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Sunbeam wreck pictures

beamertwo

Donation Time
I have been the magazine editor for the Sunbeam Owners' Club of NSW for some years now and have always always included a last page entitled "The End" (creative huh?) which features a Sunbeam in its final resting place - a wrecking yard, in a field, overgrown by bushes, etc. (Some would say I am sadistic.) I now find myself almost at the end of my current supply of such pictures. If there is anyone out there who could assist me by emailing "wreck" pictures to me, I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
rick.harrison@exemail.com.au
 

alpine1963

Diamond Level Sponsor
Hey Rick,

I just sent you an email with a "sad" Alpine story and pictures. Good luck with your publication.

Cheers,
 

65sunbeam

SAOCA Membership Director
Diamond Level Sponsor
Rick-can you post some of your best photos here? Maybe others can join in and post some of theirs? Here is one of my cars "as found" as well as Bob B's Alpine GT. We got them last month. The PO drove them for a few years and then just parked them in his backyard for about 10 years. Digging them out of the mud and cleaning them up was a lot of fun too.....
 

alpine1963

Diamond Level Sponsor
Hey Eric,

Maybe we should add a "Ran when Parked" file. Here are the Series 3 Alpine pictures of that car in Sumter. I am going to take it off of his hands next week. I hope the OD is still in it! She sat in a field for 25 years without a top.

Cheers,
 

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
The sad bit about seeing these pics is that they once were shiny, brand-new 'Beams, with a sticker on the window and a proud buyer ready to fork over serious cash for them... sigh...
 

Alpine Bob

Donation Time
You might be able to call the picture of my newly aquired 69GT Fastback in Eric's post as the "New Begining", I sure hope it not the end. :eek:
 

Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
Here are a couple of shots of the SII's I parted out a couple of years ago. The white one in the background (for some reason, I can't find any pictures of it, although I know I took more than these) was a very early one that had the bonnet prop rod on the bulkhead.

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They were both far too shot to save; floors and frame almost completely gone. I gave the owner $100 to allow me to pull whatever I wanted off of them before he had them crushed. All of the good stuff is long gone (unless, like the lettered valve cover, it is on my car), but I still have boxes of crap that I can't bring myself to part with. One of these days I'll bring them with me to an Invasion and trade them for beer. :D
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
Damn... I can see 2 parts i need in the photo! (not kidding) Also after the recent work on my car i can honestly say that if you guys ever get a chance to salvage off a wreck.. GRAB EVERY BOLT AND NUT YOU CAN! You cant buy all those original bolts anymore and you, or someone else will always need them.
 

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
When I scrapped my oldest, most useless Alpine body, I removed anything and everything that was bolted or screwed on. And I even saved a few pieces that I cut off with a sawsall. I assumed either I or someone, someday, would need what I saved. A little bit of it has trickled out over the years and put to good use. When I finished stripping the car there was so little left to scrap I actually put it in the trash over a couple weeks of regular trash pick up.

Tom
 

Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
I didn't get everything I wanted off of the SII's, as the owner thought I was done and had them scrapped before I was finished. I had all of the good stuff (and, thanks to the magic of eBay, parts from those cars are now on Sunbeams all over the world), but there were still a few things I wanted. I could probably have made a stink since our deal was $100 for everything I wanted, but I figured I got my money's worth and let it go.
 

beamertwo

Donation Time
Thank you to everyone who has assisted me with my search - you have been most helpful! Sunbeams in wrecking yards are very rare things here in Australia. In over thirty years of looking, I have only ever found one, stripped almost bare - but I did manage to get a few things off it. I had the intention of coming back to get everything else that remained, but as luck would have it, it was sent to the crushers the day before I returned - after spending some 25 years in the yard!
 

alpine1963

Diamond Level Sponsor
Had to get it!

A couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of an Alpine that had been sitting in a field for 20 years without a top and in really sad pathetic shape. One that will never see the road again. I did notice that it had OD in the ID number so it still had some worth. Well, today I broke down and went and towed her home. It is a Series 3 and has a couple of things that may get used on other Alpines. Very rusty - no floors at all but the motor is complete. I will be stripping her down so she can help the Alpine community. I could not bare to know it was rusting away in a field.

Here she is on the way home.

Cheers,
 

alpine1963

Diamond Level Sponsor
Sure would be great if it was that easy. There is not a panel on this car that is not rusted through. I hate to see one parted out but I hate to see one just sit somewhere and rot away even more. It does have some good parts still in it, motor is complete, all the front steering is there, one gas tank, convertible top metal covers and I really hope the overdrive is still there. The rare opel colored dash light is there but it is now yellowish from fading. Oh well, it is home and has a tarp over it now for the first time in 20 years. Anyone need parts off of a Series 3?

Cheers,
 
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