Projects Bought A Truck Yesterday and looked at a Sunbeam

I personally would love to own the Sunbeam in that barn! They're cool little cars, and the Alpine is still an affordable car, especially in the condition that one is. I might be tempted to make it a Tiger, but I think they're a better car without a V8 than with. Not as valuable, but a lot more drivable.

The Chevy truck is very cool! Looks like a long wheelbase version maybe? I'd probably build it too, but I'd start by shortening the frame and bed to make it look better. And a V8 swap to make it quicker.

 

Wow, that IS the underpowered version of the Tiger ... definitely worth snagging if the price is right and the condition is decent. My Google search brought up this cars UGLY sister ... go figure.

 

My bestist buddy had a '60 Alpine we used to cruse around in back in the early seventies. It would use every gear to get it going....until the trans. went TU. Couldn't find parts to fix it.
One of my aunts bought a Tiger. I remember it constantly being in and out of the shop with electrical problems.
I always thought they were both pretty basic and rather tractor like. The Tiger was a bit fancier but, still had that tractor vibe to it.

 

I had a couple of the Alpines, all I have left is a hard top. Pretty cool cars actually, but I decided to keep the Midgets and sell the Sunbeams.

 

Nice “grille” on the pickup…

 

I'm thinking it's a grille instead of a grill (or is it the other way around?) Beats (beets?) me. The Sunbeam could be a great little car for little money with an engine/trans. transplant like the car to the left.

 

The later years of the Tiger , they had Chrysler engines not Ford engines so they were sold at Chrysler dealers

 

The last post “Guy” beat me to it. My friend has one and it has a 273 or 318 in it.


Pat

 

I’m a Dodge fan too!

 

Wow, I never knew that. I had a '71 340 Duster years ago ... I can't imagine how insane a Tiger would be with a 340 dropped between the fenders

 

Well….yes. You see, Chrysler DIDN’T buy Rootes Group to get the Tiger. A very low (sales) volume product powered by a Ford engine. They were after the the stuff that they actually expected to sell in significant numbers and plug the gap in their lineup of compact cars.

Unfortunately, the British cars of the day were primarily junk by most standards and the ‘Alpine GT’, among others, were no different. The early Alpine roadsters were not too bad, and only improved with the ford small block. But they weren’t a Cobra.

Ray

 

Chrysler in 67 bought the Roots Group which included the better known names Hillman, Humber,Singer, Sunbeam and Talbot and others. What killed the Tiger Chrysler didn't like sourcing engines from Ford and killed the tiger because the LA motor just would not fit without a major rework. I tried doing a clevor swap in one and it did't leave room for headers. The Alpine was upscale to most British sports they came the door windows when most had side curtains.

 

HEY….Hold the Presses. The Sunbean Alpine shown in the OP’s pics IS the GOOD ONE (relatively speaking). That one is worth pulling out of there!

Ray

 

It’s rumored that there were two concepts built with Chrysler 273 v8 but didn’t go any further.

 

I had a ride in one once, did some parts trading with a fellow in Lake County, we needed to go into town to get some $$ for the exchange, he said “I’ll drive”. When he started it up, i was thinking “sounds different “ from what I expected.
On the way back we were doing about 40 or so, he asked me “mind if I get in it”? He did, man, pretty soon I felt like I was in a rocket ship, lol.
He popped the hood back at his place and it had a small Ford engine in it, don’t recall if 289 or 302, but what a ride it was, seemed to handle fine in the curves, not what I’d expect from a mini car like that with a V8.

 

About 30 years ago went to look at a "Tiger" that turned out to be a converted Alpine. I didn't buy the car, but the test drive over the hump of the Appalachian Trail was one to remember.

 

This will probably get me a whack across the knuckles, but.... The Alpine with 4.3 V6 and automatic would be killer. Light weight, small engine, low-shock drivetrain (not sure about the original rear end though). Could be a fun little car... and quick, too.

 

Or an aluminium Rover V8.

 

Buyer "BEWARE", Sunbeam Alpines are notorious for the underside rusting away! There was no rust
protection and there's tons of areas for dirt to accumulate holding moisture.
Those things are total rust buckets.

 

Any photos of the 1931 White bus?

 

No Pictures of the white or the other 16 to 20 cars. They were in building that had no electric and we had to have flashlights to see them. They had 30-40 years of dust on them and were hard to see. I wish now I would have taken my camera in and took some pictures. It was a real time capcel

 

That's OK. Your avatar makes up for it. LOL!

 

What's the hood ornament on the '39 Chev truck?
Haven't seen one like that before.

 

That truck has a lot of quirky things going on there, the visor, hood ornament, grill, those extra double turn signals and shouldn't the headlights be were those turn signals are anyhow ???
Still a decent foundation though to build something out of.