| Author | Message | ||
     Ben crombie Yet to post message Username: crombo97 Post Number: 1 Registered: 9-2006 |
Hi everyone My name is Ben I have just signed up to this fourm I have a 1968 Silver Shadow Chassis no SRH1011 [IMG]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/crombo97/Publication1rolls.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/crombo97/IMG_0960.jpg[/IMG] | ||
| Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 54 Registered: 5-2005 |
Ben Stop press!!. Those that know me know that I have a thing for chassis numbers and the one you have quoted got my attention. If the number you quote is correct, the car you have is not a '68 model but a '66. Not only that SRH1011 was the very first Silver Shadow delivered to Australia ! A very historic car indeed. Please can you confirm the chassis number. The early history of the car has been recorded in the archives of the RROCA and I would draw your attention to Praeclaum pp1128 no.1-86 and In the Rear View Mirror by David Neely pg 31 as a starting point! | ||
| Glenn Amer Experienced User Username: recordo Post Number: 22 Registered: 4-2005 |
Welcome Ben! I've finally found someone with an earlier chassis than mine - mine is SRH1964. Your Chassis number would suggest 1965 as the year of production to me - any others offering suggestions? If SRH1011 is correct, it would be the tenth shadow made as numbers started at 1001. You'll find tonnes of information on this forum - it's been invaluable to me to keep my Shadow running nicely. regards, Glenn. | ||
| Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 55 Registered: 5-2005 |
Quite correct Glenn, a '65 model. SRH1011 arrived in Melbourne on the 21st of February 1966 via Kellow Falkiner. Don't forget there was a few Bentley T's in there as well. In fact the first car was SBH1001 effectively making the Shadow a derivative of the Bentley T series! | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 1092 Registered: 4-2003 |
Mark et all, Was not SRH1011 once owned by Bruce Ross in Sydney ? I recall that the first SY in the country is indeed a T-Series, and that Bruce Ross aquired the first Silver Shadow to reach our shores some years later. | ||
| Ben crombie New User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 4 Registered: 9-2006 |
Acording to the rego papers the Vin is SRH1011 but it is regestered as a 1968 Thats a bit strange then!!!! | ||
| Ben crombie New User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 5 Registered: 9-2006 |
Does anyone have a link to the info on this chassis no | ||
| Ben crombie New User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 6 Registered: 9-2006 |
I just double checked the plate on the car Pic is below  | ||
| Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 56 Registered: 5-2005 |
The plate dont lie! Ben you own the first Shadow delivered to Australia. With aknowledgment to Praeclarum pg 1128 and the late Bert Ward for the following info. "It was February 21st 1966 that the first Silver Shadow arrived in Australia...SRH1011 was consigned to the late Jack Vidler, who was the Rolls-Royce representative for Australia and had his office in Melbourne. The shadow was unpacked by Messrs. Kellow Falkiner Pty.Ltd. who also prepared the car for the road. It was then placed on their showroom floor and used for demonstrations". Bert Ward flew down from Sydney to drive the car back to Sydney with Jack Vidler and Patrick Kane-White. The car was driven to the Rolls-Royce service station in Zetland Sydney where it was checked and cleaned. The car was then placed on the showroom floor at York Motors Pty.Ltd. in William street Sydney. "When York Motors had finished with the car in the showroom, and demonstrations finished, the Silver Shadow was passed on to the general manager of Rolls-Royce Australia, Mr Ken Wright, for his use. The car was then registered in Sydney. The number plate fitted was EMS-814. The car remained available to be used for demonstrations when required." The original Melbourne registration was JLD760 and its original color was metallic shell grey. For Richard, although the first SY car was a T series SBH1001 and the first Shadow was SRH1002, I am confident SRH1011 was not only the first Shadow delivered to Australia but the first SY car delivered to Australia. As an aside guess who owns the first Shadow II delivered to Melbourne? | ||
| Glenn Amer Experienced User Username: recordo Post Number: 23 Registered: 4-2005 |
What an interesting thread this has turned into. Ben, my car is SRH1964, probably built in 1965, (according to Rolls-Royce published chassis listings they were up to chassis 2000 by 1966) but according to the RTA it was made in 1964 (impossible) because they continally confuse the chassis number as the year of manufacture. When I bought the car it was advertised as 1969 - so it all really boils down to the chassis number in the end. As an aside, the original owner of my car was the late Guy Freeman who was Queensland Branch president 78-79 and Federal President from 1979-1981. (Praeclarum, 4-06, page 4769). I think I've just worked out the discrepancy - just checking the owner's "Operating Instructions" I see the car was originally delivered 14th April, 1967, which may account for some of the confusion. Anyhow, good luck with your very important car! | ||
| Ben crombie New User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 9 Registered: 9-2006 |
Wow that really interesting Im from Orange NSW and i was wondering if there are any other members out this way. Just wondering because i know there wat a RR rally to Orange at the start of the year. I brought my RR after seeing some of the beautiful cars that were in Orange that weekend. I knew i had to own one. Im 29 now so i better start saving for my Phantom EWB  | ||
| Jason Pfeiffer Experienced User Username: jpsnaggs Post Number: 30 Registered: 7-2006 |
Welcome to the board. I have not heard anything out of you yet about car problems, so you are doing well it seems! Nice looking car! | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 651 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Ben, In my capacity as Federal Registrar for the Silver Shadow and Derivatives Registry I am absolutely delighted to see the re-emergence of a very historic vehicle and one which will prove to be a very astute purchase on your part. Would you please join the NSW Branch of the RROC[Aust] when you get the chance as you will be able to meet fellow owners and access all sorts of useful advice and information. You can do this by emailing our Membership Secretary Patty as below: membership@nsw.rroc.org.au Please do not hesitate to contact me direct through the contact link on this Forum if there is anything you need which you do not wish to raise publically on the Forum. (Message edited by david_gore on October 06, 2006) | ||
| Robert Wort Grand Master Username: robert_wort Post Number: 334 Registered: 12-2004 |
Nice to see a young'un get into the R-R act. I got my 1st one when I was 25 which was 29 years ago. Once infected, thankfully never cured. Please take David's advice and join the club. It's well worth the effort. Welcome aboard Ben. | ||
| Ben crombie New User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 10 Registered: 9-2006 |
Thanks for the comment guys I will be looking into joining the RROC But there is some bad news  My Silver Shadow has had a engine conversion It now has a 400ci chev in it. I have been in contact with its past owners to try to get hold of the Original engine. Ive made the move from BMW's to RR I still own a E34 M5 | ||
| Robert Wort Grand Master Username: robert_wort Post Number: 337 Registered: 12-2004 |
Oh dear, that is bad news isn’t it? But take heart, you can still enjoy your new purchase until you find a proper power plant. Hopefully, you will find the original engine and hopefully, it will be repairable. Sadly, it may not be and the last owner did the engine swap to save a few dollars and keep the car on the road. You have two options here Ben. 1. Find the original engine and ascertain whether is restorable (This would be expensive). 2. Find another genuine second-hand power plant to suit your model and install that. The second option may result in you searching the net for second-hand engines (Ebay for instance), but it also strengthens the argument for joining the club as someone may be able to help you. In either instance, ensure that the engine is thoroughly checked out by someone who knows what they are doing. If, perchance, you do locate the original engine, you may be up for quite a bundle to repair it. It would of course be nice to have it back in its original home and maybe you could consider driving around with the current engine while you rebuild the original over a period of time and in affordable lumps. A word of warning though. Don’t look at it as a financial investment as I can assure you that you will never retrieve what you spent on it. As an enthusiast though, the pride in restoring a special car back to its former glory will be the best investment yet. Good luck Ben and enjoy it. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 654 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Ben, Have emailed you privately - if you do not receive this email, please advise. | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 740 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hmm how time flys. I drove that car in the late seventies when Bruce Ross came to Canberra with his wife Gloria. I think both are now with the celestial branch of the club. Bruce got sandwiched in the car on the main drag through Pennant Hills from where he operated. He told me he threw his very considerable weight on the brake pedal trying to stop and in doing so managed to rip the rubber cushion clean out of the deceleration conscious valve and ram it down the brake line half way to the rear wheels. The delivery trip from Melbourne was not quite so romantic as Herb describes. Bert Ward told me that full of hope and awe over the new car they set out for the drive North and on the way very nearly turned the car over three times. This car of course had the dreaded self levelling and antiroll sensor on the front and apparently the end the result was quite deleterious to the upholstery. As you all know this front plumbing was very quickly whipped out as a major mod! The story was also confirmed by the late Patrick Kane White! Ben, engine swaps are not unknown - not quite to the same extent as the Mark VI Jaguar. Bob Chapman in Melbourne at the request of a customer fitted a Chevrolet engine in a mid seventies Shadow which stood at Flemmington for the 2004 Federal Rally with its mouth open and nobody even noticed. The give away to the trained ear was the sound of the starter which was OK but slightly different. So shut the bonnet and enjoy the car, join the Club and practice the Roman Victory salute or the gesture of the archers at the Battle of Hastings and you will be well equipped to deal with any critics. Converting the power plant back to original would probably be a very large job since to fit the Chev it would have been necessary to scrap half the hydraulics for starters. Still you can enjoy the car as is and when you are a bit more flush give it to your son and get yourself something more genuine. Today I looked at an '81 Spirit in very nice order - under $30K! | ||
| Ben crombie Experienced User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 11 Registered: 9-2006 |
Email received David thank Bill i think i will leave the car as is for now but over the next few years i will try to get into a nice Spirit. If i can get hold of the original engine i will but it sounds as though it would be an expensive exercise. | ||
| Robert Wort Grand Master Username: robert_wort Post Number: 338 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hi Ben. Did you receive my private message? By the way, I would be very interested to see a photo of the conversion. Do you have any pics? | ||
| Ben crombie Experienced User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 13 Registered: 9-2006 |
Yeah Robert i got your PM thanks Here is some more pics         (Message edited by crombo97 on October 07, 2006) | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 743 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hmmmmm Somebody has gone to a lot of trouble methinks. Not for me but admirable. I would be tempted to de-cheapen the gear selector with a matching leather boot and if possible a more discreet gear change. You could then tell the wide-eyed public that it was specially comissioned. If the Factory can turn out station wagons etc to order your situation is not that odd. It certainly looks like very detailed and meticulous work. | ||
| John Mantello New User Username: john Post Number: 2 Registered: 8-2004 |
Sorry for my ignorance, but I have never seen a "floor shift" like this, was this common? | ||
| Ben crombie Experienced User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 16 Registered: 9-2006 |
No the floor shift is not factory The previous owner had it fitted and has tried to have it look factory The floor shift works very well | ||
| Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 69 Registered: 5-2005 |
The club photographer of the Victoria branch is to be congratulated for quietly organising old club photos from the 60's and 70's on the Victoria branch club site. These can be accessed in the members area. I stumbled upon these pictures of SRH1011 as a brand new car at the Kellows showroom I'm sure Ben will find them of interest. I will leave identification of the two official Kellow people to someone else.    | ||
| Editor London and Derby Moderator Username: nsw_editor Post Number: 43 Registered: 4-2004 |
I have only just picked up on this very interesting history of SRH1011 and I agree with Bill; if the car drives well, enjoy it as it is. Tell anyone who comments on what is under the bonnet that it's a "Colonial Modification"! My only contribution to the discussion is that Mark's second pic shows Jack Vidler standing beside the car. He's the one with the white hanky in his pocket. Jack was most notably responsible for encouraging originality in restoration and instituted the E.J. Vidler Shield for Age and Authenticity. However, even he would urge you to keep the car alive unless you or someone else can locate the original engine and then afford to restore it. Enjoy! Margaret | ||
| Ben crombie Experienced User Username: crombo97 Post Number: 18 Registered: 9-2006 |
Wow thanks very much for posting those photos Mark. Very very interesting. Ive been getting alot of driving pleasure with my "colonial modified" Shadow. Thanks again for the comments. | ||
| Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 72 Registered: 5-2005 |
Credit for the photos belongs to Fred Engish who maintained detailed records of early club events for which we now all benefit. I would love to find out how close SRH1011 is to being the oldest surviving Shadow. It would now have to be in the top five or six. If it gets to number one that reversion to original spec may become financially viable. |
