humbucker's 1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II

[planetc]

Hes at rich tea level now posh biscuits

Rich tea are for wanabees, I think we are talking Boasters here

[btcctroy]

Is it manual or auto? I have absolutely no idea

[humbucker]

Is it manual or auto? I have absolutely no idea

It features a GM TH400 three-speed automatic gearbox. The shifter is on the steering column.

"The TH400 is an automatic shift, three-speed, longitudinally positioned transmission. It is widely regarded to be one of the most durable transmissions ever built. It is conservatively rated at 450lb/ft of torque. Aftermarket building techniques take it well past that figure."

I'll post more details/pictures at the weekend.

[Cavalier342]

3 speed column shift - all you need in a proper classic!

[humbucker]

Just to confirm, my Rolls-Royce will be making regular appearances in Retro Cars magazine, so updates/pics will follow accordingly

[btcctroy]

Wish mine could see the magazine

[Cavalier342]

Wish mine could see the magazine

I have absolutely no doubt it will once the build is finished mate.

[humbucker]

Wish mine could see the magazine

I have absolutely no doubt it will once the build is finished mate.

^^^ what he said. Let me know when it's ready for its close up and I'll see what I can do

[Cavalier342]

Let me know when it's ready for its close up and I'll see what I can do

That's what the porn director said to the actor.....

[dazzlersri]

Thats a beauty ! The original 'wafting about' car. Needs slamming on air bags and chrome spinners

[humbucker]

The first/intro update to the project is out now in the new issue of Retro Cars magazine

Click here to order a hard copy of the mag (with free delivery to your door), or click here to download.

[humbucker]

Original post updated with first full project update:

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=14245

[humbucker]

For the benefit of anybody who is interested in finding out more about the restoration of my Silver Shadow II's leather upholstery (and for those that might be considering something similar for their own cars), all of the juicy details can be found in the new issue of Retro Cars magazine. Pop along to WHSmith, or click here to download.

[humbucker]

Miracle worker. Magician. Genius. These are all labels that have been used to describe Cambridge Concours head honcho, Simon Walters, following the extraordinary work that he has carried out on the beige Connolly hide that wraps itself around the bulk of my Silver Shadow II’s cabin furniture. I knew that the car’s super-wide front seats had seen better days when I first laid eyes on them, but I could never have imagined that they would be restored to such a high standard without the need for a re-trim.



I left the ol’ land yacht at the Cambridge Concours pro-detailing workshop in (yep, you guessed it) Cambridgeshire while the extensive restoration work was carried out. Simon kept me updated with progress reports as each stage of the process passed, offering detailed analysis of what he was having to contend with and the methods that he was using to combat the dry, worn and often torn leather that had emerged as a consequence of years spent without any form of hide feed or moisturiser.

As you’d expect, the car’s front seat bases and rear bench were removed before being stripped of contaminants, residue left by long-expired balms and any old dye that might have been used by previous owners to cover a multitude of sins. Once cleaned and dried, the seats looked even worse than they did to begin with, but as is often the case with automotive restomod projects, a step back was required in order to move forward. Besides, this required shakedown provided Simon with a proper handle on what it was that I had given him to work with. Judging by the first few photographs accompanying this project update, the correct description is probably ‘a mess’!

[humbucker]

The blue piping that decorates each seat was incredibly worn, as was virtually every panel of beige in the front of the car. Simon discovered evidence of previous upholstery repairs, leading him to check every last stitch to ensure that the seams holding pieces of hide together remained secure. Satisfied that they were of sufficient strength, he began the arduous task of filling deep cracks and tears in the leather with heat-bonded gauze and layer upon layer of expandable filler.

[humbucker]

Each round of filler had to be cured before the next could be established, ultimately resulting in the need for a rub with light sandpaper in order to smooth the affected areas and remove any remaining flaky paint or loose hide. Another degreasing session followed, with the subsequent drying stage providing ample time for masking and the preparation of base primer.

Mixing a colour-matched dye and testing on an inconspicuous area came after the successful application of primer, and the same process was repeated with regard to the concoction of a suitable dark blue for the piping. Happy that he’d found the right shades, Simon then went on to strain each batch of dye before spraying the first coat of colour. At this point, he told me that any remaining damage to the leather would show up like a sore thumb. Fortunately, his preparation had been so thorough that he was able to move straight on to the second coat of dye after the first had cured.

More masking and a painstaking period of applying the blue (by means of a handheld sponge designed for the job) followed, with yet another spell of curing taking place before a heavy coat of lacquer was laid on top of the rejuvenated hide. When the clear coat was dry, a second layer of lacquer made its way onto the leather. Eventually, the fresh-looking seats were returned to the interior of the Silver Mink marvel parked at the other side of the Cambridge Concours workshop, whereupon they were vacuumed and left to settle for another twenty-four hours.

[humbucker]

To say that I was amazed at the transformation of my ‘Royce’s leather from ‘tired hide’ to ‘refreshed ride’ is an understatement! Simon has worked wonders in the pursuit of affording the car’s cabin a new lease of life, and I am bowled over by how good the seats and door handles look when compared to the poor state that they were in when I left them in his capable hands; the extent of the damage found was greater than either of has had anticipated, but the skill and dedication that detailing wizard Walters has shown in bringing my car’s interior back to life is a fantastic example of the quality of work that he churns out on a daily basis. Don’t hesitate to give him a call if your four-wheeled friend is crying out for leather reconolising, repair or restoration!

THANKS

Cambridge Concours
Unit 3 Dry Drayton Industrial Estate
Dry Drayton
Cambridgeshire
CB23 8AT
T: 0800 032 2918
E: info@cambridgeconcours.com
http://www.cambridgeconcours.com







Cambridge Concours
Unit 3 Dry Drayton Industrial Estate
Dry Drayton
Cambridgeshire
CB23 8AT
T: 0800 032 2918
E: info@cambridgeconcours.com
http://www.cambridgeconcours.com

[Colorado]

That is outstanding work indeed.

[James McGrath]

I didn't think it was possible to bring leather back from the brink like that.

Amazing stuff!

[Lowrider Dave]

Superb workmanship.

[humbucker]

I need a swimming pool.



Text from https://www.classicdriver.com/en/articl ... olls-royce.

"In 1997, the Oasis album ‘Be Here Now’ became the fastest-selling album in British history. On the cover was a Rolls-Royce submerged in a swimming pool in true rock ‘n’ roll fashion, but What’s The Story behind it? Classic Driver asked the photographer who captured the well-known image...

You might think plunging a car into a swimming pool would be simple enough for a rock ‘n’ roll band, especially given the devil-may-care nature of many heroes of the music business.

With the intention of paying homage to Keith Moon’s much-rumoured ‘carpooling’ antics, the crew needed to find an appropriate venue. Stocks House in Hertfordshire, UK, was deemed the most appropriate by famous rock photographer Michael Spencer Jones: “It had a swimming pool directly in front of the house, and from a photographic point of view was ideal”. Perhaps just as importantly, it also had the required history: "In the 70s it played home to Playboy’s UK arm, regularly holding parties of a ‘hedonistic’ nature. Make of that what you will…"

"With the band's arrival imminent, I began to imagine their reaction..." Jones recalls: “The white Rolls-Royce arrived at Stocks the day before the shoot, albeit without an engine”. Although the final cover image embodied the frivolous ‘rock star’ lifestyle, the Rolls had in fact been destined for the scrapheap, before being purchased for £1,000 by the crew.





Otherwise in good condition, the Silver Shadow was lowered into the empty swimming pool – the only change being a new numberplate. “It needed to be replaced with a more interesting number” explains Jones, “and it was suggested that it should be replaced with the number plate 28 IF, as seen on the VW car on the cover of The Beatles’ album Abbey Road. This was too obvious, so I decided it would be better to have the plate from the black police van, which was SYO 724F.”



Once the car was lowered into the pool and the scaffolding arranged to support the car at the ideal angle (with the registration number visible just above the water line), the local fire brigade helped to refill the pool. However, “the oil and dirt from the underside of the Rolls had transferred into the swimming pool, creating a scummy mess on the surface,” Jones reminisces. “With the band's arrival imminent, I began to imagine their reaction. Luckily oil and water don’t mix, so with the aid of a rowing paddle, the top layer of oil and scum was carefully removed from the surface.”



With everything in place – including the band members and associated props – the scene was set to become one of the most iconic images in musical history.

[humbucker]

"Bonehead wanted to be shot next to a pool with a Rolls-Royce in it to hark back to the Keith Moon story which never actually happened, so that was that and we set about finding a location that would let us put a car in their swimming pool. Despite what people think that wasn’t done digitally, that car is in that pool. It was scrapped with no engine and it cost us a grand. And all the props around the pool have no meaning whatsoever, I just took Liam and Noel down to a BBC props warehouse in White City and they picked loads of random stuff, it was total nonsense."

[humbucker]

^^^ Not a story that concerns my Rolls-Royce, of course, but a fun article that I thought you guys might appreciate!

[Greig Sri]

Good little write up on the oasis album.

Greig

[ABS]

That leather restoration is incredible. What is a ball park figure for a job like that? Also does it feel like fresh leather with all that lacquer etc on top or does it now feel synthetic?