by Dan Cameron

Originally printed 9/87

Many of our Tiger and Alpine members have spent a great deal of time, effort and money restoring their cars only to find that within a few months’ time that the once shiny exhaust system is beginning to rust. In a most recent effort to keep the underside of my Tiger as appealing as practical, I decided to hit this one head on and am pleased with the results. Surprisingly, it was pretty easy on the pocketbook as well. The procedure used was as follows:

• Have the exhaust headers and cone downs sandblasted to remove all paint, corrosion, etc. (approximately $20). For best results, try to handle the headers as little as possible prior to painting.
• Paint headers with VHT, 1350 degree high temperature paint (not engine paint). It is best to spray a light coat initially, and then follow it with two heavier coats, but don’t skimp. Drying between coats will help the curing process. (4 cans cost approximately $20)
• Next, purchase stainless steel mufflers of your choice. I used Midwest sonic turbo mufflers for their free flow characteristics and compact design without excessive noise. They have a 2″ center inlet and a 2″ offset outlet. When positioning the mufflers, the offset outlet is away from the center of the car.
• The next step, finding a good muffler shop, may prove to be the most difficult, however, it pays to be fussy. There is no substitute for smooth bends and clean welds. I used 2″, mandrel bent, aluminized tubing. This tubing is becoming commonplace and will maintain its metallic finish. With a little extra care on the bending machines, flattening the tubing where it passes through the frame is not necessary.
• Finally, bologna slices, chrome exhaust extensions were spot welded to the exhaust pipe tips. As an alternative, for that extra clean look purchase a longer variety of chrome exhaust extension (18-24″), drill a small set screw hole and split over present pipe-nice touch.

Editors note: An option to the VHT paint is to send your headers and pipes to Jet-Hot for bright durable ceramic coating. They will give you a quote over the phone at 1-800-432-3379.

NUMBER: 67-28
DATE: 2-13-67
GROUP: Body
SUBGROUP: Windshield Water Leaks

MODELS: Alpine V & Tiger 260
SUBJECT: Windshield Water Leaks

As a result of a recent investigation of windshield water leaks, it has been established that, in the majority of cases, leakage was due to an inadequate seal between the windshield frame and the ‘A’ post trim which carries the weatherstrip to the door seal. Before carrying out any windshield removal, it is recommended that the following procedure be put into effect:

1. Remove the seven screws which secure the ‘A’ post weatherstrip to the ‘A’ pot trim plate.
2. Carefully remove the weather strip and clean off the ‘A’ post trim.
3. Drill out the two attaching rivets.
4. Remove the ‘A’ post trim plate. Clean off any existing sealer and apply an adequate amount of sealing compound to the windshield frame.
5. Replace the trim, riveting it into position and then replace the weather strip and seven attachment screws. Be sure that an adequate application sealer is applied between the rubber and the trim plate
6. Sealer should be applied at all cowl seams and cowl vent body seams.

T. H. Bullard
Service & Parts Mgr.

by Dan Cameron
Originally printed 3/88

Many paint shops would rather use masking tape than take the extra time to remove the chrome trim. But in doing so a lot is sacrificed in the quality of the job. Why not take it off yourself; it is easy and it will not be all buggered up when you get it off.

Here is the procedure for removal

It is important to note that the chrome molding snaps over the heads of special pop rivets at approximately one-foot intervals with the following exception. The fastener on the furthest point forward on the front fender and the furthest point rearward on the rear quarter panel (fender) is a small special bolt with a nut holding it in place. To access these, you must remove the front wheel and reach up into the wheel well and remove the trunk side panel and reach up by the tail light assembly respectively.

As luck would have it, three out of the four will break right off. But that is okay, we have got a fix. Lift the remainder of the molding off with a putty knife. While the car is being painted, go to your local bolt shop and purchase four small 1/8″ or 3mm bolts approximately 3/8″ long. Purchase eight flat washers and four lock washers as well. I went to an industrial fastener supply house and obtained stainless steel bolts for that added protection from rust.

I took the chance and did not remove all the special pop rivets when I sent the car to the paint shop. My painter said he could work around them and did very well. However, there is some risk in doing this, so weigh your decision carefully.

With the car back from the shop, I let the paint (lacquer) cure approximately 30 days, rubbed it out, and put a good coat of wax on it prior to reinstalling the side moldings. As a result of not removing the special pop rivets, I had to carefully scrape the paint residue from them in order to pop the molding back on. On the two pieces with the bolt on the ends, place a flat washer on the bolt and slide the bolt into the channel of the molding. Place the molding on the side (fender-front or rear) of the car, position and pop on the special pop rivets in a couple of positions. From the trunk or front fender well access, place the second flat washer, a lock washer and a nut. Even though I tightened the nut rather well, the bolt itself did not turn.

Final comment on the orientation of the door side moldings

Even though I carefully identified each end front and rear when it was removed, upon reinstallation something was not right. One end of the door molding is rounded while the opposite end is wedged down. I knew the molding had never been off the car, but it did not make sense that the wedge end would be marked “rear”. A few phone calls confirmed my suspicions. The good old boys in England had it in reverse–too much fog! The wedge end does go toward the front and is essential for door swing clearance.

by Phil Lindsay
Originally printed 3/80

Since my Tiger has to sit through commute-hour traffic snarls, I am always looking for ways to control overheating without resorting to obtrusive external modifications like hood louvers.

The stock Tiger hood latch is set up with a “safety catch” which holds the hood after the striker bolt has released. It has always seemed that when the Tiger was in hot weather, it would run a little cooler with the hood “propped open” in the safety position. This is especially true at slow speeds when the hot air gets trapped in the engine compartment.

I decided to attempt to improve on this “natural” Tiger cooling method. The additional cooling action occurs because hot air can escape out the small gap between the hood and the car body due to the safety catch. The size of the gap depends upon the dimensions of the safety catch mechanism and the stiffness of the spring that surrounds the hood striker bolt.

I have extended the length of the safety catch hook by approximately 1/2″. I fabricated the new hook from 1/16″ mild steel and brazed it onto the existing hook. Since the new hook is slightly longer than the stock hook, I had to provide a cut-out next to the striker plate for clearance when the hood is fully closed.

The coil spring on the hood striker provides the spring tension that holds the hood open in the safety catch setting. The stock spring is too weak to work with the modified safety catch, so it is necessary to install a stiffer replacement.

Remove the old spring by unscrewing the striker bolt and visit the local hardware store. The new spring should be stiff enough to hold the hood open in the safety catch position and yet be able to compress when the hood is in the fully closed position.

The final adjustment of the modified hood lock consists of adjusting the length of the striker bolt so that the hood remains firmly locked in the fully closed position. It is also important that the new, extended safety catch hook properly mates to its latch on the striker bolt assembly.

Finally, it is important that the safety catch release when the hood control is operated. There is a fair amount of trial and error work in order to make it all work. With this set-up, my hood opens far enough that hot air can escape from both the sides and back edges of the hood. When the hood is fully closed, there is no gap and everything appears “stock.”

by Chris Barker
From the UK through the Sunbeam Alpine Owners Club
Originally printed in the Rootes Review 1/86

The stylists’ and customers’ desires for frameless door windows on convertible cars present the automotive engineer with a number of problems and life is made more difficult when the winding window has to fit both a hardtop and a well-engineered soft-top frame.

Fortunately, as with many aspects of its design, Rootes did a thorough job in designing the Alpine/Tiger doors so that they can be set up to work well and to minimize draughts and wind noise. This article attempts to explain how to do this.

Window winders are one of the Alpine’s/Tiger’s known weak points but I think that most failures result from overloading caused by maladjustment or lack of lubrication; are yours stiff to turn?

It’s worth mentioning that John Hayter of the Berkshire Sunbeam Alpine Center can supply reconditioned winders or kits of bits. Incidentally, the Rootes Alpine workshop manuals never mention these adjustments and the SV manual still has SI/II pictures and words for removing and replacing the winding window! Included is a sketch that will, I hope, help you understand the words. I have drawn a SV (of course!) but SIII and IV are very similar and some of the adjustments also apply to SI and II.

Before touching the door’s insides you should adjust the lock striker (on the rear wing front edge) and the hinge positions as necessary so that the door fits the body and closes easily. Unfortunately, there is no adjustment to compensate for worn hinges. The striker will lift the back of the door a little and shimming out the lower hinge might help but that will push the door back as well as up. Drifting out and re-pinning the hinges is the only long-term answer. Removal of the hinges usually requires an impact driver but sometimes a LARGE pozidriv (Allen) screwdriver and Mole grips (Vise Grips) are enough. If you have a hardtop, fit it. If not, raise the hood (top).

To get at the door innards you will, of course, have to remove the trim panel. Now, where do we start?

The first job is to set the top of the glass parallel to the hardtop edge rubber seal. Slackening the four screws “G” allows the rear of the winder to be raised or lowered, thus tilting the glass.

The next step is trickier. First a bit of explanation, the quarter light locates on the lower front window channel but it is fixed by a screw “B” (don’t lose the spacer behind the chrome if it’s a GT) and by the upper and outer screws at “C”. Remove these and you can pull the whole thing up and out but for adjustment, just slacken them.

The lower front channel is fixed by a screw “A” second screw “J” above and outboard of “A” inside the door on the other side of the channel and by two screws “D” at the bottom.

To undo “J” you need a 5/16 AF open ended or flat ring spanner. Screws “D” and “F” need a 5/16 AF socket, box spanner or cranked ring spanner. If all else fails drill out “D” or “P” with a 5/32″ drill and replace with pozidriv-headed self tappers. If “J” is stuck you won’t be able to remove the channel but adjustment should be possible.

Slacking “A” and “J” allows the top of the lower channel to move fore/aft to locate with the quarter light. The main adjustment is at the bottom of the channel; loosening screws “D” allows it to be moved fore/aft and in and out, and the quarter light and channel tilt accordingly.

The fore/aft is easy. Just set the channel so that the quarter light fits snugly against the screen pillar seal. Here’s a word of caution if you have hard and soft tops. My hood pulls the screen back a little so don’t make it too tight with the steel roof.

The in/out setting should be such that when winding up the window, with the door closed, the glass just, BUT only just goes outside the “flip” of the seal-see scrap view (detail view) on the picture and Note 1 below.

When all is well, tighten screws A, B, C, D and J. O.K. so far? Good.

Now slacken screws “E” and “F’. This will allow the rear channel to move fore/aft at the top and both fore/aft and in-and-out at the bottom. Set it out so that the window winds easily and has about 1/8″ fore/aft freedom. I have found that a silicone rubber lubricant spray helps the glass slide easily. The winder channel on the bottom of the glass should be greased. That’s why I suggested setting up with the hardtop, but you might wish to make some comparisons.

To finish, a few miscellaneous points which may be helpful and which I hope will make this the definitive article on Alpine/Tiger doors:

1. The rear edge of the winding window can be moved out if necessary by putting a washer between the top of the channel and the door. The upper limit for winding the window is set by adjusting the stop in the winder channel (screw “H”, accessible with the window about 2/3 up). The idea is that the glass should be as high as possible while just brushing over the outer ridge of the hardtop seal when the door is shut with the window up-see scrap view. That’s just about it. If you have hard and soft tops, raise the hood and see how things fit. There is inevitably more noise with the hood, inner skin at screw “E”. Don’t overdo it or the winder will be overloaded by friction with the outer waist seal and your glass will get (more) scratched.
2. An almost perfect replica of the outer waist seal can be had from Paul Beck, Vintage Supplies, High Street, Stalham, Norwich, NRI29BB. It’s Part No. 771. This seal is about 1/2″ too long and I suggest you cut the excess off the back. This means that many of the indentations for fixing clips match up. You have to cut the one for the front clip and extend a few others. This is easy with a Stanley knife. Similarly cut the seal around the quarter light rear pillar. Amongst alternative seals are those for the Talbot/Chrysler Sunbeam and I see that Alpine West Midlands offer one, Part No. RU5.
3. I am told that Lynch Bros. of Accrington still have clips for the outer waist seal (2212159). If you are desperate they are easily made from thin steel. The dimensions are on the sketch.
4. Austin Maxi (or 1800) door seals will fit Alpine/Tigers. If your scrap yard has a recent car, get one front door seal. If there are only old cars I suggest you get two rear door seals (they last longer) and select the best lengths
5. The Furflex trim under the edge of the aluminum tread plate is easy to find new but if you’re at the breaker’s looking for Maxis keep an eye open for a Golf. They seem to rust like Alpine tail pipes and this trim is used on all the doors.
6. If you have to weld new metal onto the bottom of your doors make sure that the oval access holes for screws “D” and “F’ are not filled up! If in the process you lose the channel which holds the door seal it can be replaced with a piece of suitable bright trim that is off the side of a Herald or one of the cheaper Imps for example. Glue and pop rivet it in place wrong way around.
7. Landrover parts 395598/9 can replace the screen pillar seal with the metal insert. They are a bit bigger but O.K.
8. The winding glass rear channel filler can be replaced by felt strip 1?3/8″ by 1/8″. The length is 16″. I am sure that new fillers can be found for the other channels which are 1/2″ wide does anyone have definite chapter and verse? (Rev. Llewrab perhaps)
9. Making new Tourer door trims is very easy; use 1/4″ foam between the vinyl and the hardboard. Clips can come from a scrap Minx etc. or from Woolies, part no. 260 (Tel Market Deeping (0778) 347347.

by Dave Reina

For those of us in the club who own Rootes cars that are convertibles, the time eventually comes when we need a new top. On one hand it hurts to part with the bundle of money that a new top installation costs, but on the other hand it’s nice to think of how pretty our car will look with a neatly-tailored piece of attached vinyl (to say nothing about how nice it will be to see out the back window again.) Over the years that I’ve owned convertible Sunbeams I have always wondered if I could handle the installation job myself. Doing so could cut the total cost about 1/3 to I/ 2 depending on which installation shop does the job. I finally got up the courage to try one. I must say that while this first job took me a long time everything came out fine in the end, and I was happy with the way the top fit and looked.

I would like to say that the job goes best on a nice hot, sunny day so the vinyl can be stretched as the work goes along. Second to this a very warm garage with perhaps a heat lamp or a couple of hot hair dryers. I would like to add that while this job is not impossible for us amateurs to handle at home, it does require patience and time enough to work unhurried. The first time I did the job it stretched out over a week, an hour or two at each session. About the only tool which one might not be able to find around the house is a good pop rivet gun. They are available in hardware stores, rental stores, or perhaps can be borrowed. The tool list is as follows:

1. Phillips head screwdriver, medium tip
2. Regular blade screwdriver, medium tip
3. Two awls or ice picks
4. Contact cement (1/2 pint of fresh, good quality cement)
5. Brushes (Small 1 ” disposable brushes for application of the contact cement)
6. Scissors
7. X-acto or utility knife with fresh blade
8. Pliers
9. Pop rivet gun
10. Aluminum rivets (1/8″ diameter, grip range 1/8″. About 15 or less required)
11. Chalk, masking tape and a pencil

I would like to mention that there are three different types of tops on the Alpines and Tigers of the sixties. The early Alpines have extra metal bows that snap around the windows to keep a tight seal around the windows. The Series III, IV Alpines and MKI Tigers had what is called a cable top (there is a flexible steel cable that runs through the border of the top around the side windows and is tensioned by a spring hidden by a little metal cover on the top bows).

If you are installing a top of this type, you will need new cables, as this is not supplied with the tops. It is called 1/16″ airplane cable but can be a little hard to find under that name. An easy source for this wire or cable is the bike store where it is sold as replacement cable for 10 speed bikes. When you get a new cable top there will be apiece of string through the channel in the top where the cable will go. Don’t pull this string out!! The idea is to tape the new cable to the string and use the string to pull the cable through.

The other style top is the Velcro top which uses a strip of Velcro to keep the top fitted nicely around the side window. Other than the Velcro-cable difference the Series IV and the Series V tops are the same.

Series IV tops have a thick cloth bead sewn into the back bottom sides which is caught by the metal top concealment covers and which helps keep this pan of the top tight against the body.

The first step is removing the old top in the back under the back window. Unscrew the sheet metal screws that go through the aluminum hold down strip. Also, remove the two shorter copper colored hold down strips. Then, remove the black vinyl hold down strips that are located where the back edges of the side windows meet the top.

Now the top is attached only to the front bow. To remove it from the bow, carefully work the rubber weather stripping out of the groove on the bow. Under this rubber you win see a series of rivets which hold down this weather-strip track. This strip also secures the top material.

This riveted strip is delicate so don’t bend or pry it. Instead, use the drill in the hole that is in the center of each rivet. This drilling will cut off the top of each rivet. Sometimes the rivet will spin and not allow the drill to cut. In this case take a screwdriver and chisel the head of the rivet off.

Now the top is off and you have seen where the points of attachment are. This is a good time to oil all the joints of the top frame and make sure it is adjusted correctly. Notice whether the front bow has an even gap across the length of the windshield when it is snapped up. (There should be a gap which is later sealed by the rubber weather-strip.)

If the gap is not even, adjust the length of the chromed hinged tensioner bars. Another point to check is directly behind the door where the frame is hinged and attached to the body. There is a cam action here that moves the frame in and out as the top is raised and lowered. This action is sometimes hampered by a rusted mechanism. It should be oiled and made to work.

This is also the perfect time to touch up rusted areas on the frame and give everything a fresh coat of paint. It does take some time to do this task. Most rust paints take a full day to dry before they can be recoated with enamel.

On my car I removed the rubber cockpit combing. A lot of dirt collects here. This strip can usually withstand being removed and cleaned with a little solvent. I found rust spots that had begun where the screws went in. Number 220 grit wet or dry sandpaper is good for cleaning up lightly rusted spots. For the final sanding of the frame tubes, a 320 grit wet or dry does a good job of smoothing.

I recommend oiling before painting, and then wiping everything down with a cloth soaked with paint thinner. I’ve noticed people switching from the original gray to black painted frames. Parts of the frame that may need replacing, are the rubberized webbings riveted to the frame rails. They seem to serve the dual purpose of keeping the bows in alignment and preventing the top from fluttering too much.

A non-original but good-looking replacement for these straps is black seat belt webbing. A more accurate replacement can be found in a furniture reupholster shop where they still use the rubberized type. As with most jobs, fussy preparation work is 90% of the job. Once you have the frame into a condition where you will be happy after the top is installed we can talk about the actual installation.

The Installation

Fig 1

• Coat the cleaned rubber (vinyl actually) cockpit edging with contact cement. Coat the body where the edging goes with cement. Let the cement dry to the touch. Use an awl to locate the original holes and press into place.

Fig 2

• Drape the top over the raised framework. Line up the top seams of the top with the bows underneath them.

Fig 3

Fig 4

• With an extra person helping, pull the top taut across the front bow. At this point it will start to look like you are getting somewhere. As the top is pulled across the bow, rub chalk over the top material where the top bends around the front edge of the bow. (See the dotted line in photo 4) This reference point is important.
• Fold the top back and slip some newspapers under the edge. Coat the underside of this edge with contact cement about as farback as the chalk line extends on the other side. Also coat the underside and inside lip of the metal bow where the metal weatherstrip holder had been riveted.

An important word of caution at this point! The chrome tensioning bar hinges are a danger zone for your new top!!! There is a scissor action here and it will eat a little hole in your new top! Pad these areas with cloth when you are working. After you are finished check out a way to keep them padded.

• Let the cement dry. Lineup the center marks. Start from the center and using the line drawn in the previous step, start to attach the material to the bow. Instead of going exactly back to the line, stretch it about 1/8 of an inch past the line so the top will be little tighter. If you attach the cemented areas in a way you are not happy with, pull them apart, reglue, and take a coffee break as the glue dries again.
• As you get to the two ends of the front bow the material will need to be notched to help it bend around the curve. (See photo 5)

Fig 5

The notches will be about one inch apart and come in about five inches from the ends. Don’t cut in any closer than a half an inch from the chalk marks. As you come around the curved ends of the bows where the notches are, pull the vinyl and stretch it so it lays smooth and tight on the top of the bow. The material will have to overlap itself through this notched area. Don’t hesitate to pull things apart and reglue them for a better fit. Just be careful when pulling near the notched areas so that you don’t start a rip. In fact, be careful pulling anywhere on the top with too much force. As you work, snap the bow in place to see how it is stretching. It may seem a little tight at first. Certain wrinkles will be removed when the back is stretched.

• When the front is done, chalk center marks on the top from inside the car. Also do the body metal. Release all tension on the front of the top. Put a screw through the center hole of the back aluminum strip. Allow about 1/4 of an inch of material to extend past the bottom of the strip, center it to the chalk mark and screw it to the body loosely.
• Work from the center out. Pull the material down with the pliers and use the awls to locate the old holes and install the screws loosely. After the strip is about two-thirds finished, working out from the center, stop and remove the center screws again and re-tension the material using the pliers. Make the hole for the new position and this time tighten the screws again working out, re-tensioning as you move out. NOTE: The top does not get screwed under the two small copper colored aluminum strips from the back cockpit.
• Snap the top up, and go back and make adjustments for any wrinkles that remain.
• Replace the front weather-strip holder. Use the awl to find the holes and rivet into place. (See photo 6) When you are happy with the total fit trim the material.

Fig 6

I hope your job comes out as nice as mine did.

by Dan Cameron

After years of weathering, the fiberboard trunk panels begin to look pretty bad. If you are getting ready to tackle this project, the steps below should help:

1. First, you need to purchase the following items:
   • Hardboard: this is a waterproof cardboard used by auto upholstery and trim shops for making door panels. It comes in 3′ x 4′ sheets.
   • Aluminum pop rivets with washers.
   • Adjustable shelf metal strip approximately 4′ long.
   • Contact Cement.
   • Spray-on upholstery adhesive.
   • Vinyl: 3 x 4 1/2″
   • (26) screws and washers
2. Next, using your original panels as a template, cut out the new panels using a packing knife. To get a nice, clean edge, I sanded mine with fine sandpaper.
3. Now, install the panels with the metal screws. This is only a temporary measure to assure fit and allow for drilling of screw holes in the hardboard.
4. After proper fit is assured and the panels removed, reinforce the side facing the gas tanks with a short piece of metal shelving strip. I think the strips I used were about 14″ long. This step is only necessary to prevent warpage when the trunk compartment becomes hot. Position the metal strip approximately 3″ down for the top (running from front to rear of the car) and secure with pop rivets and washers. To avoid having the pop rivets show through the vinyl, countersink the hole, install the rivet and cover with a short piece of duct tape. The exact position is determined by trial and error method so as to eliminate the possibility of interference.
5. Finally, cut the vinyl covering about 1″ larger than the panel itself, spray the panel surface with the spray-on adhesive, let it air dry (will not fully cure) for 3 minutes and place the vinyl over the panel. Turning the panel over, roll the edge of the vinyl over the backside and secure with contact cement (not spray adhesive). Locate mounting holes with a prick punch and you are ready for the final installation.

by Phil Lindsay
Originally printed 3/80

When your Tiger is crawling along in slow traffic, the under hood temperatures can go out of sight. All of the engine cooling aids such as aluminum intake manifolds, header pipes and extra large radiators depend upon dumping their heat into the engine compartment. What’s needed is an under hood cooling system to remove this heat build-up when there is insufficient road speed to pull the hot air out of the bottom of the engine compartment.

There are several ways to do the trick, ranging from the obvious hood louvers to exotic exhaust fan systems. Since I try to keep my Tiger stock in outward appearance, I choose to provide cooling ports without the addition of hood or fender louvers. With the aid of a chassis punch (the cup and die type used in the electronics industry), I made a series of 1 1/4″ diameter holes in the wheel well area.

Although a hole saw would also work, the limited access might be a problem unless the engine compartment was stripped clean. The chassis punch provides a very smooth edged hole that will work well with a rubber grommet plug. The diameter of the hole should match the grommet size. I was able to locate grommet plugs with a 1 9/32″ diameter so I selected a hole punch with a 1 1/4″ diameter. Obviously, if you don’t drive your Tiger much in the rain, you don’t need the plugs. I use the plugs only during the heavy rainy season (November – April).

The number and location of the cooling ports probably isn’t important as long as the hot air can escape. I have approximately 16 holes on each wheel well and in order to avoid weakening the wheel well, I spaced the holes at least an inch apart.

Try not to place the holes directly in line with the electrical connections on the generator voltage regulator or starter solenoid. After using this set-up for over 2 years, I am convinced it works.

Lots of hot air can be felt around the front wheel wells when the Tiger idles. I doubt that the ports are effective at highway speeds due to the air turbulence created by the tires. Although the wheel well cooling ports are easy to do and don’t change the stock appearance of the car (at least from the exterior), the approach is a bit messy and may not appeal to everybody.

The punch and rubber grommets may be obtained from the following:

Punch: Model 730 Round Radio Chassis
Greenlee Tool Company
2136 12th Street
Rockford, IL 61101

Grommet Plugs: 1 3/4″ diameter
AA Rubber and Plastics
2960 25th St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-826-3740

Model 963 Rubber Grommet Plug
Atlantic India Rubber Company
571 West Polk St.
Chicago, IL 60607

Call or write for current price and availability information.

by Dan Cameron
Originally printed 3/88

For those of you in the final stages of restoration of your Tiger or just wanting to primp a little, replacing the “Powered By Ford” badges (motifs) adds a nice touch and is rather straightforward.

The shield-shaped badges can be purchased from one of the SUNBEAM parts suppliers. It takes three to complete the car.

To remove the old badges, carefully pry edges with a putty knife. The chrome plated badge framework has small projections at each top comer and one in the center on the bottom.

As a precaution against scratching the paint, outline the badge with a couple layers of masking tape prior to badge removal. It has been my experience that the badge framework will be in pretty good shape; however, the badge insert will be bad.

With the badge removed, the plastic 260-289 insert will lift out. New badges (motifs) are available in plastic like originals or ink stamped aluminum and much thinner than originals.

To hold the metal badges in place, purchase some epoxy ribbon from your local hardware or auto parts store. This will mix like two strips of clay and is mess free.

Place a small ball of epoxy in all four comers and press flush with rear face of framework. Once cured, the badge is ready to snap back into place.

by Dan Cameron
Originally printed 9/87

For the performance buff that is always looking for that extra HP  don’t overlook the exhaust restrictions.

With the small block Ford, this is the major bottleneck. It does not do any good to try to put more in than you can get out. We have previously discussed the desire to have smooth bends and a non-flattened (where it passes through the frame) exhaust system.

In addition, two other areas should be addressed. These are the mismatch of the header primary ports and the interface of the exhaust pipe tubing and the header collector cone.

Let’s discuss these one at a time. Initially, I disregarded the mismatching of the exhaust ports (heads) with the headers because dimensionally the header ports were larger. What I overlooked was the severe mismatch condition that occurred randomly, sometimes side-to-side and other times top-to-bottom. This is much more predominant when using the larger 351 W heads as in my case.

To remedy the situation, using a header gasket as a template, I determined the extent of the errors on a port-to-port basis. This was used as a guideline for metal removal. Using a 1/4″ drill (a little low in RPM but okay, a die grinder preferred) and a carbide rotary file I blended the header primary flange to the primary tube. Carbide rotary files can be purchased through most industrial tool supply houses.

In exercising the procedure above, take extreme caution and don’t get carried away. There is not much material there to begin with. If you take the grinding too far and the metal becomes too thin or a pinhole develops, take it to a welding shop to fill the outboard side of the flange at the union of the tubing.

All in all, this job was pretty easy.

As for the area where the exhaust pipe meets the header cone down, I was in for a real surprise. With the header removed, I noticed my good old muffler shop stuffed the tubing into the cone down so far, at an angle to boot,  it acted as a baffle to restrict the exhaust flow.

As easy as the previous job was to accomplish, this one was a real turkey. The only solution was to lie for hours on the backside grinding away with a 1/4-inch drill and a coarse grained, 1 1/2″ aluminum oxide grinding wheel. The collector cone was blended to the exhaust tube at the point of the weld. Six grinding stones later, I had a smooth transition from the header to the exhaust pipe.