Thanks for all the input! I am surprised to see all these reactions, both relating to my original question but also concerning the car's history which is the reason for my question of course.
I heard about thermography before but never made the link to a situation like this. Thanks Art and Jay, I will look into that. I already watched the YouTube videos.
Tom, no I have not tried a gauge yet for measuring paint thickness. Another route to go. Usually racing numbers are to be found on the doors as you state or sometimes just in front of them. Likewise on the bonnet (hood) or just in front of it on the nose. So that helps when looking for one.
Andy, many thanks to you also for sharing your knowledge on this car with me and quickly contacting Dave Belden as well to hear his story.
I knew about Derek Durst. In fact, a few weeks ago I bought the roll bar that was once fitted to this car from him on eBay. It was delivered last Thursday. He still had it after all these years. He was the one taking it off while owning the car during the first half of the 1990s. It is almost certainly the chrome single hoop roll bar Dave mentions. While it may not be the kind usually seen in period SCCA racing, there were variations on the theme. I guess you have in mind the style with the 'flat top' as being the 'standard' period SCCA issue? This style was mostly used but I know of at least two cars raced in period that had a style more like mine. One belonging to Team Pellandini and raced (among others) by Barbara Windhorst and the other one raced by Pete Kunkle. There is a picture available of both these cars racing with the roll bar visible. Unfortunately both these cars are as yet unaccounted for. The chassis numbers are unknown and so it is also unsure whether they survived.
Regarding Derek´s statement selling it to Holland, that is correct. He sold it to his (business) friend Frank Boxmeer in 1996 who sold it to me in 1997. About the car never having been raced, hmmm, that's not exactly his words to me. He literally emailed me with the phrase "I have the feeling the roll bar dates from the car's racing days."
Andy, funny to hear you already saw this car in 1975. I have not heard the colour being described as an odd salmon hue until now but this colour causes different reactions from different people! It will not be confused with another Ace. By the way, its nickname is "Pumpkin". I wasn't the one christening it, it already had this name.
From Derek Durst I recently heard that indeed he bought it from Dave. Now I hear that Dave bought it from Bill McKenna. All these names were already known to me but I wasn't totally sure if this was the continuous owner history with no other owners in between. Now that has been confirmed which is good news. I thought Dave bought it in 1975 but it could well have been 1 or 2 years earlier. As far as I know he sold it in 1990 to Derek.
Good to hear Bill bought the car on the West Coast. This makes sense as earlier (1970) information had this car located in Southern California.
Dave mentions the drum brakes, not to be expected on an (ex) race car. The car still has them today and this idea has also crossed my mind. However, it could have been returned to its original state after being retired as a racer, although I don't know why an owner would do that. I have to agree with Dave about the race prep not being visible. However, I have not pulled the head yet so no clues yet on possible internal engine modifications. Did Dave ever open the engine?
Was the car possibly changed back during the transition from alleged race car to street car? Were some visible modifications lost during that exercise?
Now where did this story on possible racing history come from?? From Rick Kimball, the owner that probably sold it to Bill McKenna. Now that is the person I would really like to find and get in touch with! He is the one responsible for all this!
There was an article in 'Road Test' magazine on this car, the October 1970 issue. It was later reprinted in the Brooklands Books series. Some people may know this article. If you do not have this book, no problem, you can read the 4 page article here:
http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/VanKalleveenACBristolArticle1.html As you can see the car was for sale at that time and the roll bar the sign was attached to is almost certainly the one Dave mentions and the one now in my possession.
After reading the story, what do you think? Rick Kimball should know more. I hope he is still around, ever to be found and still able to shine some light on this matter!
Probably to help sell his car Rick also composed a type-written leaflet (double sided) describing the car and its engine modifications. I still have this leaflet as well as a small brown logbook and an old and probably original instruction manual.
The rest of my plea for historical information on my car is to be found here:
http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/VanKalleveenMysteryCar.html The first 3 pictures were taken in 2001 by me.
The next picture shows Dave Belden on the left (the blonde one), according to Derek. When was this picture taken? Does Dave have any idea? Derek could not identify the other person in the picture but maybe Dave can?
The last picture was taken in Derek Durst's garage. The last 2 pictures also show the roll bar still being on the car.
My car has a replica chassis plate. A nice quality, it is hard to distinguish from an original one but still a replica. Probably added by Derek who has even offered one or two unstamped ones on eBay during recent years. At least it is good to know why the original one was taken out. The reason is to be found in the 1970 article. They found it desirable to add a heater, something this example did not have originally. Unfortunately they chose an unoriginal one and fitted it at exactly the spot where the chassis plate was fitted. The main reason for the chassis plate to go was the hole being cut in the top of the right side footbox, probably for the warm air pipe to be able to enter the interior. There is still evidence of this. The heater itself is gone though.
I would have thought the original chassis plate was not simply thrown away but it might have been misplaced and eventually lost forever. Small chance it will ever turn up again!
Regarding the car's earliest history, it wasn't delivered new to California. According to the AC factory ledger, it was shipped to Jarrard Motors in Pensacola, FL. I do not know exactly when it made the transition from East Coast to West Coast.
On the leaflet mentioned before Rick mentions a 1959 list price higher than the official list price (even the West Coast list price). Why higher? Why 1959? He knew the car dated from 1957. Was it a simple error? Or was this car sold later? And why? So many unanswered questions.
Unfortunately unlike for BEX 277 there is no first owner registered for BEX 316.
I almost forgot to thank our ever active and helpful Keith! Thanks for your history in a nutshell on 316! To answer your question on the Californian number plate "HIG985", well look at the 1970 article. Any chance such an old plate number might be of any help?
Just a curiosity, the 1970 article mentions that the Englebert spare tyre and the rear tyres were the last of the tyres supplied at the time of purchase by Rick in 1964. While the rear tyres are (probably long) gone, the Englebert spare is still there in the boot/trunk!
That is all for now. When I can think of more that is interesting enough to tell, I will add it.
Thanks again to all contributors. Please keep information coming in if you have any, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem to be. Just look at Keith's thread on the history of BEX 333. If only a fraction of that amount of info would ever come to light on BEX 316, I would already be very happy.
Hope I have not bored some readers with this long post, except for the true anoraks like Keith, Tim Isles and some others!
Jerry
