One generality to beware of is that when you are new to them the V8 Bristols, even if they are actually in quite a bad state, have so much torque that they cannot help but impress somebody who is used to lesser vehicles. So beware, even though one might seem great at first acquaintance, there may be a long way to go before it is actually up to the mark.
I speak from experience
If you look at the contemporary tests there is actually not a lot of difference in the speed vs time acceleration tests for the 410 and the 411. There isn't a lot of difference in top speed either.
My 410, which runs on the wider 411 wheels, was quite capable of snaking its rear wheels at 60 when passing another vehicle under acceleration on a wet road, even though at that time I wondered about its breathing. I finally got fed up with broken manifolds and caused SLJ to fit their free flow exhaust manifolds. It now fairly romps away - I haven't met a damp road since for various other reasons but one knows ones got there when a member of SLJ's staff comes back with a broad smile on his face and the comment "goes well, doesn't she"
There is, or there should be, a very considerable amount of steel in the sills. I recently had to had my nearside sill cut out and replaced and I was quite reassured by how much metal there is there to protect occupants from a side impact.
I would be rather cautious of a car with lots of bolt ons and a poor structure, it seems to me that money may have been spent in the wrong place. At the very least get a price for the work that might need to be done. After all, once you're hooked, you're hooked and you'll then be on the line for a very long time
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