Project Bentley
- Thread starter JRS
- Start date
Pumped straight up, ride is back to being as good as it was now as well. Amazing what a Bentley can do when it actually has LHM in the reservoir....
Car drove very well in fact. Taking it up to a restaurant later to give it an extended run up the A444. Really happy with what we've done this week.
Now if we could just have some decent weather when I next do something on it, that'd be great....
Lovely, looks to be all coming along nicely there. You should bring this to a Motors meet some time 
...I think a fair few people would find this very interesting. Although you might need a whip round to fund the fuel for the rides 
I'd love to do something like this with a Jaguar XJS ...I don't have the space though ...or the knowledge, but if I had the space I could play around and gain the knowledge I suppose.
...I think a fair few people would find this very interesting. Although you might need a whip round to fund the fuel for the rides I'd love to do something like this with a Jaguar XJS ...I don't have the space though ...or the knowledge, but if I had the space I could play around and gain the knowledge I suppose.
a V12 xj coupe is just the sex. XJS a bit "meh" imho
Permabanned
There aint many coupes left, at least you can find a half decent XJS project car.
You should bring this to a Motors meet some time
I'd love to....fancy paying for the petrol?
In all seriousness, a halfway local meet-up wouldn't be expensive at all. And even driving a distance isn't exactly out of sight now that the engine work has been done and it's actually operating properly once up to temperature....God bless muppets who 'repair' vacuum pipes by wrapping them in electrical tape, 'cause no other bugger would bless 'em....
Soldato
The interior reminds me of an X300 XJ, and the thing that baffles me when you see one of these nice Bentleys drive past is that the driver looks like he's seated so high up.
Permabanned
Thats because your car is quite low and those Bentleys are quite high
Well, looks like I know what I'm doing next weekend now....taking the front seats apart.
Woo.
Actually shouldn't be too difficult, we've already taken the drivers seat halfway apart before to change the seat memory box underneath it. Also gives us the chance to replace all the mismatched screws and missing cup washers....If I ever catch hold of the pack of retards that worked on this car in the past I shall not be held responsible for my actions....
Woo.
Actually shouldn't be too difficult, we've already taken the drivers seat halfway apart before to change the seat memory box underneath it. Also gives us the chance to replace all the mismatched screws and missing cup washers....If I ever catch hold of the pack of retards that worked on this car in the past I shall not be held responsible for my actions....
So, the seats are in pieces.
You see that innocuous looking orange wire towards the right of the last pic? There's a story there....
When we photographed the dashboard the other day we laid the front seats right back as far as they'd go so we could get the shot. The passenger seat worked perfectly afterwards, but the drivers seat would only rake forwards and backwards with a pause every couple of seconds.
We had visions of damaged gears
So with the seats apart, we went looking for the damaged gear that we were sure was lurking in one of the gearboxes on the seat. These are a fair old pain to remove and take apart, and they're packed with grease which gets everywhere. While we were at it, we noticed that orange wire wasn't actually connected to anything....
D'oh!!!!!
Wire re-connected, seat works perfectly. Nice, easy, cheap fix. Just wish we'd spotted it BEFORE taking one of the gearboxes apart!
You see that innocuous looking orange wire towards the right of the last pic? There's a story there....
When we photographed the dashboard the other day we laid the front seats right back as far as they'd go so we could get the shot. The passenger seat worked perfectly afterwards, but the drivers seat would only rake forwards and backwards with a pause every couple of seconds.
We had visions of damaged gears
So with the seats apart, we went looking for the damaged gear that we were sure was lurking in one of the gearboxes on the seat. These are a fair old pain to remove and take apart, and they're packed with grease which gets everywhere. While we were at it, we noticed that orange wire wasn't actually connected to anything....
D'oh!!!!!
Wire re-connected, seat works perfectly. Nice, easy, cheap fix. Just wish we'd spotted it BEFORE taking one of the gearboxes apart!
Suspended
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 9,479
Nice thread. How long do you think it'll be before you have this project finished?
Not sure really. We're getting close to having the interior finished. Got to go back to the bodywork then, tidying the paint up in places and finishing the rear bumper. And the cruise control doesn't work (bad connection we think).
Drives superbly now. It was good before the last round of work, but it really is something else now that the suspension is back to full LHM capacity. Think it'll be even better when the tracking is done.
Suspended
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 9,479
Nice
Keep going then chap - one step at a time
Keep going then chap - one step at a time
one step at a time
Absolutely. Could do with a few less moments where we seemingly take a step back (that sodding orange wire being the latest!), but in general we're making some good progress. And at the end of the day, I've seen parts cars and CAT C/D write-offs go for more than my friend paid for this one....
It was very badly treated for a while, so we're undoing more than a few bodges. It's unfortunate (would be easier to fix stuff that hadn't been dicked with and jury rigged), but just one of those things that you have to accept, take a deep breath and do what we do - plough right in with a chunk of engineering knowledge and a lot of enthusiasm
Soldato
Cool project. Good luck with it.
Fun day.
Got the interior of the Bentley clear earlier so that there's room for the guy sorting the leatherwork to do his stuff. My friend decides that his XJ8 LWB needs a bit of a run as it's been sat a few days. Halfway along this run, he stops to let the oncoming traffic by (which has priority).
The lady behind him didn't stop.
Cue one buggered up rear bumper, cracked light cluster, and Lord only knows what else until it's investigated properly (hoping nothing, but it was a pretty solid hit apparently).
*sigh*
So, that's two of the cars in his household out of commission. All that's left is a mechanically sound but cosmetically ropey Granada 2.9i estate, and whatever courtesy car he gets from the insurers tomorrow.
Got the interior of the Bentley clear earlier so that there's room for the guy sorting the leatherwork to do his stuff. My friend decides that his XJ8 LWB needs a bit of a run as it's been sat a few days. Halfway along this run, he stops to let the oncoming traffic by (which has priority).
The lady behind him didn't stop.
Cue one buggered up rear bumper, cracked light cluster, and Lord only knows what else until it's investigated properly (hoping nothing, but it was a pretty solid hit apparently).
*sigh*
So, that's two of the cars in his household out of commission. All that's left is a mechanically sound but cosmetically ropey Granada 2.9i estate, and whatever courtesy car he gets from the insurers tomorrow.
Did I see you in your car today heading over the A38 at Alrewas towards Kings Bromley? There were two cars (One a Bentley in your colour) on the way to I presume a show of some sort (I've seen quite a few classics out today, more than the usual Sunday, all heading the same way)
Edit: The other one might have been an XJ8, If it was it must have been you! Your car looks awesome!
Edit: The other one might have been an XJ8, If it was it must have been you! Your car looks awesome!
Last edited: