Indicator switcch

A quick check of the parts books for the 400 to 405 confirmed that Bristol used the Lucas 031046 indicator switch shown on the bottom of the last page this is a mechanical electrical switch as opposed to the Lucas 31250 on offer through a few suppliers who say its interchangeable with the original unit, this could well be the case BUT its a vacuum operated unit so not a straight forward alternative fit, this unit is also shown in beölow.

Lucas-Lighting-Direction-Indicator-Switch

Nice video from Jay Leno about his 403

A great sell for the 403!




Bristol Handbooks & Manuals

In order to improve accessibility we have now put all the manuals (Instruction Manuals, Spares Handbooks and Workshop Manuals) into a password-protected dedicated area in the Archive under Bristol Manuals.

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“BACK ON THE ROAD – Michael Ware visits a recently restored 1953 Bristol 403”

There is a nice report in the September issue of The Automobile on the restoration of Andy Gibbs’ 403. It is well worth reading!

Glove box lock

Glove box locks can be obtained from AH Spares for £88 each but reported to be very good quality
Click Lock to order

Cylinder Head Gaskets for 6 Cylinder Engines

Your first port of call for these is of course Pegasus Parts

Other suppliers are:

  • Johnson Gaskets – contact Robert (Bob ) Johnson – +44 (0)1274 682298

401/403 Wooden support frame for rear window

These are now available made to order from Dave Ralls who is based in West Wales. They are being made on a jig produced from an original frame purchased from Bristol cars many years ago.

The original frames were made oversize on their external and internal faces, more so on the latter where there can be significant variations in not only size but shape of the alloy trim finisher which sits inside this frame. There are also variations between cars in the shape and size of the actual external opening in the roof but not as much as there was on the alloy trim finishers, obviously being hand built it is necessary to hand finish the wood frame to the individual car. To make this task a bit easier the frames will be made with the last internal lamination separate from the rest of the frame to be used or not as the case may be. The price of the frames (12/2017) is £110 each plus post and packing, they will be made to order and if you are interested give Dave a ring on 07786 942106 or drop him an email to rallsdc@gmail.com .
Dave also does leather work  from repairs to partial re-trims.

(Adapted from a post in the Old Forum)

Dashboards

There are some wonderfully glossy dashboards around on some early Bristol’s but probably few if any came out of the factory like that, the same being true for a lot on other quality cars of that period but they do look rather nice so if that is what you fancy go for it.

If you want a more toned down finish however Antique Oil produces very good results especially if you give it five or six coats applied with a soft cloth, it gives more of a satin finish and is very easy to refresh every few years.

If you want to go the gloss route some of the finishes designed for boats are very durable and easy to apply.

(Adapted from a post in the Old Forum)