401/403 restoration project wanted.

[Calibrator]

Interested to hear from anyone who might have, or might know of a Bristol 401 or Bristol 403 for sale. I'm specifically looking for a car without engine or gearbox. I'd be most grateful for any help or leads.

Jim.

0151 208 5026
07925 192491
bac405@gmail.com

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

Now, that is a real puzzler, but perhaps the buyer is planning a 'hybird' project with one of the most rare pieces of automotive history to be found. Bristols, like Aston Martins are rare and unique examples, and most of us would just like to own one for the sake of owning one. Why anyone would want to drastically alter one is a mystery. Now, if they are sitting on an engine and transmission for that vintage Bristol, I could understand the desire to find a suitable car. Some of the older cars have been robbed (raped) or their drivetrains for use in specials and Arnolt Bristols, even AC cars.

[Calibrator]

The reason I'm looking for an engineless and gearbox less car is quite simple really. The cost of complete cars.

I did own a lovely Bristol 401, KDF749. Bought for £8000.00, sold for £11,000.00. Thought I'd done well. Similar cars now upwards of £30,000.00. If I was a richer man than I am, I'd have another 401/403 in good fettle. But I'm not.

There are folks out there who can afford to buy a derelict car and match them with a Bristol engine and gearbox. But if they can afford to do that, I'd imagine that they would buy a sorted car in the first place.

The very real sadness is that time after time, owners having what I consider to be almost art, in the Aerodyne's, have thought it right to rip the drive trains out to put into other cars. It is they that have vandalised the cars, not the likes of me trying to keep at least a remnant on the road.

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

I am in the same situation, and should a car come up without drivetrain, I would be tempted to gather the right stuff first, but would consider the alternative route, always hoping to find the right engine/trans to re-install. Many great and reliable alternatives. What springs to mind is the
Datsun straight sixes and stick or automatic boxes. You are right in your desire to put one back on the road, and I would do the same thing. The toughest part is finding that 'project', but I am sure they are out there. Thus far, I have not found a candidate, and I have been searching for years. I do hope some individual reading this has just the car.

[Calibrator]

I'd guess being in the United States narrows your choices somewhat. I've been driven in a 401 or 403, don't remember which, that had a Datsun 260Z engine in it. It just flew. Of course nothing, absolutely nothing compares to a Bristol Six on song. I remember in my 401, driving through the Mersey tunnel as I often did, windows down, just using the gearbox. I'll never forget that sound. But lovely as it was, I was always aware that if I broke the engine, I was unlikely to be able to afford a rebuild.

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

We must be kindred spirits in that we had the Datsun engine swap idea. I am looking for the right car myself, and hope to find one. I do have a lead on a later car at what most would consider a fair price, but it is way out of my reach. The Bristol is one of the only cars that I have wanted to own that has escaped me at this point. I have had Jags and Astons and many other sports cars in the past. I am attracted to the Bristols with the Chrysler drivetrains, I guess starting with the 408. Those engines and transmissions are easy to find and cheap to rebuild. Good luck on your search. All the best.

[GREG]

There has been a 408 for sale for some time now in the USA

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

I think the one you cited is the one I know of, and it has been totally restored to about a $35,000 level by a man that ran a restoration shop of years. He passed away and the widow is trying to sell it.

[Geoff Dowdle]

Ronald ,
That sounds very cheap for a restored 408 , you could spend that repairing the rust and corrosion of a project car .
What are you waiting for ???
Is it a restored car at $5000
Good Luck
Geoff

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

These cars never were valuable, and they were never what you could call Rolls-Bentley quality. Like other specialist makes, they have nearly gone out of business since their inception. Same for the Aston Martins. I owned three of them, and could not wait to palm them off to some unsuspecting soul. The idea that E-types would rise to ridiculous numbers is another example of more money than sense. Yes, Geoff, I have had six of them. Right now, restoration is running over $100,000 here, so what is the point? I admit to liking old, interesting cars, and have a collection now that some would consider valuable, but I do not, and have watched the market for years, both on American and foreign makes. These things are not investments, and to think that is pure folly.