1989 Bentley Turbo R on 2040-cars

VIN: SCBZR03B5KCX26628 Year: 1989
Make: Bentley
Model: Turbo R
Trim: Base Sedan 4-Door
Options: Leather Seats, CD Player
Safety Features: Anti-Lock Brakes
Drive Type: RWD
Power Options: Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Windows, Power Seats
Mileage: 86,232
Exterior Color: Vermillion Red
Interior Color: Parchment
Disability Equipped: No
Number of Cylinders: 8
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty

Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

For your consideration, on offer today is my 1989 Bentley Turbo R, s/n 26628. Finished in Vermillion Red over Parchment leather, piped Red and accented by Cherry Red, bound in Magnolia, Wilton wool carpets, this Turbo R is in very nice condition throughout and has been a southern California automobile its entire life until last year when I bought it and shipped it here to Ohio. Sold new and serviced by Symbolic Motor Company in LaJolla, this is my fourth Turbo R and my second 20,000 series car. My first foray into Turbo R ownership started with a Tudor Red ’89 model which I kept for about two years then traded in for a 1996 50,000 series car. After keeping that car for a year or so, I decided I preferred the aesthetics of the earlier cars but wanted to keep the Active Ride suspension so I then bought a 1990 model—30,000 series car. As I also owned a Cloud II and a Shadow II at the same time, I decided to thin the collection down a bit, so those were sold off and replaced with a 1953 R-Type and the car you see here. In the ensuing time since I acquired these two cars, I’ve gone through a few fairly major life changes—I gave up bachelorhood, took a new job and bought a new house and eventually had one of those, oh, what do you call them—“epiphany”, “moment of clarity”, “reality check”….what have you. In other words, I realized that—although I thought it would never happen to me—I simply don’t have the time to keep up with the demands of owning multiple classic cars, hence this listing. I’ll also note that my ’53 R-Type is for sale too, although is not listed on eBay as of yet, however I invite any inquiries from anyone interested. Ok, enough of my violin playing, let’s get on to the details of this car;

EXTERIOR: As noted previously, this motorcar is finished in the striking color of Vermillion Red with double white fine lines. This is my absolute favorite color on these cars as it is the color Bentley chose for all of their period advertising literature. The paint is very nice throughout with just a few minor imperfections—a consequence of age and use. The car is absolutely 100% rust free and to my knowledge and according to the Carfax report (available upon request), has never been involved in any accidents of any sort. I do suspect the car has had one repaint at some point in its life as about 98% of these cars have, however it was done to a very high standard and the car shows very well. The main flaws I’ll note are (a.) some small, localized microblistering in the paint on the driver’s side sail panel and (b.) a small spot on the right front wing at the top rear corner where the clear coat has peeled slightly. Beyond the aforementioned areas, there is nothing noteworthy which would prevent this car from being as near perfect as one can expect of a 24-year-old automobile. All panel gaps are nice and straight, the doors do not sag and the bonnet and boot lid open and close properly and with ease. All glass panels are original Triplex items and are in nice shape with no sandblasting of the windscreen or window regulator scratches on the side windows—something commonly known to occur on SZ series cars.

INTERIOR: The Parchment leather is in good condition throughout with just minor age-related cracking, namely on the driver’s bottom bolster. The piping is in nice shape and not separated. The Cherry Red Wilton carpets are in excellent condition throughout, along with all door panels, rear parcel shelf and the original West of England woolcloth headliner. All timber throughout the cabin is in excellent condition and there is none of the common fisheye syndrome on any of the door cappings. Unfortunately, I do not have the mouton overlays—those have disappeared somewhere along the line, however new ones are available from Easyrider in the UK. The boot carpeting is all in excellent condition with no stains or evidence of dampness.

ENGINE: Ahh yes, the gem of the Turbo R. This is Rolls-Royce’s venerable six-and-three-quarter V8 with a monstrous Garrett AiResearch turbocharger shackled to it. While power output was never officially revealed, it is thought that this engine, in Turbo R configuration, put out somewhere in the region of 385bhp and a thunderous 500+lb/ft of torque. I believe it was LJK Setright who, upon first experiencing a Turbo R, likened it to ‘riding a tidal wave on a button back Chesterfield sofa’. Well put.

In any case, the engine in 26628 runs nicely—smooth and silent, except of course when you squeeze the throttle and the muted burble disappears and all you notice is the horizon coming at you with due haste. This is without question the fastest Turbo R I have ever owned—or driven for that matter. There are 10 fresh quarts of Castrol Syntec 5W-50 full-synthetic oil in the crankcase, a new air filter element in the air box, eight new NGK Iridium spark plugs screwed into the combustion chamber ports and a new distributor drive belt for good measure. Additionally, I’ll include a new set of ancillary drive belts (the ones on the car are fine and without dry rot, however) as well as a spare distributor drive belt to keep in the glove compartment (anyone with a twin-distributor SZ should follow this mantra!). A complete coolant flush has also been undertaken—just good old Zerex green stuff—none of the cylinder liner o-ring eating hybrid stuff in here, thank you. Speaking of leaks, the engine is as leak-free as one can expect. While the car does not leave drops on the ground, I’d be lying if I said it was dry as a bone underneath. There is the usual film of oil on the bottom of the pan, however nothing that I would deem excessive and nothing that should require any attention for a long while yet. Before the car came to me, new intake manifold gaskets were fitted to cure a vacuum leak, and at the same time, the valve cover gaskets were also done as a matter of course.

TRANSMISSION: The early Turbo Rs—up through the end of the 30,000 series cars, used the GM TH400 Hydramatic gearbox, known the world over for superior shift quality and durability. The gearbox in this car is in fine condition and has benefitted from a shift kit installation which offers slightly firmer, crisper upshifts (but still silky smooth downshifts) and also the benefit of overall longevity, as this keeps the clutches from having to slip so much to give those seamless upshifts as in standard configuration. The remainder of the driveline is in fine condition and there is none of the common rear axle howl. The transmission fluid and filter, along with the final drive oil were replaced prior to my acquisition of the car.

SUSPENSION: Usually a point of contention with SZ series cars, the suspension on this car is in good condition with no untoward noises or other issues to speak of. The car tracks straight down the road and the rear self-leveling struts as well as the gas springs have been recently replaced. In the photos, you may note the rear ride height is slightly high—this has since been corrected with a minor adjustment to the leveling valve torsion bar at the rear of the vehicle.

ELECTRICS: All of the electrical accessories are in proper functioning condition on the car. I had the windscreen wiper linkage rebuilt by a local RR specialist, as well as four of the central locking solenoids replaced. I’ll note that the RF door solenoids are a bit weak, so could do with replacement. The windows all work, albeit the rears are a bit slow, which is common on the early SZ cars. I have a new chrome bezel on the way from Albers for the RF door window switch as the old one was cracked (they’re chromium plated plastic). The fabulous split-level climate control system is in complete functional condition and all instruments report the car’s vital statistics accurately. The clock and exterior temperature dial are also both in proper working condition. Both power seats function in all directions and all exterior lamps work properly. As noted earlier, the hi-fi system is a Kenwood Excelon unit with integrated Bluetooth for handsfree calling and also with Pandora streaming audio capability. The front speakers are driven by the head unit while the rears are driven by internal amplifiers in the vehicle, as per the factory system.

HYDRAULICS/BRAKES/TIRES: The hydraulic system in the car is tight and leak-free. I performed a complete LHM fluid flush upon reception of the vehicle and will note that both brake systems 1 and 2 pressurize quickly upon startup—typically within 10-15 seconds of the engine firing. The brakes haul the car down effortlessly with no pulling or pulsation and the pads show over half friction material remaining. The tires are matching Goodyear Eagle LS all the way around with over 60% treadlife remaining and as a bonus I’ll include a set of four Avon Turbospeeds that were a take-off from a former Turbo R on which I upgraded the wheels to Continental R items. The alloy wheels on the car are all in excellent condition and unmarked. The steering is accurate and without play or other issues and the rack on the car is not leaking.

SUMMARY: In all, this is a good driver quality Turbo R. It needs a few minor things finished however will certainly serve the purpose of reliable daily transport. I have both master and valet keys as well as wheel lock keys (four new wheel lock covers are also on the way from Albers) and all handbooks and manuals. This is obviously an eye-catching car so don’t bid on it unless you want everyone noticing you! The car never fails to garner questions from everyone no matter where it goes. The beauty of these early cars is that a lot of servicing on them can be effected by a competent enthusiast (with the proper knowledge, however!), and the suspension systems are far more reliable and less complex than the 30,000 and forward series cars. The driveline is near-bulletproof given regular servicing and they will crush highway miles in absolute comfort and are plenty powerful enough not to be shamed by the ubiquitous modern Eurobox in performance. For less than the price of a new Camry or Accord, you can have six thousand pounds of handbuilt Crewe iron in your garage and, as many owners will attest, have an automobile that’ll put a huge grin on your face before you even leave the car park! I would welcome anyone interested to please contact me either via email on QV5000@gmail.com or by phone on 513.519.7302 and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns which I have not addressed here. The title is a clear Ohio title and is in my name. Thank you for looking and I wish you good luck in the bidding!

TERMS: Due to the age and mileage of this vehicle, it is being sold as-is with no warranties expressed or implied herein. A pre-purchase inspection is welcomed and encouraged however please note that I’ll be quite specific about who performs the inspection, as I’d prefer it to be handled by a competent Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialist, two of which we are fortunate to have in the greater Cincinnati area. Alternatively, a Bentley main dealer familiar with the older cars is welcome to perform the inspection. Please note that any and all inspections are to be performed at the buyer’s expense. I would also ask for the courtesy of a two to three day notice in advance so I may make transportation arrangements in my schedule. The title is clear and in my name and will be transferred to the new owner only upon confirmation of all funds by my financial institution. A $500 deposit is due no later than 24 hours after auction end, the remainder of the balance is due no later than seven days after auction end. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer, however I’ll be happy to assist in any way possible to make this an easy, seamless transaction. Again, thank you for looking and good luck!