British European Auto
of San Pedro

Update on 6 February 2023

I called Jeff Taw, owner and CEO of British European Auto, to enquire whether a C48 alternator conversion unit had become available from his supplier. He said no and didn't know when to expect one. I recalled our previous conversation, when he said he could easily install a modern alternator off the shelf. It just wouldn't look the same as the original, if that was acceptable to me. It is.

Back in August 2022 when I first contacted him, I was set on obtaining the C48 alternator conversion unit, but over the intervening months I've changed my mind. B512CU is not going to Pebble Beach. I just need her to run reliably. So we set a date to deliver her. I'm looking forward to this. I thought about calling much sooner, but actually the delay has allowed me to save up some more money for this project.

Transport on 20 February 2023

Thank you, Joel Martin, owner / operator of AZ Towing Solutions here in Hemet. You did an amazing job of safely loading B512CU onto your truck, securing her for the trip, and hauling her to San Pedro.

I highly recommend AZ Towing Solutions for anyone needing to haul a vehicle any distance! Give him a call at (951) 330-1245 or send him a message at faultlinetoo@hotmail.com.

Lisa and I followed. Once there, we filled out some paperwork. Jeff Taw himself discussed our project with us and asked to know a little of the history of the vehicle. I gave him the following notes. After reviewing them, he said power steering from that age is so antiquated that it is difficult to repair, but he'd take a look. He also let us take a look around the shop at the beautiful cars they were working on, and he pointed out everyone on the shop floor as members of his family. How wonderful that this family-owned business is likely to remain in the family for at least another generation. After bidding farewell, Lisa and I had a delicious lunch at the Lighthouse Café down the street and started for home. Along the way, Mr. Taw called to say something was draining the battery, and he recommended installing a switch that would cut the circuit at the battery and prevent anything from draining the battery. That's all well and good, but how will the sound system's settings stay in memory? I'm not sure what to think.

The List, Part II

My goal

I want to drive this car often, sometimes over long distances, with confidence that it will not break down and leave me stranded. It will be driven in Arizona in the summer and Utah in the winter, so it needs to survive all types of weather. I want to drive it for important family events, like my daughters’ weddings someday, when it simply must be reliable.

Things that I know aren’t working, which must work

Generator
- Needs a modern alternator to supply plenty of power to lots of new electronics, not to mention the ignition system
Rear License Plate Lights
Headlights
Turn Signals
Reverse lights
- I think the brake lights are the only exterior lights that work, and I’m not sure how reliable they are.
Oil Level Indicator Switch (black button on dashboard does not move freely as it should)
“Water” Temperature Gauge
Power Steering
- Also, there is a lot of slack in the steering, which has me concerned
Air Conditioning

Questions I have

Does the battery require a ground cable attached to the body?
Is the battery seated securely enough?
Can the rear defroster work, or is it completely out of the question?
Is the rear cigar lighter socket safe to use with a USB charger?
Do you see something else that needs to be fixed for safety and reliability?

Update on 31 March 2023

The Bentley is home again!

Lisa and I drove to San Pedro today to pick up the Bentley. We traveled with Lisa's friend Jana, who is visiting us from the Netherlands. We had another tasty lunch at the Lighthouse Café and then went to the shop. Ray had just finished detailing the car from bumper to bumper, inside and out, and boy, did it look impressive! After I settled my bill with Dane, he walked me through the work they had done. The 93-amp alternator is enough to power the ignition and modern sound system, plus charge iPhones with USB chargers plugged into the cigar lighters (one in the dash, one in the rear vanity).

The drive home

I thoroughly enjoyed the drive home. The GEN light stayed off. That alone made me ecstatic. The Bentley had plenty of power to accelerate to highway speed up the onramp, while remaining relatively quiet. A staid, unassuming rumble issued from under the bonnet while the V8 simply sped the car forward without fanfare. It was quite unlike any Porsche, Mustang, or Nissan, which tell everyone around them, "Watch this! I'm a powerful sports car! Listen to my expertly tuned exhaust and feel the adrenaline!" In contrast, the Bentley quietly turns heads for a different reason—its beauty.

We got several waves, thumbs up, and second looks. People like to follow the Bentley for a while, then pass and look back. The other drivers use their rear view mirrors, while their passengers are freer to rubber neck.

It has strong acceleration, great braking, and a smooth, comfortable ride. It goes without saying that the steering cannot compare to modern cars, but like the original advertisements claimed, it is easy to drive. The interior never looked so good. The Connolly leather upholstery felt supple and plush, while the polished wood dash and trim shined. The new fabric headliner and carpets perfectly complemented the seats and wood. What a pleasure to drive! And I intend to do a lot more driving in it.

What was fixed

Replaced the defunct dynamo with a modern, 93-amp alternator
- Required a custom frame and tricky fitting to the double belt drive
- Works like a charm now
Added a ground cable connecting the battery to the body
Secured the battery in its seat with a new tie-down bracket
Added a battery cut-off switch to prevent the battery from draining continually as it had been doing
Added a motorcycle battery, connected to the power-on lines of the sound system's components to keep the settings in memory even when the battery cut-off switch is off.
Freed the oil level button from binding against the dash (I couldn't push it before, now I can—and the indicator works)
Checked all headlights, tail lights, turn signals, reverse lights, license plate illuminator, interior lights
- Fixed the ones that didn't work, were incorrectly wired, or not wired at all
Fixed the power steering
- The loose play in the steering that I experienced when the power steering was out is now gone
Investigated oil leakes
- Fixed leaky front cover and oil level sender
Refit the exhaust pipe hangars so the pipe didn't hang so low
Water Temp indicator works

What was not fixed

Air conditioning
- British European Auto simply said they don't have the expertise to work on a/c systems
- I'll have to look for an a/c repair shop with experience working on classic cars.
The rear window defrost
- I'm not pursuing this further.

I couldn't be happier with the work by Jeff Taw and his shop at British European Auto!

British European Auto of San Pedro