Classic Obsession: Restoring a Rolls-Royce Corniche | Will a Road Handling Kit Change My Ride? | Video Tutorial

In other earlier episodes of Classic Obsession, Gary performed extensive work on the hydraulic system, the interior, the body and the hood, but after driving the car hard over the last 18 months and after having previously spent 16 years laid up in a barn,  work on the car’s suspension was long overdue. Even just for peace of mind… the car drives perfectly, but nothing lasts forever.

Some years back Rhoddy Harvey Bailey devised an upgrade kit to eradicate any uncertainty in the car’s handling in order to give it a more precise and deliberate feeling without taking away that magic carpet ride that Rolls-Royce were so famous for. That’s why Gary and many others buy a Rolls-Royce, because they were designed to be the height of luxury and comfort... and if that was taken away from the car then, what have you got?

After a few conversations with IntroCar, Gary decided to fit their Prestige Parts® version of the Road Handling kit to his Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible to put it to the test and dispel any reservations or misgivings, and answer the question people have been asking over the years: ‘will this transform the ride of my car?’

Gary believes that because these cars drive so beautifully, even after years and years of wear and tear, there may be many Roll-Royce drivers out there who are driving around in potential death-traps. After 50 years of wear, being particularly heavy cars – these cars chew through ball joints and shock absorbers – Gary was interested to see when stripping the suspension, how worn it actually is despite its lovely ride. Anyway, without further ado, the moment of truth, Gary gets stuck in to the project.

The shock absorbers weren’t part of the kit, they were an additional extra. When Gary took off his 50 year old originals, he knew the probability was that they would be worn out and compromise the whole experience and he wanted to do the job properly so ensured he had replacement shocks ready.

The whole car feels much firmer, but it hasn’t lost that kind of magic carpet ride, which is what Gary was worried about initially. The brakes feel so much better with those new shock absorbers. Entering a roundabout there is absolutely no banking whatsoever. Incredible.

Gary had a message from someone asking how he could even think about putting aftermarket parts on his Rolls-Royce? The answer is simple. Take a look at the pile of old parts shown in the video.

Just because your Rolls-Royce looks pristine and drives beautifully and you only take it to the odd show and the odd family trip that doesn’t mean to say you don’t have a responsibility to yourself, your family and the safety of other drivers.

These new suspension parts (shown here on the video) are now fitted to Gary’s Rolls-Royce Corniche giving him piece of mind.

Gary has done a bit of research into Prestige Parts®; they have spent fortunes in developing and remanufacturing obsolete Rolls-Royce and Bentley parts and in most cases they’re better and more efficient that the 50 year old originals. When you think of it most classics die because parts are no longer available and they end up being scrapped… so companies like IntroCar are actually keeping dreams alive. Isn’t that what the classic car community is all about – rescuing cars and keeping them in the road for many years to come? We’ll leave you with that thought!