1977 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II - U.K. model - Right-hand drive - Low reserve

Description

1977 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II sedan. This is a right-hand drive English model, fun and rare in the U.S.
THE POSITIVES
- The car starts, runs, drives, steers and brakes.- Smooth idle, virtually always- Smooth, strong and quiet engine, virtually always- The temperature gauge stays just above "Cold" after the car is warmed up.- The oil pressure gauge stays in its middle.- The amps gauge, while the needle does shimmy, stays in its middle.- The transmission shifts into all gears.- Underway, the steering is light and precise. (Steering rack rebuilt in 2011 by Albers)- On smooth roads, the ride is supple and buoyant.- The brakes feel strong.- The rear leveling system works.- The wipers work.- All exterior lights work.- The factory-spec, Europe-only front and rear fog lamps work.- The factory-spec Ambla vinyl that covers the dash is taut and in good shape.- The headlining is Ambla vinyl, too, and is in very good shape.- The contemporary Alpine radio/CD player works.- Three of the original lambswool floor mats are present; no driver's mat.- The Wilton wool carpeting is in good shape.- The car comes with two master keys. (They're not Yale, though.)- The car comes with its original owners manual.- The car comes with its jack and tool kit.- All four hubcaps are present.- The tires are a matched set: Kumho Solus KR21 in size P235/75R15. They areapproximately five years old and have had little use.- Potential celebrity ownership: The gentlemen at Frank Dale & Stepsons inLondon, where the car was once sold, believe that SRH 32072 belonged to theactress Tanya Roberts, the last Charlie's Angel and a Bond girl before that.
THE KNOWN ISSUES
- On cold starts, there can be some pulley or belt squealing, for abouta minute. So far, the sound has always gone away.- On cold starts, shifting into Drive can take a moment.- The "Low Coolant" lamp sometimes comes on. It can stay on formoments or days, even though the coolant is rarely ever low. Thesensor may need a cleaning; unsure. The lamp is most always off.- There are oil drips after driving the car; unsure of the origin.- There are muffled clunks from the suspension over potholes and ruts.- There has been, once in a great while, "dieseling" of the engine after shutdown.- There are light gasoline fumes coming from somewhere in the exhaust.- There is an occasional rattle from below that seems like a silenceror a heat shield; unsure.- The power steering, at standstill, can squeal when the wheel isturned. As soon as there is the slightest bit of forward movement ofthe car, even during a parking maneuver, the steering quiets down.- The windshield-washing system isn't working.- The remote fuel-door switch isn't working; there is a cable release inthe trunk for opening the fuel-filler door.- The front windows work, but sometime need manual help going up.(Like any system on an old Rolls-Royce, they tend to work better themore they are used.)- One rear window isn't working; the one that does work needs manualhelp going up (operating the switch while giving the glass a hand assist).- The electric door-locking system operates, but doesn't lock or unlock all doors.- Opening the driver's door doesn't activate the interior lights. (The pinswitch in the door jamb is missing.)- The climate control system stopped working about a year ago. (It wasworking fairly well until then, both heat and air.)- The dash lighting stopped working about a year ago. (It, too,worked well until then.)- The trip odometer can stick. It also resets to random numbers, not zeroes.- The leather upholstery is dry and needs conditioning. There is evidenceof fillers and dye on the upper portions of the front seats. There are somesplits in the driver's upper seatback leather.- The woodwork's lacquer has cracking and lifting. The wood, though,in general, is solid underneath. The wood capping on the front passengerdoor does have a hole on its topside. (I can e-mail a photo.)- The factory-spec Blaupunkt radio is not working; likely just deactivated.- The power radio antenna is not working.- Of the four speakers in the car, only the front left is working.- The driver's heel pad in the wool carpeting has crumbled.- The horn fuse has been pulled, otherwise the horn stays on constantly.
THE BODY AND PAINT
- In general, the body appears solid; unsure of hidden rust or issues.The car has been in Texas for at least 17 years. I bought it from aDallas man who had it 12 years; I've owned it almost 6 years.- The paintwork has definitely been patched and blended over thecar's 39 years. It was originally Caribbean Blue; there are otherblues on it now. Not all of the visible paint is the same hue; other blueshave found their way onto the car.- There are certainly nicks, scrapes, some overspray, etc., all thethings expected on a 39-year-old car.- There are areas of paint blistering on the roof.- There are paint blisters and seemingly filler cracks on the right rear door.- There is a paint blister on the right rear wheel arch.- The bumpers and associated rubber strips and end caps are, ingeneral, in good shape after those same 39 years.- The stainless-steel grille and the famous Spirit of Ecstasy are invery good shape. The chrome ring that joins the two, though, hasscrapes and gouges in its finish. (I can send close-up photos of that.)- The chrome trim on the car is in relatively good shape overall.
PHOTOS
- Study all of the photos carefully. I'm happy to e-mail additionalphotos if desired.
SUMMARY
This has been a trusty, fun vintage car. It gets looks and waves andseveral requests for Grey Poupon mustard. It could be an enjoyablerolling restoration or the perfect candidate for something interesting,such as a hunting vehicle, a pickup truck or an art car. I can e-mailadditional photos if desired. The car is being sold as is; no warrantyexpressed or implied. Clear Texas title. Shipping arranged and paidfor by the new owner. I am a private collector who is moving this caron, thanks to another Rolls-Royce. A deposit of $500 via PayPal orwire transfer will be required two business days after the auction ends;the balance to be paid via cashier's check, wire transfer or cash, anadditional five business days after that. The car is for sale locallyin Dallas, so this listing may be ended at any time. Happy bidding...