Restoring an Alpine with a V8

[1-mad-john]

About 2 years ago I bought a SII in Jersey I was going to fix up but after restoring my own decided against it. The main reason I purchased this car was because of it’s history. I have a letter from the originals owners son stating the following. The car was ordered from the factory and then picked up there for this mans wifes birthday. After spending some time in England they shiped it home to the states. Early 80’s brought about rough times and it was sold to a friend but title never transferred. At 1 point it was bought back and redone with new interior and paint on matching hard top and once again given to Mum for her birthday. After several more years of injoyment they decided to give the car to their son who for some reson didn”t want it and set up a sale to the man I bought it from. This guy did some more work to it, new exhaust, cleaned tank, etc. to the tune of $4500. put 100 miles or so on it and parked it. This is the car seen on Ebay parked behind the silver 1 I bought for a parts car, with the bar on the front with original BAC and Sunbeam Placques, oh I never transferred the title so it’s still a B. I had this car at the Garage where my SII was being put back togeather to be used as a reference. Upon my return from United 29 I recieved a call from the Shop teacher at a local high school who would like to purchase the car for his shop class and tech school students and turn it into a Tiger. As I told him it doesn’t matter what kind of engine it has it’s still an Alpine. I would be so happy to see this car restored and I’m posting this to ask If he would have the cooperation of the Club in this project for questions and mechinal assistance. I told him he could join TEAE and thereby communicate with whoever he needed answers from. Moreover I feel it would be a great thing for the club because of the interest it may create in Sunbeams as in progress reports in the local newspaper or their yearbook. Maybe even get the Classisc Motor Sports people would do something with it. So, what do you think? By the way we were the couple with the pictures of their unfinished SII and would liike to say thanks to all who made us feel welcome on our first Sunbeam gathering.

[alpine-64]

I really wonder about why they would want to turn it into a V8.. are they teaching fabrication?

For starters a SII is not ideal as it has the early front end, lever arm shock rear with different sheet metal where the telescopics would mount on later car.

Then you have the issues of things like steering, trans tunnel and a myriad of other differences between an alpine and tiger.. let alone an early alpine… If they are gogint o make a hot rod and build thier own front end, steering, trans tunnel and modify the rear and replace with a different axel.. sure.. otherwise do they actually know what they are in for?

[thomassanders]

I think that restoring this kind of vehicle can be a real hard thing to do. If you can find some good alpine parts as of this moment to compensate all the things that you may be needing, then that would be much more greater to really restore an Alpine Car.

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