Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

That's because due to your heavily salted roads and insurance penalties for reporting damage, the panels often rust out before before PDR services are engaged. :p

I actually always figured most PDR places to be more cash based rather than insurance. Most PDR example quotes I've seen are significantly cheaper than your typical insurance deductible. Plus with the sheer amount of car enthusiasts in the area, you'd think there would be plenty of people interested in keeping their cars dent free.
 
In reality they can actually sometimes do really well with that. Emphasis on sometimes; basically in a best case scenario you'd have to know where the damage was to be able to tell it wasn't just a production bobble.
Pretty much, the one I have on the character line right behind the door handle, I can tell there was something there but unless you know exactly where and what to look for you won't be able to tell. On the flat parts of my panels you wouldn't know anything happened period.

@CrzRsn yep PDR is rather cheap, I had like 7 dings taken out of the stang for under $400 that's including the one behind the handle, flat panel dings he charged like $25-50 for.
 
I actually always figured most PDR places to be more cash based rather than insurance. Most PDR example quotes I've seen are significantly cheaper than your typical insurance deductible. Plus with the sheer amount of car enthusiasts in the area, you'd think there would be plenty of people interested in keeping their cars dent free.

Around here, PDR outfits more often than not are oriented towards insurance, mostly as there is often high demand for their services after the frequent hailstorms come through and insurance companies have figured out that PDRing a car is much cheaper than conventional repair or totaling a car.

I once asked a PDR guy what the limitations on PDR of dings were, what would keep the repair from being completely successful on the average mainstream car - his reply was that how sharp-edged the ding was and how much access they could get to the back side of the panel were the major limitations of the tech at that time.
 
Yeah, the sharpness is what I'm worried about most. I'll post pictures when I get home. It also doesn't help that the sharpest peak of the ding is literally right inline with the character line.

As far as backside access, not great....

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Might be able to reach it through that oval opening on the left side, but getting tools in there won't be easy. And then even if you can get tools in there, getting the leverage needed.....
 
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Why isn't this an emoticon by now?

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See if you can spot where the fail was
 

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The OEM fake air scoops (I assume this is a SN95/New Edge Mustang) are a fail.
 
As far as backside access, not great....

Might be able to reach it through that oval opening on the left side, but getting tools in there won't be easy. And then even if you can get tools in there, getting the leverage needed.....

They will commonly just drill a smallish hole to get access if needed.
 
No rental car roulette post this week as I have a Dodge Challenger again. :D
 
So kept doing some Bentley research. This is seeming more and more like a dumb idea.

Top end rebuild kit - $1,000
Pistons with rings - $730 each
Turbo - $800

But I kept reading and round an even more desirable model I never knew existed.

The Bentley Turbo RT was the last, rarest, most powerful and most expensive of the Turbo R line. The Bentley RT came with a 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) 6.75 L V8 engine, as used in the Continental T, which is boosted by a single Garrett AiResearch T04 turbocharger and has a Zytek EMS3 engine management system, developed from Formula 1 racing technology, differing from earlier models with the 'Motronic' system. It is visually differentiated from other Bentley Turbo R models by its sport wheels, radiator mesh grille and colour-coded bumpers with bright mesh inserts.

Clearly this is what I need. Time to start saving my pennies. Though I can't believe someone put that ghastly 2000s DIN radio head unit in that Bentley.

There actually was an even more powerful Turbo RT, but I doubt I'll be able to find one.

The Bentley Turbo RT Mulliner: The Mulliner version, available only by special order for the 1998 model year, was even more exclusive and expensive. It boasts a 420 bhp (313 kW; 426 PS) engine with a torque output of 634 lbft (861 Nm): this was achieved by developing a new compressor for the turbocharger, remapped engine management system, and modifications to the air intake system.

Just 56 Mulliner editions were built, of which 17 are right-hand drive. Seven of the Mulliner editions built are to standard wheelbase specifications, and 49 are on the lengthened wheelbase.

And a Turbo between the R and RT, but just as rare as the RT Mulliner
In 1995, the Bentley Turbo S was announced as a strictly limited model, with envisaged production as less than 100 units. Effectively a stop-gap model before the introduction of the Bentley Arnage, just 60 units were produced, distributed across selected European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets and customers only. The engine termed a Blackpool version used Bosch Motronic fuel injection and digital ignition derived from Formula 1 technology, and with a larger exhaust driven Garrett AirResearch turbocharger with intercooler. It had a power output of 385 hp (287 kW; 390 PS). The same engine was fitted to 12 Bentley Continental S, and 3 to special build Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit S. The car was fitted with a viscous differential, and with both new 255/55WR17 tyres and traction control fitted, permitted a top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h).

Another thing I learned in my readings today was that they made turbo Silver Spirits.


All in all, I seem to be digging myself into a deeper and deeper rabbit hole.

Also found this.
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicle?itemID=31876658&RowNumber=43&loadRecent=True
Way less miles, but needs a new front end. How hard could it be?

I don't know why I have such a fascination with Bentleys of this era.
 
So ugh.... forget Bentleys. I "accidentally" dropped by Saabnet last night for the first time in years while chatting with BlaRo....

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The temptation to throw him an offer is strong. Way too strong.

Checking Saab 900 SPG prices though.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-saab-spg-900/ $18,000??? Jesus Christ
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-saab-900-spg-2/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-saab-900-3/

  1. Buy Beryl Green 900 SPG with 201k miles
  2. Get rid of custom cherry crap
  3. Do "minor electrical work"
  4. Tune up
  5. Reupholster front seats
  6. ...
  7. Profit!

What could possibly go wrong?

For the 2nd time in less than 24 hours..
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So kept doing some Bentley research. This is seeming more and more like a dumb idea.
There is a guy on the Autoshite forum who had a Bentley Brooklands. I think after about £20,000 worth of repairs (suspension rebuild and electrics mostly) it blew it's headgasket and he was quoted another £6k to get that sorted so he bought a V12 XJS as a cheaper alternative... He is now suffering severe depression and has dropped off the face of the internet to such an extent that concerned forum members sent the police to check he wasn't dead.

So yeah, I think merely ending in tears is the good ending.
 
I'm loving this perfect XenForo bug...

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That post + Spectre avatar + Do It signature is just perfection
 
There is a guy on the Autoshite forum who had a Bentley Brooklands. I think after about £20,000 worth of repairs (suspension rebuild and electrics mostly) it blew it's headgasket and he was quoted another £6k to get that sorted so he bought a V12 XJS as a cheaper alternative... He is now suffering severe depression and has dropped off the face of the internet to such an extent that concerned forum members sent the police to check he wasn't dead.

So yeah, I think merely ending in tears is the good ending.

I've always thought an early 2000s Bentley Arnage with a blown motor would be a super fun project car. There's not much you can't bolt up to a 4L80E, which is what they used behind the Rolls V8 in those years.
 
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