Getting bitten by the Bristol Bug: (Twice) by Greg Mead
	In 1974 I was a self respecting Riley 2.5 Litre owner aged 26 with slight boredom on the automotive front. While cruising my local suburb of Balmain I came upon a totally amazing car, apparently derelict. I flattered myself that I had an encyclopaedic knowledge of cars at this time, but this one had me stumped. It certainly looked smooth and had a timeless feel. I thought of early Czech experiments in streamlining (Jaray) as I knew somebody who owned an early TATRA. I managed to find “BRISTOL” on one of the Badges but being a 401, it had nothing else to go on. Very discrete. I eventually happened upon a fellow who knew how it got to be “dumped”. He regularly commuted across the city to a job in the CSIRO in a rickety MG TC (see Photo). Even in 1974 this was character building. He started a chain that continues to this day, Bristols lead to people who are always interesting in one way or another.   I eventually found the owner and a price was eventually settled on, $175.00 as I recall, and I took over ownership of 401 Chassis No 965 I have not mentioned to this point that the car had a Holden 179 engine and 3 Speed Gear box with a very dodgy floor shift. I managed to get the car home and into the garage where the detail of the Bristol design and construction began to become apparent. I continued working on the car and eventually the body was finished, and ready for undercoat but not painted, I was running out of resources and I looked for a buyer. This car was sold and I lost contact with the car for the next few years. Out of the blue, the new owner called and asked, amiably enough, if I wanted to buy it back. It was now well painted BRG and had no engine at all. The Holden engine and gearbox had been lost. I declined as I was now over my head in other Bristol projects. Geoff Dowdle has told me quite recently that it was sold to WA around this time and after all those years is still engineless.   Next, I saw motoring around Balmain at a very decent pace another Bristol, stripped to the metal. This was Keith Robbins who was mentioned as one of the founders of the BOCA in NSW in a recent article on the Club’s 40th anniversary. As fate would have it, I would eventually own his car after it was exported for a time to Melbourne. I joined the Club later rising to the heady heights of NSW President and magazine correspondent. This car was also sold with some bodywork and mechanical work done. It was 401 Chassis No 896   Enter Bristol no. 3. A gold 401 Chassis No 1033, which I bought in a used car yard for an absurdly low price. It gave good service as a daily driver commuting to North Sydney for about 3 years, the only real incident being a blown-up Gearbox freewheeling.   Then I got into 400s but kept the gold 401. These unfortunately were both wrecks in one form or another. These were 400 Chassis No. 427 / Car No 463 and 400 Chassis No. 605 / Car No 434. The first car came with 2 engines and Gearboxes, one being a remote shift B/W version. Somewhere along the way I purchased another 85A Engine. The second car came with no engine or gearbox, a Holden engine having recently been removed. I sold the first car as a “kit” with engine and gearbox. And started the rebuild of the 2nd 400. I got the Engine and some of the body done when the offer you can’t refuse was made, this time to an owner in S.A. He went on to finish the car and I believe it is now in Malaysia or Singapore.   Around 1986, the mystique had worn a little thin and I kept worrying how such a car (the 401) would be repaired after even a minor parking ding. Children and a move of house intervened and I let my last Bristol go.   Roll forward to 2005. As the kids got older I ventured back into old cars, having had a few Riley’s over the last 10 Years. Now with the kids aged 25 and 27, I have again got a hulk of a Bristol (this time a 403 Chassis No. 1483, Car No 882). I am attempting to work out a custom number plate for this car around the John Howard self description of Lazarus with a triple bypass. 3 BY PAS for instance or maybe just LAZARUS. This car should be dead. (see the as found and at present Photos) Entering the 3rd year with it I am getting impatient to get to drive a Bristol again so I have just bought a 400 (Chassis No: 632) which is a semi Barn find. The last Riley is for sale. At least the 400 goes which is a 400 first for me. It has done a very low 65,000-Miles and the last owner had it for 25 years, mostly in dry Western NSW. It is suitable for use in Club Runs and I don’t need to make excuses about showing up in a Riley any more. Though it is quite rough, especially the interior, I intend to keep it as is, for the time being, as a running restoration. I cannot afford 2 basket cases at once. I am the magazine correspondent for NSW once again with a runner and non-runner Bristol. The bug has bitten again. Greg Mead Sydney, Australia gregmead@bigpond.net.au