Man treks 10 hours to buy the USA's cheapest Rolls-Royce Phantom in make or break decision
Published on Jul 05, 2025 at 6:20 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jul 03, 2025 at 2:57 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A $500,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom for just $30,000 sounds too good to be true, so for YouTuber Westen Champlin, it was either a dream deal or an epic disaster.
To check it out, Champlin drove 10 hours to Texas in a bid to buy what might be the cheapest Phantom in the country.
No key, no idea if it ran, and a laundry list of damage. But it was still a Rolls.
And although it had bullet holes and a mystery past, he bought it. In cash.
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A $30,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom… with bullet holes and a mystery past
The car had clearly lived a wild life. Photos showed slashed leather seats, busted headlights, and vandalism that looked more personal than accidental.
The air suspension was shot, a window was missing, and the car hadn’t run in years. It even had bulletproof glass.
“Sounds like an ex-wife got mad is what happened,” Champlin joked.
Even without a key or any guarantee it would start, he was hooked.
The seller had been using it as a photo prop for weddings. And though a scrapyard had offered to part it out, Westen had other plans.
He handed over $30,000 in cash and loaded it onto a trailer using a winch, jacks, and sheer determination.
The luxury barge barely fit, but he made it work.
Back home, they discovered the truth: the V12 engine was toast.
One spark plug hole revealed a shredded piston. The Rolls-Royce was officially dead and Champlin’s wild plan kicked in.
It’s going Cummins-swapped.
From luxury cruiser to diesel-swapped Frankenstein
With its factory V12 destroyed and a replacement costing $17,000 used, Champlin decided to do something no one else has: drop in a Cummins diesel.
That’s right – the British ultra-luxury sedan is getting a 6.7L turbo diesel straight out of a Ram truck.
Why? Why not. Measurements also confirmed it would fit.
As part of the makeover, he planned to give it twin turbos, A/C, and maybe even a new custom interior.
With the original engine gone, the Phantom was about to get a new lease on life.
It’s the ultimate blend of excess and insanity.
Champlin isn’t sure what the final form will look like, but he’s already calling it the ‘first-ever’ Cummins-swapped Rolls-Royce Phantom.
This isn’t just a junkyard rescue. It’s a full-blown resurrection with a wild American heart. And it might just be the most entertaining Phantom build in history.
Watch the epic deal unfold below:
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
