[Staowners] Fw: Sunbeams Downunder

[Mal Clark]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mal Clark 
To: Staowners at sunbeamtalbot.info 
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 11:17 PM
Subject: Sunbeams Downunder


Hi everyone,thanks to those who replied ref the Talbot Drophead,and reply from Mal Logan from Thailand,would be nice to know there would be at least one Sunbeam in that Country. I recieved an email from David Phillips here in Aus, to say he wasn't surprised at the short time the dropheads paint lasted,as his Alpine only lasted 4 years from new before it required a repaint. with my Works Alpine it arrived from the UK to Aus in 1963, 8 years old,and that also had been repainted,and had the front seats reupholstered in red leather,and a new soft top, also in red, so it appears its not only the Australian sun,that destroyed the paint etc, seeing the works car had been repainted before it arrived here, indicates the paint couldn't have been very good from new, on to my lastest project,apart from a mk2 Tiger I am restoring for a customer,I am getting into my mk1 Alpine,this car came from the States about 15 years ago, it had been converted to right hand drive by the man who I got it from,he didnt finish the restoration, so I am, I have removed all the parts he put back on,and will restore them correctly,it is nice to work on a car that isn't rusty, and fairly straight, my first Alpine I purchased in1972,since then I have had another 3, but this lastest, will be the last, so keeping this in mind and realising we are getting older, worn out knees and wrists,I find the clutch and brakes and steering very agricultral, so I have thought hard, and not wanting to upset the proud owners amongst us, I have aquired a set of Disc Brakes, which bolt straight on from a Humber Super Snipe,along with a Power booster, A 5 speed Toyota Celica  gear box with a lighter diaphragm clutch, and about to order a power steering kit from a Star member in the UK, and wait for it I have organised to purchase a Air conditioner unit,which I think I can fit behind the dash,hidden away, may have to sacifice the glove box,but I visualise opening the glove box lid to expose the cold air outlets for that side,sounds interesting doesn't it,but if it can be done I can do it, keep tuned on that one, Running the extras will put a bit of strain on the poor engine, so I have decided to reco and fit the mk3 engine I have with some tuning work done 90 thou off the head,and with the better ported head should up the compression, to around 8:1,  makes it an 100 mph car, not that is what I want, but should do things easier, looking forward to finishing this Alpine and enjoying it in our semi retirement, hope all you owners from other parts of the world, are thinking of retrieving your Sunbeams from winter hiberation,and enjoying the motoring that only 50+ year old cars can give you,
 (rattles, drafts, water leaks, bumpy rides, smells, headaches, strong wrists, strong sore knees, etc etc etc) and we love it, Damn, why do I live in the past all the time? good luck and happy Sunbeaming
                Mal Clark.
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