I am 23 and just racked down a 403 in a barn. Now what?

[Pdmiller]

I am in no position in life to purchase a Bristol, much less one needing full restoration, but sometimes one stumbles upon certain opportunities that are too good to pass up. I've been around classic cars my entire life yet have never seen a Bristol 401/403 in person. They are a pretty rare find in North America, so you can guess my surprise at stumbling upon a lead while shopping for antique furniture in Northern California.

Today I gained access to the warehouse where the car has been stored for about 20 years, but still have not been able to reach the owner. I know what I would be comfortable paying for the car, but I could really use some input from some people in the know. Car anyone help?

Here is what I know: The owner intended to hot-rod the car. The steering linkage has been moved to the left side - it's a really shoddy job - and linkage for an automatic trans is in place. I don't know too much about these cars, but I think the trans tunnel has been cut out and replaced, a new aluminum radiator and shroud have been retrofitted, and a rack and pinion has been bolted in place. The owner's friend showed me a Ford 427 he intended to put in the car - it was buried but I think it's just a bored-out 289 - and I am concerned that there are other chassis modifications that I am still missing. There is also the issue of the brake master cylinder that looks far from stock. Aside from the drivetrain, the car seems otherwise about 90-95% complete. I has smooth rear drums, so (assuming the rear end is original) it is a later 403. It also still retains its front swaybar.

In any case, can anyone offer some additional information? Again, I am new to these cars, and I have some books on the way, but I would like to know how crazy I am to even consider this car. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[GREG]

I think if that car was for sale in the UK it may reach £800 to £1000 on a good day. The U.S.A could be a different story !

It depends what you want to achieve ? If you want a good looking car, you could finish what someone else has started with the engine mods and put the outside and inside back to near standard. One like this was for sale in the U.S.A. about a year ago with a Ford Falcon engine for around £25 k !

It looks too messed about with to put back to being an original car and would cost a fortune but could still be a great looking classic.

It would be interesting to know the engine and chassis numbers from the plate in the engine bay.

All the best

Greg

[dave dale]

An old guy who has restored more classic cars than we have had hot dinners gave me a good piece of advice many years ago. I laughed at the time but it has turned out to be very true. " Estimate the cost of the job and triple it - should be somewhere near the final cost ".

I have a 403 and would love to encourage you to go for this barn find but, unless you are going to do all the work yourself, you may end up with a car that has cost more than the current value of a 403 but be worth much less because of the lack of originality.

If you have the money it may be a wiser decision to buy a fairly original car and improve it gradually. This is what I have done with my 403 and never regretted it. You should have seen the smile on my face as I drove into Paris a couple of weeks ago to meet other Bristol cars and their owners. The Aerodynes ( 401 and 403 ) are wonderful cars.

Good luck.

Dave Dale.

[Pdmiller]

Thank you all for your help. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

I guess I should have provided a bit of my background: In the last ten years I've worked on a series of Studebakers. My dad and I restored his 63 Avanti while I was in high school, then I built up a 62 Lark with superharged 289 and 4-speed, disc brakes and posi-trac rear end. After I sold that I purchased a 63 Avanti of my own and returned it to the road in time for a 2200-mile road trip across the country.

I know a bit about restoring classics and have dumped a lot of money into them - I lost a lot of money on that Lark and still remember the pains I went through in selling it. But this 403 is a completely different animal. Its rarity means finding parts will be next to impossible, I'm sure, and otherwise prohibitively expensive.

If it lands in my hands, I will do all of the mechanical work myself, but aluminum body repairs, paint, and any upholstery work will necessarily be outsourced.

I guess my next bug question is what is the best relevant literature available? Is there an owner's manual, restoration guide, etc. that I should consult? In otter words, for those of you who have done extensive work on your cars, how did you do it?

Thank you all again for your help.

And last but not least, if I don't end up with the car, I'd like to help someone on the forum acquire the car. It should not stay with the current owner - I'm afraid of what will become of it.

Peter

[Pdmiller]

And here are a few more images.

[James McClure]

Sad when an owner turns a nice car into junk. This car is now only good for the few remaining untouched parts. I'm in Silicon Valley, California, with 401/1209.