sunbeam alpine owners club · 2018. 5. 21. · created date: 12/19/2013 4:45:41 pm

Mark, Timothy andAndrew give theirregular reader-reports on runningold cars

iIIARK DAT{IELCouncil technica!Co-ordinator, aged 27Drives a Sunbeam AlpineMKV\Jnfortunately Mark's plan touse his Alpine for a friend'swedding and his summer holi-days never came off : thc car isstill in. the workshop und.cr-Solng lts extenslve renovatlonand is unlikcly to be complctedbefore November. APTRstorations of Cardiff, whichis doing the work, is snowedunder with work on E-typeand XK Jaguars.

APT has given the Alpinc athorough inspection and re-ports that quite a bit morcwork than previously thoughthas to be done. The shoppinglist currently reads: all fourwings, both sills, rear valanceand boot panels, under-floorplating (where there's rust) anda new under-floor cruciformbrace and spring hangers. De-spite the fact that so muchmore work is involved, APTis still doing thc car lor theoriginal estimate.

"I've also decided to fit aKenlowe fan," says Mark,

Runnl"and I've ordered a new hoodfrom the London Car HoodCompany. A local firm calledSkyport will actually be fittingit for mc. This will comple-ment the pair of hardtops Ihave for the car, neither ofwhich I've yet had repaircd. Imay have a chance to buy athird as well!

"l originally had the Alpineinsured with Norwich Unionfor 12700 but by the time thcrestoration is compiete, I thinkit'll be worth morc likc f7500.So I'm negotiating with rnybroker to have its agreed valucraiscd. You havc to protect allthat investment.

"Naturally. it's disappoint-ing not to have the car readyfor the summer, but as thcrestorer has agreed to do theextra work for the originalprice, I don't mind bcingpatient. "

ANDREWSHEPPARDArchitect, aged 37Drives an Austin A70Hereford coup6During the hot sllrrmcrpcriod, Andrew continued tousc the A70 cor.rvcrtible:".What would you do with asix-seatcr convcrtible inwcather like this?" aske.dAndrew in thc middle of thcheat-wavc.

But thc restoration cotl-tinucs. Both thc rear wingshave now been replaccd, rc-quiring some of thc shcarcdbolts to be drilled out. A newspeedo cable has becn installcd

- although some difficultywas encountercd in trying to. .-:tlt a 'bJ cabte lnto a 5l car.Tha biggcst problcm re-

mains the sills. "No-one scems

Wings, sills and boot panelsall replaced in extensiverenovation

-

Mark Daniel andAlpine: rebuildtaking Iongerthanplanned

to havc a pattcrn to fit it, " saysAndrcw. "l'm going to visit rHereford woody cstatc to sccthc sills on that. Anothcr possibility is using the back half o*some sills from a Herefordpick-up I know of. Oncc thcsills are on, I'11 havc the bodybrought up to scratch and rc-spraycd.

"l also visitcd thc AustirrCounties Car Club barn(spares depot) and, ort im-pulsc, bought a dynamo for115. On the way home all thcclcctrics wcnt dcad, so I pulledinto a service statiorl and callcdthe AA. After looking at thecar, they shook thcir heads andsaid it was going to necd a newdynamo

- would I likc a tow

back? I produced thc dynamoand askcd if that would do.Not only did it fit and work,but the AA men thanked n'refor the opportunity to workon such a lovcly old car!"

Apart fronr sornc routirrcservicing, such as adjusting thc

82 Nouember 1990YOUR CLASSTC