Silver Shadow 1/T1 Compared with Turbo R

[peterscotland]

Hello All,

I've only just joined the site and have recently joined the ranks of classic car ownership by buying a 1990 Turbo R. I've covered just over 1000 miles and so far I love it. It has such presence and it makes every journey a joy - I find myself using it daily on the nursery run and smiling as I pass all of the other 'everyday' cars who aren't loving the journey as much as I am.

I've always admired traditional Rolls Royce/Bentleys and feel that I now have the bug but I'm left wondering - would a SS1/T1 be even better? This is my conundrum, I love the Turbo R and I love the power/speed but I'm a sucker for chrome and there is something about the SS1/T1 which are hard to beat in terms of looks. Prior to the Turbo R I drove a Silver Spirit which I did find a bit 'willowy' and I believe that the SS1/T1 are much the same.

I'm looking for people who have experience of both the Turbo R and SS1/T1 who might be able to offer some insight into if the trade off between looks and power/steering etc. between the cars? Any insight into having lived with both and the relative merits would be much appreciated.

Sadly, I don't think my dear wife could live with me having both at the same time!

[TarquinMX5]

A Shadow I is a very different car to drive compared with the TurboR.

How old was the Spirit you drove?; there are quite a few versions, ie from my1990 they had adaptive suspension, Mulsanne Ss had suspension similar to the TurboR, pre-90 Spirits were very similar to Silver Shadow IIs etc..

Silver Shadow IIs were different to the Shadow Is and had rack & pinion steering. Shadow Is had compliant suspension (for radials), flared arches (track wider IIRC) from c1972. Different sized steering wheels have been fitted over the years, the list goes on.

Early Shadows are, in my opinion, very 'wallowy', Shadow IIs are still very soft but have better steering; however some have Harvey Bailey suspension fitted, with 'stronger' springs and dampers which makes a big difference but still not quite TurboR firm. RR also offered a 'sports suspension' (similar to the HB, but not exactly the same) for a while but I don't think there were many cars fitted with it. What size wheels are on your TurboR, many have had larger ones fitted over the years and again, all affects the 'feel'.

The looks are a purely personal thing; I've always preferred the look of the Shadow and whilst I prefer the chrome bumper to the later Shadow IIs, I much prefer the drive of the latter.

In my opinion, there's a huge difference in the 'drive' between an early Shadow and a TurboR and a Shadow II is a much better 'drive' than a Shadow I.

Some Shadow IIs have had chrome bumpers fitted (somebody on here did it) but it isn't a straight swap.

All just my opinion

Edited by TarquinMX5 on Tuesday 26th October 12:19

[hidetheelephants]

Shadows wallow like ships on a big sea, even with a Harvey Bailey kit; if you want speed, chrome and wallowy handling get a Mulsanne, which is basically a Turbo R without the handling mods and stiffer springs.

[jeyjey]

I had a T2 with the Harvey Bailey kit. I thought it drove nicely. Sure, it's a bit floaty, but so is my Arnage (which I imagine is closer to the Turbo R).

Not sure how I'd feel about the T1 though....

[TarquinMX5]

At the risk of going off-thread, the talk of HB kits made me dig out my old brochure which reminded me that the std HB kit was actually 4 x re-designed uprated springs and anti-roll bars, with re-valved Bilstein dampers as a further option, so there will obviously be a subtle difference in ride depending whether or not the full HB kit is fitted.

[jeyjey]

Interesting. I'm not sure what level my T2 was, but based on others' comments about how floaty their cars were I suspect mine was a full-kit.

[Huntsman]

I have a Shadow 1, a flared arch car on radials, sure its not a car you can hustle, but its sublime, stately and extraordinarily comfy, so much so I would go so far as to say that its comfier than our furniture in the house.

[TarquinMX5]

I came across this today, T2 (with HB kit) and Turbo R. Not a direct comparison but interesting none the less.


https://youtu.be/i1Pwe-Pnstg

I don't know the individual/co. but he appears to have a good reputation.

[BenTurboR]

Ian really knows his stuff with these cars, I think he serviced them in Crewe for a while.

That video confirmed my desire to get a Turbo R, which I did a few months ago.

[Bluebottle911]

I have a '90 Turbo R (with adaptive dampers) and a Continental (i.e. a Bentley Corniche) of similar age (no adaptive dampers). Whenever I drive the Continental, I miss the performance of the Turbo R, along with its handling and its ride comfort (in fairness, the fact that it is a convertible is partly responsible for this). If you buy a Shadow, you will feel the same, only more so. An early Shadow was pushed to summon 200 bhp, whereas a Turbo R puts out somewhere between 300 and 400, depending on the model.

Stick with the Turbo R is my advice.

[alabbasi]

It's a slippery slope. In 2018, I bought a 98 Brooklands R to tinker with, before long. I had 10 RR/Bentley to tinker with.

[ExecutiveAction]

No experience of a Turbo R I’m afraid but I’m guessing that you would find significantly less shove in a Shadow. I have a Shadow II though, with the HB kit, and if the engine is in good fettle the 6.75 litre V8 has plenty of torque for most conditions. It wafts beautifully, and while you can feel the roll, I will say something that many will disagree with. It drives like a sports car, by which I mean that you can push it to its limits and remains balanced, you can drift and oppo lock it with one finger on the slimline Bakelite steering wheel, albeit with plenty of screeching from the tyres. I remember a hairy trip across Belgium to catch a ferry by the skin of my teeth. There wasn’t much keeping up with us, though I admit there wasn’t any serious competition, just Belgian housewives. The car can go.