New 403 owner

[Des]

Electric wise, lead acid is a dead duck, Toyota make a grotesque hybrid thing which I notice tend to be driven appallingly, and there's an issue with Toyota brakes, perhaps smashed examples are piling up in scrap yards waiting for their modern technology batteries to be harvested, shame if they go to waste as their manufacture will have caused vast pollution.
Obviously how the car will be used needs consideration before going 'leccy, for delivering bottles of milk in the early hours it's ideal. How about towing a trailer mounted diesel generator for electric power, run on the agricultural red stuff, this could even be legal in a loophole kind of way, charge exempt congestion zone cruising!
I wouldn't be keen myself for a rover V8, It's what powers my regular car and I find them a rough old lump of monkey metal, but still likeable if that makes sense, more suited to a tractor than a lightweight car, and that famed 'V8 rumble' is not a good thing. There are far nicer engines out there, Big Lexus Merc copy has an ohc 4l V8, come to think of it, might be worth looking at what powers Mercs.
BMW engines, from what I've seen, do tend to be sprawled across their bays, but would be the one to go for if at all feasible, though I do think unlikely.
As for diesel, I heard or read some years ago that a diesel powered car is like being gay, more acceptable than it used to be, but still wrong.

[Hal]

Originally Posted by Des

Obviously how the car will be used needs consideration before going 'leccy, for delivering bottles of milk in the early hours it's ideal.

Now that's an idea, starting a milk round !

Originally Posted by Des

I wouldn't be keen myself for a rover V8, It's what powers my regular car and I find them a rough old lump of monkey metal,

Agreed, the ones i've heard did sound a tad agricultural (diesels i mean, dont know about petrol versions)

Originally Posted by Kevin Howard

But apart from that, the economic viability, poor range and lack of re-fuelling facilities in the UK, it just wouldn't be proper!

I'm sure that people said the same about LPG when Bristol introduced it as an option.

[Rubbond]

Gourgeous - but those switches and air ducts!

[seanmcs]

Where, please.

Sean

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by seanmcs

Where, please.

Sean

I think he means the ones in this picture

[Rubbond]

I did indeed!
Surely aircraft-type click-clack switches would be better - like the 1920's
domestic light switches? More functional and pleasing to the eye.
The air vents remind me of an Austin Allegro. Or I suppose any other 1970's
car. Not my period, and I think the worst period in history for design.
The shape of the 411 however is still very distinctive and pleasing, and on
this car, gone are the horrible 1970's wheels etc..
I guess Bristol were lagging 10 years behind in design at the time, maybe
later went wrong in the 1980's?
I'm not really familiar with the later models, but wasn't keen on them when
contempory.
Rgds,
Andy.

[bkz411]

My father once owned a 411 and he allowed me the priviledge of driving it
when I was 17 yrs old. A most memorable journey - not least because the
alternator was broken and we got stuck half way between Winchester and
Southampton.
Recently I had a brief love affair with an old XJS HE 5.3 but that caused me
no end of trouble, breaking down 13 times in one year, before being
converted to the security of Mercedes, and have driven an A Class, and later
a B class. My one concern with owning a classic was reliability, but as this
car comes with a new car warranty that doesn't appear to be an issue. I will
let you know as I get more accustomed to driving it - but my experience to
date has been over whelmingly good.