Question: Hi everyone - new user here and potential Bentley owner. A 1986 Turbo R has been in our family for about 15 years or so and is about to hit the market. I'm interested in buying this, but not having any experience with Bentley/RR cars I'm unsure what to look for (other than obvious leaks/squeaks etc). This particular car has a documented service history from new and has been either serviced by RR or RR trained people all its life. On paper, it appears to be a good buy at AUD$20K and 70K miles.

My background is as an engineer in the aviation industry (12 years) and I headed up the technical aspect of a couple of racing teams in the super touring days her in Australia (5 years) - so I have a reasonable idea what I'm doing in a mechanical sense. Feel free to get technical with me!

Any guidance or hints about specific problem areas or things to look for in the service history would be greatly appreciated. If I don't buy this one, I'll be actively looking for a similar car, so you may well get stuck with me on the forum for a while yet! 8-)

Answer: Thanks for your email. Being a 1986 we are presuming that the VIN is prior to 20000 so that this car would be one of the last carburetter cars. Before VIN 20000 the Turbo cars had a Solex 4 barrel carb, from VIN 20000 they have eFi.
The most common fault on the Solex carb cars is the solex carb itself - they tend to warp leading to flat spots when accelerating so we would recommend a test drive !
Other than that the things to check are as they would be for any RR or Bentley of this age:
1. Rust - very prone on rear wheel arches and below rear bumper (in UK at least !)
2. Internal cosmetics - check condition of leather and wood
3. Engine - ensure you have good oil pressure and no knocks or smoking
4. Gearbox - dip the oil to ensure it is nice and clean (should be red) not black and burnt
5. On test drive listen out for any rear axle noises/ whining
6. Check all electrics especially air con getting hot and cold
7. Check hydraulics - the two warning lights on the dash should flash on briefly when you fire up the car. If they stay on or come on during test drive then some work will be required.
Other than that treat it as you would any standard car. Good luck - feel free to come back for further advice.