Few cars manage to confuse people in the best possible way quite like Ben Crombie’s slammed 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Long before it comes into view, you hear it first — the unmistakable throb of a tough street machine. There’s the sharp mechanical chatter of valvetrain noise, the deep bass-heavy exhaust note, and the kind of lumpy idle normally associated with a worked Monaro or Falcon. Then the source appears, gliding into sight in brilliant white paint and polished chrome elegance: a classic Rolls-Royce riding inches from the pavement on airbags.
The contradiction is exactly what makes the car unforgettable.
People stop mid-sentence when they see it. Some stare in disbelief, trying to process how a dignified British luxury icon can sound so unapologetically aggressive. Ben has seen the reaction countless times.
“People see it roll by and it’s like: ‘Is that… that’s a… wow, a Rolls-Royce!’” he laughs.
And honestly, it’s hard not to react that way.
The Silver Shadow has always been an automotive status symbol. That tall upright grille and endless chrome trim became the inspiration for countless luxury cars that followed, influencing everything from Lincolns to Australian luxo-barges like the Ford LTD and Holden Caprice. But Ben’s Rolls doesn’t just rely on prestige — it backs up its looks with genuine street machine attitude.
The car itself is an impressive piece of engineering before you even get to the modifications. Unlike many luxury cars of its era, the Silver Shadow used a welded steel monocoque body with aluminum outer panels hung from the structure. It was advanced for the 1960s, but it also made modifying the car significantly more difficult. With the front guards integrated into the body structure, fabricating a custom suspension setup became far more complicated than simply bolting parts underneath an old body-on-frame chassis.
Ben didn’t exactly start with a pristine collector car either. By the time he bought the Rolls, someone had already replaced the factory V8 with a Chevrolet small-block. Among old Rolls-Royce enthusiasts, the swap is surprisingly common. The original Rolls engine was sophisticated but notoriously expensive and time-consuming to service. A Chev V8, on the other hand, is simple, reliable, affordable, and supported by an endless aftermarket.
For years, the Silver Shadow lived a relatively respectable life under Ben’s ownership. Based in Orange, New South Wales, he used the car as a wedding vehicle, chauffeuring brides around town every weekend. For seven years, the big white Rolls played the role perfectly — classy, elegant, and timeless.
But eventually the novelty wore off.
“After seven years of Saturdays, I was starting to not enjoy doing weddings,” Ben explains. “Sure, it’s the bride’s big day, but too often I was hearing complaints about the weather or the mineral water or something else. I’d had enough.”
The final turning point came courtesy of a burnout.
Ben destroyed the differential while doing exactly the sort of thing Rolls-Royce engineers probably never imagined their luxury sedan would experience. Instead of simply repairing it, he decided it was time to completely reinvent the car.
“So I thought: ‘Stuff it, I’ll build it properly.’”
That decision transformed the Rolls from a wedding cruiser into one of Australia’s wildest custom street cars.
The original Rolls-Royce independent rear suspension assembly was removed entirely. In its place went a narrowed Ford F100-based nine-inch differential stuffed with 4.56 gears. Fitting it wasn’t straightforward. The new setup required custom mounting points for the four-link suspension and Watt’s linkage, while also making room for massive 20×13-inch Billet Specialties rear wheels tucked deep under the guards.
Ben handled the fabrication work himself, modifying the chassis rails from the rear seat area all the way to the back of the trunk.
“You make it up as you go along,” he says. “I had nobody to ask.”
The front suspension received just as much attention. The original Rolls strut suspension and steering box were scrapped in favor of a fully custom setup combining components from multiple manufacturers. A Southern Rod & Custom crossmember formed the foundation, while XF Falcon uprights, BA Falcon brakes, and a BMW 3 Series rack-and-pinion steering system were blended together into a completely reengineered front end.
Airbag suspension at all four corners allows the massive sedan to drop flat onto the ground, dramatically changing the personality of the car. Parked at full drop, the Silver Shadow looks less like aristocratic transportation and more like a heavyweight gangster cruiser.
And then there’s the engine.
While many people are surprised to learn the Silver Shadow originally used a GM-sourced TH400 automatic transmission, that factory connection made the Chevrolet engine swap significantly easier. The current engine is a 408-cubic-inch small-block Chev built for torque and attitude rather than delicate refinement.
“It was screaming out for more power,” Ben says. “It needed attitude.”
The 408 features Dart Sportsman II heads, a Weiand intake manifold, a Holley 850 carburetor, and a Camtech camshaft that gives the engine its unmistakable bark. Cooling duties are handled by the factory Rolls-Royce radiator upgraded with triple electric thermo fans.
Ben sourced the engine from a builder in Lithgow who originally intended to install it into an HQ Monaro before that project went in a different direction.
The drivetrain combination works perfectly for the car. The TH400 transmission bolts naturally behind the Chevrolet engine, minimizing fabrication headaches while offering proven durability and strong performance potential. Inside the cabin, Ben replaced the factory column shifter with a Hurst Pro Ratchet setup cleverly integrated into the console, giving the car a more performance-oriented feel without ruining the classy interior aesthetics.
Despite all the custom work underneath, Ben intentionally avoided radically altering the body or interior. The Rolls already had timeless styling, and after years of wedding duty, the cabin remained in remarkably good condition. The goal wasn’t to turn the car into a cartoonish custom — it was to preserve the dignity of the original design while injecting genuine street machine personality.
That balance is what makes the build work so well.
It’s still unmistakably a Rolls-Royce. The walnut trim, fold-down rear picnic tables, and elegant proportions remain intact. But beneath the polished British luxury lies a loud, low, cammed-up V8 bruiser capable of shredding tires and dragging chassis.
Ben also managed to make the car lighter in the process.
“I chopped about 300 kilos out of it,” he says. “It’s only 1960kg now.”
Ironically, the car’s historical significance only adds to the shock value of what Ben created. This particular Silver Shadow wasn’t just any Rolls-Royce — it was reportedly the first Silver Shadow delivered to Australia and only the sixth one built worldwide. It appeared at both the Melbourne and Sydney Motor Shows in 1965 before later serving government duties in Melbourne.
When new, the car reportedly cost more than the average house in Sydney.
“Originally it was grey with a green interior,” Ben explains. “And all that history… and I chopped it up!”
Traditional collectors might cringe at the idea of modifying such a historically important car, but Ben doesn’t lose sleep over it. To him, the Rolls isn’t a museum piece — it’s a family car.
Today, the Silver Shadow spends its time cruising with Ben, his wife Bec, and their kids Enzo and Jack.
“We go get milkshakes,” he says. “The kids love riding in the back. It’s just a fun car.”
And maybe that’s the best outcome possible for a machine that once represented untouchable luxury. Instead of sitting hidden away in a climate-controlled collection, this Rolls-Royce lives a loud, smoky, low-slung second life on the street — exactly where it belongs.
Thinking Outside the Box
Cars like this make you look at the hobby differently. Most people see a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow or a Jaguar and immediately assume it must cost a fortune, but older luxury cars can sometimes be surprisingly affordable if you’re willing to take on a project. A non-running Rolls with a bad engine might scare collectors away, but for someone thinking outside the box, it could be the perfect candidate for a V8 swap and a one-of-a-kind custom build. That’s what makes Ben’s Silver Shadow so cool — it proves you don’t need to follow the crowd to build something unforgettable.
Vehicle Specifications
Vehicle: 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Color: White
Engine
- Chevrolet small-block V8
- 408 cubic inches
- Dart Sportsman II cylinder heads
- Weiand intake manifold
- Holley 850 carburetor
- Camtech camshaft
- Factory Rolls-Royce radiator with triple thermo fans
Transmission & Driveline
- GM TH400 three-speed automatic transmission
- Narrowed Ford nine-inch rear differential
- 4.56:1 gears
Suspension & Steering
- Custom upper and lower wishbone front suspension
- XF Falcon uprights
- BMW 3 Series rack-and-pinion steering
- ShockWave airbag suspension front and rear
- Custom five-link rear suspension with Watt’s linkage
Brakes
- BA Falcon twin-piston front calipers
- PBR front disc brakes
- Camaro single-piston rear calipers
- PBR rear disc brakes
Wheels & Tires
- Billet Specialties wheels
- 20×8.5-inch front wheels
- 20×13-inch rear wheels
- 245/30 front tires
- 335/25 rear tires
Photo Gallery
