Just not getting anywhere.

[Des]

I'm feeling more frustration than pain, I'm working on the car almost every day but time just flies past. It all looks straightforward, I've been gathering parts for many years so there's nothing I have to drop everything to go in search of, yet progress is still slow. Engine is now running well, but took a while to get there. I've run it fairly regularly to move in and out of workshop, and it has always been spluttering, farting and popping. Modern petrol had been dissolving all the muck from the fuel system and clogging the carbs so I cleaned everything up, found TDC and made timing marks, new points condenser rotor cap leads, clean slate time. Fired her up and it was barely any better, running on 4 1/2 cyls at best, pulled the coil lead slightly out from the cap, make the coil work harder and up the spark, this helped, so I threw in a set of new plugs although the originals were barely used I don't trust the little buggers, now running on 6 but way too rich at idle, spitting viciously at me, I played around with float levels for only a very slight improvement, bloody thing had me stumped, whipped the carbs apart and found all 3 idle jets have been overtightened and distorted the seatings, the jets have hex as well as slotted heads inviting a good tightening with a spanner rather than nipping with a screwdriver, this abuse most likely occured 50-ish years ago. Easy enough to fix though, popping a small O ring on each jet made a perfect seal, actually an improvement on original.
Now it goes and stops, just lights, wipers and horn and it's back on the road.

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

Des is apparently into the delights of owning an old car, and discovering that some problems go back a long way. I had a good chuckle on the carburetor settings, and will relate a short history on the new E-type I purchased back in the day. The car ran beautifully, but did not seem to have all the power one would expect from such a fabulous car. Tune up time came around at about 10,000 miles, and I expected a plug(candle) and points change would do the trick. I then read the part about carburetor adjustment. Well, it seems that the last SU in the row had been closed down tight. I had been running on two carbs. Simple adjustment of the jet and the idle screws, and it was a different car. And this, a car from the local Jaguar dealer who supposedly prepped it before delivery! So, it is best to assume nothing when you purchase a car, new or used. And that goes for everything about the car. I admire your tenacity and just know you will get there in time. Good luck, and all the best. ron

[Des]

Time for another installment. On the 30th September 2012 the car passed it's first MOT, the run from Harrow to the station in Watford was its first drive on the public highway in 50-ish years, on 50 year old crossply tyres, and I couldn't resist but give it some beans when I found Oxhey Lane unusually clear. Did surprise me at how well it went, very lively even on hills, it seemed to crave speed. In the days prior I busied myself getting the little things up to scratch, wipers, lights, etc. The horn push didn't work and had in ancient times been rewired to a big Bakelite button on the dash underside, a wire had been pulled inside the steering column and once resoldered was working again. Screenwashers are the vacuum powered big glass jar type, lots of perished rubber piping running to and from a push button valve under the dash, for speed I borrowed a bag type washer bottle with inbuilt electric pump from a Nissan van, and dropped it in the under bonnet cubby next to the wiper motor then wired it to the big Bakelite button I'd just liberated, plumbed it in and found the jets to be clear and aligned. All lights worked on replacement, just a bit of headlamp alignment needed. There was no charge from the dynamo, or rather the control box wasn't, I decided the quickest way would be to pop on an alternator, had a good one from an old VW van, but the Bristols engine mount fouls the short mounting bracket spacing that goes with an alternators fat, dumpy physique, so had to weld a little extender piece on, I rushed this a bit and finished with it just running out of adjustment before the belt was quite tight, didn't have time to go hunting a smaller belt, luckily the VW alternator has a split pulley so a little filing saw it right if messy, maybe I'll re-do it neatly.
The car has since sat in a lockup, my garage at home is too short sadly, I stashed it away for winter and will decide what to do next in the spring. I can continue working on my drive, again, too short but can go in at a right angle and I'll have privacy. The bodywork will be the biggest challenge, much is in bare alluminium and while I am capable and would enjoy repainting, I don't have anywhere to do so. I'd best pull my finger out and go earn some money to pay someone else to do it.

[backseateducation]

You're a brave man Des - all the best with it.

[Des]

So a Decade on and still not really getting anywhere, relocated to Ludlow a few years ago, the 403 was pushed into a barn but not forgotten, I fired it up earlier this year, spluttered its way out as the carbs need a clean, thanks modern claggy fuel, not done a thing since. I struggle to find time for anything these days and find myself thinking of moving it on again. No idea of values, although it does look like Bristol price tags are stagnant whilst everything else has rocketed, I mean even an Allegro is thousands in these mad times. with that in mind I do wonder if my cars value would equate that of the engine sold separately, it's a nice 100AB2, I hate the concept of this but fingers burnt in the past where I was assured I had found a good home for a nice old car then witnessed it resold, dismembered, bit by bit fetching a very tidy sum for the hatchet man. If robbing the engine would fetch me a similar price, I still have the car albeit in need of something alternative fitting but plenty of funds to help it actually happen, and I wouldn't be paranoid about driving it as it should. I fear I would get more for the engine alone, as for selling the car whole I would need to do it as quick as ripping off a band aid to lessen the pain.

[Calibrator]

Des, noted your car passed an MOT in 2013, and read of you having a spirited drive in the car. Has it deteriorated terribly in those 10 years since? Jim.

[Des]

Originally Posted by Calibrator

Des, noted your car passed an MOT in 2013, and read of you having a spirited drive in the car. Has it deteriorated terribly in those 10 years since? Jim.

Really doesn't seem like 10 years, the car spent it garaged then transported to where I now live, all I've done with it in this time is occasionally fire it up after cleaning the fuel system, tell myself I won't leave it as long next time, rinse and repeat, although finally remembered to get a bottle of fuel storage additive for next time.