[Stefan]

Ive had this query from Len Huff, registrar of the Abbott coachbuilders group, who is writing a history. Can anyone assist him?

I wonder if you would be very, very kind and help me, please.

You will know that when the 405D partly-bodied chassis were sent from the Bristol Car Division in Filton to Abbott’s factory in Wrecclesham, the artisans there had to make a new door for the 2-door coupé.

Once made (to the Bristol Car Divsion’s dimensions, I often wonder?) and the new B post having been placed on the chassis rail accordingly - there was a gap between the B post and the leading edge of the saloon-sized rear wing.

I have never yet seen the size of that gap accurately recorded in any feature I have scanned. It seems to range from 2 feet down to 8 inches!

Most regrettably, the former Abbott artisans who worked on the 405D (they always worked in pairs, by the way, and each always took the same wing - nearside or offside) have failed to add that dimension to their memory bank - in readiness for me to one day ask the questions!

So far as I can tell, the only way I might find the answer is for some kind person to measure the length of the 405 saloon’s rear wings - and an equally kind person measure the length of the
405D’s rear wing. Would you agree with my thinking that the difference between the two would be the amount that Abbott had to add on to the saloon wings?

Could you very, very kindly put out a call to two such owners and ask them to measure their two differing rear wing lengths for me, please? Along the same line on both cars, if I can be really fussy!

When the part-bodied chassis arrived in Wrecclesham from Filton, it was discovered that the front part of the car, as already part-bodied in Filton, was of ‘aircraft grade’ aluminium. The Abbott artisans used high quality, 16 gauge aluminium. And when the two were being welded together, the weld had a tendency to crack.

Tell me please - was ‘aircraft grade’ aluminium better or ‘worse’ than 16 gauge, high-quality aluminium? Was it thicker - or thinner?


Might I offer you my huge thanks in advance for helping me out on these two Bristol matters?
Len Huff.