Bentley Turbo R total shite! Now, Brooklands 'R' turbo shite....

[xtriple]

It's here! Filthy dirty as the chap had just driven down from that there London but worse than that, he's put it through a car wash and its taken all the polish off! The back of it looks awful

 

It's not as minted up as my TR and there's a few niggles with it and a bit of paintwork needs doing, but it drives beautifully and seems much more eager than the old one, the brakes are massively better, and it goes like a rocket! It is very quick.... Steering is heavier, and the gearbox is lovely, much smoother and more responsive being the later 'box and one more gear as well.... woohoo!

 

It had to have a new front tyre for the MOT as the old one had a cut on the inside and he's bought the correct tyre rather than a ditch finder. It's also had a new steering rack (really common fault on these) and spheres recently, but it doesn't look to have led such a cherished life. It's not neglected or anything, I guess it comes down to the other one was prepared for sale whereas this one is 'as found' and needs a bit of tlc. The rust bubbles on the front wing are a bit worse than I expected, and there's a couple right at the back of the passengers side arch, the central locking doesn't work on the drivers side rear door and there's an irritating rattle in that door as well... wonder if those two things are related?

 

The paintwork is as dull as ditchwater after whatever chemicals have been put on it, I hope it polishes up okay, the worst bit is the boot and roof.

 

But, the interior is lovely, the seats are great, higher  backed and more comfortable, the engine sound lovely, it sounds really keen to rev as well, and sounds much more sporty! I like the late steering wheel, fat rim and the gearstick in the middle is nice, the inside is a very pleasant place to be. I get a really good feeling from this car: it feels like it could be a good mate, whereas the Turbo R always felt a bit sober and restrained, it doesn't 'feel' like a posh car, it feels like a sporty barge and I can well imagine being a real hooligan in it!

 

Other faults, thermostat doesn't work properly as even after being cruised down the M5 and then sat in Torbay traffic it was only just on the edge of the 'acceptable' bit. Running around, it barely makes it out of the blue and, believe it or not, it's fucking glorious weather here today and it's back to shorts and 'T' shirt! What else, the boot lid doesn't stay up on a slight slope and it's bloody heavy to try and hold, and it's got a scuff on the rear bumper.

 

But it is lovely to drive. I've just been talking to my favourite painter chap and he's going to do all the bits and machine polish her. Rust in front wing is going to be cut out and a new bit welded in and he's going to fit and colour code parking sensors... if ever a car needed them, this bugger does! There is no way to see the back end over headrests and dogs and it is only a matter of time....

 

Oh yes, it also sits a lot lower than the TR. Like an inch or two lower. The TR always looked high at the front to me but this sits much more level and with the short grille and big bumpers, it looks quite menacing from the front.

 

Am I disappointed?

 

A bit.... It's not clean and shiny outside like the other one (and I do like 'clean and shiny' ) and I feel he could have been a bit more forthcoming on the scraped bumper, but, he wasn't asking retail money for it. The others for sale at the mo' are 17 - 24 thousand and this was 11 and a bit!  So you can do an awful lot of fettling for ten grand!  There's a few older Brooklands (not turbocharged, not 'R' spec) and they are more cash than this old lass. The only one cheaper has done 150.000 miles, is several years older and a Cat C write off!

 

I reckon the service at Specialist cars could get dear with a new thermostat and if it does need disc pads (£200 odd!) on the front, and I think they'll find a few things wrong with it, but, overall, it's a billy bargain!

 

If I'd gone and seen it before purchase, I would still have bought it, but expectations being what they are, I am a little disappointed with the bodywork, but the rest of the car is great. It feels good to drive, and the engine feels lovely and the aircon is icy cold and it's got a carphone in the centre armrest which powers up and says feed me a sim card and I'll phone a friend... Oh, and the cd player is in the armrest as well. Busy place that...

[richardmorris]

wot no photos?

[xtriple]

Can't get them off my phone -fucking stupid Samsung kies thing won't do what I want!

[Christine]

Flippin marvellous bargain ! It'll be great once your painters done it ..

 

I did a check and Kimi Raikonen previously owned it !!

[Felly Magic]

Once you get the niggles sorted, fingers crossed this will be a right old British bruiser of a motor, like hooning around in Blenheim Palace

[xtriple]

Well, Mike (the painter) has just been round and says he'll get on with it now! So, it's gone off to be sorted. So what with Kyles car being in there as well later, they will have a busy weekend!

 

Oh, it's having parking sensors as well... colour coded no less

[Timewaster]

Flippin marvellous bargain ! It'll be great once your painters done it ..

 

I did a check and Kimi Raikonen previously owned it !!

Really?

[Felly Magic]

Well Jealous David. Wish i'd the cash to have a waftobarge atm. Done about 50 miles in the white Fav of doom today and my borked right hand is killing me. Urgently need something with power steering and preferably badermaticness

[xtriple]

Actually, one of it's previous owners was Mario Franchiti (or something like that) who I'm sure is a race car driver! Of course, I could well have got the name wrong, mis-remembered, or plain fabricated it

[gordonbennet]

£11k and a bit, frig me sideways a right bloody bargain, even more bleedin envious now.

[xtriple]

Dario Franchitti, that famous Scottish racing driver?

Hey, I was close

[billyboy406v6]

I was guessing Frankie Dettorri ?

[stripped fred]

Sounds like you've got yourself an honest car there which with a bit of time and money will be something to cherish. I wonder how much it would have been at dealers after they'd tarted it up, £16k?

[Bren]

What you paid for it some people are asking for capri's and escorts.

[scaryoldcortina]

and non-lotus cortinas!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Cortina-GT-1968-F-reg-4-door-Classic-/221772125795?hash=item33a2a61663

[fordperv]

There are much worse cars you could have spent the cash on, I'm looking forward to seeing pictures after the painter has worked his magic

[Slappy]

Could be Marino Franchitti, Dario's younger brother, who did more Sportscar stuff, has won the Sebring 12 hours a couple of times. Oh and he's married to Nick Mason's daughter.

[Christine]

Which means  hidden history !! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[xtriple]

Well, it's back! Finally turned up at 1:30 this afternoon all done bar one pinstripe on the drivers side front wing. That is on order - typical Bentley, awkward sizes (2mm and 1mm, 1 of the first, 2 of the second) and no one local has anything close to those sizes. The paint match is pretty much perfect. I can't tell the difference if there is one and it looks fantastic.

 

Of course, it has got problems, and I keep finding new things that aren't right: petrol flap wouldn't open in the station and I had to leave sans gas. The stereo, once again only works on the passenger side speakers (the same as the Turbo R!) and I still think the brakes are pulling to the right on initial application. Oh, and it definitely doesn't warm up so the thermostat is fooked, nice cheap job that (not!).

 

But, it is sooooooo nice to drive! Not used to it yet and I keep confusing the alarm so it won't start - it seems to auto-lock but not all the time and I can't work out what I'm doing wrong. I press buttons on the fob and things flash and doors lock or unlock but there's one button that seems to confuse things....

 

Cannot work out how to adjust the interior mirror, it's electric, but where's the fucking switch?

 

Cannot work out how the dash lights dim or brighten and again, where's the switch?

 

Fucking Bentley seem to like hiding things and I haven't got a handbook (£350 for a new one!),

 

But, it's lovely, looks gorgeous, sounds fantastic but is too quiet! Just started it three times in the petrol station (when I did get the flap open) 'cos I thought it hadn't started - another customer who I was showing off to, finally said, 'it is running you know!' How embarrassing!

 

The list of jobs for tomorrow is growing with every passing second  the actual service is going to be the cheapest of the lot!

[Hawkeyethenoo]

Great stuff - livin' the dream.

 

Turbo R manual on evilBay for £50 ish. Whomever took the original was a dashed cad and a bounder, what. Bad show old boy. 

 

Enjoy

[xtriple]

I must like it, I keep sneaking off outside to look at it! I really want to wash it as it's got mucky marks and raindrops all over its gleaming flanks. Just not on.... but, as all the neighbours already think I'm insane (which I am but it doesn't pay to advertise) if I start washing my car at 9:00 at night, my rep will go even further down... if that's possible!

 

I want to rip door cards off and see why things don't work/rattle, and clean things properly. But, it's off again on its travels without me tomorrow at 8:00 a,m, with the nice chap from Specialist cars, who will, I'm sure, eventually bring it back sans problems and with a big hit on my bank account.

 

Ho hum...

 

Still, I'd much rather get her sorted now at the outset and then enjoy my ownership experience than mess about for months with problems that drive me slowly insane(er) .

 

A friend came round tonight and was making guesses at how much I paid, he stopped at £22K and I let him believe that for a few minutes before I told him the truth. But, I have so far spent getting on for £13600 on it! It's amazing how quickly the bills mount up and the paint was expensive this time, but they did a lot more of the car (effectively all the car bar the bonnet and bootlid - why not save time and money and do them as well, no paint to mismatch then!) and it's lovely to have shiny bumpers with no scrapes or scratches. Oh, and the rest of the car as well of course

 

I'm not used to owning this thing yet: I feel like a fraud driving it, as though I should be someone famous or rich or posh or some such, not a scruffy, mad, old bastard with two loony dogs sat in the back drooling everywhere! I'll get used to it I'm sure, but it may take a while! I have to admit, that this thing feels REALLY special to own/drive/open the door even. Sitting in it is great, I feel so, so, so important!

 

Also, it's really cool to go against the image of a staid old barge, so I keep pressing the accelerator and leaving everything behind rapidly. It is a quick old thing - not as quick as a full fat Turbo R with the late engine (400 hp 550ft/;b torque later 420/600) but as fast as an earlier one which had 300 hp (mine has 326 hp 440 ft/lb torque) and even my Turbo R was only 320  odd. This Brooklands is one of the last (11 chassis numbers from the end) and according to its engine code has an intercooler under the big plastic cover which gives it that extra 20 odd horses over the earlier 'R'. Whatever, it certainly feels fast enough.

 

I love it I really do. Quite how I'll feel about it after Specialist cars have ripped it apart and told me I've bought another heap of shit, I'm not so sure....

[xtriple]

Well it is now winging its way to Exeter. Paul turned up, opened the bonnet and said: 'they're buggered for a start!'  'they' being the front suspension top mounts. I looked at them yesterday and thought they should be in the middle... oh hum.

 

I'm expecting dramas and tantrums when the bad news starts pouring in - dramas and tantrums from me that is!

[purplebargeken]

Fuck it, enjoy it and feel content. You only live once* (sorry).

 

* Other religions may vary.

[xtriple]

I am slightly nervous. No, scratch that, very flaming nervous! I know its service history is a bit 'patchy' but I'd rather it was sorted. I just hope it's not horrendous!

[Bren]

I wish I had your enthusiasm xtriple for cleaning and putting things right.

 

I cannot be arsed even putting air in the tyres, never mind cleaning and fixing things.

[panhard65]

I am slightly nervous. No, scratch that, very flaming nervous! I know its service history is a bit 'patchy' but I'd rather it was sorted. I just hope it's not horrendous!

It has a warrenty so I wouldn't worry too much. The dealer who sold it to you should be worried though. I can't quite understand why you have spent out getting the bodywork sorted first. What happens if it turns out to be another lemon ??

[Danblez]

^^

When does common sense come in to things on AS

[Junkman]

Well, it's back! Finally turned up at 1:30 this afternoon all done bar one pinstripe on the drivers side front wing. That is on order - typical Bentley, awkward sizes (2mm and 1mm, 1 of the first, 2 of the second) and no one local has anything close to those sizes.

 

Are they no longer hand-painted by a man with a very steady hand?

[xtriple]

They are when new, but it is now not new and no one round here can draw a straight line with a pencil let alone a pin striping brush, so tape it is!

[Junkman]

To hire a pinstriper isn't that expensive.