Hello to all...

[James.uk]

Just joined and am beginning my journey to Bristol ownership. I have a few cars and thought I wanted a Royce or Bentley but since joining the RREC I have been scared off by all the talk of hydraulic gremlins... I also prefer the discretion of a Bristol.
Best,
James.

[Metalman]

I trust you will enjoy the ride ! Hydraulics aside I think you will find that the joys of Bristol ownership are varied and indeed subtle. After over 20 years of driving Bristol engined cars I still delight in their ability to deliver a private pride in ownership to the thoughtful owner.

[mjolner]

Hi James -I have access to a few Rolls and Bentleys and you should not
be put off! altho' as a previous Bristol owner 408 and 411 s5 Bristol comes out tops for easy repairs.Easy change big end shells in the drive way!! Looks a good value v8 for sale £17+ in Dublin via classic cars for sale classiccarsforsale (google) good luck. Bentley Turbo R are ok but Silver Shadows S1 are super beautiful. kj

[Geoff Kingston]

Hi James,
I think the Dublin car would be worth a look as well, I currently run a 603 and that is very good, the later car is essentially the same with updated styling and they are fine cars for everyday use.
My main worry with a Rolls or Bentley would not be the hydraulics but rust and to some extent the electrics, but rust is top of the list and not cheap to put right properly, much more expensive that dealing with any corrosion issues on the chassis and inner wheel arches on a Bristol. There are some nice Silver Shadows on the market at the moment, sadly too few of the T Series Bentley and a good choice of V8 Bristol's as well, bear in mind however that if the car you are looking at has had limited recent use the Rolls/Bentley option is likely to have more niggles for the simple reason it is more complicated and had more toys to go wrong.
If you fancy something a bit older a Bentley S2/S3 or the equivalent Cloud would be worth a look, true they don't handle as well as a Bristol but they have plenty of power and are easy to maintain.
I have previously had a 408 and a 410, both excellent cars, a 411 series 3 which was much faster and as I said a 603 in this case a 5.2 litre 'E' which is a very satisfying car to drive, on the Bentley front an S2 on which I had the body rebuilt before a bare metal respray and two early 50's R Types, one manual one Automatic both cars capable of regular use or long trips in comfort.
If you are thinking of one of the later Bristol's check out Andrew Blows site the two cars he has are very good value compared to their contemporary Bentley Continentals and so much more exclusive.

[James.uk]

Thanks for the replies.. I'm aware of the Dublin car and would have arranged to view had it not been err in Dublin. I really like the look of the Brigand and the 411. Brigand is more to my budget I expect. I have a S3 V12 Jag so I know all about rust...
I like the S1 Cloud in particular but think I've set my heart on a Bristol.
If I win the lottery I'll pick up the lovely silver 411 Mr Wood has for daily use and get a Mulliner continental for weekends.