Sunday, July 6, 2014

The story of B229FU

               B229FU is a 1950 Mk VI Bentley, built by Rolls-Royce Motor at Pyms Lane, Crewe.
This was the factory built in 1938 to manufacture the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which powered, not just the classic fighter aircraft, but bombers and ground armour.
Post war Rolls-Royce 'chassis division' was relocated there from Derby which was now dedicated to aero engines.
The Mk VI Bentley was the first standard body Rolls Royce, with an all steel body constructed by Pressed Steel in Cowley and then transported to Crewe for painting, trimming and fitting to the chassis. All previous Rolls-Royce and Bentley were sold as a chassis only and then transported to the coachbuilder of choice for construction of the required body.

B229FU was ordered through York Motors, Sydney, for R.A.R. Waugh, 'Branga Park' Walcha, NSW with a shipping date of 31st of January 1950 on S.S. Doric.
No doubt the car gave sterling service on the poor roads at that time. It was ordered with 'colonial springing' as well as extra ground clearance and dust proofing.
It wore several NSW registration numbers;
GZ 523
DVA 029
RR 163
By the 1970s it was in the Blue Mountains where in 1977 it was partially dismantled and left in the weather for a considerable time. The hero of the story is Tim who rescued it some time before 1996 and stored it and all its bits under cover.
I first saw the car in 2009 but it was too far gone to be anything but parts at that stage.

                                        Major rust in the body structure.


This is where the underside of the sills used to be.



And the interior was destroyed.







The engine was left in the weather like this. 




Forward to  December 2013....

I was trolling Ebay and found this;
1947 Mk VI Bentley body and interior.



So...guess what happened next.
Hello Tim, it's Carl here. Is that bentley still for sale?

My spare engine was back in stock after an extended holiday in B188AK (while I rebuilt it's original engine).

All of a sudden B229FU was a viable car again. Couple of bludging phone calls...Hi Ron, can I borrow your truck and trailer?


To be continued................