Buying a cheap luxury car is a little like buying a lottery ticket. Sometimes you win, and sometimes the bills never stop. One car buyer just tested that idea twice at once, with a 1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche and a 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost.
The owner behind @HooviesGarage says he paid $32,000 for the Corniche convertible and $39,000 for the Ghost. Together, he points out, each one cost less than a new Toyota Camry. Then he took both cars to his mechanics to find out what he had really bought.
A Barrett-Jackson Rolls-Royce Corniche With No Heat
He bought the gold Corniche at Barrett-Jackson. The top worked and the car drove well, he says, even at 80 miles an hour. However, the climate control did nothing at all, and the brakes pulsed under hard stops.
He also explains why he was willing to gamble. He says Corniches can now sell for $100,000, so getting one for about a third of that felt like a good deal.
Under The Corniche, Almost Everything Is Wet
Michael, the mechanic on the Corniche, started with good news. The engine bay was clean, the oil level was right and the mineral oil for the brake and suspension system was full.
But the lift told a different story. Michael found leaking suspension accumulators, a wet valve block and a torn steering rack boot. He also spotted engine oil leaks, a transmission seal that was dripping fast and a torn CV boot. In fact, he found only one dry valve block out of the ones he checked.
“It is a never-ending battle,” he says of these hydraulic systems.
Parts made things worse. Several of the pieces they looked up showed no stock or a long lead time, so they may need a rebuilder instead. Meanwhile, both climate control fuses looked fine, so that fault will need more digging.
Still, Michael doesn’t call it a disaster. “It’s not quite that bad, but it definitely does need some love and attention,” he says.
The Ghost Only Needed A Thermostat
The Ghost was a different story. Its check engine light pointed to a thermostat, and the engine took far too long to warm up. Johnny, a BMW specialist, scanned the car and found only that one code.
Once he removed the hoses and covers, the old thermostat came out stuck wide open. According to the owner, it was supposedly only about two years old. Johnny swapped in a new one in roughly an hour or two, and the warning light went out.
The owner also says the previous owner had spent around $30,000 on the car, including all four air shocks. Apart from a slight weep at an axle seal, the 120,000-mile Ghost showed no other leaks.
What This Rolls-Royce Pair Teaches Used-Luxury Buyers
His two cars make a neat case study for anyone shopping for a bargain luxury car:
- A low price is only the entry fee. Budget for the repairs a cheap car almost always needs.
- Put the car on a lift before you buy if you can. Many leaks only show from underneath.
- Check parts supply first. A part that is hard to find can cost more in time than in money.
- Ask for service records, and then check that the work was really done.
Where Things Stand
For now, the Ghost is fixed and back on the road. Meanwhile, the Corniche still needs a long list of hydraulic, seal and climate repairs. As the owner sums it up, the modern Rolls-Royce turned out to be far easier to own than the vintage one.
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