Bentley [3/6½ - litre]
Owner: Jolyon Simpson [South Africa]

6½ - Litre
Engine no. F.A. 2502 [engine in the 3 / 6½-litre car)
Rear Axle no. 2120A DS 3555
Front Axle no. AX 1651
Steering box no. AV 4080
Gearbox no. 553 GG
Reg. 8S 5148
Delivered: June 1928
Body: Gurney Nutting Saloon (show car or demonstrator)
First owner: J H Watson?

The car specified above was stripped and parts were used on other cars. The chassis was used to repair the chassis of another car.

The engine of the above car was used in the build of my Bentley 3/6½.

The rebuild on this car was started +/- 15 years ago when the owner obtained the parts from a stripped 4½ - litre that was used by the previous owner as spares for a 3-litre.

The parts came separately from the chassis, which was built into another car.

The engine had been fitted in the previous owner's 3-litre.

A new short chassis was obtained from Julian Gosch and sent to Roger Wing who made and fitted a new two-seater fabric body with luggage area behind the two racing seats.

A fold flat screen with aero screws was fitted.

Hood, mudguards, blower bonnet were made.

A new set of wheels and tyres was acquired as a safety consideration as it was my intention that this car would be powerful and fast.

After much searching (and a bag of gold) a 6 ½ litre engine was acquired and the project became a reality.

The car is now very close to finishing and, when complete, will become one of the most exhilarating vintage cars around.

The project has consumed much of my life over the past many years. An enormous amount of money, time, effort and soul has been put into this car.

All parts have been nickel plated.

4½ - LITRE
Chassis no. DS 3555
Engine no. OF 3077
Front axle no. AX 1651
Diff 212A, DS 3555, 15/53

This car was stripped as spares for 3-litre (engine used) owned by Harold Freeman in Johannesburg (SA). The chassis was obtained by Barry Martin and sold on.
The axles of this car were used in the 3/6½ Bentley build.

The following parts are now fitted to the Bentley 3/6½ :
STEERING BOX VA 4080
RADIATOR No. 26432 (3-litre)
BRAKE COMPENSATOR AU 1476
GEAR BOX A Box 553

LIST OF WORK DONE

1. ENGINE
The engine was bought from Tony White in Cape Town. He had a spare for his 6½ litre. The engine was basically complete, however, there were parts missing. I have done a great deal to the engine and it is now complete and ready for final assembly.

The engine is a 6½ litre but my intentions were to convert it to an 8 litre. I have, therefore, turned the block around so, in putting it together, carbs, exhaust etc. are all in the right place and all necessary machining on the crankcase etc. has been done. I also fitted an 8 litre sump.

I have a lot of the original parts that I replaced with the engine - i.e. crank, camshafts, etc.

The engine has been fully assembled and fitted to the car. Some external parts need to be fitted - e.g. HT conduits, starter, distributors, linkages etc.

Work done on the Engine:
1. Counter-balanced crankshaft (new)
2. New uprated camshaft
3. White metalled and line bored cam and main bearings
4. New rods with shell big ends and new small ends
5. Rebored and set new Aries pistons and rings (high compression)
6. Extended oil pump with longer gears
7. New valves reground and fitted with new springs, retainers and collars (valve stem seals not yet fitted).
8. New gears throughout, except crank gear
9. 3 x throw cranks reground and fitted with new bushes and new aluminium bearing for the journals
10. Set new washers for 3 throw rods
11. Original manifold and 3 new inlet manifolds to take bit E-type Jag carbs
12. Side plates made in stainless steel
13. Two distributors fitted with all new gears etc. - automatic advance retard
14. New camshaft damper
15. Original crankshaft damper
16. 8-litre sump
17. HJ conduits etc. (nickled)
18. Set of stainless steel nuts and bolts made for the engine
19. Stainless Steel exhaust headers
20. Dual internal water rails and dual inlet and outlets

2. CHASSIS
The chassis is new. It was made by Julian Gosch as a short chassis 4½ - litre, with 4½ stiffener bars fitted.
· 6½ engine mountings
· A box mountings
· Blower front cross member

3. TANK
Original 6½ tank was converted to a Leman tank including racing petrol taps (4 off), stone guards and quick release filter etc.

4. DIFF
· 4½, 4 star diff rebuilt with new bearings. The diff carrier was strengthened (machined from steel).
· New crownwheel and pinion made and fitted with 2.8 \ 1 ratio for South African touring.
· 4½ halfshafts fitted and 2 new 8 litre halfshafts are available as spares.
· New bearings were fitted as brakes and brake shaft bushes (Phosper bronze).

5. PROPSHAFT
New propshaft made with new Hardy Spicer joints. Propshaft was also balanced. (The old propshaft is also available.)

6. GEARBOX
· A-type box was rebuilt with new bearings and original gears. Converted to central gear change in the '30s which suits the car as it has two big doors for easy access.
· Strengthening bands and top plate were fitted for future 8-litre block.

7. STEERING BOX (original)
4- or 8-litre box fitted so as to get the right angle on column for short chassis car. It was raised so that the 6½ mounting can fit underneath (rebuilt).

8. FRONT AXLE (original)
· Rebuilt with new kingpin bushes, brakes, brake springs, bearings etc.
· 4½ Perot shafts re-machined with slightly oversized pins etc.
· New Perot shaft bushes made for chassis side.
· Racing air scoops fitted.

9. SPRINGS
· Rear springs (original) were retempered, rebushed and new shacket pins fitted.
· Front springs (new) with new shacket bushes and shacket pins etc. (Vasconite bushes).
· Acceleration and brake wind-up cables were fitted to the front and back.

10. SHOCKS
8 x adjustable shocks were fitted with 2 (front and rear) adjusters and gauges on dash and reservoirs on bulkheads (2 per corner).

11. RADIATOR
· The shell was removed from the old 3-litre car. Small dents were repaired. It was repolished (German silver). Wire mesh was fitted to form the front V.
· A new aluminium radiator will be made to fit to shell after the engine is fitted and space worked out etc.
· 2 x electric water pumps to be fitted as there is no room for the original pump.

12. INSTRUMENTS (everything!!!)
As can be seen in the photograph, the following instruments have been fitted:
- Big rev counter
- Big speedo
- Big oil pressure gauge
- Dewandra vacuum pressure (booster)
- Tank pressure
- Eliott amp metre
- Water temp
- Petrol gauge
- Leman clock with stop watch
- 2 shock absorber gauges and adjusters (front and rear)
- 3 dash lights
- Indicator switch
- Bosch Ignition switch and light switch
- Kigas pump
- 2 mag switches
- Choke knob
- Fast idle knob
- 6 switches - spots, pumps, etc.
- Wiper switch
- 2 tone hooter switch

13. BRAKE Servo fitted (suction type)

14. HANDBRAKE
Outside handbrake which drops down so that the door can be opened.

15. WHEELS
6 x new wheels with new tyres and tubes (Englebert by Michelin)

16. HOOTERS
2 x Klaxons on front

17. LIGHTS
· Zeiss headlights
· Zeiss spotlights
· Zeiss windscreen spotlight with rear view mirror
· Rear lights: Diver's helmets x 4 - 2 x nickel, 2 x rubber
· Lucas side lights

18. BONNET
Blower type bonnet, with louvers on top and sides. Leather straps.

19. SEATS
Racing bucket seats

20. HOOD and SIDE SCREENS (new)

21. CARPETS (new)

22. KNOCK-ONS and GREASE CAPS (new)

23. Big FISHTALE EXHAUST

24. TWIN PETROL PUMPS

25. Car has been REWIRED (requires final connections)

PARTS REQUIRED
· Radiator core - loose core
· Electric water pumps (x 2)
· Exhaust. I have headers and fish tale.

This remarkable Bentley 'Special' combines virtually all the best features of the entire series of Vintage Bentleys, from iconic lines of the 3-Litre to the incredible power of the 8 litre, and provides an unrepeatable opportunity to complete this car to your own unique specification.

Started over 12 years ago with the acquisition of a 4.5 litre, (used by the previous owner as a spares car for his 3-litre) a new short chassis was obtained from Julian Ghosh and sent to Roger Wing, who was commissioned to build a striking two -seater fabric body, with racing seats and rear luggage compartment.

At huge expense an original 6.5 litre engine was subsequently acquired, and the preparatory work to convert to 8-litre began, with the reversing of the block and the fitting of a 8-litre sump. Consequently the carbs and exhaust etc are all in the correct place and all necessary machining on the crankcase has been done, ready for the acceptance of a new 8 litre block and final assembly. All the necessary preparatory work has been done to the bottom end. That said, the option remains to keep the car’s 6.5 litre block, and retain the 6.5 litre configuration if the new owner prefers.

The result will be a unique, fabulously stylish, awesomely powerful Vintage Bentley Special.

The car is located in South Africa and is available for inspection by buyers or their representatives with its owner, by appointment with The Old Racing Car Company.

Full specification
All the components (both original and new) , together with the work done to date are comprehensively listed below. The only major parts required to finish are:

Aluminium radiator core
Exhaust (less headers and fish tale) 
x2 Electric water pumps
V12 E-type clutch
and sundry small parts

The part's numbers, together with the identities of the original donor cars are fully detailed and will be available for inspection by serious buyers.

LIST OF WORK DONE