I might be the only Indian in this comments section, but I'm proud to be here. I'm a big petrolhead like everybody who's reading this comment and watching this video, and it's pleasing to see a proper British icon like this finally see the light of day after decades. I teach British accents as a profession, and I love everything British. Lovely video, Mr Jonny!
I miss the cathartic cleaning of the old car at hand, I would happily watch another 30 minutes of this gorgeous program to enjoy the cleaning (even detailing, including the inside?) and maybe a short test run? Love this to bits! Beautiful car and what a kind hearted gentleman! A joy to watch him interact with you.
@@jamesellsworth9673 I loved the episode of the Ford Granada where Jonny did wash the car and there are several more and it is such a nice gesture! Really love the welcome back feel it has to it. Tyrell's channel is great too BTW!
As a detailer, I think cleaning it up would really add to it - maybe a follow up episode. I can already imagine a strong mix of snow foam + all purpose cleaner sprayed over the dry car, let it soak, and then gently rinse it with low pressure water. The "brownness" would be real.
Bristols had many practical features. The battery and electrical system are under the right side cover behind the front wheel. The spare wheel is on the left. It is easily accessible, no need to disturb your luggage if you get a flat tyre.
Well done Jonny for getting it started, and thank you to Robert for being such a good custodian of a true British motoring icon and allowing us all into his garage.
what are you on about? he's been a terrible custodian. it's shocking that he has let the car rot. a quick once-over every 6 months and Johnny could have driven the car out.
I hope Jonny can find the time for a follow-up to the barn finds as well. Not only interesting, but easy on the expenses and travel! So many stories yet to be told...
I would say there is another episode in that Bristol! What a rare thing to come across. Drive that down any street today in the UK and hardly anyone would guess what it was.... Excellent work!
I will forever love these videos. Johnny does a great job being a little different on TH-cam, which is so refreshing. Video quality is top notch. Great job 👍
@@TheLateBrakeShowI wonder if you have some favorite barn find episodes that you can share?? Maybe an end of year review or something??? We all LUV the content whatever you choose 🎉
What a car, life will not be complete until I have owned one. I grew up just down the road from where they were built. On my list for one day. Great show.
A few years ago i,as a breakdown mechanic, went out to a lovely old Scottish gent driving a Bristol from London where he worked to Scotland where he lived, a regular drive for him, with a flat tyre on the M40. The spare wheel was in the same place as the battery on this car but on the passenger side. Hope he see's this. Would love to see him again.
Oh god I love Bristols ( and the cars ) 😂 Awesome just awesome. Thank you Jonathan once again. I think between The break plate show and the podcast I don’t see or listen to much else. Traaaansit ❤
Enjoyable episode. The interior is in surprisingly good order, and very nice to see the thing come back to life. Very sweet seeing the owner stood by it with his fingers crossed. Nice GT6 as well, by the way
Hard to believe he had to steal a plug from it for the Bristol, though. What? ... Didn't have a single spare plug for EITHER Car sitting on the bench somewhere? Come to think of it... Robert HAD no bench. Obviously he's a buyer/driver... not a wrencher/maintainer. (don't mind me... I'm just jealous 🤣)
Tell us when you've acquired a TR3; THAT'S the baby I want to see restored. I loved riding in my dad's back in the 60's. It was so cool to reach over those "cutout" doors and nearly touch the road. (get one in red, please; that's the iconic colour!) @@garybulwinkle82
My Dad ran a Bristol 409 for about 5 years in the late 70s. It was a D plate, so 1966 model year. We think it had been one of Anthony Crook's test cars because it had been registered with his MPH 100 registration plate sometime in the 60s. It was bloody quick, especially for then! The back seats were seriously comfortable. I was allowed to drive it once - shall we say that it was barely getting into its stride at 100mph. 😉
Yes, I'm thinkin the back seats were particularly comfortable probably because many who could afford this fine automobile likely rode in the back... with their hired driver at the wheel!
Another great find! I would happily watch hour-long barn find episodes were the car gets the full treatment of unseizing brakes, rolling out, wash and firing up but I understand that this could take too much time to film for each barn find.
I had an engineering contract at BaE in Filton in '87, I heard that Bristol Cars were still building their cars there so I went there and asked politely if I could have a look around. Amazeballs! All made using old fashioned methods by coppersmiths and other fitters.
I remember an old "Car Talk" show where they mentioned a bumper sticker they saw on an Austin-Healey. It said something like "The parts falling off of this car were built by the finest British Craftsman."
As soon as I saw the thumbnail I was interested, the Bristol 400 series was unmistakeable. The legendary LJK Setright was a massive fan of the marque and would wax lyrical about them in every publication he adorned back in the day. I’ve lusted after one ever since. Back in the early 80s I pulled up with my Chairman in his XJ12C at the Bristol showroom in Kensington as he was keen to explore owning one. The snooty attitude of the toffs in suits acting as ‘salesman’ was worthy of a Harry Enfield sketch.
A brand targeted at eccentrics and the inbred... In the late 1980s, I saw the outrageous service and repair bills for the 1972 411 owned by the company I was working at. They used Bristol rather than a specialist for the work needed. I drove it quite a bit. A narrow car easy to place on the road that used a lot of fuel. The quality of the interiors with some exposed screw heads was below Rolls Royce/Bentley standards which had similar running costs. The alloy body, wing-mounted spare wheel, and performance were good for a 1960s design. These days a good 411 is a practical machine to run with stylish looks.
@Flickering Celluloid. I used to work with a young woman who previously worked as a service receptionist for the Bristol service centre. The garage was somewhere close to the Brentford roundabout in West London I believe. Back in the day, famous Bristol owners included Richard Branson, Tim Rice (before they were Knights' of The Realm!) and the then head of MI5. My colleague told me a story about one of the trainee mechanics who was "testing" the auto' gearbox selector on a Bristol while it was raised on the hoist. Unfortunately, the car "slipped" into "drive", hurtled forward off the end of the hoist and crashed into the back wall of the service shop. I think the fallout was that the trainee was dismissed and the company had to rebuild the customer's car free of charge (big bucks!). Stay safe and well.
Beautiful Brizzle. The underneath of those things is even more impressive than the top. Built like a finely engineered tank. The can of hope desperately needs a low pressure pump or a pressure regulator and gauge adding though so its suitable for carb barn finds as well as injection. I'd hate to see a fuel flood burn something down. 45psi for injection, 4psi for carbs.
I have my very own Barn Find. The first car I ever bought was a 2cd gen. 1998 Mazda MX-5, which I gave to my mother in 2020 as a 60th birthday gift. The prices for these cars were really low at the time and I didn't have a driving license yet. My mother has recently passed away, after a long illness and the car stood for a long time unused in the garage... So I put the battery back in and started the car... The car started immediately and runs smoothly. I then washed the car straight away... I couldn't sell the car, because my mother loved it very much and there are a number of memories attached to it.
Really need to see updates on these barn find cars, would be lovely to see they owners or custodians driving their cars around following Johnnys extractions
Wow what a motor! So happy you could get the old girl running. Always had a soft spot for a Bristol (411 Series 6 my favourite). I hope Robert will restore her again and enjoy actually using her. Top bloke 😁
What a fantastic watch....and what a stunning looking old classic that Bristol is.just beautiful and what a bonus to see another real stunner in the Triumph GT6.Just brilliant.
As an american, I have to say i love this channel. I have owned one british car, a 70 MGB back in 1989. I was 17 years old. It was my last British car to be honest. I soon realized that the British cars were "specialty" in the US, and pretty expensive. Not to mention even in 1989, nobody knew how to repair them. And parts, as well as interesting British cars - hard to find. Thx Johnny for not only finding cool people with cool British cars, but in the hunt to get them going, opening panels, digging into these cars which to me are still foreign. Love it. Great stuff.
Thank you so much, it was really lovely to see this. I recall a picture of one in the Daily Mail Motor Show Review for the year when I was about 14. It looked gorgeous and as if it was very well made. Now I know a little more and have an appreciation of the skill and eye of craftsmen. Lovely cars.
That car needs restoring. With that level of interior most of the work would be the engine and driveline. You could leave the exterior and run a treatment over the body to stabilise it. They were a lot of car for a lot of money. I think the wire loom may need testing and maybe replaced. Jonny you really do need to put some oil down the cylinders before starting it. I would also take the rocker covers off and oil the the top end. Great video, do you ever follow up these cars you find? Finally an electric pump for the tyres! Hooray!.
Plugs, points, condenser, dizzy, plug leads , aaaah, what a joy. I am a 1950s model, lost the top of my ring finger at age 3 - 4years old,. Became a mechanic, my first job. So love Old Cars ❤❤❤ . What a joy to sè these programmes😂😂😅
@@grayfool You know I first fell for the Bristol cars when I ran across a Beaufighter in the early 90's but loved the V 10 and styling of the Fighter & turbo'd Fighter T.
Very cool, never seen one of these before. Many neat and interesting features on this car, the location of the battery and spare tire, and the 4 wheel disc brakes was ahead of its time for the era. Thank you for sharing, Jonny, and especially Robert. You've earned a new subscriber!
Johnny, I’m sure there would be LOADS of interest in one or two videos where you catch up with the people and their cars from your previous bar finds, to see how they’ve faired. What has become of the cars? Keep it up, thoroughly enjoy watching your channel! Mick from Holland
Lovely. More British car barn finds please! Here in the states we see scads of BMWs and Porsches, but what we dont see much anymore are old British cars. Occassionally an MGB or TR6 will show up, but nothing like this. Back in the 80s they seemed to be everywhere, but not now. My dad claimed that British collectors were repatriating them by the boat load in the early 2000s. Speaking of BMWs, seeing that lovely 6 Series is just a reminder of how terrible recent BMW designs have gotten.
The repatriating is quite possible, german collectors did the same since then with Mercedes, Porsche, and occasionally, BMWs; even more after word of californian car yards (or cemetaries?) came up where you can find many rare parts still for reasonable prices. Even nowadays you can see some Mercedes or Porsche run around the corner with US-specific indicator lights and license plate formats...
Bristols were built by aircraft fitters thats why they are so solid they were built by the same people that built the brabazon the britania and Concorde at filton i worked at rolls royce just down the road and loved seeing them going up and down the runway numberplate 100 MPH was used on test cars if i recall
Please use capital letters when describing models, place names and manufacturers (Brabazon, Britannia (sic), Rolls Royce, Filton). Bristol was indeed an aircraft manufacturer as well as being an engine producer. One might even draw parallels with SAAB.
I worked for Bristol Cars from '79 to '85. In many respects, the best job l ever had. Lovely to hear her fire up and l can imagine the smell of that interior. Non-standard paint-scheme though. The red is the original colour.
One of these stood in a driveway exposed to all the weather in Loddon, Norfolk until about 5-7 years ago. It clearly hadn’t moved for many years. It had slabs of paint peeling off as opposed to flakes. Dread to think what happened to it. I hope it’s one of the 10 remaining.
I live in Warminster, Wiltshire. We had a Bristol workshop here at farefield road. Remember these things rumbling through the high street as a kid. It’d take a few seconds for it to pass too❤❤❤
I remember the first time I ever saw a Bristol. I was 16 and it was parked outside the Old Manor in Bracknell. I was fascinated by the two fans visible trough the radiator grille. Years later, I worked close to the Bristol specialists just down from the Hogarth roundabout in Chiswick.
My grandfather had a P6 when I was perhaps 9 or so. Huge old thing, all leather seats. As a kid, I could virtually stand up in the ruddy thing. Of course, being so young, I didn't know a thing about cars but do remember father taking brother and me down the country road and giving the old girl a good thrashing. Grandfather had to sell the P6 because he was an old bugger and couldn't see further than the windscreen so of course he crashed into someone in the co-op. The other chap shouldn't have been there of course, shopping above his means. But a crash is a crash and we had to stuff a few quid into the nchaps pocket, but poor grandfather had to stop driving after that. Then we had to sell the car, but good memories. Grandfather flew the coup quite some years back, and grandmother got herself a younger man bless. The grave had hardly gone cold but what could you do, grandmother was only in her 80's and wanted someone to cuddle.
I Have a Bristol from the 60's. They weren't afraid to build something kind of crappy, but they also made some truly admirable equiptment as well. There was the Bristol freighter. The Bristol Taurus 14 cylinder dual plane aircraft engine, Cars like this and so much more. They made anything and everything, properly.
What a brilliant car, in Cruella Deville colour scheme as her car was maroon and black in the animation film. And my dad's bit of stuff Elsie, had a MK1 Zodiac in Maroon and Black. She was scary as well. I do believe there was only one Bristol showroom somewhere in Kensington London, often years ago would drive by and admire the cars in awe. Great video cheers 🍻
@Peter Ward. You may already know this. Sometime ago during the Clarkson/Hammond/May era of "Top Gear" on BBC TV, James May was sent out to visit the Bristol car showroom in West London and present a feature on the Bristol marque and cars in the programme. Apparently Mr. May went to the showroom and pressed the entry bell to be let in to speak with the "dealer principal", hoping to get an interview regarding Bristol cars. When whoever it was inside the showroom saw it was James May, they refused to let him in! Upon inquiring as to why the Bristol representative would not give "Top Gear" an interview, James was told that it was because he "knew" Jeremy Clarkson and would not be welcome! What had Clarkson done or said to upset Bristol? I hope I have not offended any LBS viewers by mentioning "Top Gear" and/or Clarkson/May/Hammond. Stay safe and well.
@@markmiwurdz202 Hi, that's an interesting story. No I never saw that episode as I don't like Clarkson, so I would never watch Top Gear. May and Hammond were fine, Clarkson just made my skin crawl 😂 But thank you for the info. Bristol cars obviously knew trouble was on the approach 😂 cheers 🍻
Well done guy's, Robert you have a really lovely piece of old school British engineering, after 30 yrs it sounded pretty good. Jonny, this would definitely warrant a return, to move, clean and attempt a drive please. Alex.p
That's not actually a Small Block engine (LA series), it's an 'A' series engine. They were in production from 1956 to 1977 & were available in various sizes from 276 to 325 cu in with the most common version being the 318-2 barrel. The younger generation refer to these as a "Polly" engine but the Polyspherical engine was the predecessor to this & the LA small block was the successor. The push button shifter is 1963-64 Valiant & Barracuda with the park lever removed.
Hey Kiwi. I'd like to add. I've had lots of Poly's over 50 years. Still have a few. This, a 313 Poly, has 1/16" smaller bore, like the ones in the NZ assembled Dodges. The auto with round push buttons was a cast iron Torqueflite with driveshaft handbrake. No park. Buttons without park would be like a '60/61 Dodge. The Mark11 408 used the aluminium Torqueflite with rectangular buttons and a park lever. This Bristol Poly is pre-'62 due to 3 bolts on tappet covers, and generator. 2 bolts from '62-on. But NZ '62/3 still used generators, while Yanks had alternators. See the left side bracket for plug leads on centre bolt. Even sounds like the old non double reduction pre-62 starter. The 4bbl is rare. The predecessor to this Poly had two big scallops on the tappet covers, like the '55/56 Dodge. Different beast. The only thing the same was the dizzy, and it was a good swap due to being dual-point. Sorry to be a pedant.
Michelins always perish rapidly to lack of use. My early K plate 306 has been laid up some years now, front passenger Michelin is shot! Still starts (on many years old petrol) first turn of the key and runs sweet.
My late mother fell in love with this car at a motor show and bearing in mind she never had any interest in cars normally which is why i can still remember it. I believe the spare wheel is inside the front wheel arch.?
This needs to be restored and put back on the road again. Such a glorious V8 sound and unusual automatic gearbox. Good condition versions for sale are £45k these days. Robert, please restore it!
Not just Bristols, i was a partsman during that time and half the fun was figuring out whose parts bin they had raided to make whatever. I worked in Princeton NJ and a lot of profs had brought some strange stuff bsck from a summer of teaching in Europe
Congratulations and THANK YOU for wonderful videos on your Channel. Terrific stories lovingly and respectfully presented. You are a STAR, Sir. Bravo!!! Best wishes from New Zealand.
I had a '63 and 64 Dodge Polara both with pushbutton 727 automatic transmission with 318 Poly block (wide block) engine, like the featured car. Loved those cars...
24:00, pouring gas into the carb while cranking. Good thing you had no spark. Was just such a procedure that laid me up in hospital for a month at age 17, with third degree burns. If only I had waited for key off.
I'm a huge fan of Bristol cars. Tony Crook was in a league of his own when it came to running the business. Very little content exists online in terms of reviews when it comes to the Bristol range of cars. Would love to see you do a deep dive into Bristol Cars which has a new custodian but not sure about the future of the brand.
Early post war Bristols were basically BMW's built effectively as part of WW2 reparations. With that and Bristol's aero engine history BMW really missed a trick of taking over Bristol when they went bust and turning into an expensive luxury grand touring marque as a sister to Rolls Royce.
I might be the only Indian in this comments section, but I'm proud to be here. I'm a big petrolhead like everybody who's reading this comment and watching this video, and it's pleasing to see a proper British icon like this finally see the light of day after decades. I teach British accents as a profession, and I love everything British. Lovely video, Mr Jonny!
Nothing quite like giving your Bristols an airing on a fine summer's day.
Phnaar, phnaar 😁
What? I thought it was a monocoque?
Oo er, missus.
Don't get many of those to the pound!
I’d like to see more Bristols……
I miss the cathartic cleaning of the old car at hand, I would happily watch another 30 minutes of this gorgeous program to enjoy the cleaning (even detailing, including the inside?) and maybe a short test run?
Love this to bits! Beautiful car and what a kind hearted gentleman! A joy to watch him interact with you.
That would be Tyrell's channel, where Classics are brought to life again.
@@jamesellsworth9673 I loved the episode of the Ford Granada where Jonny did wash the car and there are several more and it is such a nice gesture! Really love the welcome back feel it has to it.
Tyrell's channel is great too BTW!
As a detailer, I think cleaning it up would really add to it - maybe a follow up episode. I can already imagine a strong mix of snow foam + all purpose cleaner sprayed over the dry car, let it soak, and then gently rinse it with low pressure water. The "brownness" would be real.
I gritted my teeth as he ground the info off the info plague at 13:52... instead of using a damp soft cloth...
Bristols had many practical features. The battery and electrical system are under the right side cover behind the front wheel. The spare wheel is on the left. It is easily accessible, no need to disturb your luggage if you get a flat tyre.
Well done Jonny for getting it started, and thank you to Robert for being such a good custodian of a true British motoring icon and allowing us all into his garage.
A ‘good custodian’, really? Just lucky it didn’t rot away.
what are you on about? he's been a terrible custodian. it's shocking that he has let the car rot. a quick once-over every 6 months and Johnny could have driven the car out.
Custodian? I think not.
@@mattblack9069, if ‘custodion’ means letting it rot away?
@@johnnunn8688 yes its new meaning I think.
When’s the follow up series coming for all these barn finds? Be interesting to know how many made it back on to the roads.
I hope Jonny can find the time for a follow-up to the barn finds as well. Not only interesting, but easy on the expenses and travel! So many stories yet to be told...
16s back then was a big diameter wheel. What a great car, the inside is so well preserved. Thanks for taking us along on this blast from the past 2x👍
My Riley RME had similar size wheels....made in 1954!
@@nickjung7394 Interesting, especially when most folk think the bid diameter wheels are modern.
16s early 60s were archaic,, That size is if its lucky a 600 16 Xply
@@ldnwholesale8552 👍👍
I would say there is another episode in that Bristol! What a rare thing to come across. Drive that down any street today in the UK and hardly anyone would guess what it was.... Excellent work!
I will forever love these videos. Johnny does a great job being a little different on TH-cam, which is so refreshing. Video quality is top notch. Great job 👍
Charlie, thank you.
The owner of this car seems like a lovely guy I do hope he gets to drive it once again.
Not without a complete restoration and much money spent. After 40 years it will need everything.
Good job getting it running. I loved the genuine delight on everyone's faces. Spot on, what a beaut.
It felt amazing to hear it fire up and run happily. So glad you enjoyed coming along for the journey.
@@TheLateBrakeShowI wonder if you have some favorite barn find episodes that you can share?? Maybe an end of year review or something??? We all LUV the content whatever you choose 🎉
What a car, life will not be complete until I have owned one. I grew up just down the road from where they were built. On my list for one day. Great show.
A few years ago i,as a breakdown mechanic, went out to a lovely old Scottish gent driving a Bristol from London where he worked to Scotland where he lived, a regular drive for him, with a flat tyre on the M40. The spare wheel was in the same place as the battery on this car but on the passenger side. Hope he see's this. Would love to see him again.
What a lovely car and rescue! I had never seen or heard of one! Thank you Johnny and Robert and Rob! Greetings from Austria 👍🙏
Cheers Jean-Pierre
Oh god I love Bristols ( and the cars ) 😂 Awesome just awesome. Thank you Jonathan once again. I think between The break plate show and the podcast I don’t see or listen to much else. Traaaansit ❤
When i saw a Bristol ‘fighter’ for the first time i wanted one….it was a brilliant piece of design and engineering.
I think it’s Beau fighter but I may be mistaken.
Absolutely love the 16 inch wheels. What a beauty. Top work Johnny. The interior is better than my front room 😅
Enjoyable episode. The interior is in surprisingly good order, and very nice to see the thing come back to life. Very sweet seeing the owner stood by it with his fingers crossed. Nice GT6 as well, by the way
I got to get my TR6 out this summer! It's been a few years!!
Hard to believe he had to steal a plug from it for the Bristol, though. What? ... Didn't have a single spare plug for EITHER Car sitting on the bench somewhere?
Come to think of it... Robert HAD no bench. Obviously he's a buyer/driver... not a wrencher/maintainer. (don't mind me... I'm just jealous 🤣)
Tell us when you've acquired a TR3; THAT'S the baby I want to see restored. I loved riding in my dad's back in the 60's. It was so cool to reach over those "cutout" doors and nearly touch the road. (get one in red, please; that's the iconic colour!) @@garybulwinkle82
My Dad ran a Bristol 409 for about 5 years in the late 70s. It was a D plate, so 1966 model year. We think it had been one of Anthony Crook's test cars because it had been registered with his MPH 100 registration plate sometime in the 60s. It was bloody quick, especially for then! The back seats were seriously comfortable. I was allowed to drive it once - shall we say that it was barely getting into its stride at 100mph. 😉
There’s a comment down a little from yours talking about said number plate 🤙
Mm
Yes, I'm thinkin the back seats were particularly comfortable probably because many who could afford this fine automobile likely rode in the back... with their hired driver at the wheel!
.#j d es
Another great find! I would happily watch hour-long barn find episodes were the car gets the full treatment of unseizing brakes, rolling out, wash and firing up but I understand that this could take too much time to film for each barn find.
Vise grip garage is good for that 🤙
I had an engineering contract at BaE in Filton in '87, I heard that Bristol Cars were still building their cars there so I went there and asked politely if I could have a look around. Amazeballs! All made using old fashioned methods by coppersmiths and other fitters.
I remember an old "Car Talk" show where they mentioned a bumper sticker they saw on an Austin-Healey. It said something like "The parts falling off of this car were built by the finest British Craftsman."
As soon as I saw the thumbnail I was interested, the Bristol 400 series was unmistakeable.
The legendary LJK Setright was a massive fan of the marque and would wax lyrical about them in every publication he adorned back in the day.
I’ve lusted after one ever since. Back in the early 80s I pulled up with my Chairman in his XJ12C at the Bristol showroom in Kensington as he was keen to explore owning one. The snooty attitude of the toffs in suits acting as ‘salesman’ was worthy of a Harry Enfield sketch.
A brand targeted at eccentrics and the inbred... In the late 1980s, I saw the outrageous service and repair bills for the 1972 411 owned by the company I was working at. They used Bristol rather than a specialist for the work needed.
I drove it quite a bit. A narrow car easy to place on the road that used a lot of fuel. The quality of the interiors with some exposed screw heads was below Rolls Royce/Bentley standards which had similar running costs.
The alloy body, wing-mounted spare wheel, and performance were good for a 1960s design.
These days a good 411 is a practical machine to run with stylish looks.
@Flickering Celluloid. I used to work with a young woman who previously worked as a service receptionist for the Bristol service centre. The garage was somewhere close to the Brentford roundabout in West London I believe. Back in the day, famous Bristol owners included Richard Branson, Tim Rice (before they were Knights' of The Realm!) and the then head of MI5. My colleague told me a story about one of the trainee mechanics who was "testing" the auto' gearbox selector on a Bristol while it was raised on the hoist. Unfortunately, the car "slipped" into "drive", hurtled forward off the end of the hoist and crashed into the back wall of the service shop. I think the fallout was that the trainee was dismissed and the company had to rebuild the customer's car free of charge (big bucks!). Stay safe and well.
U gotta make a part 2.!!! Get it driven out and wash it.. it needs and deserve it.! Like u did with Porsche. Awsome video 👍
Beautiful Brizzle. The underneath of those things is even more impressive than the top. Built like a finely engineered tank.
The can of hope desperately needs a low pressure pump or a pressure regulator and gauge adding though so its suitable for carb barn finds as well as injection. I'd hate to see a fuel flood burn something down. 45psi for injection, 4psi for carbs.
Just stick an SU petrol pump on the can of hope. You can then switch to high or low pressure fuel delivery operation.
I love watching these barn finds 🙏 keep them coming Johny
It is so wholesome to see old stories coming back to life ❤
Johhny, could you try all that on me please? I am 84.
I have my very own Barn Find. The first car I ever bought was a 2cd gen. 1998 Mazda MX-5, which I gave to my mother in 2020 as a 60th birthday gift. The prices for these cars were really low at the time and I didn't have a driving license yet. My mother has recently passed away, after a long illness and the car stood for a long time unused in the garage...
So I put the battery back in and started the car... The car started immediately and runs smoothly. I then washed the car straight away... I couldn't sell the car, because my mother loved it very much and there are a number of memories attached to it.
Good work, mate!
Really need to see updates on these barn find cars, would be lovely to see they owners or custodians driving their cars around following Johnnys extractions
Another wonderful find Jonny. Did anyone else notice the short cameo of Wilson while Jonny was clearing the front of the car? 😁🏀
I love how Jonny gets excited over the gearing of the window winder😆
We know, right?
What a joy to watch, yet again. And what a beautiful car! You've got to love a grand old Bristol! 💜
For me, Johnny's videos have that ASMR quality of US painter Bob Ross - only better because the subject is cars.
We're just gonna put a happy drop of oil down these bores.
✊🏽🍻
This is quickly becoming one of my favourite channels on TH-cam.
The channel is a credit to you.
That’s a proper British car, great episode Jonny
Wow what a motor! So happy you could get the old girl running. Always had a soft spot for a Bristol (411 Series 6 my favourite).
I hope Robert will restore her again and enjoy actually using her.
Top bloke 😁
Yet another brilliant find, and another brilliant video.
What a fantastic watch....and what a stunning looking old classic that Bristol is.just beautiful and what a bonus to see another real stunner in the Triumph GT6.Just brilliant.
As an american, I have to say i love this channel. I have owned one british car, a 70 MGB back in 1989. I was 17 years old. It was my last British car to be honest. I soon realized that the British cars were "specialty" in the US, and pretty expensive. Not to mention even in 1989, nobody knew how to repair them. And parts, as well as interesting British cars - hard to find. Thx Johnny for not only finding cool people with cool British cars, but in the hunt to get them going, opening panels, digging into these cars which to me are still foreign. Love it. Great stuff.
This is lovely to hear, so thank you so much for the comment. We are so glad you enjoy TLBS content.
Thank you so much, it was really lovely to see this. I recall a picture of one in the Daily Mail Motor Show Review for the year when I was about 14. It looked gorgeous and as if it was very well made.
Now I know a little more and have an appreciation of the skill and eye of craftsmen.
Lovely cars.
That car needs restoring. With that level of interior most of the work would be the engine and driveline. You could leave the exterior and run a treatment over the body to stabilise it. They were a lot of car for a lot of money. I think the wire loom may need testing and maybe replaced. Jonny you really do need to put some oil down the cylinders before starting it. I would also take the rocker covers off and oil the the top end. Great video, do you ever follow up these cars you find? Finally an electric pump for the tyres! Hooray!.
Superb Jonny , the smile on Roberts face when it fires up is priceless.... 😄😎
Thank you. Yes, Robert was really chuffed. He kept saying we'd never get it running that day. We accepted the challenge...
Great looking car, and brilliant outcome - let’s hope this is the inspiration to get it back on the road. Thanks for your service, Johnny!
Plugs, points, condenser, dizzy, plug leads , aaaah, what a joy. I am a 1950s model, lost the top of my ring finger at age 3 - 4years old,. Became a mechanic, my first job.
So love Old Cars ❤❤❤ . What a joy to sè these programmes😂😂😅
A Bristol is a pretty special thing any day. This one is lively. I would love to see more of this car. Great work as usual Johnny.
I would love to find a Fighter T.
@@kevdupuis You and both.
@@grayfool You know I first fell for the Bristol cars when I ran across a Beaufighter in the early 90's but loved the V 10 and styling of the Fighter & turbo'd Fighter T.
Very cool, never seen one of these before. Many neat and interesting features on this car, the location of the battery and spare tire, and the 4 wheel disc brakes was ahead of its time for the era. Thank you for sharing, Jonny, and especially Robert. You've earned a new subscriber!
I'm 62 mate and I've never seen that particular Model, it's totally Beautiful.
Thanks Johnny. There is so much that is infectious about these episodes.
Just loved this one, way better than anything you see on TV!
Lovely bold bus.... Old money. Toff spec. Great BF again Jonny.
Really enjoying these barn find videos. Well done for getting this one going. Good luck from Spain!!
How about another British icon supercar of its time - a Gordon Keeble GK1 - where are they all now? Any in a barn somewhere?
Johnny, I’m sure there would be LOADS of interest in one or two videos where you catch up with the people and their cars from your previous bar finds, to see how they’ve faired. What has become of the cars?
Keep it up, thoroughly enjoy watching your channel!
Mick from Holland
Mick, we are about to plan some revisits. Thanks for watching.
bar finds..😂
Meant to say barn…finds.
@@TheLateBrakeShow please get Neville to narrate!
I love your barn finds Jonny. This Bristol what a lovely car ❤
Lovely. More British car barn finds please! Here in the states we see scads of BMWs and Porsches, but what we dont see much anymore are old British cars. Occassionally an MGB or TR6 will show up, but nothing like this. Back in the 80s they seemed to be everywhere, but not now. My dad claimed that British collectors were repatriating them by the boat load in the early 2000s.
Speaking of BMWs, seeing that lovely 6 Series is just a reminder of how terrible recent BMW designs have gotten.
The repatriating is quite possible, german collectors did the same since then with Mercedes, Porsche, and occasionally, BMWs; even more after word of californian car yards (or cemetaries?) came up where you can find many rare parts still for reasonable prices.
Even nowadays you can see some Mercedes or Porsche run around the corner with US-specific indicator lights and license plate formats...
i could listen to Roberts voice all day ,he should get into audio books ,such a commanding voice ,outstanding
Bristols were built by aircraft fitters thats why they are so solid they were built by the same people that built the brabazon the britania and Concorde at filton i worked at rolls royce just down the road and loved seeing them going up and down the runway numberplate 100 MPH was used on test cars if i recall
100 MPH is currently V5 registered on a Bristol Beaufighter 👍
The four-wheeled variety, as opposed to the two-engined bomber variety.@@thereadyroom
Please use capital letters when describing models, place names and manufacturers (Brabazon, Britannia (sic), Rolls Royce, Filton). Bristol was indeed an aircraft manufacturer as well as being an engine producer. One might even draw parallels with SAAB.
I worked for Bristol Cars from '79 to '85. In many respects, the best job l ever had.
Lovely to hear her fire up and l can imagine the smell of that interior.
Non-standard paint-scheme though. The red is the original colour.
What's better than one Bristol? A nice pair of Bristols :-)
That car sounds sweet
Thoroughly enjoy these videos with Johnny .
One of these stood in a driveway exposed to all the weather in Loddon, Norfolk until about 5-7 years ago. It clearly hadn’t moved for many years. It had slabs of paint peeling off as opposed to flakes. Dread to think what happened to it. I hope it’s one of the 10 remaining.
Aluminium outer panels attached to a steel frame sets up an electrolytic reaction where the two meet. Bad news.
I live in Warminster, Wiltshire. We had a Bristol workshop here at farefield road. Remember these things rumbling through the high street as a kid. It’d take a few seconds for it to pass too❤❤❤
Absolutely love this show , nice one ☝️
I remember the first time I ever saw a Bristol. I was 16 and it was parked outside the Old Manor in Bracknell. I was fascinated by the two fans visible trough the radiator grille. Years later, I worked close to the Bristol specialists just down from the Hogarth roundabout in Chiswick.
My grandfather had a P6 when I was perhaps 9 or so. Huge old thing, all leather seats. As a kid, I could virtually stand up in the ruddy thing. Of course, being so young, I didn't know a thing about cars but do remember father taking brother and me down the country road and giving the old girl a good thrashing. Grandfather had to sell the P6 because he was an old bugger and couldn't see further than the windscreen so of course he crashed into someone in the co-op. The other chap shouldn't have been there of course, shopping above his means. But a crash is a crash and we had to stuff a few quid into the nchaps pocket, but poor grandfather had to stop driving after that. Then we had to sell the car, but good memories. Grandfather flew the coup quite some years back, and grandmother got herself a younger man bless. The grave had hardly gone cold but what could you do, grandmother was only in her 80's and wanted someone to cuddle.
Wonderful humour.
Those first splutters of life were my "Flight of the phoenix" moment!
So rather than fit rear seat belts it was stored for 40 years and had a 10k restoration before being stored again . More money than sense rings a bell
I Have a Bristol from the 60's. They weren't afraid to build something kind of crappy, but they also made some truly admirable equiptment as well. There was the Bristol freighter. The Bristol Taurus 14 cylinder dual plane aircraft engine, Cars like this and so much more. They made anything and everything, properly.
Just wonderful content, Jonny! We were right there with you willing it to fire!
Thank you Mike. So chuffed we got it to fire up. Ran so well.
My dad had these Bristols all the way from the 408 to the 411 which he took to Malta with him when he retired.
We loved them.
What a brilliant car, in Cruella Deville colour scheme as her car was maroon and black in the animation film.
And my dad's bit of stuff Elsie, had a MK1 Zodiac in Maroon and Black. She was scary as well.
I do believe there was only one Bristol showroom somewhere in Kensington London, often years ago would drive by and admire the cars in awe. Great video cheers 🍻
You are right - I remember driving past it many times in the late 80s and can see it in my minds eye.
@Peter Ward. You may already know this. Sometime ago during the Clarkson/Hammond/May era of "Top Gear" on BBC TV, James May was sent out to visit the Bristol car showroom in West London and present a feature on the Bristol marque and cars in the programme. Apparently Mr. May went to the showroom and pressed the entry bell to be let in to speak with the "dealer principal", hoping to get an interview regarding Bristol cars. When whoever it was inside the showroom saw it was James May, they refused to let him in! Upon inquiring as to why the Bristol representative would not give "Top Gear" an interview, James was told that it was because he "knew" Jeremy Clarkson and would not be welcome! What had Clarkson done or said to upset Bristol? I hope I have not offended any LBS viewers by mentioning "Top Gear" and/or Clarkson/May/Hammond. Stay safe and well.
@@markmiwurdz202 Hi, that's an interesting story. No I never saw that episode as I don't like Clarkson, so I would never watch Top Gear.
May and Hammond were fine, Clarkson just made my skin crawl 😂
But thank you for the info. Bristol cars obviously knew trouble was on the approach 😂 cheers 🍻
Well done guy's, Robert you have a really lovely piece of old school British engineering, after 30 yrs it sounded pretty good. Jonny, this would definitely warrant a return, to move, clean and attempt a drive please. Alex.p
That's not actually a Small Block engine (LA series), it's an 'A' series engine. They were in production from 1956 to 1977 & were available in various sizes from 276 to 325 cu in with the most common version being the 318-2 barrel. The younger generation refer to these as a "Polly" engine but the Polyspherical engine was the predecessor to this & the LA small block was the successor. The push button shifter is 1963-64 Valiant & Barracuda with the park lever removed.
Hey Kiwi. I'd like to add. I've had lots of Poly's over 50 years. Still have a few. This, a 313 Poly, has 1/16" smaller bore, like the ones in the NZ assembled Dodges. The auto with round push buttons was a cast iron Torqueflite with driveshaft handbrake. No park. Buttons without park would be like a '60/61 Dodge. The Mark11 408 used the aluminium Torqueflite with rectangular buttons and a park lever. This Bristol Poly is pre-'62 due to 3 bolts on tappet covers, and generator. 2 bolts from '62-on. But NZ '62/3 still used generators, while Yanks had alternators. See the left side bracket for plug leads on centre bolt. Even sounds like the old non double reduction pre-62 starter. The 4bbl is rare. The predecessor to this Poly had two big scallops on the tappet covers, like the '55/56 Dodge. Different beast. The only thing the same was the dizzy, and it was a good swap due to being dual-point. Sorry to be a pedant.
@@moyadapne968No worries Mate, I've been in the US 35yrs & have collected a substantial amount of Hemi & Polly engines & Mopar cars.
@@nzsaltflatsracer8054 Wow, what part of US?
@@moyadapne968 Moved to Idaho 24yrs ago to live in the Rockies & be closer to Bonneville.
@@nzsaltflatsracer8054 Nice. I was there for 4 months. I've been following the Idaho Lori Vallow trial.
The way that engine ran at the end will make me smile every time I think of it for days. And I will think of it, because I’m like that 🤷🏻♂️
Would be nice to know what the owner plans to do next after getting it started. Will it be retired again or any plans to get it back on the road?
His car, his business.
Ignore the wa#k stain in the above comment he's due on his period.
It would be nice to see this rare beast back on the road in pristine condition
@@crossy7225 nunya bizniz it's his car 😂
@@samholdsworth420 I wasn't talking to you. Mind your own business
@@crossy7225 ok I'm sorry lol
Fortunately, more and more people know where to find you Jonny for these special finds.
Michelins always perish rapidly to lack of use. My early K plate 306 has been laid up some years now, front passenger Michelin is shot! Still starts (on many years old petrol) first turn of the key and runs sweet.
My late mother fell in love with this car at a motor show and bearing in mind she never had any interest in cars normally which is why i can still remember it.
I believe the spare wheel is inside the front wheel arch.?
Thank you for the comment Barney. You are absolutely correct about the spare wheel location
Fantastic as always,
Ive got a big smile laying in bed at 01.45 , its so exciting
Nothing better than looking at Bristol's, on a hot day like this.👍🏻
This needs to be restored and put back on the road again. Such a glorious V8 sound and unusual automatic gearbox. Good condition versions for sale are £45k these days. Robert, please restore it!
Agree. We think his son in law is going to resurrect it.
almost feels like the boxes were put there just for Johnny to move considering all that room in that garage lol
Just watched the last two and what a marvellous pair of Bristols .
Not just Bristols, i was a partsman during that time and half the fun was figuring out whose parts bin they had raided to make whatever. I worked in Princeton NJ and a lot of profs had brought some strange stuff bsck from a summer of teaching in Europe
Congratulations and THANK YOU for wonderful videos on your Channel. Terrific stories lovingly and respectfully presented. You are a STAR, Sir. Bravo!!! Best wishes from New Zealand.
Thank you! 🤜🏽
If I had the money I would buy one, they are just beautiful cars.
Nice to see and hear it running, hopefully it will go back on the road.
It is such a well made car. Was a pleasure to work on.
Spoiler alert!
Again a great show, top quality motoring entertainement. Keep up the great work
313 was a polysphere engine they came in many sizes from the late 50's to the late 60's they were the base V8 for many a mopar
Possibly the best video yet. 29 minutes of mindfulness.
This car deserves to be restored, at least to the state where its owner can take his wife can for a ride.
The thumb nail with the two headlights was enough to scream Bristol. Used to drive past their showroom at least once a week and drooled every time.
It would be really nice if you could follow up on some of these
We intend to.
Always one of my favourite cars - beautiful. Thanks Johnny.
Rob has this earmarked.
Edit: Steve's intuition +1
He has, and it looks like he will be resurrecting it.
I had a '63 and 64 Dodge Polara both with pushbutton 727 automatic transmission with 318 Poly block (wide block) engine, like the featured car. Loved those cars...
Any chance of doing a revisit to see what happened to the cars you’ve found n got going or not but what happened next?
We intend to Neil
24:00, pouring gas into the carb while cranking. Good thing you had no spark. Was just such a procedure that laid me up in hospital for a month at age 17, with third degree burns. If only I had waited for key off.
I'm a huge fan of Bristol cars. Tony Crook was in a league of his own when it came to running the business. Very little content exists online in terms of reviews when it comes to the Bristol range of cars. Would love to see you do a deep dive into Bristol Cars which has a new custodian but not sure about the future of the brand.
Was their showroom along the A4 near Hammersmith - (Kensington end ?)
@@highpath4776 It was on the corner of Kensington High Street and Holland Road.
Jonny you are the man well done. Not easy work getting these old timmiers going. Cheers
A nation of middle aged men collectively wills a historic car to start…
My grandad used to live at Filton, Bristol. He also worked on Concorde, those were some glorious times for British engineering.
Early post war Bristols were basically BMW's built effectively as part of WW2 reparations. With that and Bristol's aero engine history BMW really missed a trick of taking over Bristol when they went bust and turning into an expensive luxury grand touring marque as a sister to Rolls Royce.
Fair point.