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The_Equalizer

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Everything posted by The_Equalizer

  1. You might well have stumbled across this YouTube channel. This video is about the air suspension. It's certainly one of the better MB channels and he there's quite a bit on W220: How to Find the Leak in Your Airmatic Suspension Part 1: Initial Testing - Mercedessource Not W220, but fupabox is also good for W202 and W208 MBs. It's also entertaining to watch the Canadian chap work in freezing temperatures plus having the odd fag while doing it. Certainly greater staying power than I have. Six degrees Celsius is was the lowest I ever coped with.
  2. Taken from Mathewsons' (of Bangers and Cash fame) current number plate auction: January 2024 Number Plate Auction - Mathewsons Auctions Perhaps it's a Southern school boy joke?
  3. I thought it might be either an NI or RoI plate, but Q wasn't issued their either (save for QNI for Northern Irish kit cars.) There's an interesting chapter about Irish plates (both Republic and Northern Ireland) in this book - if fact the whole book is interesting: TH3 NUM83R P1ATE 800K - Waterstones The main thing being the UK's number plate system was created before the creation of the RoI and it wasn't until 1987 that they set up their own system. Also it was still possible to move number plates from RoI to the UK after independence (if my memory is correct). VIP 1 being an expensive example. As an aside, I think the name of that book rather clever what with all the words being legitimate UK registrations.
  4. Shadows were cheap and considered cheap for a long, long time. Only one step away from a pub landlord and his Jaguar XJ6. However images change over time and it's not dissimilar to 2000s Bentley Continentals which wreaked of footballer until fairly recently. I'd now say a good 2004/5 Continental is a decent buy. Not sure if there's now a default cheap motor used for weddings. People seem to chuck such huge sums of money at weddings that the 'new' Phantom doesn't seem to be unusual for such purposes.
  5. Noticed it was originally Shell Grey. Very nice colour in my eyes and one available from the beginning of Shadow production. Just need to find £10k down the back of the sofa to get it back to original. Ho, ho. Sundym is an interesting option too. It's quite subtle and nothing like modern offerings.
  6. I suppose yes. Dad bought his T-Type when I was 15-years-old. He'd always fancied one and it was owned by the MD of the company he worked at. From memory it was £7K which is £18.5K in today's money. The icing on the cake was a number plate he'd accidentally ended up with when buying a Riley as a student in the 1960s. The Riley (RMF) was advertised at £20 plus £20 for the number (it's a three letter combination followed by a one). Anyway, during the test drive, the owner managed to put the Riley through a hedge making a mess of the wing in the process. Supposedly the owner got out and said to my Dad that he could have the car and the plate for £20. Anyway, the plate has been on the Bentley for most of the 35 years. Various things have been done over the years including the obvious stuff with suspension, brakes, repairs to the rear bumper corners, some bodywork. It's got 134K on it and generally very tidy if not immaculate. He's not particularly precious about it as this photo illustrates (we were rebuilding my Land Rover's engine): You mentioned the RREC. Yes, the records are definitely worth getting (if not a little pricey.) Dad's came with some interesting 'extras'. Firstly it has a roof rack with a matching green cover! There are screw fittings mounted to the roof. It also has opening quarter lights both front and back plus 'cotton reel' rear head rests and an unusual indent in the rear parcel shelf (presumably for a hat.) I think the paint is possibly a bespoke choice - known as Smoke Green Valspar (I could be wrong on this one.) My '68 was an absolute gem and highly original. I bought it from Baron's auction in the mid-2000s when I had my phase of buying classics with my house deposit money. To add to the fun I always drove my new purchase back home. I think this one decide to throw one of its brake warning lights halfway round the (London) South Circular. You can see it here (UK photos were actually mine): Bentley T1 #4179 - www.rrsilvershadow.com/ I actually managed to make a slight profit on it which must be some kind of feat. Lol. It is a rather rare colour - sage - which was a Silver Cloud colour originally and didn't last that long into Shadow production. It's one of the very few cars I miss. To my mind the early cars really are spot on, in particular the interior with its 'Chippendale' dash. Good luck with your one. No matter how short an ownership I really think it's worth everyone having one if you're into luxo-barges. Nothing quite compares, although an early Spirit or square headlight Turbo R certainly tickles. As an aside, hasn't there been a bit of a bust up at the RREC?
  7. My Dad has owned his T-Type for 35 years. He long thought that white wasn't actually a factory colour (and I see from your posting that yours has had a colour change from original), but according to this: Most frequently sold colours -rrsilvershadow.com you could have your Shadow/T-Type painted white from the kick off. Could it be that your car was painted an 'official' Rolls-Royce white? It's really nice to see Shadows in use. I've had two (well T-Types, but I'm splitting hairs.) An absolutely superb '68 (now in Holland and sadly now not so nice) and a complete shed of a '71 which I took to pieces. For the latter, despite it being totally irredeemable, I still feel dirty that I parted it out (to use an Americanism.) Here it is before I'd sold bits: They are magic in a way that is hard to describe. Yes, the steering is vague, parts prices that will wipe out your monthly salary in an instant and fuel economy only matched by a tank, but just the waft factor alone makes up for it. Anyway, nicely bought and I'm following this thread with great interest.
  8. Guess the warning light bingo. Varying degrees of expensive fun*.
  9. I'm more mystified by what make and model the car is.
  10. Not sure if this has been mentioned and/or is of interest, but having been on AS for long enough to remember this thread... The FB group is 'Classic Car Sales Northern Ireland' and the ad was placed yesterday.
  11. Absolutely. Popped a new steering damper on my CLK (while doing other MoT work.) The steering was snatching when coming out of the drive. All sorted at a cost of £36 for a Sachs one and it is only two bolts.
  12. Isn't this the stuff that goes through Bloomfield Auction on a Tuesday? 😉 In fact, I nearly came and looked for you in St. George's, but the kids needed dropping at summer camp. Happy hunting.
  13. That really is quite something and in Downham! I suppose they've been there long before such metal had any real value. Off to look at the auction. My ex's mother was from Downham, but had married well as they say, making adjustments to fit in. After a few drinkies her accent would somewhat slip which always cheered me.
  14. Wasn't aware of this. I always try for either genuine or OEM (as in real OEM which can be found after a bit of research.)
  15. Anything with rubber is now a no go on the NOS front for me. Bleedin' obvious if I gave it any thought, but the NOS brake servo for my Series 3 Land Rover (at vast expense) was a school boy error.
  16. And so to its natural conclusion. Blackborough House - Daily Mirror 2016 Lots more articles and images if you pop it in Google. I'm off for a small cry over lost times. Hang on, yours for the price of a very average zone 1 flat in London... Savills Just not the same though.
  17. There was a girl at college (West Kent in Tonbridge) whose Dad owned a scrappy in New Cross. I even remember going there in the early 90s. There was nothing unusual about it then the whole area was generally run down. Unsurprisingly the site is flats now despite a very awkwardly shaped plot with a steep railway embankment to one boundary. Someone else's Dad had just started buying relatively large Victorian semis in Lewisham because they were £70k a piece and that was the level he was at. He didn't mention it to people down his local because they'd have taken the piss out of him. 1996 was the last year London was affordable for the average person. All a bit hard to comprehend these days.
  18. I remember the Practical Classics supplement when it was new. The chap owned a semi-derelict stately home. You can see it in the background of the first photo. The scrap yard was his means of raising cash to restore the place. However, it had a feeling of hope over reality. There were a couple of articles on the place a few years later with everything looking even more forlorn. Real beauty in decay.
  19. Entrance to Botanic Gardens, Belfast. It redeemed itself slightly as it had a very nice V8 burble.
  20. Winter road use seems fine. I do try to avoid using it when there's salt on the road, but that's for the obvious chassis corrosion issues and nothing to do with tyre grip. It was the transformation with the steering with Latitude Cross. Huge difference. I must get the swivels sorted early next year which will be another improvement.
  21. On my Series 3 there were Michelin XPCs which I'm presuming were factory fitted for Defenders at some point. Subsequently I've now Michelin Latitude Cross 7.50 R16 on the front and these massively improved the steering, making it lighter and more precise (well as precise as steering on a Series can be.) They are verging on eye wateringly expensive, but I'll be sticking with them come replacement time. For what it is worth, this has been for road use only. From the spot linked to by @mat_the_cat which seems about as cheap* as I can find them: https://www.camskill.co.uk/m62b0s13260p102023/Michelin_Tyres_Car_Michelin_Latitude_Cross_-_750_R16_112S_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_D_Wet_Grip%3A_B_NoiseClass%3A_B_Noise%3A_72dB
  22. Not sure if these are Northern Ireland issue (not that it matters.) This is from National Numbers. Given there are so many you'd have thought there's room to negotiate.
  23. This is the nearest I've ever found. @Datsuncog https://www.nrc.ac.uk/course/leisure-welding-workshop7
  24. Dave the welder: https://www.facebook.com/davidbrownfreedomwins/about Used him to get the Merc back on the road. Give me a PM/Whatsapp/Call if you want full details. Oh, and I feel your pain... Otherwise I'd offer it up for plasterboard duties (which you'd probably refuse.) Lol.
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