Absolutely incredible. She actually started on the FIRST turn of the ignition key!! She smoked like blue murder, but... she's a RUNNER, Paul!! Absolutely well done you, young man. I told you she would run, didn't I? And she DROVE as well! Even more incredible! Many congratulations to you. Now you HAVE to restore her properly now...
Not at all, Paul. You're young at heart, mate. You HAVE to restore this lovely car now you've succeeded in getting her running and driving which is quite an achievement! Take your time with her... you'll definitely get there, my friend!
If there was ever a “barn find” car that was going to start first time it was this one. When you have worked your magic on her Paul she is going to be your forever car 👏👏👏
Well done Paul , expected nothing less !.If you join the R.R.E.C , they hold regular seminars at their HQ in Northamptonshire for owner- drivers like yourselves to service and maintain them , especially for later cars such as the Shadow and Spirit.Offering the best value for money if you ' buy right ' for luxorious motoring for special days out and rallies. Plenty of detailing required but will be well worth it .- have fun !.
Great video Paul. These cars are just so well built they just don't break. I've owned a silver shadow and a silver spirit, just absolutely magnificent. I'm looking for another one in a year or so.😊 There is nothing else 😊 like a Rolls Royce. Enjoy yours 😊
Strongly suggest getting a snowfoam cannon and pressure washer to minimise contacting the paint with all that stuff all over it. Look at channels like Forensic Detailing for tips on how to safely wash cars. Amazing that she started first time. Great news
Well done... those motors live forever... your magnetic bowl is the star of the show... i'm off to get one for myself... no more loosing nuts and bolts!
All that prep you did has paid off handsomely!! What a lovely result! I hope you'll feel compelled to do for it what it really needs: a lot of long-distance journeys. You know better than I these cars need a lot of running to remain in good nick...although THIS example belies that, doesn't it? She'll require heroic amounts of petrol to keep her going...but what's money, eh? Mahalo for sharing a very successful automotive moment with us. Aloha and VERY happy motoring to you.
Gorgeous machine, it looked so majestic even moving just a few feet. An amazing find. I think the power steering level needs to be checked with the engine running. Looking forward to seeing it clean and sparkling. 👍😎
Congratulations! What an exciting moment. There's nothing like preparation before a start after a long time of not running, and this was proof it was time well spent.
Nice one. How fabulous. Well done . Keen to watch further clips. My father 1968 Shadow had issues with the brakes binding and the same as your suspension dropping . He had it sorted, but cost him as he took to a RR indi engineer.
Do a brake pressure test. Run the car for say 5 minutes. Shut it off. Turn key to start but don't start it & make sure both Brake Pressure lamps are illuminated.. Start pumping brake pedal slowly & count how many pumps until brake pressure lamps go out.Under 10 DON'T drive the car,15 to 20 sphere pressure is ok to drive but they should be replaced. Over 20 you are OK for a while. When you change the spheres you should get between 40-50 pumps. They should last 6-10 years & you should do this test every year. Good Luck !
Other way round for the lights. When both circuits are above minimum pressure, both lights are out. As the first one drops below the minimum, the first one comes on steady, when both are below pressure the second light flashes - you've then likely only got a single application of the brakes left to stop.
Great! Maybe go to a tyre shop and get the tyres reversed on the rims to lose the whitewall lettering. The other sides will be all black. Would look better with period Avons though. Lovely motor!
good old British engineering Rolls-Royce she purred like a kitten can't wait to see the next episode after a good detail she will look totally different well done
You'll know if the spheres need changing because the ride goes rock hard. It's not difficult to change them though unless they are mega seized. Technically it shouldn't drop at all as it has springs that are meant to support it at its correct height. That said people rarely change the springs and just let the self levelling keep the rear up. Shock absorbers do leak, and are pricey but easy enough to change when they fail. Have a close look at the spring cups on the trailing arms - common and dangerous failure point from rust. Looking forward to seeing this progress!
Exactly so. Unlike later models, the SY and SZ have two separate hydraulic systems happening at the rear. The gas sphere *is* a spring, but it's there to absorb shocks from the shock under deflection of the suspension causing the fluid pressure to spike, the height control is achieved with the rams that push the tops of the coil springs down. Slowly sagging is likely a result of the height control valves wearing, but as long as it rises up reasonably quickly after the engine starts running it's ok to use. Of course, the unladen ride height should be achieved by the springs alone with no action from the rams, if the springs have gone soft/shortened, the rams have more work to do to get back to the intended ride height.
I had no doubt that it would fire up on the button. This is testament to RR engineering and your due dilligence. This car is crying out for a good clean.
Hello Paul, and congratulations on the start up, I have a Sliver Shadow l myself and I love it! I can tell you first hand it Will be the best car you've ever owned if you do 1 thing...........DRIVE IT FREQUENTLY the more you drive a Rolls Royce the less trouble you;ll have with it, the more it sits...the more she will COST you Your sagging rear suspension may not necessarily be faulty spheres, it could be just low on fluid, typically when your spheres have failed your braking as well as suspension will not work properly, they will be sluggish or slow to respond, not to mention you will have a dash warning light that will flicker on at stop signs or red traffic lights but then disappear as soon as the engine RPMs come up not having anyone in my area who knows anything about Rolls Royces I had to learn how to work on it myself. You are typically supposed to check the fluid levels with the car running, unladen with passengers or cargo and warmed up to operating temperature it is also not unheard of for the car to pump itself up upon start up to correct level height then slowly sag a bit overnight however if you see the rear starting to drop the moment you shut off the engine, Then you might have a sphere or Valve issue
That's awesome and really pleased for you 👍🏻😊, sounds really healthy too, I'm also a redex fan, look forward to seeing it get a good clean inside and out then mot prep etc 👍🏻
Terrific result, Paul, and so lucky too! When you consider the myriad of things that could have turned this project into a financial nightmare, I am sure I join all of your subscribers in breathing a massive sigh of relief for this watershed moment. I don't doubt that as you work your way through all of the necessary service points, there are bound to be some trip wires set by the car's years of idleness. in the meantime, savour that celebratory beer of well-earned achievement and the hope that the light appearing at the end of the tunnel is the beginning of this car's journey back to full health...and not an on-coming juggernaut on the wrong side of the road!
Well worth the wait - you played it safe but I have a feeling she would have started back in that Hotel Car Park with a new battery. I have no patience though -kudos to you for doing it properly
I would try and put some of the cars history together. There should be a supplier name on the number plates, they may be able to print you off some of the cars history, for a fee. DVLA's MOT history check on line is another port of call, if you can ID the testing station they may have some service history as well. Good luck wit the car, you are doing well with it so far.
The smoke was the oil you put in the bores....only thing i would have done differently is have a fire extinguisher to hand just in case there was a fuel leak. Looks like its the bargain of the century..nice one...from a new subscriber
The Spirit III uses an auto leveling system called 'Autoride'. It's computer controlled. However the rear shocks are hydraulic, and are fed through a rather complex system. They do have a tendency to leak with age. Just because they raise up does not necessarily mean they aren't leaking. In addition to this, the same system that operates the rear leveling, also operates the rear braking system. So it's not great if you've got a hydraulic leak somewhere in that circuit.
Many a mechanic has have sworn off ever working on those systems because theyre a massive time and money suck. I doubt even RR could fix one nowadays lol
@acs5928 I fixed mine on my driveway? Full caliper rebuild. Changed the brake accumulators, ACV valves. And all the brake hoses. Nothing you can't learn from YT or RR forums. Hardest thing is dealing with old seized brake lines.
Really enjoying the videos. A year ago I bought a Bentley Brooklands of the same age and have been enjoying light renovation (it wasn't off the road, but had little use). Regards the question at the end regaring the rear suspension and LHM fluid levels. It's normal for the rear suspension to drop very slowly when the engine isn't running, and is by design. The rear struts allow a tiny amount of fluid to seep by and there is a return line on the lower part of the strut which returns this to the reservoir. When the rear drops, it does this from the fluid seeping by and eventually sits on the springs, so doesn't 'bottom out'. When you start the engine, the system re-pressurises and the rear lifts once the warning lights on the dash go out and the brakes are up to pressure (it prioritises the brakes over the suspension). For the LHM levels in the reservoir, top this up once the engine has been running enough for the rear suspension to have raised. It's normal for the car to lose some LHM fluid over time as, again by design, it is used to lubricate the brake pedal valves so some seeps past and gathers in the tray below the drivers footwell underneath. It's the tiniest amount.
I share your joy at getting this elegant old lady running again. I assume it's got a/c, would it have been asking too much to hope that was also functioning? Is a tachometer considered too vulgar by Rolls-Royce?!!
Great job getting it going again and I really like the colour and interior of this car. However with your accent, the colour of the car, and the god awful Yokohama white lettering on the tyres it reminds me of Oz's Zephyr from Auf Wiedersehen Pet! Please put a set of Avon's on your shopping list when you can ;) Cheers from Sydney AU, Steve
Lovely car lovely colour when are you going to sort the silver lady out?That was one of the best parts of driving a Rolls when I had one for a couple of years looking at the silver lady whilst driving.
OMG MATE, I HAD TEARS IN MY EYES WAITING AND THAN IT STARTED.. GONGRATS, WOWOWOWOWOWOW THIS IS THE BEST FIRST START I HAVE EVER SEEN. You know when you slapped the front headlamp, you blew the bulb and that is going to cost you a ton of money, you know this right mate? LOLOL..
You need to get the high pressure system, which includes the spheres tested. it has to be able to maintain high pressure after the engine is stopped. if it does not you'll have no brakes. the car shouldn't sink down much on the suspension over a few days. also the brake pressure warning light should turn off after only a few seconds. if it takes a while, there is a problem. I don't think you can measure the pressure yourself. Its specialised and its very high pressure.
Yes I do like his channel 👍 I did ask him if he fancied visiting the wonderful Teesside for collaboration, but he said he had to go to Vegas instead, can't think why that would be 1st choice 😅
There's a guy in London who specialises in hydraulic suspension, (sorry I've lost his details, but originally I found him on the net). I'm sure he would be able to help. He was full of good advice when I had a problem with a Citroën. Better than main dealer could [or would] do.
if you need spheres,get them from citroen,about a 6th of the price from RR,you will see they likely have the citroen chevrons stamped on the sphere,for any spares,contact beare essentials,fantastic RR parts cheap
