Diesel V8 - or straight six

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

Of course, there are many ways to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It can be done, and all it requires is time and money. As to the re-build and stroking the engine; that is a guaranteed way to make an engine even thirstier. That good, old 313 or later 318 engine can be quite economical. My son's truck (lorry) had the newer, roller cammed, fuel injected engine and it got very decent mileage for a four thousand pound vehicle. All the 93 and newer trucks came with this engine and a more fuel-efficient overdrive automatic transmission, and were I to 'upgrade', that would be my choice for a Bristol.
I would be very hesitant about modifying any year Bristol, especially if some welding or fabricating would take place, as this would seriously devalue the car. Our fuel prices are starting to climb at a rapid rate, now passing the 4 dollar mark per gallon. This is not necessary, as we are sitting on as much oil as our Mid-east friends have, but our environmental advocates will not allow drilling. Things will change here, and soon.