Early 400 bumpers

[Robert339]

Dear All,

Having unsuccessfully searched the forum on this topic, does anyone have information about the early style bumpers for the Bristol 400?

400/339 is presently undergoing a full restoration and having stripped the front wings, it would appear that the car may well have originally been fitted with the early style tubular bumpers, rather than the later straight bumpers & apron. The holes in the front wings - from which the bumper brackets protrude - are clearly non original.

Does anyone have information on these early bumpers (material, dimensions, etc). Are these by chance being re-manufactured? Any guidance is much appreciated.

Thanks.
Robert.

[Geoff Dowdle]

Robert,
I don't know of any definitive information about how many early 400's were fitted with the tubular bumpers .
I have photos of most surviving 400's (period & current) and many cars that have not survived.
Your 400 Chassis 339 is Car#224 the 124th car produced and left Filton on 23/7/1948 and most of the first 80 cars were fitted with Tubular bumpers . Many of which were converted later by BCL to the blade bumpers.
There are probably less than 30 cars that I know of that still have the tubular bumpers

I doubt that your 400/339 was originally fitted with the tubular bumpers but if and when the BCL archives are released by the receiver more information might become available .

Geoff Dowdle
BOC 400 Registrar

[dezelsky]

Hello Robert,
I have an early 400 which was converted to blade bumpers. I would quite like to reinstate the tubular versions as I think they suit the 400 well. As far as I am aware no one has produced a batch of these, and it will probably take a few owners to group together to commission this. Fabrication should be relatively straightforward but will be more realistic if there were several signed-up end-customers. Let me know if you are interested - and other early 400 owners - and we can try to work out how to make it happen
Paul

[Robert339]

Geoff,

Thanks for your response. Given the car number, I was indeed somewhat surprised at the possibility of the car having had tubular bumpers, however the holes for the bumper mountings are so crudely cut-out, that They cannot possibly be original. Is anything known when the Bristol records might become available? Do you know of any 400 with the early bumpers in The Netherlands?

Paul,

I’d be interested to explore the possibility to have the tubular bumpers re-manufactured, although Geoff is most likely correct re. originality for 400/339. I’ll send you a pm. Thanks.

Regards,
Robert

[Daniel]

Hello Robert,
I was restoring 400 chassis number 127 a few years ago and Jeff Marsh who had worked at Bristol for a long time took great trouble to help get a pair of tubular bumpers remanufactured- he used a firm that made tubular railings for yachts and then chromed the steel. One surprising thing was that the overrider (vertical) tubes were not that much smaller diameter than the horizontal bumper tubes but they look right. I can measure the tubes diameter if you like.
Daniel

[Robert339]

Hi Daniel,

Thank you - that would be great.
Let me send you a pm.

Kind regards,
Robert

[David C]

SLJ had a batch made in stainless some years back. It was a very decent job. I bought a set complete with fittings and turned ends. Hard to believe, but with house move and long winded restoration of my 400 still unfinished I have managed to lose the biggest bits - the bumper tubes. I still have the support tubes and other parts that could be used as patterns. If anyone feels like getting a batch made I would like a front bumper and to get a one off rear bumper made for the woody.

[Troedyrhiw]

I would also be interested in purchasing a set of the early type tubular bumpers if a batch was being made.
Regards,
John

[David C]

If either of you who are interested in early 400 bumpers can get down to Wiltshire in the near future I think my bumper kit is still in component form at Mitchell motors. It would be the work of moments to draw round the individual parts to make a pattern. I think there is also an early 400 on site with original tubular bumpers.

My bumpers were made from stainless steel and are not as strong as the original but I imagine several sets could be made in this way for the cost of a single set to the original spec.

As I don't have the bumpers with me I can't offer measurements of diameters but the vertical hoops are noticeably smaller diameter than the horizontals on all the bumpers I have seen.