Restire or Replace
I have been plugging away with a 403 Restoration in Sydney for 8 years and have considered at some length most of your issues over the years. I have used as my guide the notion that the Bristol Company itself was always very pragmatic and adaptive. If you wanted it, they would cheerfully fit discs to a 401/403, if you were prepared to pay. Also there are several Service Bulletins about upgrading earlier cars to later developments. One such is the fitting of a front anti roll bar to 401s for instance. Similarly the fitting of the later type of handbrake to the 400/401. Given this philosophy I don't hesitate to upgrade if required, though I did go for the NZ Radiator core you mention mostly because of its originality. In Australia there is a stress within the Club for using cars. Even as we speak there are 45 cars on a run to Tasmania. The stress on originality that afflicts other makes does not seem to predominate here though it can be a fine line. More power to your arm.
Greg Mead
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