1967 Sunbeam ALPINE V

A very dry Alpine V in sound unmolested. nbsp;mechanical condition.  Twin gas tanks. front discs. a smooth shifting four-speed with a clutch free of any chatter and a pair of Strombergs:  a recipe for fun times on quiet roads.  
Black paint is a respray which includes the underside of the hood. jambs and trunk in overall fair to good condition.  Evidence shows the past use of a hardtop that is "foot printed" in the paint around the tonneau snaps but is not unsightly.  In fact. the car has nicks and scratches and a couple have had amateur dabs of touch up which would benefit from light wet sanding.  Otherwise. the car is just fine for daily use and gets favorable comments from casual types at the store parking lots.  Centered between the left headlight and the turn signal below it is a dent.  The headlight is fine. the turn signal and running light are just fine and so the dent is neither an eyesore nor an urgent problem needing concours repair. it's just there.  That's about it for dents.  The passenger door has a bit of a wave but not unlike repairs you see done on similarly inexpensvie autos. most people would never notice.  Great seats!  Leather.  Door panels. carpets and interior panels are all in good condition.  Finishing trim on the "A" pillars needs installation and the dash cover. while it has no blemishes. needs the snaps for the tonneau to be correct.  Unless or until these snaps are fitted to the dash. the tonneau uses hook and loop closure.
All the gauges work and once the tach finds an RPM it likes. it settles down. the oil pressure is at 45psi warm and the temp gauge reads exactly in the middle and refuses to waver even in 90 to 96F city driving.   The fuel gauge works correctly too.  
A worthy task of the new owner will be to address the questionable design of the electrical panel.  There isn't one.  This is nuts. but my old Lotus Europa was my first foray into the blissfully innocent practice of running an entire car on a two-fuse electrical block.   So the Alpine is equal to the Lotus in that you have a major fuse. really only one (the other is the ignition side) holding sway over the full array of power items including the windscreen blower. lamps and well. there's not much more on this car.   The blower and the horn aren't functioning and the gauges lack illumination. usually grounding is the culprit.  That said. all the gauges read correctly. the brake lights. headlights. running lights - all of this is good.  Doors close nicely and the gaps are good. the hood releases nicely. again good gaps and the trunk opens. stays up but the gap is more present on the left side. although the trunk lid itself looks very good.
The stereo is proudly mounted atop the transmission tunnel and appears to have placed so that I cannot read the buttons without fully averting my eyes from the road and making a full extension of my right arm to stab at the buttons.   Perhaps this is of little concern to you with younger eyes and a steadier reach.   The stereo is not burdened by switching on the ignition and may be enjoyed with the car off.  The prior owner who put this unit in spent an incredible amount of time running speaker wires everywhere and while I believe there are six speakers. I couldn't give a fig if later discovery reveals that only two or four actually are linked and working.  The bottom line is that the stereo adds a rich modicum of luxury to the sporting nature of the car and it is presently set to a classical station nearby and that should summarize my knowledge of the audio equipment.  I get in. turn it on. and go.  I turn it off and get out.  Does the cassette feature work?  I dunno. do you have cassettes?
Give half a pull on the choke and a quick flick of the accelerator pedal and it will crank up and settle in to a comfortable idle once the choke is gradually replaced.  No real issues mechanically but the really astute gear man will eventually want to adjust the valves. the timing and the carbs but presently all is well and it enjoys a run to the store for admiring glances.   It has a manageable case of British seepage which is to say that a "normal" amount of oil is present.  If this sounds odd. a quick review of the owner's manual assures the reader that this is all part of the grand motoring experience and to embrace it.  
The top is newish and the rear Isinglass is much clearer than the pictures would indicate.   The tonneau is absolutely new and does double duty as the boot as well.   The seatbelts work as lap belts only and ought to be replaced with triple point belts on an inertia reel:  a quick trip to PicknPull should give you a set that is much more current. Some Honda coupe is a good bet.   There is an anchor point on the floor. another at shoulder height on the rear interior wall and of course. adjacent to the drive tunnel.  The bumpers are actually pretty straight and good candidates for replating; all lenses are in good condition.  The windshield is good driver quality and free of any stars or cracks.   The door glass rolls up and rolls down

Tires have plenty of tread but smart money would be to replace them with a newer set.  I like the wheels and if you are equally disposed to the look. they would brighten up with a trip to the blaster. The brake pedal sits nice and high and without fuss. produces straight stops.
The car has a bratty aspect to it and sounds a bit snarly as you click through the gears.  It's fun. but maybe you want to put in a Ford 2. 8V6 and five speed (google V6 Jose to read up on this mod) to give those uppity Tiger owner's a taste of the stinger.
Nice car. not a queen or a concours gem. just solid.  Alpine's are undervalued in today's collector market and Tiger prices are dragging them upwards as well.
I hold a clear California title in my name.  Tags are current.   There are no stupid questions but I'll be sure to give appropriate answers.  

Also published at eBay.com

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