THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE
Rolls-Royce has a reputation for building cars that are exceptionally quiet, but here’s one that gives “the sound of silence” new meaning. It’s a 1933 Phantom II model, one of the most revered Rollers in a long history of exceptional cars, and what makes this one even more exceptional is that it is powered by an electric engine!
“You could say that this one is a Phantom-Phantom, because it’ll come gliding into your presence without so much as a whisper,” says Gerald Burrell, the man who oversaw this remarkable conversion.
Gerald runs a classic restoration business in Jet Park near O.R. Tambo airport, M&G Classic Cars, and when his friend Graham Blackbeard suffered an overheating episode on his Phantom II’s engine – a vast 7,7litre straight-six-cylinder unit – Graham and Gerald first discussed the possibility of switching to electric power.
“I had a lot of experience in the field of miniature radio-controlled electric powered cars and I took one over to Graham to explain how the basic electric motors worked. The idea took hold, and in 2021 we decided to embark on this electric adventure with a 90-year-old Rolls-Royce.”
Top of mind regarding the viability of the conversion was that it would have to be completely reversible, to enable the original engine to be re-fitted, without any re-engineering of the basic Rolls-Royce structure. So the layout of the conversion was planned from the start with this in mind: no cutting, welding, and a minimum of drilling!
“I am delighted to say that we achieved the whole conversion with no changes to the car’s structure, and I only needed to drill two small holes in the chassis (these are easily reversed with a quick spot weld) to fit the throttle actuator. For the rest, the car is the way it left the factory in 1933, apart from the fact that electric power has replaced the huge original engine.”
In line with this thinking, it was decided at an early stage that the original four-speed gearbox would be retained, feeding power through the drive shaft and the rear axle. The reason for this was that in the Phantom II the braking system is connected to the gearbox. Initially one large electric motor was considered, but for cost reasons, two smaller electric motors were chosen, and linked together in tandem through a rubber coupling.
Gerald sourced the motors, the necessary controllers and other items from Electric Safari Vehicles in Nelspruit, a company run by Steve Blatherwick. The motors chosen were Chinese Netgain HyPer 9 units, which are brushless AC devices, used alongside matching synchronous controllers. Each motor is rated at between 80 and 90 kW, so the net total power for the Rolls was upped from the 88 kW of the original motor to at least 160 kW!
“We had a new, much lighter flywheel manufactured, because the old Rolls item was massive and totally over-engineered. So we sourced a clutch and pressure plate from a Toyota Dyna three ton truck, a very robust unit, and linked the motors to this using a rubber coupling between the two motors and a spigot shaft with a thrust bearing that we manufactured.” explains Gerald.
The motors were mounted in an aluminium sub-frame designed to bolt onto the original engine mountings. And because the two motors, mounted in tandem, had a very low overall height, there was plenty of space to mount the battery packs and controllers neatly above the electric motors.
“The idea wasn’t to build a hot rod, where we’d be smoking those skinny old rear tyres every time the car pulled away,” explained Gerald. “We profiled the controllers to increase power at a suitably moderate rate.”
As for batteries, they are located in an aluminium container above the motors. Gerald ended up using 10 Tesla batteries, which are actually used items, as Tesla refuses to sell new batteries to non-owners, and in any case, the price of a new battery pack for a Tesla would cost nearly as much as a complete car. To keep the batteries and controllers nice and cool, a company called Miltek in Centurion designed the beautifully-finished integrated ducting for the cooling system, which actually uses the original Rolls-Royce radiator.
Electric pumps are used to circulate the cooling fluid. For many of the heavier parts that needed machining, such as the flywheel and drivetrain components, Gerald employed Gilo Engineering in Booysens Reserve (Johannesburg), this company being well-versed in engine conversions, dating back to the days of V6-engined VW Kombis in the 1980s.
“We retained many of the items from the original layout, such as the advance-retard timing levers on the steering column, and many of the old gauges, as we wanted the car to retain as much originality as possible. Incidentally, the 12-volt battery is still in place, linked to the Tesla lithium batteries, and all the lights run off the 12-volt system. The dashboard is original, but we created a framework beneath the original dashboard to house some modern electric-power instrumentation.”
The amount of wiring in an electric motor installation is massive, considering that there are 10 battery packs used and each pack contains six cells. All this had to be carefully planned and neatly executed to impart the Rolls-Royce level of execution that was vital in a car of this stature.
Charging the car is carried out by a slow-speed charger fitted with a normal household three prong plug, to enable charging at home or at Graham’s office. As Gerald explains, the car’s owner loves to use the old Rolls for a drive in to the office a couple of times a week, with short distances involved. Although no hard and fast test have been carried out yet, an effective range of 200 km is estimated for the old car, which is adequate for typical Sunday runs.
“By retaining the four-speed gearbox, we actually have an electric car which has four forward gears. But generally the car is left in second gear. You don’t need to activate the clutch pedal, which is still connected, you simply switch on, and when you push the accelerator, the car accelerates smoothly away. You can change gear if you want to. The overall power delivery is super smooth, as you would expect from an electric car, and there is virtually no sound from the engine.
“I must say that working on the car, wiring up the battery packs was nerve-wracking, as there is no way you can switch those batteries off. So, I worked with gloves and rubber-soled shoes. Also when we started the car for the first time it was a tense moment, because if you had got your signals crossed somewhere along the way, you can have a big fire on your hands.
“I am very proud of the fact that we did the whole conversion using local expertise. When we started the conversion, this was the only Electric Rolls-Royce Phantom II we had heard about, on the planet. But since we completed the car, we have read about another one that was being done in England. Neither of us knew about the other one’s project, so it is strange how ideas like this sometimes come to light simultaneously, in different parts of the world.”
As the owner Graham Blackbeard was out of the country, Gerald Burrell had the pleasurable task of showing off the “Phantom-Phantom” at the recent Cars in the Park gathering at Zwartkops Raceway where it drew much favourable comment.
At the show, Gerald had a notice put up proclaiming that “No Rolls-Royces were harmed in the process of doing this conversion”, and that is indeed a comforting thought. Burrell explained that every part removed has been tagged and identified, with explanations as to how they should be re-installed, if and when the time comes when someone (a future owner, perhaps) wants to bring the car back to original petrol-engined spec.
In Graham Blackbeard’s workshop at home, the original 91-year-old 6-cylinder Rolls-Royce engine is mounted on a stand, ready for a re-build. Meanwhile, that massive Rolls-Royce radiator gives the car such presence, that it almost takes your breath away when you first see it. Then, to watch this re-energised 1933 Rolls glide past, without so much a whisper from the engine bay in 2024, makes you deduce that, whether Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel intended it or not, The Sound of Silence was actually a happy song after all.
Story by Stuart Johnston
Pics by Jay Groat
