Fuel injected 90's Silver Spirit or Bentley ??? which one...

[roocarl]

Desired a Porsche in my 30s had 5 , wanted an Aston in my 40s had a V8 vantage then promised myself a conti V12 AT 50

I am 48 and impatient lol drove one and not impressed I have driven a few shadows and a90's Turbo r and felt these cars have much more sense of occasion plus I love the classic interior with modern handling .

So which Petrol at its lowest for years why wait so my short list is a Silver Spirit 2 or a post 89 + Bentley seems sensible rational decision in my head ......

I am used to Sports cars but also had lots of classics so speed is not the most important factor has anyone driven both marques to compare pros and cons ???

[dkatwa]

Bentley, if only because you are still not 50 so handling would still be something you would enjoy. You can always waft in comfort in your 60s and 70s...by then, too late to enjoy the Bentley....

[andypocock]

Bentley is a harsher drive but much more fun

[roocarl]

I have seen a 97 lwb turbo R coming up at a classic car auction , very tempted but concerned about the Head gasket reputation on these late cars without a test drive , the car is low milage and excellent service records but is it too much of a risk? , I know to look for low coolant and milky oil , but If they did have a overheating car they could put in fresh oil and top up the coolant before the auction ....
The more research I do I found dozens of cases of 96- 97 cars with head gaskets gone a lot around the 50 miles and a £3k bill !! Is it that common a problem ?

[dkatwa]

My only advice, if I was buying such a car, is to buy a one owner car. If they can afford to buy it, they can afford to look after it...consider any future problems that might come up due to mileage but chances are, it has been looked after for the mileage to date

[roocarl]

one owner 20 year old Bentley R's must be few and far between but the history looks promising

"Supplied new by Reg Vardy of Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, in March 1997, this New Turbo R LWB looks spectacular in Diamond Blue Silver with a Parchment hide interior piped in blue. It has covered only 77,000 miles with an impeccable service history comprising 19 stamps to date, the last only 3,200 miles ago."

Perfect colour and interior for my tastes , mainly concerned about the Head gasket without a test drive :-( plus after such a diligent ownership I thought he might have tried to sell through a specialist than an Auction if car 100% ok .....

[dkatwa]

Looks lovely...might be worth phone around for an after market warranty (warranty direct, warranty wise etc) and see if they can cover it and for how much. You only live once...and don't know about you, but I ain't taking a penny when I pop my clogs :-)