Does anyone has information on this car?

[Aleph]

1982 BRISTOL 603,5.9 LITRE,DRY STORED FOR 6 YEARS,MOTd on eBay (end time 26-Mar-11 22:41:30 GMT)

(I couldn't find any rules against posting this link. If it's not allowed, I'm sorry)

I would be very grateful if anyone could give me some information about this car which I contemplate purchasing as a roling restauration.

Thank you in advance.

[Janne]

Engine bay looks ...., dirty, rust, etc
Boot is missing the carpet etc. Wires hang down (?) like a birds nest.
All that can be fixed.
The corrosion is far more serious. In worst case you need to do some extensive repairs to the Aluminium skin. If one side is bad, I would expect more problems elsewhere. Expensive repair, corrosion on the arches. Of course, you can do Plastic Padding, but then Mr Crook will haunt you......
Nice interior.

You need a test drive. Long and hard, as they say here on Island.....

And I do not like the rust on the suspention. If that is rusty, how are the inner wheel arches?
And WHY are they so rusty? Garage been flooded? Sniff in the cabin for mould.

[Aleph]

Thank you, it does look rather neglected. However, being a Jaguar enthousiast and former owner of a Rover P6, I've seen much worse and wouldn't be put off by that by itself. But considering the amount of Bristols made, I would imagine that the community knows a lot about a lot of cars about. I'm intersted in the history of the car and I'm always a bit worried when a car has been off the road for such a long time. I prefer a car that has seen daily use, of high mileage with some maintenance over a car that has been standing for over 6 years. An XJ 12 would recquire more than a thousand pounds just to recommission and make it stop leaking if left inactive for such a time....

You're right about having to have a good look and preferably a drive, but me being in the Netherlands and this being an ebay auction, I'm affraid that's not feasible.

[GREG]

Hello Aleph,

If you are serious about the car I'm fairly sure that some of the Bristol specialists would be happy to give the car a professional once over for a small fee

Andrew Blow
Spencer Lane Jones
ACCS

Or maybe the marque specialist for the BOC !

Looks a good project to me but it's the unseen that costs !

[Janne]

As much as I respect Mr Blow, I would choose Mr Spencer Jones, or rather I should say, one of his technicians.
I understand you have experience from complex classic cars, but there are a couple of major differences:
Bristol has an Aluminium skin, which is a pig to properly repair. You can not get after market panels, or find good second hand ones. That is the Negative.
The positive difference is that the Engine and Gearbox are "common" Chrysler/GM bits, so original and aftermarket parts are plentiful, also you can get upgraded parts.
Compared to a Jag engine the Chrysler one is "stone age". Not meaning in a negative way!

I do not want to push you away from your Bristol ownership. You seem to have made your "apprenticeship" on a couple of lesser cars ( and are ready for a Blue blooded car.
You will love the car.

BTW, have you thought of checking out Mr Blow's website?
Personally, I would rather pay more for a running car!

[Apae]

No information on the car I'm afraid, just my opinion on it.
The arches will tak a lot of work, only front left looks unscathed in the (mediocre) pictures. If you know someone in the Netherlands familiar with such work, it is doable. Not really a DIY job.
Boot looks OK, no real rust there. Wires might be the same on all cars, but normally hidden behind the carpet...
Underbody looks like superficial rust, a lot of work and cost to bring up to standard, but not really necessary on a daily driver.
Interior is tidy, but I think I spot a few torn seams and marks on the leather.

All in all, it depends what you're after: a daily in tidy condition, or a car to bring up to concours condition. For the latter, I'm with the others: get a better example to start with. For the first, it's a nice proposition.

Oh, and if you DO know a good aluminium bodyworker, I'd like the address. Our Flaminia touring needs some work too...

[geo]

I have not seen the car for years, but it was certainly smart enough 15 - 20 years ago, but then most of us were in better nick then! It has spent most of its life being owned by members of the BOC.

In the late 1980s (and possibly earlier) it was owned by Richard Timmis in Bishop Stortford, Herts.,

in 1998 the ownership changes to Richard Sheenhan in London, SW1,

changing the following year to Graham Emmett in Northwich, Cheshire,

and the trail ends in 2006 with Bill Skinner in Nottingham.

How it then turns up in Devon is anyone's guess, but the seller's feedback would suggest he finds a fair number of restoration projects.

I was marginally tempted by this car as I want to return to Bristol ownership, but as I cannot get down to Exeter to view it and knowing just how much two friends spent renovating the corrosion in 603s (and there would seem to the casual eye to be a fair bit here — anyone ever found the photographs to be less good than the reality?), I shall sit tight and look on to see what it reaches in this auction.

Good luck bidders

George