Rolls-Royce automobiles are touted as the pinnacle of luxury, the pride of Britain, the top-tier of what can be done when the finest craftsmen actually get their crap together and churn out a quality product. And if you walk by a new one at a trade show, you’d be inclined to agree…the cars are exquisite. The Rollers from about 1965 to 1998 tend to be a bit more questionable in quality. Maybe the ownership of Rolls-Royce Motors was the problem…after the development of the RB-211 jet engine nearly sank Rolls, the whole company was nationalized in 1971, and Rolls-Royce Motors was spun off in 1973. The auto side of the house ended up in the hands of Vickers in 1980, Volkswagen in the late 1990s, and ultimately in the hands of BMW. That’s a lot of shifting, and a lot of area for things to go bad. And that’s before the Lucas electronics jokes get to be put into play.
So we are actually quite alright with people taking what are more than likely dead old luxury boats and doing something interesting with them. At LS Fest there was the 6.0L powered 1979 Roller that stopped just about everybody in their tracks, and this time…well, this one shouldn’t be a surprise. Corbin Goodwin is the builder of what he calls the “Trolls Royce”, a 1978 Silver Shadow II. The original 6.75L V8 is still in the car, but it’s now turbocharged and is backed by the transmission from a Ford truck. The radiator is in the trunk, the intercooler is right up front, and none of this is a surprise…this is the same dude who built the internet-famous “Zero F**ks Given” Mazda RX-7.
And get this…dude drives for one of those “text a taxi” services. Imagine this big bastard showing up.
Language Warning: There’s a little more swearing than normal for a TST episode.
I just couldn’t stand looking at this wheeled plumber’s nightmare. This car could be really cool with a front mounted radiator, smaller inter cooler and proper bodywork – but at least it hasn’t got a Loathsome Slug under the hood and for me that’s the most important thing going for it.