Facebook group

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) seems to be mainly a hang out for teenagers, but if you can avoid that aspect it's also a way to get back in touch and stay in touch with old friends. Newly addicted, I have added a group called "We love Bristol Cars" for those of us who'd like a fix when on Facebook. Owners and fans welcomed. Check it out!

New pictures of my car

I have been meaning for some time to post some new pictures of my Bristol, but never seem to find the time to get my camera out due to one thing or another. Well would you believe it? Some nice chaps from NCP, employed under contract to Reading City Council, have done a splendid job for me for the reasonable sum of £30 - and they let me park in Reading all evening for free to boot. I would recommend their services, especially if you have business in the area and can't find a car park.

New Bristol badge!

While looking around the web for some Bristol information, I discovered this picture (left) on the Autocar website, which seems to show a revised Bristol Cars badge - I am guessing from the steering wheel boss of a Fighter.

Anyone wish to identify the difference?

Crushed by the council: the classic car that was parked legally

Sad news from today's Daily Mail: Sam Frost tells us of an article revealing that London's Lambeth council towed away a legally parked, registered and taxed Bristol 411, crushing it soon after. The owner believed it had been stolen before discovering its true fate. This was in 2004. Since then he has been pursuing the council for compensation, which is still not forthcoming. Let's hope the sum, when it appears, is covered by pursuing through the criminal justice system the inidividuals concerned - or insurance, rather than Lambeth's unfortunate council tax payers. You can read the full article, including comments from readers, by clicking here.

UPDATE: Mr Stewart's predicament is also getting some discussion, and support, on the PistonHeads enthusiasts website - click here to read the forum topic.

The Bristol 411 at the Earl's Court Motor Show 1969

An amusing link sent on to me from a fellow Bristol Owners Club member of footage from Pathe of the Earl's Court motor show of 1969 and a brief look at the Bristol 411 (click the image to the left).

Some other interesting cars in the clip too - though not many of the others can still be seen on the roads today!

A fascinating new insight to YTA105L's history

Now that the BOC has attributed YTA105L to me in their database, I get a view of all the data they retain on my chassis number in their system - and a lot has been revealed!

I can now identify many more of the custodians of the car previous to me:

• From ca 1972 (first registration) to ca 1981 - E D Birch (reg'n 86 EBJ)
• From ca 1981 to ca 1983 - R J Russell of Somerset (reg'n NHW300L)
• During 1983 - H S Howe of Devon (reg'n HSH444)
• From ca 1983 to ca 1988 - Sophia Wilson
• From 9 May 1988 to 19 April 2004 - W R Pickering of London, then Dorset (bought from Bristol Cars Ltd. on reg'n YTA105L)
• From 19 April 2004 to 30 April 2006 - G Wilson of Kent
• From 30 April 2006 to 13 February 2007 - T Visser of Surrey

Now this seems to fill in the gaps between 1977 and 1988, but still only identifies 7 keepers before me, whereas the V5 shows that there were 10. So still some assumptions made above would be my guess, probably where the timings of handovers are vague.

If anyone knows anything I'd love to hear from you - e-mail address at the bottom of the page.

Latest running report

My mileage so far: 475
Total mileage: 91,556
Costs since last report: £38
Total costs so far: £281

A night out in West London and then a run up to Cambridge last weekend put quite a few miles on the 411, but it didn't miss a beat. I have been keeping a careful eye on fluids but all seem to be as they were when I picked the car up, with good oil pressure and a steady temperature on the gauge, although in heavy traffic I can see the fuel gauge moving!

Speaking of which, I seem unable to get anywhere near filling the car with its maximum 82 litres of petrol due to any pump cutting out as if reaching brim. The fuel gauge shows it is barely more than 2/3rds of a tank too. And then it seems to plunge down to its last quarter quickly, before then slowing down to near empty. Odd, but I am getting used to it.

Talking of petrol, my heart goes out to all those caught by the Tesco contamination. I guess the benefit of running a classic is that it just runs through the engine and gets burnt off, without any oxygen sensors or EMSs to knacker along the way!

It seems to have rained constantly since I picked the car up, so not much opportunity to give it a full shampoo and wax, but I did climb inside today and go over the front seats with Gliptone leather cleaner and then conditioner (£13.35 for the two delivered from Gliptone UK). Thus far I can't say I have noticed any visual change, but the leather does feel softer. It hasn't yet, as it claims, returned the smell of new leather to the car, although I smell different! I'll leave it a few days and report further.

Also, puchased some top up oil for until I get round to a full fluids change. Halfords do a 20w/50 for classic cars at £17 (also bought some Castrol Dexron III automatic transmission fluid top up) which I'll keep to hand in case the dipstick shows some usage, but I see that SC Parts do 5 litre cans of Castrol XL 20/50 which would be better to refill the sump, so I plan to order some of that soon.

I remain a bit confused about what oil filter I should be using though. It currently has a Purolator L-30001 on it (as recommended for a Jensen Interceptor MkII of 1971 with the Mopar 383cid engine), but this not seems to cross-reference to the FRAM part numbers recommended by the BOC (PH2857A/PH2821A/PH2825A), nor with what FRAM suggests for the same Jensen model. Anyone with any ideas?