and pump failures will result, and usually require replacing the camshaft and all lifters. As the heads should be removed, the logical decision is usually made to perform a complete valve job.
If a mechanic not trained in working on a Rolls-Royce tries to do a total brake job on a Shadow or Spirit series car, and they don’t have a factory repair manual to follow closely, it’s highly likely they will screw something up. Factory repair manual sets 25 years ago cost $400 and up.
And just to give a further insight into the brakes, there are two separate (iron) calipers on each front wheel.
And on the rear there is a two-pot caliper each side.
The system is split so that one front caliper is on each half plus one pot of the rear calipers, meaning that even with half the system you have four-wheel brakes.
Plus the emergency brake which in the UK must make 35% efficiency.
The factory repair manual, or manuals as you rightly say, ahh now, they were great in some respects but in other ways I felt they were more of a shorthand reminder for someone who already knew how to do the job :{
——— and that just about sums up my disdain for these dinosaurers. Their very design reeks of arrogance and abuse of the buying public.
Chas H — “A brake job could start with removing the engine to replace the camshaft, which operates the 2 hydraulic pumps for the power brakes and the rear suspension.” Let me guess, this costs more than $75…
Ultimate car service, Uber, or Lyft vehicle. One classy ride!
There has to be a reason the words “Rolls-Royce” and “Needs Brakes” scares me!
Been there, done that. Flashback to about twenty years ago: Bought a cheap Rolls, hadn’t done my research, learned that Silver Shadow brakes are probably the most expensive system on the car to repair, cut my losses and sold it as a parts car.
That said, the buyer was a dealer who intended to pull the engine for another car. He decided it was too good for that, and went a different route which is anathema to the RR cognoscenti but supposedly does the job: converted it to a GM Treadle-Vac system.
There’s no such thing as an inexpensive used Rolls when you need a repair.
Again, as with any vehicle that “just needs “, why hasn’t the seller done the work, as a roadworthy vehicle would typically yield a much better sale price?
Rock Auto has the front pads in stock for $15!!
And that’s all the RR brake parts they sell :(
Evan,
While the pads may physically “FIT”, They certainly don’t fit material-wise, as the R-R pads use a far higher density lining material due to the much higher pressures involved. The Shadow cars use special brake fluid at up to 2,500 PSI, about twice the typical pressure used on the “other British cars” that use the same Girling brake disc pad bases.
Those cheap brake pads may fit, but it’s often been my experience in repairing work done by non-R-R shops, that those pads need to be replaced within 5k to 10k miles of driving. Saving $75 per set [and there are 3 sets of pads], will add another $500 to $1,000 in labor to put the correct pads in place.
Wouldn’t the components for these brakes be made by Girling?
I had a 70 Shadow six years ago.
Driving it 120 miles home one of the brake pipes rusted through. Half the brakes are ample, but even so….
A few months later one of the flexibles went. Again, half the brakes. The flexy was a pita to get at.
A full brake overhaul, easily £5,000.
For me, the takeaway was that you don’t get much of a Shadow for £2,000.
Needs brakes? Yes, run away.
I’m guessing that under new ownership, Rolls & Bentley now have saner braking systems. When were more modern systems introduced?
– and to think VW spent trillions buying this junk producer. Someone ought to have their heads examined, better yet, put ´em in an asylum in a straight jecket. Krazy Krauts.
VW bought Bentley. BMW bought Rolls Royce, or rather the right to use the name, and radiator grille, and ‘Silver Lady’ mascot from Rolls Royce PLC, the world’s largest maker of jet engines.
I’m sure that BMW know a lot more than you do about Rolls Royce Motorcars, the Best Car in the World, and would have gone very deeply into their history and future profibility before paying millions of Pounds for the company. Sure, they were complex cars back in the day but I’m sure the “Crazy Krauts” know how to simplify their build in order to make them less expensive to maintain. As for them being a junk producer I suggest that you go into the history of some of the American car manufacturers build qualities before slamming Rolls Royce. I have owned several American cars and didn’t find their build quality to be any better than the many British cars that I have owned.
Gerard – Perhaps you should have a straight “jecket” as well, to protect you from those “dinosaurers.”
+ 1 more on the expensive brakes repair.
Sold my 72 not too long ago for Pennies after the brakes went out. The local Rolls Royce shop quoted me no less than $6500 as long as they didn’t run into any unforeseen issues.
RUN !!!!!!!!!!!
There is no such thing as a “cheap” Rolls-Royce- the parts alone (not to mention) labor will eat your bank account alive!
Beautiful interior. Maybe you could be towed from one restaurant to another. Ask Jeeves !
I spent 12 years working in these vehicles. As others have said here, the braking system is very very complex. VERY COMPLEX. There are two pumps that operate off the cam, the system is almost impossible to bleed without the correct equipment. I have worked on these for over a decade and even I would not consider buying one. I enjoy my weekends too much.
One of the areas that I found to be very strange on the RR Shadow is that when I was a motor vehicle examiner the front brakes worked beautifully on the road test but wouldn’t work at all on the brake roller test machine. I contacted the RR agent and was told that the front brakes only worked if the REAR wheels were revolving!
I think that was more of a problem on the older models that had a gearbox-driven servo. Oddly enough, R-R licensed that system from Hispano-Suiza in iirc 1923.
Then they licensed the high-pressure system on the Shadow, from Citroen. And made it more complex…
Then of course they used the GM TH400 autobox. And added an electric gear selector that you could accidentally knock into reverse as you were getting out of the car so it set off down the drive on its ownsome…
However, I must say that although my Shadow was a rotbox and a pig to work on, when it was running it was beautiful. A ride like a magic carpet, and a woody leathery interior that when new cost more than my house.
It was also the only car we’ve ever owned in 52 years of motoring, that had power steering.
I found a good repair shop that let’s you take your R-R home for the weekend.
I purchased a 1974 Mercedes Benz 280C that had been sitting for years. I found in the glove box papers where a muffler was installed by Midas in1980 witha life time guarantee. Would you believe, they made good on thisguarantee and in 2017 they installed a new muffler at no cost. I had a twin to this car but sold them due to a lack of a good mechanic in my area.
Ahhh… Ebay! Making it possible for unscrupulous sellers to reach the ignorant masses of foolish buyers with more money then common sense! Helping them to unload their money pits on these unsuspecting fools who, none the less, deserve their miserable fate for their failure to educate themselves before making such a purchase! I hope the new owner of this money pit appreciates the education they are about to pay for!
It sold for $9000. I am a few miles from it and emailed for an address so that I could drive over and see it. I did not get an answer in return.
I also contacted the owner through the eBay contact seller and received an answer about the 2 1/2 year out of date license plate. Her answer was the RR did not have a plate so she found a license plate from another car to avoid problems from the Home Owners Association. Does this mean the car is not licensed in Florida? Sounds fishy to me…
HOA… I used to think America was the land of the free before I started hearing about the HOA….
Nick Name ? Roller ! Reason ? They Roll and Roll and just don’t stop
The thing is, when new this was a supercar. Mine in 1970 cost £9,272 which was near two-and-a-half times the average UK house price.
The people who bought it could afford the maintenance.
Now, it still has supercar running costs, but the people who buy them cheap think that because they only drive a few miles a year they can ignore the upkeep.
And it’s not only the brakes.
The engine is all-alloy, it needs a coolant change every two years, you can bet that often doesn’t get done.
And the rust, in the UK that’s what kills them in the end.
It can be a lovely car, we had 7,000 miles out of our cheap wreck of a Shadow in two years and it only once failed to get us home.
But then it died of rust.
One more comment concerning this car, and a final comment on Shadow and newer R-R car brake systems;
Did no one else notice the addition of a set of GM-Harrison HVAC system controls in the center console? That suggests the car no longer has an automatic working factory twin [upper & lower] air conditioning and heating system, and has been converted to a regular [non automatic temp control] HVAC system.
For anyone looking to buy a 1966 or newer Rolls-Royce or Bentley, the following is one of the most important pieces of info you will ever want & need;
To check the overall condition of the brake system, when starting the car, it’s important to turn on the ignition, but not start the car yet. You should see 2 special warning lights [round red lights on early cars, then square lights marked Brake 1 and Brake 2 on Shadow II cars]. Make sure both lights come on, this tell you the lights are working. Then start the car. The lights should go off right away. If they stay on for more than a couple of seconds, you have the beginning of brake problems.
Let the car’s engine warm up, then without touching the brake pedal, turn the engine off. Turning the ignition on again – but not starting the engine – firmly step on the brake pedal as you would when coming to a full stop. Keep repeating the on-off application of the brake pedal while counting the number of times you step firmly on the pedal.
If the brake system is working as it should, neither brake warning light should come on until you’ve done about 25 pedal applications. The car stores brake fluid under full pressure even if the car is not running, and should provide full power brakes should the engine stop.
If even one light will not go out, the car is not safe to drive. If one light comes on after about 8 to 12 pedal applications, the corresponding brake system needs attention real soon. If both system lights come on, the car’s brakes are nearing hydraulic system failure.
If the lights are coming on early in the pedal applications, then the next thing to do is check the brake fluid reservoir. If the 2 filling ports are marked with a warning to use only mineral oil, open the covers and take a good sniff for the smell of regular brake fluid. Brake fluid has a small like no other. If it smells like brake fluid, someone has put the wrong fluid into the systems, and the entire – ENTIRE – braking system and rear suspension hydraulics will need rebuilding, not just bleeding out the old fluid, as the damage has already occurred.