Aerodyne Boot Lid Droop

/in , , , , , , , /by

The boot lid on a 401 or 403 (called a “door” in the instruction manual!) is held open by a two-piece telescopic tube with a large compression spring inside. The boot lid is opened by pulling a knob from inside the passenger compartment that can be accessed by folding down the rear centre armrest. Pulling the knob releases the boot lid catch, and the spring, according to the instruction manual, is then intended to “retain the door in any intermediary position”. By comparison, on my 403, pulling the knob caused the boot lid to open violently, swing up to about two thirds open, then settle after several oscillations to something around halfway. Apparently this is not unusual, and is most annoying as in practice anything less than fully open is really no use.

 

Note the bleed port in the brass component at the end of the cylinder. Better to turn the whole strut round in the smaller diameter telescope tube, so that the clearance hole for the allen key ends up part way along the smaller tube. I took this photo before I realised my mistake. The old spring with its fixed length rod is shown above.

I remember some time ago seeing a post on the now defunct BOC online Wiki where someone had successfully replaced the spring with a gas strut like the one used on a modern hatchback, so I decided to have a go myself. The make and model of strut is now no longer available, but I have been able to source a near identical one. I have now completed the job, and thought that others might be interested in the detail.
Most gas struts have a fixed resistance to compression, often designed for a specific purpose (for instance a particular make and model of hatch back or SUV). However, struts are available that have a deliberately too strong a resistance, but also have a bleed valve, so that one can carefully let out gas until the correct resistance is achieved. The strut I used came from a company called Metrol. Fortunately, they have no problem selling a single item. The part number is NS-V-8-100. It has a 150mm body length, a 100mm stroke and its maximum diameter is 18mm, so it easily fits inside the original two-piece telescope. It has M6 threaded ends. Unfortunately, its total extended length is somewhat less than the boot lid fully open distance which is about 300mm. So, a length of 6mm rod is needed (100mm is more than enough and can be shortened after the whole assembly has been adjusted). I used an internally threaded coupling with a length of 18mm to join this extension rod to one end of the new gas strut. One other thing to note is the bleed screw, which takes a 2mm allen key. So a clearance hole for the allen key needs to be drilled in one of the telescope pieces so that the gas can be let out with the whole assembly in place on the car. Also, a pair of 6mm locknuts is needed on the extension rod, to fix the total length of the assembly.

New assembly temporarily fitted, with house brick ready to suspend from the boot lid

Once the new strut with its extension had been installed in the telescope, I then adjusted the total length of the assembly (by trial and error, altering the position of the locknuts) until the boot lid was just clear of its front edge clashing with the paintwork underneath the rear window, thus providing the maximum opening. I then locked all the nuts down with Loctite.

2mm allen key ready to let down the gas pressure

The next job was to release sufficient gas. As installed, to close the boot lid would have caused damage. However, starting to release gas would run the risk of letting too much out. The original Wiki post suggested adding some weight to the boot lid, to provide a warning that there is not far to go! I used a house brick, suspended from the steel tube under the boot lid, just above the lock mechanism. Obviously, one stops releasing gas as soon as the lid starts to fall under the weight of itself plus the house brick. One then checks to see how much force is required to close the boot lid without the extra weight of the brick, letting a tiny bit more gas out if necessary.
I am very pleased with the end result. On pulling the release knob, the boot lid opens in a very controlled manner, and gently moves to fully open, with no overshoot or bounce; and the whole assembly looks original apart from the small hole for the allen key.

Short video below

Short video

Mike Brooks

List of surplus items from the Bristol Owners’ Heritage Trust archive.

/in , , , /by

Here is the latest list of surplus items from the Bristol Owners’ Heritage Trust archive with some rare discoveries being offered for sale.

If you are interested in any of these items please contact Michael Crawford, mjcm4p@gmail.com 

Big News from the Bristol Owners Heritage Trust!

/in , , /by

After a couple of years of negotiation the Bristol Owners Heritage Trust has, at long, long last, just managed to buy the entire Bristol Cars Ltd archive including all the blueprints and plans for all the cars, and all the factory correspondence from the start to the close of play.

  A small selection of the haul

The plan chests and filing cabinets etc. take up a good 21 m² and there are thousands of items to catalogue, so transporting, temporary storage, archiving, indexing, finance, workflow and workforce are all going to be a challenge and will need our  careful project management and planning before we even  start. 

All this needs to be unpacked, indexed digitally, scanned where appropriate, repacked in Archival acid free and solvent free materials, and finally deposited in the City of Bristol Archives where they can be inspected by appointment in secure surroundings. We also anticipate getting the entire works history of individual cars as a variety of sundry Bristoliana. 

Thank you to David Fletcher of Wyles Hardy for his patience throughout this bumpy process.

And big thanks  to our generous individual donors. We are an independent registered charity and are also supported by BODA’s annual levy. So thank you to Boda members for kindly helping funding us via your annual subscriptions.

The BOHT will keep you all informed. Phew!

Yours in Bristol

Stefan Cembrowicz

New Items of Regalia

/in , , , /by

We have added some new items to our list of Regalia so you can now complete your wardrobe.

The following are available in a range of colours and sizes.

You can see details and order them here Regalia

Waterproof Over Jacket

Waterproof Over Jacket

 

Soft Shell Jacket

Soft Shell Jacket

 

Soft Shell Jacket

Ladies Microfleece Jacket

 

Ladies Classic Rugby Shirt

Ladies Classic Rugby Shirt

 

Classic Rugby Shirt

Classic Rugby Shirt

 

BOHT Lecture Day at the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum. 19 April 2024

/in , , , , /by

A very enjoyable and instructive day was had by all participants. If you were not able to be there, you can see videos of the talks  on the YouTube BOHT Channel. The order of the day is given below

  1. Introduction – What is the Heritage Trust up to?
  2. INRacing – Oliver Nuthall presents Bristol Engine Developments
  3. John Manley presents his new book “The Bristol 403”
  4. Chris Balfour talks about his book “Bristol 6 Cylinder Cars”
  5. Stefan Cembrowicz on Life in the Filton Works in the 1950s
  6. Auction of Bristol Ephemera

Richard Sanderson

Some tips on logging into the BODA website and getting a new password

/in , , , /by

To change password if you are not logged in

  • Click Log in
  • “Lost password”
  • Get New Password using user name or email
  • Check your email for the confirmation link, click on link then visit the login page.
  • Copy New Password then “Reset Password” (red button)
  • Then click on “< Back to Bristol Owners and Drivers Association” The “Log in to your account button” is only text and not a button!
  • Then go back and log in using the new password

 

To change password to your own choice once you are logged in

  • Log in
  • Edit profile (under Welcome button)
  • Scroll down to Generate Password
  • Replace suggested password by your own (it must be medium or strong!)
  • Scroll down to bottom, click Update Profile

 

 To login to BODA website from your iPhone

  • If you hold the phone vertically you will probably not be able to login as the login area is too small to take the script
  • So to login, hold the phone horizontally to enlarge the login area. You should then be able to enter user name and password. If not, just stretch and enlarge the area a bit more and it should work.

INSURANCE VALUATIONS FOR BRISTOL CARS

/in , , , /by

BODA is pleased to announce the resumption of the provision of insurance valuations. These take the form of a written report on BODA letterhead for a fee of £50 per valuation. They are based upon submission of suitable supporting documentation and photographs. Members should note the following:

– Valuations will be for insurance purposes only and are not market valuations. They cannot be used for probate purposes, for example, nor in connection with dispute resolution.

– No physical inspections of vehicles will be undertaken. Valuations are based upon the owner’s representations and are caveated accordingly.

– Most insurance underwriters will respect a valuation provided by BODA, but it is worth double-checking this with your insurance broker or insurance company.

Footman James, one of the leaders in the classic car insurance field, has already confirmed that it will recognise the Club’s valuations for their purposes. The viability of the service depends upon the demand for valuations proving to compensate for the associated costs (most notably, an increase in our insurance premium in respect of professional liability).

In the first instance please send a mail to chair@bristoloda.org.  We will then issue the relevant valuation questionnaire for you to complete and return with photographs

Availability of Pegasus Parts

/in , , , /by

There is an updated list of readily available spare parts on the website on the page Pegasus Parts. Please complete and submit the enquiry form to check on availability and cost.

BODA Regalia now available

/in , , , , /by

A message from our Regalia Officer Rob Horton

A big hello to everyone in BODA. I follow in exalted footsteps, my predecessor John Watt, a lifelong motor sports fanatic, had previously held the role of Regalia Officer for the British Motorsports Marshals Club. John gamely took on the role in our Club 3 years ago in his late eighties, but sadly passed away at the end of last year. I visited his wife Audrey recently and am now in possession of the Club’s stock of stickers, embroidered badges, key rings and binders. We send our condolences to Audrey and the family with thanks for his hard work on our behalf.
We can now accept orders for excellent quality, one-size Caps priced at £12, and highly desirable short sleeved Polo shirts in both Ladies and Gentlemen’s fittings, priced at £20. We also have some some stunning Soft Shell Gilets at £40, Sweatshirts at £17.50,T shirts at £12, all available in a variety of colours and sizes, as well as umbrellas at £20, (all plus postage). Stickers, badges key rings and binders from the old range of stock are also available.

Click on the button below which will take you to our website and the Regalia description and online order form.

BODA Regalia Order Form

If you have any suggestions for other items that would make your and BODA’s life complete, please let me know and I will do my best!

Please contact me via email if you have any questions or problems with the order form. 

Rob Horton
BODA Regalia Officer
Regalia@bristoloda.org