411 - Rear End view!

[Richardmulcaster]

Hello everyone -

I am renovating a 411 S2 and I'd love any pics you'd like to send me of your 411 if you have any cool ideas I might be able to see.
I am currently very interested in looking at every 411 rear end(!), as am working my way between a new exhaust; what style, shape, angle, number of. I know that the number of pipes doubled from the S3 onward, but thats then. I'm trying to get the best possible look for my 411 now and would really appreciate your input.

Best wishes to you all.
Richard

[jalli]

Just finishing renovating my series 3

This is it without back boxes and bumper

Rather like the look without bumper
Reminds me of Alfa gta

[jalli]

here are the pics of the series 3

it will have the standard down firing quad pipes which should arrive tomorrow

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by jalli

This is it without back boxes and bumper
Rather like the look without bumper
Reminds me of Alfa gta

It looks okay without the bumper; it also looks very different, like a smaller car.

Just as well if anyone doesn't have a bumper, because they are probably impossible to buy now. Last time I asked at BCL (prob 20 years ago), they only had secondhand bumpers for sale, at about £900!

[Richardmulcaster]

Originally Posted by Kevin H

It looks okay without the bumper; it also looks very different, like a smaller car.

Just as well if anyone doesn't have a bumper, because they are probably impossible to buy now. Last time I asked at BCL (prob 20 years ago), they only had secondhand bumpers for sale, at about £900!

There’s a company in Vietnam making stainless steel ones identical. I was quoted £1400 for a new one (single, not pair of) for my 411, probably better quality than original chrome. I recently saw a Gordon Keeble with one fitted and it looked really good. I could probably reference several imports to the UK from this company. And have the contact details.
I ended up choosing a company local to me to refurb my chrome, but that was £650 per bumper.

[Richardmulcaster]

That’s beautiful! Well done.
Would love to see the exhaust when it arrives, I’m looking to place an order for one, but haven’t done so yet.

[Kevin H]

Here's my S5 (the photo outside a house). In case you are not aware, these twin tail pipes are actually blanked off and exit through downward facing apertures.

I've also included a photo of an S4 which was listed for sale in the past.

One thing to be aware of when changing where and how exhausts pipes exit is that you could inadvertently change how the exhaust gases flow around the car at different speeds.

It would be interesting to know whether the vents in the rear wings have the weighted rubber flap in place behind them in the S2-4 411s (I assume they do). Also whether they also have the round ventilation grills in the rear parcel shelf.

[Richardmulcaster]

Thanks Kevin,
Both cars look absolutely beautiful.
Anyone got any S1 or S2’s they’d car to share???

Re the exhaust comments- thanks to this forum, I read about that very issue last night l, but wasn’t aware of it today. So conversation with our restoration mechanic today went quite well- yes he was aware of this potential issue but it meant I could discuss from a position of at least some knowledge.

He wasn’t aware specifically about the Bristols having downward facing holes in the tail pipe ends.

Thanks everyone.

[Kevin H]

Hi Richard,
I took some shots of the tailpipes - see attached - so you can see the blanking and bottom exit apertures.
Glad I did because I discovered several of my exhaust hangers had perished and need replacing!

[Richardmulcaster]

Thanks Kevin, that is so useful.
I just wondered, does the awkward change of direct for the exhaust emission cause a loss of power? I was reading how exhaust systems can deliver more or less power depending on design and using these principles I am guessing that such a sudden change in direction would cause at least some power loss?

Anyone??

[Stefan]

Dear Richard

If photos of the 411 coachbuilders' Bucks rear ends are of any help to you I can send you ours - the bucks are currently stashed in the mighty Brabazon hangar near their birthplace. We managed to salvage the whole lot from the Bristol Cars Ltd bankruptcy auction at Windlesham, (regardless of cost!) and are finding suitable museum homes for them where they can be accessed - even, if at all possible, used as working exhibits.
We do have the (very heavy) resin templates for panelbeating the rear light details too, by the way.

Stefan Cembrowicz
Chair ,Bristol Owners Heritage Trust

[jalli]

Richard. There are others that know more than me out there. I was originally told that the down facing pipes were to stop marking the garage wall, which i think is nonsense.

I believe that there was an issue with exhaust gas being circulated into the cabin which was solved with the down facing pipe exhaust

[jalli]

Richard. I had the detail in the rear wing vents chromed. Not original i know but i think they work quite well

[jalli]

i also changed the front indicators. also not original but i didnt like the blocky ones!!

[Richardmulcaster]

Originally Posted by jalli

Richard. There are others that know more than me out there. I was originally told that the down facing pipes were to stop marking the garage wall, which i think is nonsense.

I believe that there was an issue with exhaust gas being circulated into the cabin which was solved with the down facing pipe exhaust

Yes, thanks for that- I did find a piece about this on the forum that seemed to get to the bottom of it, can’t find it now, but basically it seems accepted that there was a backdraft of exhaust emissions into the car if the vents were not present because exhaust smoke exited into the vortex behind the car, whereas it needs to vent into turbulent air below the car. Speaking with my mechanic last night he said that Jaguars and Aston Martins of the same era had the same problem- they solved it by making their pipes a bit longer. It seems Bristol had a more novel solution to the problem.

While the presence of downward facing slits is now a fact, what isn’t conclusive in my mind is the need to blank off the straight through route to the end of the pipes; I have read conflicting reports on whether they are needed or not if the slits are present.

[Richardmulcaster]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Dear Richard

If photos of the 411 coachbuilders' Bucks rear ends are of any help to you I can send you ours - the bucks are currently stashed in the mighty Brabazon hangar near their birthplace. We managed to salvage the whole lot from the Bristol Cars Ltd bankruptcy auction at Windlesham, (regardless of cost!) and are finding suitable museum homes for them where they can be accessed - even, if at all possible, used as working exhibits.
We do have the (very heavy) resin templates for panelbeating the rear light details too, by the way.

Stefan Cembrowicz
Chair ,Bristol Owners Heritage Trust

Yes please! And this all sounds very exciting! We will have to visit someday once the car is back on the road and we’re actually allowed to travel again.

[peter dowdle]

I believe this is a factory shot of the just released 411 series 1. Note the car is not registered. Some one please correct me if I am wrong.