1954 Bentley R-Type - Chassis B 114 UM
Better than a Barn-Find Car - VERY Rot-Free
Original Classic Sporting Bentley!
113,892 miles (approximate, 13,892 on odometer)
- 4 1/2 litre RR/B six-cylinder engine, 4 speed manual transmission
One owner for last 24 years, garage-kept the bulk of the time near Richmond,
VA
Older repaint, largely original interior - NEVER a wedding or hire car -
standard-steel Bentley body, like RR Silver Dawn.
(No coachbuilt dissimilar metals or body wood rot to worry about!)
Grille shell and lamps undamaged other than
reflector silvering is older. Fog lamps non-original, Lucas spotlamp is.
Right front bumper corner was slightly loose in these pictures, I straightened
it and the shield behind it. I had not noticed this until I looked at the
pictures!
Glass all crack and chip-free, windscreen is
near-perfect, all glass is original and not delaminated as are most.
Trafficators work, left-hand side is cracked slightly but drive mechanism
works surprisingly well. Odd aftermarket lamps mounted above them in B pillars
do not seem to duplicate trafficator function.
Original 16" steel rims have Firestone
Double Champion 6.50x16" bias plies, they are remarkably still round.
Rocker panels and wings are remarkably solid for an R-Type or Mark VI.
Chrome on front and rear bumpers in remarkably
good condition, very little pitting or rust and no structural damage. They
do not appear to have been rechromed but just taken care of. Pot metal license
plate lamp has some pitting, boot latch handle is better still.
Big tools are in the boot (and need to be secured!).
Small tools are missing. Spare tyre holddown parts are present. Carpeting
is in fair but 100% original condition throughout the boot.
The right side is as straight as the left. The
magnet sticks in various places along it as well.
At about the point where the X in the chassis
comes together looking slightly towards the rear, the frame rails are sound
as are the exhaust and brake rods et.c. In the late 1980s, the floorpan
was replaced with one from a California car along with a major brake service,
new clutch et.c. and major tuneup by a local and still well-known Rolls-Royce/Bentley
specialist (see below for details). I looked for other areas of well
known rust and didn't find what I usually come across. I don't have X-ray
vision and can't see through the old lacquer finish, but I do know what
to look for and what I'm looking at, i.e. the parking light pods are largely
bondo-free.
The underside again, looking at the oil pan
and the right front frame rail which supports body and engine towards the
front of the car.
The speed on my camera is fast enough to catch
the fan in motion, the engine is actually running on choke in this picture.
Engine was recently tuned by another local specialist, and while not perfect
managed to get the car about 20 miles here to my location in Richmond.
This is a 1954 but it's an earlier model than
some I've seen, it still has the early big-tube header setup. The white
residue you see on the carburettor linkages is spray lithium grease, the
linkages were all very sticky. If you look carefully in the lower right
hand corner of this picture, you will see a GM/Delco 10SI alternator instead
of the old generator; this appears to have been done some time ago along
with a negative ground conversion (RRs and Bentleys of this vintage were
12 volt but positive earth). I removed it yesterday and changed the lower
mounting bolt as it was bouncing around. Whoever did this conversion did
the future owner of this car a great service.
Note the original trouble light on the firewall
above the fusebox and regulator. Also note the Bijur lubricating tank (one-shot
chassis lubrication, works well).
Rolls & Bentley engine bays are usually
rust-free, and the chassis plates too, given the amount of lubrication they
receive over the years...
The original radio aerial and the open roof,
it slides rather well after all these years.
At some point, the seat squabs were redone in
vinyl. Seats are solid but fronts will require reupholstery. Shifter works
very well, reverse lockout is not broken.
The car steers and handles extraordinarily well,
with the big wheel and the one-shot lubrication system it has been kept
in good order. Steering is light (not vague, heavy or pulling to either
side) and the suspension still feels 'right'.
I did a little re-Connolising of the rear seat
with Gliptone, just enough to get some moisture worked back into the hides.
It's original, but that's a lot of patina. One of George Pavlisko's Leatherique
kits might be a stopgap, but an interior kit might be a better long-term
plan. Doorpanels are in somewhat better shape.
Another shot with the picnic trays down.
From the other side.
I think the flash makes it look a little worse
than it really is, here's a shot without flash.
Another shot without the flash. The seats are
not as red as they appear with the flash on, but it's a grey winter here
in VA.
The wood throughout the car and on the dashboard
is in good condition, it does not appear to have been refinished. Slight
delamination around the windshield at the corners in particular. Doorpanel
cappings are not sun-faded or horribly water damaged as some are. It's not
perfect, but it is a far better start than most.
The top of the dashboard, the windscreen and
through the sunroof into the open air.
A close-up of the grille shell and headlamps...
...and another of the grille shell and mascot.
partial service history
Records are on hand for the following repairs,
most of which date back to the fall of 1989 when the car had approximately
110,504 miles on it (yes, just 3,300 or so ago):
Shift linkage repaired, complete floorpan removed,
transmission "corrected", clutch and flywheel bad, flywheel remachined,
new clutch, pressure plate, pilot and release bearings replaced. Removed
all wheels, brakes checked. Replaced LR brake drum, front brake shoes, both
front wheel cylinders rebuilt, rubber flexible hoses and steel lines replaced.
Brake servo removed, rebuilt, seal into transmission replaced. Brake master
cylinder removed, sleeved unit rebuilt, installed and bled. Linkage to brakes
stuck, freed-up and adjusted for proper operation. California rust-free
floorpan installed, modified for manual transmission. Heater reinstalled
(underseat). Oil and filter changed, transmission oil chanced, antifreeze
topped off, ignition tune-up parts changed, timing and dwell set. Valves
adjusted, carburettors cleaned. $10,139.93 parts & labour (in 1989 dollars,
too!)
6/2/93 - ??? miles - Repaired carb. fload, replaced
battery, points and plugs cleaned, oil changed, freed-up stuck clutch. Exhaust
repaired - $281.68 with towing charge.
10/31/06 - 113,855 miles - Check fuel leak,
won't start. Repaired fuel leak at carburetors, points cleaned and adjusted,
battery charged, adjust valves, exhaust manifold gaskets replaced, battery
replaced, oil changed, choke adjusted - $690.63
These records, other less-relevant documents,
a clear title and a late Mk VI owners manual convey with the car.
mechanical status as of today
While the car starts, runs and drives, the brakes
are likely out of adjustment. If you're not familiar with the Mark VI or
R-Type Bentley (also RR Silver Dawn and earlier), the brake pedal first
controls the rear brakes mechanically via rods, which then gives feedback
to the front brakes at the transmission driven servo, which then amplifies
the master cylinder input from the pedal and engages the front brakes. My
assumption is that due to the length of time the car has been sitting that
about 10% of front brake action is occurring along with full rear brakes,
about 35-40% of total correct braking power. It could be very simple, and
we may look into this should the car not sell at this initial offering,
but our work does not come for free, and if you want this car to stop as
it was designed, I would recommend a total overhaul of the braking system,
again, due to the length of time the car sat idle.
The clutch is still operating properly, no judders
and I didn't have to free it up, but the throwout bearing is now 18 years
old and has seen very limited service, so it is rather loud. It does seem
to have quieted down some, or I'm just getting harder of hearing.
I'm not completely convinced of the correctness
of the recent valve and carburettor adjustment. The SUs are not well synchronized
and the intake valves have a good tap to them, so I'm almost positive they
were not set to .006" cold lash.
Part of the attraction of a barn-find car is
that you, as the potential owner, get to step back in time about 20-30 years
to when cars like this were available prior to being converted to GM power
or used recklessly as wedding cars. Add to this the attraction of the four-speed
manual transmission instead of the dodgy GM Hydramatic found in most R-Types
and almost all Silver Dawns making this a true post-war classic sporting
Bentley more similar to the Derby cars of the pre-war era.
payment/shipping terms
Payment is due within seven days of successful
auction close via certified cheque, bank wire transfer or cash on pickup.
No exceptions unless cleared with me in
advance. To the impetuous children among us on eBay, I am not stupid
enough (close, perhaps) to receive funds in excess of the purchase price
from your fraudulent cheque nor will I follow any Western-Union scams you
may have in mind.
Shipment or pickup should occur within fourteen
days of successful auction close - again - no exceptions unless cleared with me in advance. ***To the Buy it
Now purchaser***, complimentary short-run hauling within 150 miles of Richmond,
VA is offered free of charge on the back of my car hauler truck. This covers
the ports of Baltimore, MD and Norfolk, VA to those overseas who are interested
in owning this car and can come up with the funds and make shipping arrangements
in a timely fashion.
I am happy to work with any and all of you in
any event. Please remember that I am on the eastern seaboard of the United
States (GMT -5) if you call with questions, I do not like my phone ringing
at 3AM.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS?
E-MAIL ME OR CALL 804-357-4926