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8 & 10 cyl Bristol cars Type 407 onwards - restoration, repair, maintenance etc

My Bristol

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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 17-08-11, 10:14 PM
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Default My Bristol

Hi everybody
i have a bristol and i am starting to restore it. It was originaly my fathers. he got sick died so it is mine. What he was doing was that he was going to rebuild it. He worked a bit on the engine and was probably finishing up the interior and getting dents out of the aluminum. It has set for about 20 years. I sort of know what i am doing and My friend will sort of help.
I know a few specs about the car, it has a 318 and it most likely a 409.
I post pics later.
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Old 18-08-11, 01:30 PM
geo geo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KJ4YXY View Post
Hi everybody
i have a bristol and i am starting to restore it. ...
it has a 318 and it most likely a 409.
I post pics later.
Have a look at the maker's plate under the bonnet, that will tell you which model (and number in the production run) it is. Also, it is unlikely to have the 318 CID engine.

George
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Old 18-08-11, 05:42 PM
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Default the 409

You have a nice and rare car there, and I hope you are able to get it back to being roadworthy. You mentioned the engine, and a couple things happened back then, as most all original engines were supplied by Chrysler Canada. Many small blocks were 313 inches instead of the American 318, but very little difference here, so sourcing engine parts should be no problem. Same goes for the Torqueflite transmission. Both are generic items. Good luck on your project. Sorry to hear about your father.
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Old 18-08-11, 05:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald G. Stephenson View Post
You have a nice and rare car there, and I hope you are able to get it back to being roadworthy. You mentioned the engine, and a couple things happened back then, as most all original engines were supplied by Chrysler Canada. Many small blocks were 313 inches instead of the American 318, but very little difference here, so sourcing engine parts should be no problem. Same goes for the Torqueflite transmission. Both are generic items. Good luck on your project. Sorry to hear about your father.
thanks

well i will try to post some pics.
one thing is that it has a steering wheal on the side like in Brittan
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Old 18-08-11, 06:05 PM
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Default RE:

hi i dont have a clue about how to use this forum so just send me a email (kj4yxy@gmail.com) so i can send you pics.
i know it is a mopar engine and my friend who talked with my dad when he was working on this knows it is a 318.
i know engine parts will be simple to find but it is more of finding interior parts.
also to reply to GEO where?
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Old 18-08-11, 06:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald G. Stephenson View Post
You have a nice and rare car there, and I hope you are able to get it back to being roadworthy. You mentioned the engine, and a couple things happened back then, as most all original engines were supplied by Chrysler Canada. Many small blocks were 313 inches instead of the American 318, but very little difference here, so sourcing engine parts should be no problem. Same goes for the Torqueflite transmission. Both are generic items. Good luck on your project. Sorry to hear about your father.
thanks
i know it is a 409 because my nieghbor was watching him work on it and he said it was a 318. it has a the stearing wheel on the side like brittan.
i will email pics, just email me at kj4yxy@gmail.com
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Old 18-08-11, 06:19 PM
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Originally Posted by geo View Post
Have a look at the maker's plate under the bonnet, that will tell you which model (and number in the production run) it is. Also, it is unlikely to have the 318 CID engine.

George
How and where?
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Old 18-08-11, 08:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geo View Post
Also, it is unlikely to have the 318 CID engine.

George
Surely it *should* have a 318 engine if it is a 409?

Kevin
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Old 18-08-11, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Kevin H View Post
Surely it *should* have a 318 engine if it is a 409?

Kevin
that is what everybody says
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Old 18-08-11, 09:11 PM
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Here are some photos that were sent to me ....
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 409-IMG_0342 .JPG (96.6 KB, 83 views)
File Type: jpg 409-IMG_0343 .JPG (110.9 KB, 53 views)
File Type: jpg 409-IMG_0344 .JPG (82.8 KB, 51 views)
File Type: jpg 409-IMG_0345 .JPG (89.7 KB, 41 views)
File Type: jpg 409-IMG_0352 .JPG (135.1 KB, 71 views)

Last edited by Kevin H; 19-08-11 at 10:10 PM.
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Old 19-08-11, 07:24 AM
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It's a 408 Mk 1 so will have a 313 engine if original

Only the 407 and 408 have round Auto gear change buttons.

Hope this helps
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Old 19-08-11, 07:42 AM
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408's have my favourite body style of all the V8's. It's very sad to see one as far gone as this is.

I hope that it will be restored but if it is , it certainly wont be for profit. ! The 313 engine is quite rare now and the gearbox can be around £4k to rebuild properly.

I guess the underneath will finaly dictate if it's worth or possible to restore. If the chassis has rotted and broken it's back, I guess it would be only good for Brian May's parts car collection.

I hope my fears are wrong and it works out to be a worthwhile restoration project.

Good luck
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Old 19-08-11, 01:40 PM
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At first glance , it looks like the engine has been replaced with a 318 - not sure.

The chassis plate in front of the missing radiator will have the original engine number on it.

The carb is certainly wrong.
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Old 19-08-11, 05:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GREG View Post
At first glance , it looks like the engine has been replaced with a 318 - not sure.
It is difficult to tell, but from the layout of the dynamo, belts etc., my first punt would be for the 313CID


Quote:
Originally Posted by GREG View Post
The carb is certainly wrong.
It most definitely is as is Greg's identification of it being a 408 — not sure whether Mk.I or II though.

George
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Old 19-08-11, 06:14 PM
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well it still has the radi but it isnt photoed.
i put it in but it wasnt wide enough
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Old 19-08-11, 07:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geo View Post
It is difficult to tell, but from the layout of the dynamo, belts etc., my first punt would be for the 313CID




It most definitely is as is Greg's identification of it being a 408 — not sure whether Mk.I or II though.

George
Seperate oil filler on a 313 that's not present on this engine ! Could be wrong - don't like the red paint either.

I thought the 408 MK 2 had rectangular auto buttons like the 409 ?

It is very knackered
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Old 19-08-11, 07:24 PM
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According to this forums data KJ4YXY is only 14 and has lost his father !

This information makes me want to help you in anyway possible to rebuild this car.

Please let the forum members know more about your locality and what restoration problems you face.

I am sure that a few of us may be able to help.

Tell me more ?
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Old 19-08-11, 10:10 PM
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I thought the 313 and 318 "A" series "Poly" engines were pretty much identical other than the fact that the 318 had a 30 thou wider cylinder bore. The 313 being a Canadian engine while the 318 was built in the UA.

Are there other subtle differences?

The engine number would tell us immediately.

First impressions from the photos suggest that a restoration of this car could cost much more than it would to buy one in good condition. I know you expect that with many restorations but this looks to be in a particularly bad way.
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Old 19-08-11, 11:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GREG View Post
According to this forums data KJ4YXY is only 14 and has lost his father !

This information makes me want to help you in anyway possible to rebuild this car.

Please let the forum members know more about your locality and what restoration problems you face.

I am sure that a few of us may be able to help.

Tell me more ?
it is fine i have a step father but yes i am 14.
well i am located in the USA
one issue is that it is not in a garage so my mom is worried about someone stealing it.
also in the city i live there a alot of ordinances that make it hard for me to work on (drive it around and try to move it).
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Old 19-08-11, 11:26 PM
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click on the pic to enlarge
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