(UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Lisbon to Bristol Run
Lisbon to Bristol Run
(Under construction)
In Portugal Bristols 401 or 403 were quite scarce. No more than 4 or 5 were imported during the early sixties.
BRISTOL 403 Belonged to Mr. Vilhena |
BRISTOL 401 Belonged to Mr. Formigal |
I had seen
one for sale in Portugal,
back in the early 1980’s, but I could not afford it by then.
Sunbeam S7 OHC Twin |
VW 1200 Standard AKA "Hitler" |
When the movie Easy Ryder made big bikes even
more fashionable, I got a pair of chromed bulbous foglamps with dark yellow
glass found on an old Studebaker in a scrapyard, and they looked gorgeous
mounted on the Sunbeam. Each side of the huge Lucas headlamp I had those small bullett Lucas
chromed side lamps, apparently the same on late Bristols 403. So my bike was
known as “The Christmastree”.
AdMMMMicionar legenda |
In the late seventies I got an early white 1963 MGB with disc wheels, who was quickly sold due to lots of “tinworm”.
My 1958 dark green Austin-Healey (Frogeye) Sprite |
In the early eighties I got my first classic car, a lovely Frogeye Sprite. The car was in very bad shape, and it took me more than ten years to make a decent car out of it.
My 1959 red MGA 1600 MK1 Roadster |
In the early nineties I bough an apparently
very good MGA Roadster, but soon as I started to mess around replacing the
clutch plate, it ended in a 5 years nut and bolt restoration. The car became
“better than new”. It costed me double the car’s value, and a marriage.
Coupe des Alpes 2002: at the departure with my wife and stepson |
Late nineties made me buy a 1960 Finntail
Mercedes 220Sb, that I intend to drive next September to Goodwood Revival with
my daughter, son in law and grandson. My idea is to dress with a German coat,
wearing a red armlet: “Helfer de
Volkspolizei der DDR”. Hope the Brit’s shall let me live in the end.
Departure Volta a Portugal |
2002 brought me an Alfa Romeo Montreal.
2005 an Alvis Speed Twenty SB Drophead Coupé by Charlesworth,
and 2010 the Bristol 403.
2012 brought me a stunning black Jaguar XK150 DHC 3.8.
First prize winner elegance concours Algarve |
2005 an Alvis Speed Twenty SB Drophead Coupé by Charlesworth,
2012 brought me a stunning black Jaguar XK150 DHC 3.8.
A good friend of mine called Manuel Costa-Simões
owns a Bristol
403, and while talking about my new “baby”, he asked me about joining the
Bristol Centenary at Filton.
Immediately I got very excited with the idea,
and talked to some other friends from the “classic cars paradise” Carlos Cruz who
owns a Bristol 401 DHC (one-off, I think),
José M. Albuquerque who owns "the" Frazer Nash Fast Tourer,
João Amaral-Netto owns an AC Bristol, Fernando Campos-Ferreira owns a Frazer Nash le Mans Coupé. Together with my 403 and the 404, it could be reputed to be called “The Portuguese Invasion”.
José M. Albuquerque who owns "the" Frazer Nash Fast Tourer,
João Amaral-Netto owns an AC Bristol, Fernando Campos-Ferreira owns a Frazer Nash le Mans Coupé. Together with my 403 and the 404, it could be reputed to be called “The Portuguese Invasion”.
Antonio Borges from Lisbon
and Urbino Rebelo from Madeira
Island, both are 401
owners, but they told me they wouldn’t join us in the first place.
My Bristol at the seaside |
So, my friend Mario B. da Palma (nothing to do
with Brian de Palma), and I, in September we were on the move, heading from Lisbon to the North of
Portugal.
My daughter lives in Braga, and we stayed there for the first night. Next morning we left, heading to Santander, in order to catch the ferry to Portsmouth.
My daughter lives in Braga, and we stayed there for the first night. Next morning we left, heading to Santander, in order to catch the ferry to Portsmouth.
In the middle of the afternoon, while cruising
happily at around 130 KPH on a motorway, thanks to an extra overdrive, we
suddenly got seized due to what apparently was a broken differential.
We were in the middle of nowhere: Camarzana de la Tera, in the Zamora province of northern Spain… Assistance was called from ACP, the Portuguese equivalent to the AA, and the car was towed to a local garage. We took a taxi to Santander. Everything was pre-paid: hotels, bookings, ferries, etc., and we decided not to miss the Bristols meeting. So, we rented a Seat Cordoba, and followed our trip. While changing all our stuff into the taxi, our tuxedos remained forgotten hanging on a shelf from the workshop, together with the Bristol.
We were in the middle of nowhere: Camarzana de la Tera, in the Zamora province of northern Spain… Assistance was called from ACP, the Portuguese equivalent to the AA, and the car was towed to a local garage. We took a taxi to Santander. Everything was pre-paid: hotels, bookings, ferries, etc., and we decided not to miss the Bristols meeting. So, we rented a Seat Cordoba, and followed our trip. While changing all our stuff into the taxi, our tuxedos remained forgotten hanging on a shelf from the workshop, together with the Bristol.
Next day, when we were entering the ferry at
Santander, driving our rented Seat, I managed to call the workshop in Spain,
confirming we had left our tuxedos there, and after a few more phone calls, I
managed to get some kind of UPS firm to get our tuxedos there and delivering
them at Filton Holiday Inn. But then I had to convince the Spanish workshop
people to pack our tuxedos properly inside a box…
Meanwhile, my mobile phone rang, and it was ACP
letting me know the car should be ready next day, for the problem was only a
broken bearing on the rear half shaft. Would you believe?
I called my friends back home on the ACP, and
once I worked there long ago, asked to o former colleague if he wanted to pick
the car for me, and drive it to the meeting via the Plymouth ferry. Filipe Gaivão instantly agreed
to bring me the car to the UK.
Once aboard the ferry, everything was settled,
and we enjoyed the voyage, without mobile phone connection during some 24
hours.
So we followed our trip, and had a wonderful
time in the UK.
First day we visited Bealieu and the National
Motor Museum,
and the Sammy Miller Motorcycle
Museum, not far from Beaulieu.
Next day we went Salisbury, visited Stonehenge,
and a Military Aircraft Museum
nearby. In the afternoon we visited the British Motor Heritage Trust at Gaydon,
and headed far to the Midlands, towards to the
Red Triangle at Kenilworth-Birmingham area. I wanted to discuss with Richard
Joyce the new camshafts they were selling for the old Alvis Speed Twenty, and
fortunately we managed to get in time, for they waited for us.
That evening we arrived at the Holiday
Inn-Filton.
Next morning we went to visit the seaside, and
when we had a coffee at an Italian Restaurant, the owner asked: “Where are you
from, guys?” We answered: ”Portugal,
ever heard of? And you?” He said : “Italy,
Napoli, do you know?” I said: “Of course, RENATO CAROSONE: HEY
MAMBO, MAMBO ITALIANO!...” I must say the restaurant owner jumped into the air,
and started to sing all Renato Carosone songs, turned on his MP3 and plugged it
into the sound system, while dancing and slapping his employees on the back of
their heads. This scenario was absolutely surrealistic, and we laughed while
watching all this scene. Fortunately Mario had his camcorder with him, and
filmed lots of this. We laughed till we cried.
We followed to Cheddar Gorge and there was our
meeting point with Filipe Gaivão, driving my 403.
We went to have lunch at Bath, visited the roman baths, and at the
evening we were at the hotel, for joining everybody for dinner.
A small misunderstood with our tuxedos made us
late for the bus, for we were expecting to take a taxi for the dinner at the Town
hall. When we finally entered the bus, wearing our tuxedos, the bus was waiting
for us for quite a long time. Fortunately people there were kind enough not to
crucify us.
The dinner was fantastic, for I had the chance
to meet many Bristoleers, like Jaap Koopmans from the Netherlands, the one who
pointed me the 403 for me to buy, as well as Geoffrey Hawkins and Marc
Atkinson, and I was lucky enough to have dinner next to Andrew Blow, who had to
be listening to me most of the time… And of course, Teb Marius, the promoter.
The balloons and whistles on the dinner table,
although it may seem a little out of context, made everybody smile and joke,
braking the initial ice, for there was lots of people who just didn’t knew each
other.
Saturday at Filton was great. Once again we had
the chance to meet lots of Bristol
people and the most of all was to be among so many rare Bristols all at once.
All the aircraft circus whas pure delight. I met also a very nice couple, David
Lewis and his lovely wife, who turned out to be previous owners of my Bristol back in 1969.
They told me lots of stories on the car, and even sended me pictures of the car
by then. It was black with dark red hide.
Sunday we drove Filipe Gaivão to the London Airport
on our way to Goodwod, where the Bristol Owners Club had a special park.
But soon as we started to move, a terrifying
slippery clutch was dooming our return home. Filipe took place with in the
rented Seat Cordoba, while I was driving slowly to meet Mario near Heathrow. So
we did, and when we were getting closer to Goodwood, the clutch was slipping to
a very dangerous level.
I could not get any help from all the
bristoleers around there, for they just didn’t knew me at all.
Fortunately, José M. Albuquerque, the owner of
the Frazer Nash Fast Tourer who quit the Portuguese Invasion, was racing his
Ferrari SWB at Goodwood. So, I went to meet him, and told him about my problems
with the clutch. It was Sunday, and we had to catch the ferry at Santander Tuesday
morning.
He asked his mechanic to give me a hand. His
mechanic in the UK
owns The Red Lion Garage at Thursley, his name is Simon Blake, and he promptly
offered himself to help me with the car.
I tried to call people from BOC in order to
know about parts suppliers on that area. Fortunately I managed to reach Mike
Robinson, who had made the overdrive conversion on my Bristol, once the engine on my car has been
replaced by a 405 engine.
He told me the clutch plate and disk were from
Triumph Vitesse and MGB, I put hm in contact with Simon Blake, and a supplier
has been found a couple of miles from Red Lion Garage in Thursley. I must say Thursley
is a lovely spot among a dense forest in the middle of nowhere.
So I drove my Bristol over the edge of the limit of the
clutch, at night, up and down the hill, with lots of traffic. At a certain
point I was not using the clutch any longer, thanks to my long old experience
driving with double declutching with my old crash box VW.
I left him the car Sunday night, putting the
car keys in his mailbox. Next day at 19:00 the car was ready, with the eys
hiding over the front tyre.
The whole Monday we visited Bex on Sea, where
Mario’s cousin lives his retirement. He is retired from finance business, and
he married an English lady, and he has grandchildren there.
So we drove to Portsmouth, and next morning we were aboard
the ferry back home, safe and sound.
We had a wonderful time, and now we have a nice
story to tell.
Lisbon, the 15th February 2011.
Joseph Santos-Fernandes
Lisbon-Portugal
BOC Membership 2933