Hooniverse Weekend Edition – A 1968 Sunbeam Alpine Series V
Continuing on with our Interesting Project Car Weekend, influenced by our very own Jim Yu who wrote about a group of classic car enthusiasts exercising their vehicles of choice through Marin and Sonoma Counties in California this past New Years Day. The next interesting project car I found is this 1968 Sunbeam Alpine Series V currently resting in Texas. Let’s take a look and see if you can become Maxwell Smart, and capture your own Agent 99.
This very complete Sunbeam Alpine is equipped with the 1,725cc, four cylinder engine, a 4 speed manual transmission, and has been garage stored in San Antonio, Texas since 1988. Being part of the British Rootes Group, the seller is wisely offering an additional engine and transmission, just for good measure. The engine located under the bonnet moves freely and according to the seller, should run with little work.
The paint is original with the exception of the lower panels due to the rockers being replaced. The interior looks original, and should clean-up fine. Included in the sale is a rare fiberglass top, along with the original soft-top which will need replacing. A set of Vintage Dunlop Rims adds to the desirability of this British Classic.
The current high bid for this classic sports car is $730, with an unmet reserve. Even I know this is incredibly cheap for a rare, albeit non running classic, but what do you think it’s worth. Remember, there will be two engines, two transmissions, two tops, and those vintage Dunlop Rims, and this would make an affordable Classic British Sports Car to participate in one of these types of events… Or you could cheat a bit, and make it into a great 24-Hours-of-LeMons contender. Either way, you win. See the listing here, and tell me what you think.
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- Hoonverse “All I Want for Christmas” Edition – A 1960 Sunbeam Rapier Hardtop Coupe
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I love the Alpine, but this one looks like it could get very expensive very quickly, mostly in very not fun ways.
Even with the 1592cc engine and steel rims, my Series II Alpine has given a good account of itself on the Anti-Football Run and lots of other vintage road rallies, including the California Melee. I'm biased, but I think the Alpine is a fantastic choice for road rallies– fun, relatively comfortable, and easy to tinker with.
A dead sexy shape. The Alpine has always lived in the shadow of its big brother the Tiger. I'm sure the suggestions that you put a V8 in it would get old very quickly.
They do.
What's funny is that the Alpine had kind of a reputation for being a little on the soft and girly side – it was relatively comfortable and wasn't seen to be "hairy-chested" like MGs, Healeys, and TRs. I'm glad that this is one of the later ones with the trimmed-back fins, but there are other project cars I'd pick before an Alpine. Pleasant but not very compelling.
Rootes Group, not Roots Group (that'd be some band whose music I can't effing stand).
You made your point. WordPress was telling me it was a misspelling.
Delightful, but not all that rare. The top is rare and very desirable, but suggests that there is no vestige of any sort of convertible top. Which is fine. This one will take a good amount of work to get back on the road. But they're pretty simple and robust, if modest performers. Just the thing for delightful runs up twisty country lanes in the warm sun. Given the shape it's in and the time it's been in storage, I wouldn't consider offering more than a grand for it. I just love that last photo, showing the Rootes medallion on the dash having slipped out of position.
That hardtop isn't a factory one – must have been made by an aftermarket manufacturer. The factory one looks much nicer in my opinion, but is unfortunately very rust prone.
Right now there is no point in taking a rough Alpine, Spitfire, or Fiat Spider– you see too many well-kept ones on craigslist for under three grand, and it would take even the best shadetree mechanic more than that to get a beater up to the same level. Or calculating it a another way, the same labor necessary to get the beater into a respectable runner would get the $2500 car up to much higher spec.