The paint looks epic. I wonder what detailing costs have added to the total cost of ownership because I consider it vital to keeping a car of any age looking fresh and pampered.
I have an old Peugeot Boxer based Camper, which costs roughly the same as this annually. Similar mileage too. Nobody says to me …. “Must be a money pit” or such stuff. All to do with folk’s preconceptions.
I have 2 4.5 Chimaeras, one of which I've owned since 2009 and the other which has just been fully restored after many years. I love the whole experience. The Marcos is a very good car, but the Chimaera is simply the best value for money driving experience you can get. Very fast (especially with an Emerald ECU), comfortable, practical (big boot), handles well (especially with CORE sports racing suspension), sounds amazing and is extremely reliable (one breakdown in 15 years). There's a very good reason why TVR sold 6000 Chimaeras and Marcos only made 137 Mantaras. But I'd like to own a Mantara.
As a general rule - early cars, which are usually the 4.4 V8 - circa £18,000-£22,000. 6.75 Red Label - £18,000 - £25,000 Later cars - £35,000 - £45,000.
has not discouraged me from getting a 2nd hand Rolls. just look at it, if you were my neighbour, I would have an excuse every day to look in your garage
Well, tyres for a Tesla Model Y are around £270 each, so that's something. To be honest, buying an old one like this and doing the work yourself would probably divide those bills by a factor of three. However, what kills it for me is the truly shocking fuel efficiency.
DIY is possible, especially with servicing but can lead to false economy overall. If you're ever thinking of selling the car, and they aren't always the easiest things to sell at the best of times, one that has a patchy service record or one that has been 'home serviced' will dramatically affect the value and could lead a lot of potential buyers to simply walk away. Of course, if you plan on keeping the car for a long time, it could make better financial sense. Fuel economy is really no worse than any other big V8 luxury car of the era, (circa 15 MPG on average, although 20 mpg is possible on a steady, long run). My old Jaguar XJ6 Series 3 and Range Rover Classic are worse on fuel than the Bentley.
If Honda built it , suspension failures 0 , head gasket failure 0 , fuel pump failure 0 . What a joke , appreciate it’s a luxury super car but where’s the quality ??
4.6is owner here and fell in love with it straight away. Like you was meant to be a stop gap for a year or so but I dont think I will ever sell it now. So much fun to drive and being the 4.6 is very rare especially in my part of the world. Few common issues over the last 3 years like window reg and door handle but nothing major I have not been able to fix myself. Looking forward to more years of great motoring with this car and over time getting it mechanically perfect and fully restored. Overall its actually pretty mint but I am fussy.
So an average of £1,684 per year. That doesn’t seem too bad to me. Over the same period of time I have owned 5 Range Rovers (not the sport but the full fat ones) and I have kept meticulously records on the costs and my average yearly costs for servicing and repairs ( and there are a lot if repairs on the earlier L322 ones) was closer to £3,000 per year. That figure was slightly inflated due to my last L322, being the Queens spec car (green with the same interior etc) and my intention to keep it as immaculate and standard as possible. That car almost broke me financially everything went wrong and even using an independent specialist, the costs were eye watering. So, I think that a budget of £2,000 per year to keep a luxury car in good condition isn’t too surprising.
Yep, it's really not too bad all thing considered. Of course, should something major fail, it could lead to eye watering bills, just like any high end car. Funnily enough, i'm searching for an L322 after selling my last Range Rover 18 months ago. You have just reminded me what i'm getting myself back into haha... I still love them though! Thank you for watching.
Although I have a L405 now, having spent a small fortune on my last L322 I still find myself browsing the Autotrader site looking at L322’s. The L405 is definitely the better car and I really like it but there’s something special about the L322. I loved that car!
I don't believe that it took over two weeks (96 hours) of full-time labour to change a head gasket. That is simply not possible. Someone was taking the p***.
In fairness, the work undertaken did also include a full overhaul of the coolant system at the same time and anything else it needed whilst things were apart, which equated to a huge amount of labour. Either way, the job was done properly and i'm very glad it wasn't a bill that landed on my front door.
That's a bit of a unicorn and a lovely find! To answer your question - it's worth only what somebody is willing to pay. With that low mileage and 1 previous owner, i'd be looking to put it through a specialist auction and let the market decide what it's worth.
@@fuelupclassic Start first time after stationary in a barn for nearly three years. no rust around the wheel arch, but there is a little of bit of rust on the driver door and under the windscreen resoviour tank, other than that, its mainly exterior cosmetic. going to garage for a main service today.
My W210 E55 AMG came with all the paperwork from the previous owner, he bought it new and had it 16 years. There were bills for over £70k but he was putting it into a central London main dealer for absolutely everything and £8k of that was for a paintwork and rust repair. 🙄
Lovely car, but the colour makes it look rather staid. I used to live opposite Mulliner Park Ward Coachbuilders on Bath Road, Turnham Green W4 a long time ago.
We have a beautiful Continental R. In the main it's been very reliable and last year we ventured through Spain & Portugal on a 3k mile trip. I was really surprised because the locals just loved it and even the underground car park attendants kept their eye on it. All those people knew we were enthusiasts but it was great for us to share the car with them. We are not rich well to do people, just people who wanted something a little out of the ordinary. This year it's doing my sons wedding so it comes with a great deal of happy memories, what more could you want.
For peace of mind it's always best to buy one with evidence that it's already been replaced by a reputable specialist. Once they're sorted, it's unlikely to go again. Having said that there are plenty of Turbo R, Arnage and Continentals still running happily on their original head gaskets, so it is a bit of a case of luck of the draw, I suppose. Either way, I wouldn't make it a sole reason not to buy one, just be clued up on the potential cost or buy one that's had it done, or seek out an early 4.4. It was/is an anomaly in regards to being a stand out large repair bill, compared with any other in the cars history.
They are not a “hidden secret”. Many of us look at and perhaps lust over them…and, are perhaps (almost) seduced by the seemingly low purchase price that such cars can be had for. However, there is a simple and glaringly obvious reason that they are relatively cheap to buy, for such an amount of car. The reason is, 99% people realise that, despite whatever excuses or ‘man maths’ some people try to apply, that is a very, VERY expensive car to run and maintain! The figures presented here do nothing to dispel that. Most people, who pay for things like their car, out of their own earned money, perhaps have families to pay and provide for etc. They not even going to consider really buying such a car. Therefore, you’re left with, at one end of the spectrum, very young people with no or few other commitments than to themselves. I would suggest that these days very young people in such a financial position and who can just buy and maintain something just “for a bit of a laugh” are almost vanishingly rare. At the other end of the spectrum, you may have the retired Golf Club Gerald types, who similarly have no other financial commitments anymore. Thus, the pool of potential buyers for such cars is very small. For most of us, realistically, the ownership costs are…..well…totally unrealistic! Hence, they remain interesting ‘curios’ that we might fantasise about for a few minutes whilst browsing the internet or watching a RU-vid video. But, nothing more. “The entry price to the nightclub is cheap….it’s the price of drinks at the bar where you get stung.” A great and very informative video. Thanks 🙂
Thank you for watching :) They're certainly not cheap to run but overall the costs aren't perhaps as eye watering as some on the internet may lead you to believe. Owning any classic car is usually almost always a heart over head decision and the cost of upkeep is all part of the ownership experience. For me, the Arnage was my childhood dream car and getting to live with one from my late 20s (I guess a relatively young age for the type of car) has been an absolute joy. They're not for everyone though and you do really have to want one and be enthusiastic to keep them tip-top. I completely understand why many would rather watch with interest from the sidelines, than take the plunge.
I've owned a Bentley Continental R for 10 years. Ive owned a lot of luxury and performance cars. But the Bentley has cost WAY more to maintain than I was expecting. It's more like running an aircraft than a car. But they are like nothing else on the road. BUT some of the specialists are VERY expensive, that head gaskets bill being a prime example.
They certainly can cost a fair bit, especially if you end up paying for previous owners deferred maintenance or are just unlucky with a major fault. Looking at the invoice, the previous owner went for a 'belt and braces' approach following the head gasket failure, which included a full overhaul of the cooling system and anything else it needed at the time, hence the rather large bill.
@@fuelupclassic sure, but my first advice to anyone considering these vehicles (pre-VW designed cars) is to be very careful with some specialists - it's very easy to rip people off with these cars. Yes, they are very expensive to maintain, but they just build on that!
£40425.00 over 24 years breaks down to about £1684.38 per year or £33.00 per week, rain or shine. Not bad for a car that is not used commercially. I can speculate that if it was used a lot more the cost would go down, although it may seem counterintuitive.
It's not really too bad when you average it out and there's plenty of other cars that would cost similar or more over the same period and mileage, yet RR/Bentley seem to be the one that people are most fearful of when it comes to large bills.
How do you gets parts? There are gobs of these in USA that are parked because they cant get parts, especially on these, many electronics that control transmission shifting. Even in the newer GT coupes that are based on the VW Phaeton have issues getting fixed. If we cant get parts over here how come you guys can over there?
We have a number of specialist suppliers here in the UK (Flying Spares, IntroCar etc..), so most items are readily available. However, they're are a few things that are getting tricky to obtain, and sometimes a used part will be your only option from specialist RR/Bentley breakers.
Here's the problem I have with most cars like this......they don't get used enough. The sitting around is killing the unit. Not enough thermal cycling causes the gaskets and seals to let go. Give me a car that gets used every day with a service history.
A 7 Series BMW Masquerading as Brittish 😂 Come in Suckers. An Indian neighbor of mine 24.years ago Had an Arnage/Azzure/Aston Volante/ Lexus. The Lexus was by far his favourite Auto. Reliable/ Refined. He was a great Guy. Just fogot about paying tax. Ooopps.
Back in the seventies my friends were sitting around my kitchen table talking about what was acceptable as annual maintenance costs for our cars. We were all young Canadian boys and none of us had what I'd call a nice car. But the consensus was that if your car dinged you for a thousand bucks a year , you were in the sweet spot. That was then and since that time inflation has really skewed our notions of relative value. Your Arnage cost about 1500 pounds annually in maintenance. Call that $2000 dollars in age appropriate currency. I'd say that for the sheer pleasure of owning a bus like that , 1500 pounds puts you in that sweet spot. The odd head gasket job might make you swallow your tongue but you have to just pay up or lose your shirt. I think that fancy car has been (from a very narrow perspective) a cheap luxury.
What a stunning drivers car you have! For everyone commenting negatively, it's okay to not be a car enthusiast. You can go to your driveway and take out your humdrum econo car that gets good gas mileage and is driven by a CVT. There's nothing wrong with commuter cars, they're driven by commuter NPCs 😉 But seriously, for enthusiasts - true enthusiasts who have a love for the car(s) they drive, they see the cost of purchase and add a number atop that. That's what's required to not just purchase the car but keep it running. When you get a used car, you're buying into all of the previous owners problems and mistakes. Just do your homework by watching videos like this to get an idea of what the average cost of ownership might be. And remember that the cost listed here was for the LIFETIME of the vehicle, the cost over 24 years by numerous owners. If you know what you're getting into, it's a good idea to keep an amount set aside and like I said, add to the purchase cost of the vehicle as it's just the entry fee. Be aware of what common issues are by reading ownership forums, watching repair videos, etc. Get to know the car. For me and I'm sure many other enthusiasts that's part of the joy of the experience. Getting to learn about the car, it's faults and how to correct them. ALL used cars will come with a price that's more than the cost of purchase, to keep them running. Unless you're buying a CPO car, you're getting someone else's problems that might need mitigation. Whether it's your run of the mill Japanese car or South Korean car, or one of the reliable econoboxes from America or Europe, all cars will cost money to keep on the road. And while many people may get away with just doing oil changes, you'll often come across people who buy these cars who are of the mindset that they don't want to pay for maintenance costs and will skimp on the oil changes and cause major headaches for the next owner. Oil changes are the key to the health of your engine, for all makes and models. For example, I have a 97 BMW 540i, with the 4.4l V8 that's found not just in other BMW's but also Range Rovers and the Bentley Arnage even(The Green Label series) and the internet loves to talk about timing chain guide failure on these engines. But that's usually at about 150-200k miles, and even then it's not a guarantee that the failure will happen if the car had religiously maintained oil changes. Some people are on 250k-300k miles on original guides. But like the head gasket failures of the Bentley 6.75L V8, it's a one and done type of repair. I did mine when I bought the car, because it was at 197k miles and didn't have it documented amongst it's fairly detailed service history. But it was preventative, and now I don't have to worry about it for another 150-200k miles. So while the BMW V8 is infamous for these issues, it's not as bad as the internet makes it out to be. There's another person who commented on this video who as a previous owner of 2 Bentley Arnages said he would gladly buy another one, but specifically the Green Label series for it's BMW V8 which he said, and I quote was "Exquisitely reliable" Everything is relative, just know what you're getting and be happy with it. And if someone else is happy to pay for their car, why put them down just because you don't have one? You choose to drive an econo car, that's fantastic for you. Enjoy your car and let others enjoy theirs, don't get in another man's wallet and judge how he spends his money 😂😂💀💀
Oh my lord! Firstly id like to congratulate you on a simply gorgeous car! I'd like to maybe own one some day! As the owner of a 2005 Aston Martin DB9 i can sympathise with the running costs. Ive had it only 6 months and have only driven it on odd occasions but its fantastic. However the history file that came with it makes ahem interesting reading! Servicing is on a par with your Bentley but some of the invoices are staggering.thankfully had a pre purchase inspection done which showed up a few things which were rectified at the dealers expense so fingers crossed im good for a while. MPG on the Aston is marginally better than yours at an average of 19.7 mpg! But,like your Bentley the smiles per mile are immeasurable. Thanks for sharing.👍👏👏👏♥️
If you buy one of these you're probably best befriending a retired Bentley mechanic who repairs and maintains them at home just for the love of it and doesn't charge because he's having so much fun.
Haha! That would be wonderful, although I think it might be incredibly difficult to find this mysterious retired Bentley expert, who is still willing to take on work from his home and not charge.
It is my contention, that people who acquire these cars are not really owners but are simply 'Caretakers' of these prestigious automobiles until the next person 'Acquires. them.
Being an MGBGT owner and MGOC member I've been interested in the TF for some years, and that feelings only got stronger more recently, and am currently contemplating acquiring an LE500. I'll just need to get the timing belt changed as last change is going over the 4 year time interval.
Not too bad really :). Thankfully, depreciation is pretty much non existent on these now, road tax is low for pre- 2006 cars and insurance is very reasonable. However, there's no shying away that they can cost a fair bit to keep in tip-top condition.
A good and informative video, thank you, I agree with your point about only buying one with the fullest service history you can find. As an Ex Rolls Royce And Bently owner myself, I endorse the fact, that if you buy a "cheap" neglected one, you will without doubt regret it. It is important to say the real cost of ownership, is indeed quite reasonable, particulaly if you factor in, the pure joy of owning such a fine vehicle. Nay sayers, buy something different.
New indicator switch for my Toyota Aygo - change out of £40, (fitted it myself inside 1 hour - including drinking 2 mugs of tea) 20 quid PA road tax too😁😁😁😁
@@timbo19751975 I agree, but seriously, if I had the money to buy and run a Bentley (or any other exotic car) I don't think I would as I consider them a waste. Just my personal opinion, your mileage may vary.
I have owned 2 Arnage. A 6.75 and one of the original 4.4 If I was looking at buying a third one of these beautiful cars then I would not look beyond the 4.4 'Green Label'. I used 'Starmans' (Nottingham) independent for servicing (the guys are passionate about their Bentley and Rolls) and never felt either ripped off or as though they did work that didn't need doing. The 4.4 is incredibly reliable, and does not suffer the head gasket issues the 6.75 suffers from. I would personally go for a car that has higher mileage but a good service history rather than a low mileage garage queen....
Great to hear from fellow owners of both variants. I'm tempted to give a 4.4 a go, just to see the difference. Thankfully, head gasket issue aside, the 6.75 in this one has never given any dramas and still pulls what is a big heavy car along exceptionally well.
LOL project much? If you don't like cars why'd you click on this video? If you like cars why hate on another car guys preference? It sounds like you just don't enjoy driving, so you'd never have ventured out in life to get behind the wheel of a drivers car. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean you need to be insulting
Prices are not as shocking as I thought it would be. I'm trying to convert the pounds to U.S. dollars here... Not too shabby, but over 40,000 pounds of service in its lifetime is pretty damn high.
