DanR
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David Kellogg's Harrington Alpine
- Thread starter jumpinjan
- Start date
65beam
Donation Time
Dan,If you need door hinges rebuilt you should contact Doug Jennings. He still has the same phone number at his new shop southeast of Dayton. He still does work and he uses a shop in Dayton that has rebuilt them for him for years. They've repaired the hinges on several of my cars and they're to factory specs when done.
jumpinjan
Bronze Level Sponsor
Well, it depends. If the pin is broken in the hinge, it's now impossible to remove. If thats the case either find another hinge, or have the pin "burned" out by a tool & die shop....Expensive!
Jan
alpine_64
Donation Time
Jan, what sort or insulation did you put behind the headliner? A dynamat sound/ heat or something more period? I would guess the roof being fg you could probably spray a lizard skin type rubberised coating as wellI finished Sunbeam Harrington's, fastback top's headliner install today, now to color sand & buff the paint tomorrow and then I hand it over to my friend Ian Spencer to install.
All the upholstery for this project was made up right here in the workshop.
Jan
alpine_64
Donation Time
Also Jan,
What spec engine is Dave having? 1725 or 1600? Dcoe zenith or dgv?...
Its going to be such a gorgeous car, I really love the look of the harrington.. The roof profile and proportions are much more elegant than the hump back of the LM. The rear arches also dont get overwhelmed like a LM. I know it means less headroom in the rear... But its not like you use rear seats anyway. Be better to go si etype and have some nice chrome or stainless ribs on rear deck over the trim and do a real GT luggage bay.
What spec engine is Dave having? 1725 or 1600? Dcoe zenith or dgv?...
Its going to be such a gorgeous car, I really love the look of the harrington.. The roof profile and proportions are much more elegant than the hump back of the LM. The rear arches also dont get overwhelmed like a LM. I know it means less headroom in the rear... But its not like you use rear seats anyway. Be better to go si etype and have some nice chrome or stainless ribs on rear deck over the trim and do a real GT luggage bay.
65beam
Donation Time
Michael,
I 'm pretty sure Dave intends to have twin Webers on it. My reason for thinking that is because he sent home with me a box with the carbs along with a large box of other parts for the car. I've mentioned to Ian during phone conversations that they're still setting on the counter in my shop. He asked me to hold onto them until he needs them. JAN?????????
jumpinjan
Bronze Level Sponsor
The roof is fiberglass, don't need sound deadening. The metal hardtops and inside the doors, you do need it.
Jan
65beam
Donation Time
We set the headliner bows in the original holes in the wood top frame and found the bows were touching the fiberglass. Slight mods needed due to no room for the bow pocket.
cdk84
Donation Time
There was an incredible amount of expertise, focus and craftsmanship put into the work that Ian and Jan did on this car.
The engine is in the car, most parts of the project are complete and I've been spending time on the remaining work as time allows.
Frankly, it's tremendously satisfying just gazing at the car. Though I intended to have the car on the road as soon as possible, it's honestly pure joy just to look at the vehicle's design. I think of the Harrington Le Mans in a slightly different light than I do the H-A.
Records from Thomas Harrington, Ltd were lost on the plant's closing. As far as we know, there were only 110 Harrington Alpines made and it's thought that no two were exactly alike because this was a bespoke model; most if not all cars being custom ordered. By contrast, the Harrington Le Mans was a production model, brought into being on the coattails of 3000RW's Index of Thermal Efficiency win in the 1961 Le Mans, driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Peter Proctor.
Best estimates are that 250 Harrington Le Mans cars were made, with most going to the export markets in the US and South Africa. As a production model with occasional custom orders, the Le Mans had options that could be ordered in the day, but nowhere near as many of the Le Mans cars were 'made to order' as Harrington Alpines. The Le Mans car had items that distinguished it from production Alpines --made it stand out as special if you will: the wood patterned plastic laminate dash ( the British compliment to North America's Formica brand ) was the first in the Alpine line to have a glove box cover rather than an open cubby. The steering wheel had a bespoke hub used only on the Le Mans, immediately recognizable for its unique enamel Harrington Le Mans medallion. Microcell seats were much more common in the Le Mans than the H-A, as were finished rear seats.
The obvious differences in body lines are another distinction between the two cars. Alpine 64 has mentioned the different roofline of the Le Mans ( I would wish to avoid comparison for two reasons: first, that one usually comes off less well than another in the process (and what gain is there in that?)) and in this instance, the two cars were built on differing premises, one as a special order model, the other as a limited run production car with an eye to garnering export sales by commemorating a Sunbeam Works victory on motorsport's most celebrated stage.
I will say this: I started looking for a Harrington Alpine 26 years ago, before Ian Spencer first offered his HA for sale. And I almost bought that car twice. Over time, one's tastes can change. I've since had the unusual opportunity to work on 20s and 30s Bugattis, Aston Martins and Bentleys, which broadened my appreciation for earlier cars and their inimitable, exuberant celebration of elegant line. I loved the cars from this era so much I bought first one and then another Singer Nine from the mid-30s; gorgeous, well made cars beautifully designed by Eric Neale, ahead of their time in engineering (though sadly held back by barnyard metallurgy).
The Singer cars drive out beautifully and compare advantageously to their contemporaries, notably MG, for build quality, road handling and performance. Before leaving racing, Singer did very well on road courses, but after the factory effort Singer privateers proved their strength at off road events: hillclimbs, rallies and trials where chassis and suspension performance were more important than outright horsepower.
While the HA was being worked on, I had a nagging feeling that my taste might have changed as a result of exposure to the cars I'd learned about in the intervening years. It's hard being an artist and not being able to afford what the eye desires.
If I had the wallet for it, I would have a Lagonda V12 from the mid '30s for the race track and a Bentley four seater for the road. But since the arrival of the Harrington Alpine, I have spent many a happy moment simply savoring the car. It's also a delightful surprise to attended a Concours far afield and see other Harrington-bodied cars on the field. Harrington was tapped for coachwork by owners of a number of other marques, notably Bentley, Bugatti and Jaguar.
In my eye and esteem, it remains a genuine jewel, a moment in automotive art that secures for that model a minor but fully warranted place in the constellation of the best. Its design is perhaps less than perfect, but the Harrington Alpine is, to me, a zenith in the very estimable design history of the Rootes Group, and also, the best of Thomas Harrington's unique coupe designs. I have no regrets, not even that it has taken 26 years to find my Harrington. It has been worth every minute, anticipation wholly fulfilled.
The engine is in the car, most parts of the project are complete and I've been spending time on the remaining work as time allows.
Frankly, it's tremendously satisfying just gazing at the car. Though I intended to have the car on the road as soon as possible, it's honestly pure joy just to look at the vehicle's design. I think of the Harrington Le Mans in a slightly different light than I do the H-A.
Records from Thomas Harrington, Ltd were lost on the plant's closing. As far as we know, there were only 110 Harrington Alpines made and it's thought that no two were exactly alike because this was a bespoke model; most if not all cars being custom ordered. By contrast, the Harrington Le Mans was a production model, brought into being on the coattails of 3000RW's Index of Thermal Efficiency win in the 1961 Le Mans, driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Peter Proctor.
Best estimates are that 250 Harrington Le Mans cars were made, with most going to the export markets in the US and South Africa. As a production model with occasional custom orders, the Le Mans had options that could be ordered in the day, but nowhere near as many of the Le Mans cars were 'made to order' as Harrington Alpines. The Le Mans car had items that distinguished it from production Alpines --made it stand out as special if you will: the wood patterned plastic laminate dash ( the British compliment to North America's Formica brand ) was the first in the Alpine line to have a glove box cover rather than an open cubby. The steering wheel had a bespoke hub used only on the Le Mans, immediately recognizable for its unique enamel Harrington Le Mans medallion. Microcell seats were much more common in the Le Mans than the H-A, as were finished rear seats.
The obvious differences in body lines are another distinction between the two cars. Alpine 64 has mentioned the different roofline of the Le Mans ( I would wish to avoid comparison for two reasons: first, that one usually comes off less well than another in the process (and what gain is there in that?)) and in this instance, the two cars were built on differing premises, one as a special order model, the other as a limited run production car with an eye to garnering export sales by commemorating a Sunbeam Works victory on motorsport's most celebrated stage.
I will say this: I started looking for a Harrington Alpine 26 years ago, before Ian Spencer first offered his HA for sale. And I almost bought that car twice. Over time, one's tastes can change. I've since had the unusual opportunity to work on 20s and 30s Bugattis, Aston Martins and Bentleys, which broadened my appreciation for earlier cars and their inimitable, exuberant celebration of elegant line. I loved the cars from this era so much I bought first one and then another Singer Nine from the mid-30s; gorgeous, well made cars beautifully designed by Eric Neale, ahead of their time in engineering (though sadly held back by barnyard metallurgy).
The Singer cars drive out beautifully and compare advantageously to their contemporaries, notably MG, for build quality, road handling and performance. Before leaving racing, Singer did very well on road courses, but after the factory effort Singer privateers proved their strength at off road events: hillclimbs, rallies and trials where chassis and suspension performance were more important than outright horsepower.
While the HA was being worked on, I had a nagging feeling that my taste might have changed as a result of exposure to the cars I'd learned about in the intervening years. It's hard being an artist and not being able to afford what the eye desires.
If I had the wallet for it, I would have a Lagonda V12 from the mid '30s for the race track and a Bentley four seater for the road. But since the arrival of the Harrington Alpine, I have spent many a happy moment simply savoring the car. It's also a delightful surprise to attended a Concours far afield and see other Harrington-bodied cars on the field. Harrington was tapped for coachwork by owners of a number of other marques, notably Bentley, Bugatti and Jaguar.
In my eye and esteem, it remains a genuine jewel, a moment in automotive art that secures for that model a minor but fully warranted place in the constellation of the best. Its design is perhaps less than perfect, but the Harrington Alpine is, to me, a zenith in the very estimable design history of the Rootes Group, and also, the best of Thomas Harrington's unique coupe designs. I have no regrets, not even that it has taken 26 years to find my Harrington. It has been worth every minute, anticipation wholly fulfilled.
Last edited:
Limey
Donation Time
On my HA there was a big mat of felt/horsehair between the roof and the headlining. I duplicated it during the resto figuring if Harrinton's did it why not.
No way to tell if it makes any difference tho'. Might help to stop the headlining rods chattering against the roof?
Oliver
Fiberglass needs sound deadening. Not to keep out noise, but to kill noise that is generated inside the car. Keeps it from reverberating. Also will help to control heat buildup from the sun. I've got two layers of clay filled foam glued onto the roof of our fiberglass top. It does make a difference in the noise level. Hard to determine heat control. That monster still runs rampant through the Alpine.
Bill
Bill