BEX1122

[notacarguy]

Hello.
Some of you might be interested to see BEX1122, which has been dormant for quite some time. This car belonged to my late uncle since 1969. I am honored to now be responsible for its care and rehabilitation. I'm in Pennsyvania, USA and will be seeking expertise in aluminum bodywork, paint and also a machine shop familiar with the Bristol engine, preferably in the northeastern US. I'm open to any and all advice and recommendations. I have much to learn, decide and do, but here is where the long road begins. Words of encouragement (and/or caution) appreciated.
-Tom

[AC Ace Bristol]

 

Tom Oswald ( &  Henry Pickand )

Welcome to the ACOC Forum. 
Nice to see a few more pictures of your Ace Bristol BEX1122.
Looks a good project, Good to learn it's in good hands and with TLC will be back on the road giving you and family  enjoyment.
If you have joined the ACOC you will find a wealth of knowledge and advice plus guidance.
Do you have access to any period pictures and history prior to 1969, are there some great pictures whilst in your Family post 1969,  Please share and help update the ACOC Ace Bristol Register.   ;)
Good Luck with this new Venture...
Keith

[pjbowman]

Tom, just sent you a PM.

[notacarguy]

Thank you, Keith and Peter. I have joined the ACOC. I don't have any vintage photos but I do have a great treasure trove of documents, including correspondence and ACOC Bulletins and issues of ACtion from the late 60's and early 70's when my uncle was an ACOC member. Happy to share any of that stuff in more detail if folks are interested. I don't know any of the car's history prior to 1969, but would be interested to learn. I see the register shows it was originally black with red trim. The documents I have say it was "silver" (or probably bare aluminum as it is now) with black when my uncle purchased it.
-Tom

[B.P.Bird]

Tom,
What a lovely project and such a pleasure to see that the Old Soldier has survived in such original condition. Everything looks absolutely 'right' about '1122. I see from the register that the car was black with red leather. Not many Aces in black, but an exceptionally elegant colour for the car. I'm sure your Uncle would have been very pleased that you will return his car to the road
I cannot see a water pump in the photo's so that might be a bit expensive. Fortunately the Vokes air cleaners have survived, so often replaced with boy racer chrome items, which of course do not have the necessary Air Chute top element. Even the steering wheel has the correct factory preferred 12 - 4 - 8 orientation, so often reversed by owners so that the instruments are obscured. Best of all the aluminium panels look to be in really good original condition and that will save you a lot of money.
There are many sources of A.C. spare parts today from Brian Eacott to A.C. Heritage and someone in The Club can almost always point you in the right direction. Good luck with the long journey and do not take as long as I am taking with '22, started in 1985 and still a way to go......
Barrie
Barrie

[notacarguy]

Thanks, Barrie. It is indeed lacking a water pump, so I will be in need of one of those eventually. That and the windscreen seem to be the largest pieces of the puzzle that are missing. The other puzzle to me is the color history. There are definitely signs that the body was once red, and perhaps silver, but I'm not seeing much sign of it being black, though I agree that black would be an excellent color for it. I almost started to wonder if the register entries could have been reversed, but then inside the glove compartment the interior does show bits of red. All of these changes would likely have happened prior to '69, because my uncle was more of a preservationist and not one to go changing such things on a whim. Perhaps these photos, in a more educated eye, can help clarify.
-Tom

[James Eastwood]

Very cool indeed. I'm 4 years into a rolling restoration of my Father's car BE475, which started in a similar condition. I've gone to great lengths to restore the original equipment, materials and finishes, whereas most restoration businesses will replace almost everything because it's more cost effective given their labour rates.

If you look carefully on the Lucas parts they are all dated with month and year, I found recently that my car has for example the original starter solenoid and wiper motor. I enjoy knowing the car has the parts that it left Thames Ditton with, even if it take 3 evening to get them working properly! In my mind it's worth it.

I haven't seen a separate clock on a Ace dash before, typically they are built into speedometer. I note you also have a Delaney Gallay Heater, but without demister vents. These are very rare, but a similar unit was used in the Ford Prefect if you need spares.

If you are planning on keeping the current paint, I can recommend cutting it with 2500 grade wet and dry sand paper, then using a cutting compound (I used T-Cut) then finally polishing. My paint was heavily oxidised and the secret is to simply cut off the oxidised top few microns of paint with the very find sand paper. The colour will be almost completely restored.

Good luck.

[TTM]

What a nice project, with so many interesting little bits aside "just" in need to get back together!

I haven't seen a separate clock on a Ace dash before, typically they are built into speedometer.

The separate clock is a feature of the "later" cars, though I could not tell when the change occurred.

[AC Ace Bristol]

James
The dash on later Aces changed , the clock was independant, indicator lights, different key ignition different glove box lock,  Will check through some notes and maybe confirm approx chassis number when  the dashboard layout changed.
Keith 

[AC Ace Bristol]

.
James

Scanned through a few pictures , The Ace dash board layout changed a few times during production  run. Series 2 dash The indicator warning lights (Now 2) moved to either side of Ignition light, approx chassis BEX1054 .( March/ April 1959  ?)
Series 3 Dash.   A seperate clock  now besides the  glovebox,   Approx  BEX1070  ( June 1959 ?)
Series 4 Dash.  Clock now replaces the  ignition switch, starter button deleted, replaced  by a Turn key switch ...  Approx BEX1210  Late 1962 early 1963 ?
Hopefully James  the above answers  one or two questions, However it creates even more.... The more we learn the less we know.

ExACt  date and Chassis number change  ??  Maybe some one with  a Ace  numbered around those mentioned above can supply photograph , so data can be accurately recorded . ;)

Tim Isles  Ace Bristol Registrar and Allison  Hilldreth Ace Registrar would appreciate  details for updating Register records.   :)
Keith

[notacarguy]

Here's a closer look at my instrument panel, from 12/59. The oil pressure gauge looks newer than the rest. The switch on the left is for the electric fuel pump.
Speaking of gauges and preserving original parts, I've been trying for about a week to remove the temperature gauge sensor. I've given it many cycles of heat and cold, and about a thousand whacks with a hammer - not directly, but on this steel clamp I made up. About ready to give up and just clip it off, assuming I can have it rebuilt later. Any suggestions in that regard? And yes, that's a weld repair on the engine block. My heart sank more than a little when I found that. It's getting a full tear down regardless, so we'll see if it's sound or can be made sound again.
-Tom

[Norman]

Great car, I'm sure you will not regret the effort of restoring it. Happy to provide moral support, I have a LHD Ace in the UK, but mine is a 2.6 so there are obviously a lot of differences compared to a Bristol. Good luck.

[bex316]

Regarding James' comments on BE475 I have done the same check on the Lucas components on my car and most of them have a month and year of manufacture a few months before the ex factory date of the car so I believe this is as much proof as you can get that the part is the same as the car left the factory with. Nice to keep these if at all possible.
As an example of replacing parts, it seems the norm that during a restoration the footbox panels are replaced. These are flat and not so expensive to replace and look (and are) new as a result which creates an easy result considering they are not painted. However, I feel it is a good thing to try and retain the old (original) parts as much as possible even if it shows. True, this is more easy if the car does not necessarily have to look like a 100 point car.

Jerry

[James Eastwood]

Thanks for instrument panel and clock notes. I suspect my original speedo/clock was damaged when Bill Shaw crashed the car heavily in the 1961 TT at Madgwick corner. The alluminium panel is still bent and of course no seat belts were fitted. I suspect then that a less expensive speedo only version was fitted as a repair.

On the subject of inner panels. I recently stripped some very hastily applied undersea from the inside of my boot. The process involved laying towels on the horizontal surfaces and soaking them in solvent for 15 minutes. The towel can then be rubbed on the surface and 95% of the gunk gets lifted off. I now have a shiny boot floor with all the patina from 60 years.