| Author | Message | ||
     Robert Howlett Prolific User Username: bobhowlett Post Number: 118 Registered: 9-2010 |
Its been 7 years now since in got my shadow and I had to admit even though she's 40 years old I've been very satisfied. Just a few modifications and she's up to every task l asked of her High speed runs to EMERALD 360KS at 150 klms an hours for an hour or two at 4 in the morning just amazing for such an old sled .And I'm talking 5 fat Australians in the seats as well and their work gear as well so the boot or trunk was full as well. To me that's not too bad in anyone's terms. Guess what when the wife's falcon breaks down ,it's the rolls that comes to the rescue co's she takes my Ford | ||
| Randy Roberson Prolific User Username: wascator Post Number: 247 Registered: 5-2009 |
I agree they are impressive, apart from the Rolls-Royce aura. Take away any issues caused by being 40 years old, plus neglect, previous abuse, etc, and they are fine, rugged cars and very-well suited for their purpose. These issues seem so often to dominate the discussion and so obscure their inherent qualities. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.89 |
1974 shad owned 25 years always got me there and back (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Robert Howlett Prolific User Username: bobhowlett Post Number: 119 Registered: 9-2010 |
Bob the other fun bit is at the other end of the journey. When we pull up at check-in could be 30 guys there and it like Moses parting of the sea .Many comments "to graphic to state here " lots of 'F" words and is this the owner" the guys love it its the talking point for the whole day. I'm not sure if I just got a freak motor cos she was well looked after in England before imported to Aus back in the 80's but the service recorders indicated nothing special done in the UK. Could it be that I have a VW Bug that's 11000000 miles like I saw the USA and no modification's what so ever except regular oil changes which I do and hope you do all the time. I have to admit my shadow brings me JOY everyday yeah.I was convinced that I paid to much for mine cos I didn't know about a Roller .I thought it had Breaks like a regular car and nothing about the hydraulic self levelling system special Oil and everything else about these eccentric modes of transport. Many thanks to Bill and he's tee one topic's and Rob who helped me get the new parts to get the Old Girl to lean and mean "Highway Machine" lets face it they are a straight line go fast car like the autobahn they like to be driven .But she is a pig when comes to fuel economy when I have foot on the carpet she uses $5 a minute.AHH what the hell cheers bob | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 123 Registered: 8-2012 |
Well just for the record, I have to say that my SS1 is the LEAST reliable car I've ever owned - by a long way. Three months of mostly trouble-free motoring then it left me stranded by the side of the road. Then a head gasket blew, with white smoke pouring out of the exhaust. I've been stuck in reverse due to a gear selector problem, then one of the rear discs sheared off with sparks flying all over the road, just after an MOT pass as well. Headlamps and wipers have failed. Last month I was flashed from behind because all my rear lights had gone out. Every time I get in it, something electrical has stopped working that worked the day before! The coolant alarm has packed up at least 3 times, all with different faults which couldn't have been predicted. OK, that's not a breakdown issue, but still annoying. The stop lamp switch failed and left me without any stop lights. The direction indicators have failed simply because the flasher unit shorted out on the PCB. I could fill a book with all the electrical faults I've had on this car (47 different faults listed). Fortunately, these faults cost me virtually nothing to fix, just lots of time and frustration. I DO put most of these failures down to the age of the car, and don't really blame the car itself. Everything just seems to be wearing out at the same time! Everytime I get a failure, I renew all the parts of that system so that I will eventually have renewed everything on the car, and then perhaps it will be a bit more reliable! I do not skimp on maintenance, I buy whatever is necessary to fix any faults properly, on the basis that once it's fixed it's fixed. Sadly this isn't always the case and I've had to fix some faults more than once. I live within an hour's drive from Flying spares, so getting new parts and advice is no problem. I do actually enjoy working on the car. Just as well! I've now gone through the entire electrical system and remade all the connections that are accessible, renewed all the fuses, and replaced every bulb on the car. Since then I've had no more electrical problems. Almost all of the bullet connectors on the car were just being held together by the rubber sleeve and by corrosion. The metal barrels had cracked and had no tension left at all. The headlamp connections under the bonnet almost fell apart as soon as I touched them. I urge other owners to check theirs. I've got the service history of the car, and it seems to have been maintained properly for the last ten years or so. I just consider myself a bit unlucky that everything seems to be wearing out and failing at the same time. Whatever happens, this will almost certainly be the least reliable car I have ever owned. Oh, and this morning, the speedometer stopped working.  | ||
| Randy Roberson Prolific User Username: wascator Post Number: 253 Registered: 5-2009 |
When a car gets old, "run to failure" maintenance will not provide any reliability. Proactive maintenance seeks to anticipate failures and head them off by planned repair or replacements. As a car or any machine ages, one must look deeper and more carefully to try to catch upcoming failures and head them off by liberal applications of cash. Most often cars are not really maintained, as in "kept whole", they are gradually used up then tossed out. As my Car is 44 years old and I am still catching up maintenance as I can, I don't expect it to be reliable. | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 125 Registered: 8-2012 |
"When a car gets old, "run to failure" maintenance will not provide any reliability." Yes you are quite right there. One usually waits for something to fail before repairing it; which obviously leads to unreliability. But then there is the old adage: "If it aint broke don't fix it". Just disturbing something to get to something else can itself cause failures that would otherwise not have happened. As I said, I have gone through the entire electrical system and since I did that I have had no more electrical failures. I renew the plugs, points, condenser, rotor arm and cap on a yearly basis and it starts first time every time. But who can predict when a cylinder head gasket is going to blow? Who can predict when an electical connection is going to fail? It's almost impossible to predict the failure of most components, except with hindsight. All one can do is to replace items as they fail, service the car as often as prescribed, and hope for the best. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.88 |
I had a inner head light go and a stop bulb I had a window problem and when I check the door to body loom connection behind the kick panels and they were on their way to bad connections So I sprayed the area with engine oil after remaking the broken connection Oil or petroleum jelly stops the rot Some may think that this is madness and the wiring will be damaged I oil every thing that moves and anything that needs protection from damp coming from say screen rubbers Old cars leak Water I spray underside with oil inside doors into gaps to get inside chassis members When I grease nipples I wipe the excess on the floor pan or squeeze it inside the wheel arch lips Every screw bolt washer I grease I squirt clean oil over chrome behind trim and wipe off so that oil is behind and on the body work I have even used oil as polish And so on Careful around brakes and dot areas Silver Slick (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Randy Roberson Prolific User Username: wascator Post Number: 254 Registered: 5-2009 |
Bob have you read about Mike Sander's rust proofing? I studied it: I think it is an old NATO formula of 90% industrial petrolatum and 10% beeswax. It is heated to 250F and sprayed in rockers and on floors and whatever is to be protected. Being grease not wax, it will not dry out as wax dissolved in solvent will. The beeswax stabilizes it enough that it stays put. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.76 |
Oil softens hard under seal Any rust prevention is good Many owners polish their cars to a high shine and ignore the underside Wax oils cavity wax are good and the more the better I spray inside the Jack points up into the horn space drilled holes under threshold plates Keep oily and it will preserve the car I also have motorbike chain lin that when heated melts Works well in the door.pillar hinge boxes I am retired and this is my car forever If I won the lottery I would send the car to Jack Barclay and get it restored (Message approved by david_gore) |
