Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

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Rolls-Royces don’t break down – they merely ‘fail to proceed’ so the factory used to say! But there’s no denying the quality or robustness which comes with the badge. There’s a fair bit that you can do at home to keep your Silver Cloud or Bentley S sweet with only normal tools and skills while specialists, such as Intro Car and Flying Spares, keep the costs down to surprising levels

Engine

Simplicity of IOE ‘six’ means it’s DIY fixable; V8 can be repaired at home, too. Corrosion can squeeze piston in the liner leading to a knocking. Side-valve exhaust set-up makes setting tappets tricky

Body

The rear axle area (called the horseshoe) is rust prone. Repair sections are available, costing up to £450. Sills are a four-piece item, wings are hugely expensive, at £1000 on average to repair

Front suspension

There’s a myriad of joints to wear out. A full overhaul can run to £1400 but gains can be dramatic. Mainly on V8s but also on some ‘sixes’ are noisy power steerings due to poor quality of the hoses

Transmission

GM-derived fourspeed auto also served early Silver Shadows. If serviced, with regular fluid changes, it should be long lasting. Axles run forever but are not unknown for leaks, noise and slackness

Bottom end

Blocks use replaceable cylinder liners which means indefinite rebores. Almost seven litres has been seen from the V8 but, hard to achieve. Later V8s are best as originals weren’t so hardy

Brakes

Big drum brakes last pretty well. Roughness braking suggests ovality. If this can’t be machined out, then new ones are needed, costing more than £400 each, plus £180 for R-R supplied shoes

Interior

Used upholstery is available from good specialists but many Clouds feature tailored trim that’s harder and dearer to match up than later Shadows. Later individual seats from 1964 can fit

Rear suspension

Nothing quite so crude as grease guns as Rolls had a single-shot lubricating system. Does it still work ok? Can be overhauled. Rear leaf springs can retain a lot of kinetic energy so take care!

Trim

You’re never going to be let off lightly if you need new bits. An OE grille costs (c) £4000 (Bentley’s is half the price), and hub caps £300 a pop. Luckily, experts have a good stock of used trim

Diy warning

Less complex than a Shadow but experts warn it’s still a difficult car to maintain at home due to its heavy-duty build. While normal tools will suffice for a lot of jobs, more involved repairs demands wrenches and sockets commonly used on lorries plus normal jacks and axle stands aren’t man enough. Finally join the club. The RREC not only offers usual benefits but runs maintenance and repair seminars