Vanden Plas

[crankedup]

Anyone have any knowledge on the 'Princess' 4lt limo model of 1968 vintage? Pointers as to what are the weakness areas of this car, I'm looking to purchase at auction very shortly.

[xxplod]

With fuel prices as they are, the single figure mpg may be a worry! I knew a rather eccentric chap who owned one that lived on my beat. I'm no expert by any means and this is just an observation but I would have thought the biggest worry would be rust in all the usual places. I think the mechanicals are pretty strong.

[crankedup]

Thanks xxplod, this is the coachbuilt Vanden Plas 1957 - 1968, it is a bit of a monolith I know but at least it is on a separate chassis.I have found out the engine is Austin and was really a lorry engine (modified for a limo I hope. I have also found that as you say, mpg is very heavy, but as it is to be a business car I can live with it, just.Might even be worth considering LPG conversion?

[crankedup]

Done all the usual searches and found out not a lot about the car. Apart from 13mpg (on a good day)its a gigantic car of enormous weight and 3363 were manufactured.

Anyone offer any info please like dimensions, weight,spares availabilty. In fact anything at all

Oh it is said that the engine is 3993cc and was used in a lorry

[tvrgaas]

crankedup said:

the engine is Austin

and I thought it was Rolls, perhaps that just the "R" model.

www.vandenplas.com/vdphist.htm

[Balmoral Green]

The 4 litre 'R' model is a version of the Rolls-Royce/Bentley B60 series engine. It was the 3 litre that was an Austin engine. They rot in all the usual places that you would expect on a car like that (think Austin Cambridge/Morris Oxford). The B60 engine can be very costly to repair, although it is not made to RR standards, parts are costly and it is still made to a far higher standard than it needed to be. A mate of mine found a new 'military' spec B60 engine and he has it as a spare for his Bentley MKVI, it is not quite the same, but useable. A similar engine was used in those small armoured cars and some of the Austin Jeeps too IIRC.

[zaktoo]

Specs for the R are here. Hope this helps...

www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/id/?id=50424

Ciao

Zak

[crankedup]

Thanks guys, the car I'm looking at was produced 1958-1968. Vanden Plas were responsible for the build of the coachwork body apparently this went onto an Austin chassis. The car is not the 'R' which was built by Austin in its entirity. I have been told that a lot of confusion surrounds the two cars in question, the car I want has defo' got the Austin engine, a straight 6 3993cc jobie.

If I win the bidding I was going to trailer it home but on second thoughts at 2.2 ton weight I think not. Proberly drive it home instead.