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My barn find

Floor guy

Donation Time
This is my barn find I've had it for a few days and actually got it running. It's a 1966 series v. The lady that I bought it from her and her husband bought it at a Chrysler dealership in 1968 in Chicago they moved to Tennessee in 1978 then at some point the motor was rebuilt as far as she knows her husband passed away so she can't ask him. It does have a odd electronic ignition the numbers are faded but it's like a tiger and then the numbers are faded it's mounted on the firewall. Here are the problems all the trim and everything is there the body looks to be in really good shape the floor pans have some holes so I'm going to address those probably first I was able to get the car fired up and running. I don't think the fuel pump is working because I had it idling off of a gas can and an electric fuel pump for a few minutes and fuel never did make it up to the fuel pump either the lines are plugged up or fuel pumps just not work I did put four gallons of gas and the gas didn't immediately drain onto the driveway. The tanks were empty when I got the car I think he drained the radiator and the tanks and then put it on blocks in the 80s to work on body work. The only gauge that was working was the temperature gauge it went up about the middle of the gauge and that was where it's at the gas gauge didn't move and the oil pressure gauge didn't but there is oil being pumped so I think the problem is in the gauge or the connection to the gauge. The emergency brake works just fine on and off the car rolls fine but I cannot get the brake pedal to move at all not a mm. I also can't get the lid off of the brake master cyl inder I'm afraid something is going to crack if I take a big channel lock to the lid.
 

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Floor guy

Donation Time
Also the people I bought it from have owned it since 1968. In the mid 80s it was put in their barn and the husband started cleaning it up and doing bodywork. And it never left. Until I got it
 

RootesRooter

Donation Time
Nice find!

Are you sure oil is being pumped? It's pretty rare to have an oil gauge simply not register if there's pressure.
 

Floor guy

Donation Time
I think so it looks like oil is getting up to the rockers and it isnt clattering like an engine running dry sounds like. Where is the sender and bypass relief valve located?
 

RootesRooter

Donation Time
If its getting oil to the rockers you're good to go for idling at least. The pressure relief valve is located under the oil filter.
 

albeam

Donation Time
hi Floor Guy,

that is a great opportunity you have got with that sunbeam. car looks pretty straight from the photos. what are your plans with the car? Apart from the wheels is the the car pretty stock?

albeam
 

Floor guy

Donation Time
It had the original wheels on when I got it but the tires were from the 70s. I am amazed they still held air. I got those because it was cheaper to buy those from a guy who wanted to get them out of his garage. The tires are brand new. I would have paid much more to get tires mounted and balanced. I dont really like the fit on the front. I think they have to much positive offset. They look great on the back the offset brings the wheel out and looks good in the wheel well. My plans are to get it driveable and gather the parts to do the V6 conversion.
 

mikephillips

Donation Time
Just to be a little more detailed about the oil pressure gauge, if you look about under the distributor just above the flange the oil pan bolts to you should see a metal line attached to the bulge running the length of the block, that is the output line for the oil pressure gauge. It then runs to the back of the block and attaches to a nylon line. This line goes through the firewall at hooks to the back of the oil pressure gauge. The gauge itself has a small near circular tube inside that as the pressure in the line rises and falls tries to straighten out or return to the original circle. This in turn pushes and pulls the needle back and forth to register on the face. If they rebuilt the engine, might be possible it wasn't reconnected which would show zero pressure then.
 

Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
Welcome to the wonderful world of Alpine ownership and to the SAOCA! It looks like you are off to great start. Your fuel problem may be as simple as blowing out the line. The insides of the gas tanks were painted when new and the paint lasted a long time; just not 50+ years. It tends to flake off and clogs at the crossover tube outlet and in the fuel line. The long term solution is to clean and coat the tanks (a PITA job but not difficult) but short term, try first disconnecting the fuel line from the crossover pipe. If no fuel come out, that is a key source of the problem. You can generally clean it out with a bent piece of stiff wire or even welding wire. It is also a good idea to disconnect the fuel line from the fuel pump and blow compressed air back through it to clear out any paint flakes there.

You can turn your attention to the fuel pump once you know fuel is flowing. It is certainly possible the diaphragm has failed after sitting for so long. They can be rebuilt fairly easily and kits are available.

Good luck!
 

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
It had the original wheels on when I got it but the tires were from the 70s. I am amazed they still held air. I got those because it was cheaper to buy those from a guy who wanted to get them out of his garage. The tires are brand new. I would have paid much more to get tires mounted and balanced. I dont really like the fit on the front. I think they have to much positive offset. They look great on the back the offset brings the wheel out and looks good in the wheel well. My plans are to get it driveable and gather the parts to do the V6 conversion.




Positive wheel offset moves the wheel and tire inward on the car, not outward. Offset refers to the position of the wheel mounting flange relative to the centerline of the wheel tire bead flanges; positive offset means that the wheel mounting flange is located outside of the wheel centerline and negative offset means that the wheel mounting flange is located inside of the wheel centerline.

Positive wheel offset and backspace on the front end of a Series Alpine is limited by clearance between the inside of the wheel / tire and the outer tie-rod ends.
 
Last edited:

Gordon Holsinger

Diamond Level Sponsor
Welcome to the wonderful world of Alpine ownership and to the SAOCA! It looks like you are off to great start. Your fuel problem may be as simple as blowing out the line. The insides of the gas tanks were painted when new and the paint lasted a long time; just not 50+ years. It tends to flake off and clogs at the crossover tube outlet and in the fuel line. The long term solution is to clean and coat the tanks (a PITA job but not difficult) but short term, try first disconnecting the fuel line from the crossover pipe. If no fuel come out, that is a key source of the problem. You can generally clean it out with a bent piece of stiff wire or even welding wire. It is also a good idea to disconnect the fuel line from the fuel pump and blow compressed air back through it to clear out any paint flakes there.

You can turn your attention to the fuel pump once you know fuel is flowing. It is certainly possible the diaphragm has failed after sitting for so long. They can be rebuilt fairly easily and kits are available.

Good luck!
 

JSLoeffl

Gold Level Sponsor
Be careful with the fuel pump issue. Mine sat for years not running. When I got it going, Fuel pump pumped fine until it took out the lobe on the camshaft 2 hours later. Best I could tell was the diaphragm was so stiff it took over 14 lbs of pressure to actuate it. The actuator lever wore a nice groove in the cam lobe. Cam lobe is not hard enough to take that abuse.
 
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