Just not getting anywhere.

[Des]

I've been rebuilding my car for the best part of a decade, or rather I haven't. Progress has been painfully slow. In about 2000-ish I sold my 401, it was in regular use but a shed, getting it nice would have needed a lot of panel fettling all over, the interior was awful, seats recovered in vinyl, no carpet, everything rickety, impossible to know where to start, but I kept busy with annual bouts of MOT work and re-bodging bodges to keep it running. I replaced it with a low mileage 403 as an easier option, this car was in good order from the radiator back, had taken a knock on the nose after an engine upgrade around 40 years previously, (upgrade brakes, then engine) previous owner cut off the front of the nose section, and laid a 401 nose cutting in place, he then bought a nice 400 and with no means of welding aluminum the car sat in this state while the decades rolled by.
My first move was to buy a complete nose from Mr. May in Birmingham, this panel has now sat on the car, retained by just a few screws ever since. Meanwhile I've carried out work, sporadically, random tasks such as the small amount of welding needed, overhauling some components, some chroming, a lot of gathering of parts, but time passes and I never manage to get properly stuck in. The car lives in a workshop a bit of a drive away so only gets seen when I have the whole day free. I have eleven vehicles in total, in various states, waiting for my attention but I don't really have the energy any more, and my poor management of celiac disease robs much of my time. Early this year I worked out a plan to trim my fleet down to four, one for work, one for weekends, one for fun and another for fun. More than enough really, two of these are on the road, the next is straightforward, leaving the 403 to concentrate on. Of the cull victims five would be easy to make road legal to enable easy disposal. Summer has come and gone and I haven't made any progress.
I can see this situation remaining indefinitely, the workshop where the 403 resides will be gone in a year or so, and now I must act. The unthinkable notion of moving on the 403 has to be considered, while heartbreaking, it would help make life easier. I should enjoy the variety of cars I have but in reality it's a liability, only two out of eleven are road legal, six could be back on the road with little work, but X 6 = lots of work.
If I decide to sell the 403, I'm out of touch with prices, not an easy car to value anyway, what sort of figure would be fair for a restoration project? About 50K miles, 100AB engine upgrade but still with long gearlever and no overdrive, other than the engine very original, has it's keyring from the 50's, still on its first carpet, all those little signs of an un-messed with car that warm the heart.
Do please understand I'm not offering for sale just yet, but an idea of value could help me decide what I do, will clear the others first, sticking to my four car plan, but 403 will either need to be road legal within a year or go, so I must work out how likely this is to happen. Bugger.

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

Somehow, I share your pain, and it is hard to accept the fact that things do not work out as quickly as one would hope. As to value, I will leave that up to others who are more expert at such things. The early Bristols never caught my eye, but I have been chasing the 409-410 models in hopes of finding a half-way decent example at a fair price. So far, and it has been at least ten years now, no luck. I am stricken with the older American Chrysler Imperials from the 50's, and it turns out to be just as difficult to find spares for these cars. One would think that higher production numbers would make life easier in the parts chasing, but that is not the case. When parts are found, they are in worse shape than mine. Your Bristols have to be a labor of love, and short of finding a good panel beater who is also proficient with aluminum welding and a stout budget to hire such a person, I have little advice other than to consider handing them off to someone with the time, enthusiasm and wherewithall to tackle them. I sometimes wonder it the time spent on a couch in a therapist's office would be less expensive and more beneficial. Sometimes I just hate the old car hobby.

[Richard Levine]

Given the low mileage I would think £20k to £25k would be about right. Restored cars are being offered at £40k to £50k. Of course the proof of the pudding.............

Good Luck

Richard

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

Somehow, regardless of the make and condition, the values placed on these cars is a bit staggering, and my experience with older British cars has not been that impressive. Even Astons are rusters, and ony one in the three I owned was decent in the bodywork. It was as if they took no precautions in rustproofing the cars. Same will all six E-Types I owned. And the Jensens, well.....Estimating value has to be taken with consideration on condition, for many of us do not get past the great paintjob or the nice interior. Rust repair is expensive, and rebuilding engines and transmissions will make most weep.

[Hydroglen]

Given that you have dealt with Brian May, he may give you some clues on prices. Mr Blow would also be of help and may actually have customers looking for a project.
You should also look at what is being offered and actually sold, and use as a guideline.

Dorien

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

I have contacted any number of people in the business and the hobby regarding prices and availability of cars. Seems most wish to keep the cars close to the chest, either thinking they have something valuable or believing that there is one out there who will step up and meet their demands. As one who has owned a lot of desireable makes, I am going to walk away from this one, and perhaps look at a vintage Ferrari or Maserati. Even the older Rolls and Bentley cars are valued more correctly. I wish everyone well and hope they continue to enjoy their old cars. That is my plan.

[Des]

Thanks all for the comments, Bristol values have been steadily rising of late, still good value though. hopefully less so to engine raping kitcar fanciers. It took a decade-ish for me to find just what I wanted, dabbled with a couple of toads on the way. compare this to when I bought my house, looked in 3 or 4 estate agent windows until I saw something not too chavvy with a garage and that was that. I actually put a few hours in today, popped new valves in the carb float chambers, relined 4 brake shoes then finally got around to checking a spin on oil filter adaptor for correct flow direction (been collecting dust for about a year) found it suitable, but the socket headed allen bolts supplied are metric, can't remember where I bought the thing so will have fun trying to find whitworths. Feels good to have done something, but as soon as the thing goes and stops reasonably well I need to concentrate on the bodywork, where progress will be most visible, it should encourage me. Here's how it's looking now, the shabby look does have some charm.

[sacko]

This is very close to my heart. Having had a 405 sitting in my garage for far too long, I decided that this was the year that I would do something with it one way or another.
In the Spring I got a rush of enthusiasm and started to get the car up and running but this waned over the Summer when I found plenty of other things to do. Also, the bodywork on the car has aged better than my own (well it is a few years younger than me!) and I don't get a lot of pleasure in crawling under cars any more.
TRT 722 in now up for auction in October at H&H Auctions in Buxton. H&H have been very helpful and told me what I might expect to get for it before committing myself. Whether you sell the car privately or through an auction, it might be worth while asking them for an estimate.

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

That is a new expression to describe some parts of the car hobby, but it fits, and many people find themselves in a position, either by economics or plain, old common sense to bring things up to date and make the machine reliable. I am constantly torn between keeping things original and keeping them on the road. As a result, I 'compromise' all the time. If a car is truly valuable, it is sometimes foolhardy to even consider a respray, and the 'tattered' look can be quite attractive to some. This is what makes the hobby so fascinating and why it attracts such a diverse number of people. Like yourself, I truly enjoy working on my prizes, up to my level of competence. It has taken many years to reach the point where I can admit my limitations, but I have reached it. It is obvious you like the cars, and sending them away would leave a big hole in your life. Not quite like losing a dear friend, but very close. Good luck.

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

As luck would have it, a Bristol has come into my life. Not yet mine, it is as near an abandoned vehicle as one could imagine. After sitting outside, under an oak tree for some twenty years, it has fallen into the hands of a high-school boy through inheritance. I have been advising him on where to start, and at this point, he and a friend are attempting to get it running. Thus far, they have not even sought shelter for the car, as it still sits outside in the weather. I have not learned if there is an emotional attachment to the car, and that will be a big factor in the car's future. It is a heartbreaker, as the son has no means to store the car or any funds to work on it. He knows the car is rare and valuable, but it is a Number 5 car at this point, and I don't think he understands that or what it is going to take to bring the car up to a decent standard. Thus far, I have hesitated to ask him if he would consider a sale, but I have visions of the car languishing there, and at some point being sold to someone. What would any of you do in such circumstances? I would appreciate your input. My email is jagster911@bellsouth.net