[Ashley James]

My son runs a business rebuilding these cars, if not completely then
fairly comprehensively, as I have my own www.richardjamesupholstery.com
Clyde may have seen him at Alpine Eagle when he was over there
trimming the Maharajah of Jodhpur's PI R-R.
I'd argue that R-Rs are different from any other car that I know about
and a great deal more expensively made than people realise. I'd also
argue that with £22 for a big end nut, £8K for the bits to rebuild and
engine or £3-5K for the bits for the front suspension and brakes, that
they are rather more expensive than a Bristol. A bare metal respray
including stripping out and re-fitting the interior without renewing
anything except probably the headlining, but including rebuilding all
the rusty body and four doors is about 500 hours.

BCL are currently selling rebuilt V8s to customer's specifications,
typically the bill is over £100K, but I understand that they can buy a
Chrysler engine and gearbox for £5K, so surely the V8s are a
relatively simple car and a more straightforward rebuild not only than
the R Types but also their contemporaries, certainly than a Silver
Shadow although Ferraris, Maseratis etc tend to be quite simple except
for the engines.

My 400 could probably have had the engine rebuilt for £5-6K if the
head and block hadn't been scrap, the front end is simple, the rear
suspension is simple and the most expensive job was building up and re-
grinding the arms that swivel in the axle tubes, but the body and
chassis was more extensively rusty than expected so probably took over
300 hours to restore and paint. It is a much more home made car than
the Bentley and has needed far more fettling to get it to run right
and handle properly. It was not nice without and anti roll bar.

I'd say that if an R Type or MKVI has had about £15K spent on a
suspension, axle, brakes and steering rebuild that it drives and rides
astonishingly well by any standards, but that most are pretty tired.
The 400 is noisy and bumpy and less comfortable and has a similar
performance, though it probably corners faster now it has an anti roll
bar. Before that the tail broke away too soon.

Having experienced cars that have been rebuilt to as near new as is
possible and having driven tired old classics when I was younger, I
must say that I don't enjoy anything that has not been completely
overhauled.

Ash