A bit of mix and match

This beautiful Flying Spur goes very well with the Bugatti Veyron below. They were spotted by the folks at Exoticspotter around the Dorchester Hotel. They are reportedly owned by HRH Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid al-Nuaimi شيخ حميد بن راشد النعيمي the emir of Ajmān, United Arab Emirates.



They hold their own next to each other.



But what happens when you want both cars together? Now there is an option! The Germans at LEW Design have managed to put them together, added some Audi Q7 headlights and some Ferrari 456 rear lights and vola!











There is even a video.

Practice you German by reading about it at AutoBild but pretty much the pictures tell the story.

Pics (courtsey AutoBild & Exoticspotter)

Oh My Gosh!

Take this 1992 to 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible.





I have no idea about the Cutlass Supreme. Never seen one in real life, even when living in the States for six months. Maybe it was because I lived in La Jolla.

Now add this.









Now the rear.





And you get this.







The kit was for auction on ebay here of course, item number 220036575419 starting bit at $US5000. No bidders. What a shock!

There is very limited information about this kit around. Just thinking out loud. Carbon fibre body Continental R made from the moulds. Maybe. Cheap smash repairs. No.

Got to love Gumball

Fair enough to crash your Bentley at high speed, but the stable mate? Yes the new Phantom. 'Bout One Million'.

This is the car at the start of the race - oh sorry 'rally'.

Back Alley Voyeurism

2005 Bentley Continental GT by Breitling.



No its ok to look, just don't touch.



But you can massage this part!

Fair Dinkum

The History Trust of South Australia manages a few museums and one of them is the National Motor Museum.

Its mandate is for a 'centre for the collection, research, preservation, education and display of Australian road transport history'. It contains one Bentley, and it is oh so Australian.

Its a bloody ute mate!



A 1956 Bentley S1 Ute. And its a proper Australian Ute. Check the wiki for a definition.



Pic (courtsey UCP forum user, webfind)

Bentley Barn Find with Fleetwood Mac

From the ultimate time wasting website comes a spotting of a Bentley Mark VI.

Fleetwood Mac's Little Lies has a Bentley barn find. Seriously. Check from 0.35 to 0.40 for a tracking shot of the front.

So Cost of Parts a Hindrance?

It is generally accepted that when contemplating the purchase of a Bentley or a Rolls Royce the standard question is regarding the cost of parts.

It is a fact that Rolls Royce parts are astronomical. Buy a Bentley T1 or T2 and have a dingle in the car part and mess up the front end, and well, the repair bill will most likely be more than the cost of the car.

General maintenance can also be very costly. But through research there can be a way to cut costs.

Here are a few examples.

Bentley T1 & T2 as well as Bentleys from the years 81-87 actually use the GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 transmission. It is the same as the one used in AMC Jeeps from 1972-79 as well as 1967-84 Cadillac's. It is currently popular with drag racers and hot rodders and even performance parts can be bought for the transmission. More information about the transmission can be found on its wiki entry. Buy from GM not RR.

The fuel pump is the same as the Jaguar in the T's as well as the Range Rovers, and many parts are from Bosch where you can buy direct.

There are also some more surprises. Take the cruise control of the Turbo R et al. It is actually the same as the Australian GM Holden VN Commodore, and is made by VDO. ECU is # 412 212/4/1. A lot cheaper from Holden than Rolls Royce and the same part!

Here is a great list of replacement parts for Bentley and Rolls Royce parts.

Replacement Rolls Royce Parts List

Also there are the remade parts from other manufactures. A great source in R.A. Chapman from Melbourne Australia that have commissioned the manufacture of alternative parts for Bentleys. I'm Sure there are more companies as well that make parts, so when something on your Bentley fails or needs replacing do some research and save some cash!

"Full Order Books"

From the 2006 Paris Auto show the Bentley chief executive Franz-Josef Paeffgen described the 'full order books'

Filmed by UnitedPicturesTV

Ouch

No information known. Simply from the file name 'Oh My God'.





from Japan RR & B Club Blog

New Azure anchoring

A video of the new Bentley Azure 'dropping the anchors'.

"There is a big, big blue car about to come by."

Filmed by Fifth Gear.

Time for a Technical Article

Lets decode the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of Rolls Royce and Bentley Cars manufactured from 1980.

Lets take this ebay snap. Can you guess the car? You will know it by the end of this article!


The rubber is actully hiding the last digit. It's a 5.

SCBZK14E9XCX61845

It's 17 digits and they all mean something!

Here is the key.


So straight away we can tell a few things.
-Its made by "SC" = Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Bentley Motors (1931) Limited
-"B" It's a Bentley
-Made in the Crewe factory
-Is left hand drive

Now to look up the model, engine and year

ZK = Azure
14 = 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, OBDII
X = 1999


1, 2 Manufacturer
SC Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Bentley Motors (1931) Limited

3 Branding
A Rolls-Royce, B Bentley

4, 5 Model
Bnote that when Digit 4 is a Z, that denotes an SZ-series chassis platform.
PM Phantom Vl
PT Phantom Vl Landaulette
PT Phantom Vl Armoured
YD Corniche to 1982
YJ Camargue
ZA Silver Dawn
ZB Continental R, Continental S
ZC Corniche S
ZD Corniche and Continental 1982 to 1996
ZE Bentley Eight from1987, Bentley Brooklands
ZF Brooklands LWB
ZG Flying Spur
ZK Azure, Corniche from 2000
ZL Silver Spur with Division
ZN Silver Spur, Mulsanne LWB, Mulsanne Turbo L, Turbo RL prior to1989
ZP Turbo RL prior to 1989
ZR Turbo R from 1989
ZS Silver Spirit, Mulsanne, Mulsanne Turbo, Eight prior to 1987, Turbo R prior to 1989
ZT Turbo S
ZU Continental T
ZV Silver Spur Park Ward Limousine
ZW Silver Spur Touring Limousine
ZX Silver Spur Limousine, 1998
ZY Silver Spur, Extended
ZZ Continental SC
LA Silver Seraph
LB Arnage, Arnage Green Label, Arnage Birkiin
LC Arnage Red Label, Arnage Le Mans Arnage R
LD Park Ward from 2000
LE Arnage LWB
LF Arnage T

6, 7 Engine Type
00 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst exhaust system
01 6.75 Litre V8, Phantom VI
02 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter from 1988
03 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, cross-bolted crankshaft from 1988
04 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, cross-bolted crankshaft, non catalyst, from 1988
05 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter (Turbo S
06 6.75 Litre V8, turbochargned non-catalyst (Turbo S
0T 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst (pre -1988
42 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter (pre-1988
80 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst {Bentley Eight
11 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter, OBDII
12 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter OBDI
13 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst
14 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, OBDII
15 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, OBDI
16 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst
17 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter, OBDI, Traction Assistance
18 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst, OBDI, Traction Assistance
19 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, non-intercooled
20 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDl, non-intercooled
21 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, non-intercooled
22 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, intercooled, 400 bhp
23 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbochargermcatalytic converter OBDl, intercooled, 400 bhp
24 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, intercooled, 420 bhp
25 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, intercooled, 420 bhp
26 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDl, intercooled, 420 bhp
27 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, intercooled, 420 bhp
28 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDl, intercooled, 325 bhp
29 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, intercooled, 325 bhp
30 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, intercooled,325 bhp
31 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, OBDII, intercooled, 400 bhp
32 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, OBDI, intercooled, 400 bhp
33 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, non-catalyst, intercooled, 400 bhp
34 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, intercooled, 450 bhp
36 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, non-catalyst, intercooled, 450 bhp
37 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, intercooled, 400 bhp
38 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, non-catalyst, intercooled, 400 bhp non+ataly4s0t,0 bhp
50 4.4 Litre V8, non-catalyst
51 4.4 Litre V8, catalytic converter
60 5.4 Litre V12, non-catalyst
61 5.4 Litre V12, catalytic converter OBDll
62 5.4 Litre V12, catalytic converter EOBD


8 Restraint Type
0 Other than USA prior to 1987
A Active seat belts, B Passive front seat belts, C Twin airbags, D Driver only airbag
E Twin airbags witih seat belt pretensioning, F Twin airbags, side curtains


9 Checksum Digit
0-9 or X

10 Model Year (note that the model year commences in the European spring of the previous year)
A 1980, B 1981, C 1982, D 1983, E 1984, F 1985, G 1986, H 1987
L 1988, J 1989, K 1989, L 1990, M 1991, N 1992, P 1993, R 1994
S 1995, T 1996, V 1997, W 1998, X 1999, Y 2000,
1 2001, 2 2002, 3 2003

11 Factory Location
C Crewe, W Willesden

12 Steering Location
H Right hand drive, X Left hand drive

13 to 17 Chassis Serial Number
Five digit number starting from 01001. Some numbers are not used (eg 16531 to 2000 inclusive), and some are used more than once.

And now SCBZK14E9XCX61845 in full.

Colour Matching Can Hurt Eyes

It is possible to get out of hand when ordering colour matching on a Bentley. Sometimes you have to realise that it can be too much.


Take this Bentley without colour matching. See, it has black eye liner and black ear rings. The ear rings comment did not work. Lets try black 'rear view mirror mountings', and of course black headlight surrounds. It looks good. Manly, sporting and the business.


Now this Bentley. It is still acceptable. Now it sports white eyes and white mirrors. The white surrounds match well, as do red and silver on matching cars. Most dark colour cars stick to black though.

Now we have the one which is too much. Adding white veins to the mix of white headlight surrounds and mirrors is simply too much.


It gives you a very bad case of snow blindless. Sun glasses are definately on order!


But maybe that is the point. It could also match the colour of your shoes. Think Florida in the '80. It could be spot on. And there is more. A quick wiki of snow blindness reveals another suggestion. It's rock n roll man.. Black Sabbath and their song Snowblind - and it's about cocaine addiction. So, a white shoe wearing Florida resident addicted to cocaine may find this car spot on. Thinking about it, they probably would.


P.S.
Oh, I just have to slip this photo in. Probably a white Spirit of Ecstasy as well!





Pictures from ebay over the years.

Smashed in Melbourne

Here are two Bentleys that were in a car salvage/wrecker shop in Melbourne, Australia.



It is thought that they were being parted out.



Crashed both in the same place. It must have been the trams. Or at least a game of Aussie Rules footy.

Bentley Bumper Sticker

It is a little unusual to see Bentley motor cars with bumper stickers. They are usually adequately equiped with a front badge bar to properly display emblems of clubs and associations.

But this is so socially acceptable. Totally Bentley. In your face, with a cheeky smurk.



Picture of Unknown Origin.

Shock and Awe

Take this.




Start to work on it.



Continue.



Cut.



Remove.



Done.



It's just insane.



And from the back..



Now front again.



Then hit the mags.





The initial reaction is simply shock and awe. It is a member of the axis of evil. But then after a little while it becomes interesting like North Korea. It has its quirks. The architecture is good. There is order. There is history and heritage. But still it is just so wrong!

The car is a Bentley Muslanne with Series 3 Range Rover head and tail lights, with a 2.5in roof chop rolling on 20" dub wheels. It was made by Andy Saunders who is famous in the 'kustom' car scene in England, and has made many outrageous cars.

What is simply wrong are the head lights. But the front spoiler and extended front end do look good. The lower mesh on the spoiler/front bumper is spot on, as are the addition of the lower driving lights. But the head lights - its definately a 'what was he thinking' moment!

Pictures (courtesy)Andy Saunders.