Joe and Ben from Shifting Metal take on a series of technical hurdles to restore a cheap £5,000 auction Bentley Continental GT, including a complex W12 service and bespoke bumper modifications.
To fit an aftermarket Super Sport bumper, technician Ben had to trim the corners of the front crash bar for clearance. He also salvaged the OEM parking sensor mounts, epoxying them into the new panel and extending the wiring loom out of sight.
Accessing the spark plugs on the 6.0-litre W12 engine required removing the inlet manifold. During disassembly, Ben discovered broken coil pack connector tabs, splicing in donor plugs from a Volkswagen Golf R loom and wrapping the wiring in fabric tape.
A post-service startup revealed a severe exhaust leak, traced with a smoke machine to a popped cylinder head core plug. Ben repaired the port by tapping a new thread, installing a helicoil, and sealing it with an M10 bolt and copper washer.
A final financial tally on the workshop’s management system revealed a total spend of £10,860.77, including the £5,534 purchase price, SQ8 alloy wheels, and a full service. While financially tight, the project highlights the reality of bringing cheap luxury cars up to scratch.
