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Other Cars Discussion about car marques other than Bristol |
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![]() I don't own a Bristol but I've been tempted by them for a long time. I think I have the will power to wait until I find one in the condition I would want, rather than buy one requiring improvement. Along the way, I've been considering alternatives which have some of the Bristol qualities and I'd welcome opinions from this group on their suitability;
Any good contenders I've missed? |
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![]() Mr Potential,
It is all a matter of money and taste, as well as risk assessment based on availability of parts and expertise. Apart from bodywork and some suspension bits, the Bristol (V8 ones anyway) shares lots of common cheap, mass produced, easy to obtain new bits with relatively simple design - effective, low stress items mostly. Even electrics are simple. In fact the Bristol is probably the easiest of your list to own as a going concern due to its simplicity although the Reliant will be more so when factoring in the suspension. Bristol front and rear suspension (especially rear) can be expensive (a couple of grand) to rebuild to like new. Your 450 SL Merc will be terrific to own but much more costly to rebuild and will need more expertise than a Bristol. It is also much more common (!) on the roads but is appreciating well. There is a huge support network of parts suppliers, body shops and dealers - but they will charge good money. It is only a two seater unless you includethe SLC - barely a 4 seater. The Rover is solid but of a different nature and style to either of the first two - more old-fogey than swift understated sports (2 or 4 seater). Parts should not be a problem considering the owner's club and numbers produced. The Bristol is still simpler (rear suspension aside). The Reliant is very simple and no where near the quality and style of the Merc or the Bristol. Not my cup-of-tea. All boils down to cost of running and owning plus what you expect / prefer. The Bristol (V8) is pretty quick and can be made to be very fast (easily extract 350-450bhp), is somewhat thirsty if used a lot and is not flashy or complicated - read as inexpensive to maintain. You can upgrade a Bristol V8 with more modern stuff - like a more efficient engine and gearbox combo as well as other "factory" or third party bits. The underlying philosophy remains even with improved cost of ownership and driving appeal. The best bet is to meet several people with reasonably decent cars and ask for a poke about and test drive. As long as the suspension is in good fettle (the only expensive bit of the mechanicals), the most costly part of the Bristol is repairing the underlying chassis and alloy panels if corrosion is rife. Clyde (of V8 Buyer's guide) |
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![]() Out of the 4 the 450SLC would attract me most. Even really good ones rarely go past £15k.
What about the Jensen Interceptor though???? I wouldnt go for the FF for complexities sake but a late S3 is very tempting if you can afford the juice. The problem with owning these kind of classics is that you cant run them on a shoestring budget and it helps to have mechanical knowledge and a garage. People own these cars reasonably reliably for years buying them cheap and spending very little on them and they one day end up as sheds on fleabay. Reliant Scimitars are a good example of this although Bristols account for a fair number as well. The very few running on the roads are not just because of the low numbers originally produced - there are probably just as many languishing in garages on under covers in peoples driveways. It's a shame. I dont like giving advice which isn't asked for, but get the best you can afford. It will save you sleepless nights in the long term! |
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![]() Mr Potential,
I wouldn't consider the Reliant Scimitar comparable with a Bristol. Not that there is anything wrong with Scimitar, but it's a very different car. To be honest nothing is quite like a Bristol! The Mercedes 450 SLC has certainly stood the test of time. Probably has better build quality than a V8 Bristol. But it's much smaller than a V8 Bristol and I can't imagine it would carry four adults in the same comfort as a Bristol. Cons: Common as muck, ex pimp car. I quite like the Rover and have toyed with the idea of buying one myself, but I would want a P5B Coupe. I don't believe they had any build quality issues. It was good enough for the Prime Minister! Lancia Flavia coupe is a great looking car, but I don't know much about it. Other suggestions, BMW 2800 CSThere was a time you could have got a good Gordon Keeble for that money, or an Aston DBS, but not any more... With the V8 Bristol you are paying for exclusivity and a bit of mystique. Having helped pull one apart, I personally don't think the engineering or build quality is superior to most of the other cars here. You can definitely tell they were hand made. But, if you start with a good one it would be one of the easiest to maintain. |
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![]() The Jensen CV8 MKIII has the 6.75 Litre engine, is beautifully made,
looks astonishing and is a hoot to drive. It's my favourite of all the US engined Europeans, although the Facel Vega is a pretty amazing coachbuilt car too. The detail work in stainless steel is very clever indeed. Ashley |
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![]() As for the SLC, on longer journeys the back seats are only suitable for children really.
Anyway, I would recommend the 500 SLC with the aluminium 5 litre engine rather than the 450 SLC. And people needing more spaciness should consider the succeeding SEC line. Although this is an entirely different car in character - more comfort-oriented. Regards, Markus |
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Given the initial post I thought we were only considering cars in the 1960s and 70s that were comparable to a V8 Bristol. Did Alfa make anything that fitted that criteria? |
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![]() I can't think of anything from Alfa that's a direct competitor, the Montreal appeals but I'd have to be completely mad to buy one
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Speaking of Fiats, the 130 Coupé looks like a lovely car. |
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My 411 has been off the road for the last eight years and only ever once carried adults in the back that I can remember. Not that there were any complaints, but the passengers were female and it was a short trip. I guess it depends on the height of the driver and front passenger as well. It's all relative though. Of the cars mentioned none of them would have any more leg room that a V8 Bristol, and several would have considerably less. The only cars I can think of with really generous room in the back have been long wheelbase versions of more modern cars. |
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![]() I had a Scimiter. Prefer the look of the earlier GTE over the later
Cologne engined model. Handles well. Enough grunt. Seats 4 at a bit of a pinch. Downsides are that they leak around the back window. Unless fixed, all of them overheat (there is a simple cure) I remember going to a meeting and noticing that everybody arriving popped the bonnet for a bit of extra ventilation as soon as they stopped! I became adept at changing warped cylinder heads. Fibreglass body is difficult to maintain to concours standard. I think they get tired. Last time I asked, parts were not a problem. Lancia Flavia: beautiful car. But the flat 4 is a bit slow. The bodies rust terribly and electric are a nightmare. I guess that spares would be a problem particularly in England where so few were sold. (Colin Dexter told me that he knows absolutely nothing about cars and it was a friend who told him that an eccentric like Morse should have a Lancia Flavia ... and that is the car that features in the early Morse novels. The Jag which appears in the films was purely the inspiration of the film producers.) Rover: agree with Kevin that the coupe looks fine. Used to have an early six cylinder which was dreadfully slow and thirsty. The V8 much better from that point of view but it's still a big old car. Awful rust around the wings. Handling? If you've ever been on a canal barge you'll know the feeling! Mercedes: I know nothing. Other suggestions: keep with Lancia. The Gamma was a fantastic car, whether in Berlinetta or Coupe mode. Either look great. Fantastic handling, more than adequate performance from the 2.5 flat 4. Early ones shed cam belts but I think the design was put right with the fuel injected models. It's the last true Lancia. Those that followed were Fiats. Wouldn't cost a lot either. Peter |
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But still, it's problematic for people of more than 1.90 m because of the classic Jaguar roofline. I guess this is why the current XJ is considerably higher - but has lost this special appeal. The optimum for rear seat passengers would probably be a RR Phantom (old or new) or something like that. Regards, Markus |
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![]() The precise mechanism for opening the rear windows is quite low on my list of priorities when choosing a car and probably below colour. Please feel free to suggest cars with any form of window operation (including hamster) or indeed fixed rear windows.
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![]() It was claimed that the aerodynes were pressurised in order to keep the
draughts out, hence some difficulty in closing the doors with the windows shut, however, Tony Crook always said that the car should be driven with a rear quarter light open, and this is what I tend to do. Regards. Bellerophon |
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alternatives, cars, ramblings |
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