Sunbeam Alpine Restoration of the body shell Part I Metalwork.

[Tim R]

We are not mechanics or professional car body people. This video is simply the record of how my wife and I restored the totally rusted out body shell of our Alpine, (with occasional help and some guidance from a friend of ours who is a fabricator).

We bought this car in 1983 and drove her all across Europe. She was our only car and was used daily. We were forced to sell her in 1992 when our second child arrived. When she left us she was in immaculate, showroom condition.

We searched for her for years hoping to buy her back again finally tracking her down in 2016. The car had been exported to Southern Ireland and virtually abandoned to the elements there. She was totally rusted out and in truth was beyond economic repair but she has a special place in our hearts and we wanted to bring her back to life. This is how we did it. Part II will cover how we epoxy primed the body shell before sending her off to the body shop for paint.

Tim R

 

[sunalp]

Great video and brings back memories of when I did mine.
These are not the easiest cars to restore, and especially when as rusty as
this one was. A rotisserie is a must to do the job right!

Great job saving your Alpine!

Cheers!
Steve

 

[Alpine 1789]

Impressive work, Tim! Thanks for sharing it.

 

[greenbean]

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just leave all the parts and pieces spread out on the lawn until we needed to use them all, instead of tagging them all packaging them up and storing away for another day --- to hopefully find at a later date!!!