Bentley and Rolls Royce upgrades - Fall 2006
In the past year we have developed a number of upgrades for the 1994-1996 Bentley Turbo R, Continental, and Azure. These are also applicable to the Flying Spur. Photos of most of these upgrades are on our web site.
Power: We have looked at methods of getting more power from the turbo engine. We've put together a kit that slightly increases the boost from the turbocharger. We increase boost enough to get a noticeable power improvement — a bit over 400HP on most cars. This modification will not compromise reliability.
For those who want more power we can go to higher levels of boost by changing to a bigger turbocharger and a custom-made intercooler. Such a change will get the engine up over 500HP at the expense of some longevity.
Lighting: US market Bentley cars were fitted with seals beam headlamps that are 1970's technology. The 7 inch round headlamps can be replaced with the Cibie H4 headlamps and fog lamps, which will provide four times the light output of the current system. The Cibie system looks very similar identical from in front - it's what the cars are equipped with elsewhere in the world. Cost of the parts is about $1,000.
For a bit more money we can fit Cibie conversion HID headlamps. These look the same from the exterior, but they are fitted with the blue-white gas discharge lamps seen on newer Bentley, Mercedes, or Porsche cars.
US Market Rolls Royce Spirit and Spur models made before 1993 were fitted with four sealed beam rectangular headlamps. These lamps were the least effective light fitted to any modern Rolls. We can upgrade the lights on your Spirit or Spur to the European style, as seen on the mid-1990's cars (see photo).
HID conversions for these lamps are available also.
If you have a Corniche or an older Rolls Royce or Bentley we can replace the stock seal beam lamps with Cibie round halogen lights that will increase your night time illumination 4-5 times.
Braking: When Bentley introduced the Continental T in 1997 they developed a larger disc brake set to improve high speed braking. The kit consists of larger front discs, four larger calipers, new pads, and new spindles. Some machine work is required to install these items, and you'll need 17 inch wheels to clear the bigger brakes.
Tires and wheels: The 17 and 18 inch wheels and tires used on Continental T and later models can be retrofitted to older cars for improved handling and braking. Sedans made before 1995 may require modification to the inner wheel wells to clear the bigger tires.
Availability of genuine wheels varies, so check with our parts department before ordering.
Entertainment: In the early 1990s the folks at Crewe switched from Pioneer to Alpine for in-car entertainment. We have a kit that adapts the newest Alpine stereo with iPod control into these cars. The kit allows you to put a iPod in the glovebox and run it from the radio faceplate or the radio remote control. We can retain the existing CD changer or remove it. We also have Bluetooth kits to integrate the phone and stereo, and we can then eliminate the old analog phone from the center console.
Trim and interior: At this time Bentley is clearing out the original carpet over mats for these cars. Cost is under $200 but colors are somewhat limited as they sell out.
We have fitted wood steering wheels to several cars. We've been doing custom-made wood wheels to fit the airbag cars.