1961 Sebring Tribute Car Project Update

[Series3Scott]

Ian picked up the car this past Friday and took it back to his garage for the engine / gearbox installation. I gave him a load of parts and firm instructions to WAIT FOR ME because I wanted to be a part of the assembly process.

Well, the boy just can't help himself. How can you be mad when you have a friend like this? Still, I'm coming up next weekend to do my fair share.

Doesn't she look cool with the # 40 on the doors? She will make her debut at SUNI 5 and will be DRIVEN the entire way from Ohio.

Vrooom, vrooom......

 

[66Tiger]

It's gonna be a real beautiful looking car, keep the pictures coming!

Paul

 

[65sunbeam]

It looks good Scott! Sure-wait until all of us have left the Invasion and Ian's garage before starting to work on it....and I had my crowbars, big hammers, pipe wrenches and vice grips with me ready to help too. Eric

 

[napa 1]

Just found this thread Scott. Looks so great in paint with the 40 on the side. You're making great progress...I'm still trying to get mine into the paint shop!

John.

 

[64beam]

Looking great guys . It's all coming together nicely by the look of it. Please keep up the photos of its progress.

Regards, Robin.

 

[Alpine Addict]

Looking good. Lets see a picture of the installed engine.

 

[Series3Scott]

Haven't posted photos in a while - here's one with the front end jewelry instealled. Those are NOS chrome headlight rims and they sure look awesome. Painted the front suspension components on Wednesday, so they'll be ready to be put together and hung on the crossmember. Got the stainless steel exhaust ready for installation as well as wire wheels and hubs. Things are coming together, but unfortunately it won't be ready for Invasion.

 

[Series3Scott]

Here's another front end shot

Not sure how to post multiple photos in one post.

 

[britbeam]

Its looking great Scott. Sure wish it would be at the Invasion.
Dwain V6 Krazy

 

[napa 1]

Looks awesome Scott. Thanks for the update and pics. Inspiring me to get busy with the Harrington. Looks like a beautiful paint job.

 

[Series3Scott]

Hardtop Now Finished

Just picked up the modified hardtop today and stuck it in my front living room for the time being. The shop did a great job on fabricating the rear facing vent. Took them two attempts as the first cracked (they did not account for the slight curvature of the top).

Some of you may be wondering why the bottom edge is black - when the race team showed up at Sebring they discovered Florida was quite hot, and black hardtops were a bad idea. So they did a quickie vent job, masked off the back window, and spray painted the top white. Now you know why all three of the '61 Sebring cars have the bottom edge of the hardtops still painted black.

The car is coming together - front and rear suspension are almost complete and wire wheels and hubs are ready to be installed. Just waiting on the reproduction Microcell buckets to get finished.

 

[napa 1]

Looking great Scott!

 

[Alpine Bob]

"GREAT SCOTT", it's beautiful Scott.

 

[Series3Scott]

Replica racing seats ready for pick up

Next Saturday I'll be picking up these beauties. They are exact copies of the seats the factory installed for the '62 Sebring cars - frames and all. You would also see versions of this style in Harringtons. It's unclear if they used these seats in the '61 Sebring team cars, but on close examination of the few photos we have it appears to be the case. The silver perforated material had to be custom made.

Can't wait to see them in the car.

 

[Series3Scott]

Here's a shot of the frames for the seats - definitely light weight.

 

[britbeam]

WOW I think these would be a nice upgrade in any Alpine. Rally nice looking.
Dwain V6 Krazy

 

[dmich2]

Scott. Any chance you'll make Columbia on the 21st? Tribute car or not?

Dennis

 

[65beam]

sebring car

scott,
are these seats the same as the ones in a lemans? they appear to be the same frame.

 

[alpine_64]

Bob,

The seats are likely to be very similar to the LM ones as they were offered as an option in the HLM IIRC. They are replicas of the microcell seats. Though i in most of the HLM's i have seen they dont seem to have as curved top (vertcal) backrest.. but the base is the same.

 

[65beam]

sebring car

michael,
i hadn't zoomed in on the photos so i didn't notice the rounded back. it appears that everything else is pretty much the same as the lemans microcell seats. many years ago we made a couple sets of new frames using one of my seats as a pattern. the original frames are in my red car but i left most of the padding out of the back since the padding makes it very uncomfortable for me to drive. that's the reason for it not having the armrest either. they get in the way for me. were there any other changes made to the interior panels?