Hello. After selling my GT a couple
of years ago I had a serious case of regret.

I’ve agreed to purchase an 07 at M and I motors in the Chicago area. (Highland Park)

Was wondering if anyone on here knew someone in the area who may be willing to give it a look before I send the check and have it delivered? I’m not able to get up there right now. It looks like a solid car and I’ve looked at the service records, but I’m still a little skittish.

Thanks,

Dirk

 

There is a Bentley dealership on Northbrook but I don't know if they do PPI. Both shops I used are a 30 min drive. I did use a company called Lemon Squad when I bought a car in FL. They looked it over before I went down but they werent able to get it on a lift or anything unless the dealership will allow them to use theirs.

 

Are you looking for a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic-type, or one of us to go drive it and let you know whether the vacuum lines were bad and the third brake light was out?

 

That was more what I had in mind, but I just took a leap and bought it anyway. It’s being delivered tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

 

Well? We're waiting. How is it?

Sorry I couldn't help out.

 

So far so good. Only issue I have found so far is the headliner is sagging and that wasn’t in any pictures or disclosed.

I’ve only driven about 50 miles so far. Snow, ice, slush and nasty roads here.

I’ll be holding my breath for the first few minths I’m sure.

 

Nice spec. Quick way to know if the vac lines are a problem is to listen for the vacuum pump, LHS footwell. if it turns on every time you break, you have a leak.

 

My car also had the sagging headliner. The glue wears out after 15 years. Take it to a good upholstery shop, I think it's less than $1,000 and worth doing. Your seller didn't screw you over (on that at least) all these cars have the same problem. The third brake light stops working (water infiltration), the rubber vacuum lines start to leak at the cheap plastic connectors, the lines crack and the seal breaks. Do some searching for Johnny's pictures.

If you had bad vacuum lines, you'd know it, the idle would most likely be all wonky and unlivable.

I don't know that I've ever seen that blue before, is it an original Bentley paint job? I think it looks great.

 

Yes, I think my upholstery shop can handle the headliner. The service records show the vacuum lines were replaced so I assume they were upgraded and i’m not concerned. It runs fantastic.

This isn’t my first GT so I had a decent idea what should concern me.

The color isn’t a Bentley color. It is actually a wrap. I was skeptical until I saw it. It is really good.

Dirk

 

Someone might correct me on this but I don't think the Vac lines were ever updated. Or at least, I had plastic ones with a metal sheath of some sort, and they still failed at the flanges.

 

You're right, Johnny brought that up. The $1,200 lines from Bentley are just plastic but they now come with foil around them.

There is a vendor on here that I read that specializes in an engine pull and stainless upgrade for $5,500 out in Long Island. That's reasonable, engine out at my independent is 30 hours minimum, add in the plastic $1,200 and that comes out to about the same.

 

Hey British - where'd you take your car for the headliner repair?

 

I got lucky; the guy I bought the car from on eBay admitted the headliner was drooping, I think I complained about it and he just had it done at his expense before shipping. Don't tell him this, but I was caught by surprise he did it, and damn glad he did.

So I didn't do it myself, but this topic comes up on this board all of the time, the headliner glue is a 10-year glue apparently it seems all cars suffer the same fate. If you do some searching, you'll see some DIY projects as well as some folks that hired it out, if I remember correctly, it's not that expensive of a job, like I wrote, I think it's in the $800-$1,000 range, if not lower.

You can easily do it yourself, but I assume one has to have a lot of space and patience to take out the headliner, you don't fix it in place, you take it all completely out.

 

Yikes - I could never dream of applying my talent for making things worse to trying to repair my own Bentley.

I'm pretty surprised - before I got my car and joined this forum I would never have expected Bentley owners to be under their own cars unless their ex-wife made it happen. The level of resourcefulness, courage and mechanical knowledge here is extremely impressive.

So if mine needs it, it's an upholstery shop. FMU probably has a relationship with one.....

 

You'd be surprised. I would bet at least 20% of owners of really nice cars enjoy wrenching on them themselves. I know I do. In reality, it is the only way that I can justify owning something worth this kind of money. Once you take maintenance and upkeep out of the $$ equation a lot of luxury items are very affordable (after initial purchase).

BTW, I have to fix my sagging headliner as well. I'll give an after the fact summary when I am done.