Help

[Spanger]

Can anyone suggest a way to clean up the vin number plate on this sunbeam my father had stored for years with totes and totes of extra parts motors transmissions extra doors trunk hood extra spoked rims I want to know more about this vehicle but don't want to do any damage trying to restore the plate so it is more eligible

 

[sunalp]

Try just good old soap and water. It'll never look like new, but then look at how old your car is.
The patina of originality is highly valued!

 

[Warren]

There are a couple of specialty vendors who make replacement "For information please quote."
Originally it's silk screened paint but other have used ink jet printer's on repop tags and vinyl cling rub on.
The vinyl cling does stick up a little more but doesn't fade like ink.

 

[Spanger]

Yes my hope is to just make it clean enuff to make it legible I can't find the ownership for it and am attempting to get the details of this car as best I have been told was it is a 1963 sunbeam alpine gt its original color was bronze I am not even certain of the year... the information I can recall about it was vague.... ... there is also a number plate that says SAL 25416

 

[Spanger]

 

[mikephillips]

Well you've already lost the printed on lettering for the VIN plate so I'd say go ahead and carefully scrub it, perhaps with an SOS pad or such containing soap. It'll help getting into the depressions around the stamped lettering and help get the rust staining cleaned off. You may be able to find a rub on type lettering to replace what was originally there, but be aware it changed from model to model so isn't exactly the same for all. And the plate with the SAL number was generally body color since it was attached before painting. Mine personally are the alloy color of the metal since I preferred that.

 

[Warren]

There's a couple of products like Evapo rust and rust release gel that you can just paint on there or put on a sponge and let sit and the rust will disappear. The rust release gel is basically evapo rust with some type of food grade thickener. Looks like an overdrive car. If there's any painted markings left they will not be injured by the two products I mentioned.

 

[husky drvr]

Yes my hope is to just make it clean enuff to make it legible

Spanger,

If all you want is to be able to read the information, you might try the "old skool' method of doing a "pencil etching." Lay a sheet of paper across the plate and with the side of a pencil point - not the point - lightly rub across the paper on the plate. Since the numbers are recessed, an inverse image of the stampings should appear. No cleaning required.

Also if the engine is original, the same information is stamped on the block's machined surface adjacent to the oil filter base.

As best I can tell from your pics;

Serial # > B920xx94 LRX (xx might be 17 - but I'm doubtful)

68 > colour code 68 - Autumn Gold Metallic (one of the least common colors)

LRX > Left hand drive / roadster / non standard or export

GT > GT option

OD > overdrive option

SB > Sealed beam headlights

Hope this helps,

 

[Alpine 1789]

That is quite the treasure trove of parts and a S3 GT is a rare car, especially in gold. It is hard to tell from the photos; does the car look restorable? How bad is the rust?

 

[Alpine Addict]

If the car has the original engine the number stamped just above the fuel pump will match the chassis number.

 

[husky drvr]

From the pictures, the engine in the car might be a later 1725 - Z-S carbs, no spark plug tubes in the head, and maybe an oil cooler block without the required plumbing. Guess we need the serial numbers off the blocks to tell for sure.

The pic of the spare engine trans-combo MIGHT be the OE engine (small air filter on front of tappet chest cover) but not the OE trans because no OD.

It's got a tach drive distributor and stand, wonder if this ever actually ran once installed? Probably not.

 

[Spanger]

That is quite the treasure trove of parts and a S3 GT is a rare car, especially in gold. It is hard to tell from the photos; does the car look restorable? How bad is the rust?

All the rust is surface rust the metal is solid front to back floors trunk everything is solid my thoughts are that it was being repainted and it was prepped I mean I find it confusing that anyplace that the bondo came off of this car that the metal is completely solid underneath and all areas of the car are solid... doors close solid no rattling same with trunk and hood...

 

[Spanger]

From the pictures, the engine in the car might be a later 1725 - Z-S carbs, no spark plug tubes in the head, and maybe an oil cooler block without the required plumbing. Guess we need the serial numbers off the blocks to tell for sure.

The pic of the spare engine trans-combo MIGHT be the OE engine (small air filter on front of tappet chest cover) but not the OE trans because no OD.

It's got a tach drive distributor and stand, wonder if this ever actually ran once installed? Probably not.

At one point my older brother got tinkering around with the car and apparently it fired but didn't start he was pouring the the fuel str8 into it from a beer bottle... aside from that the car has sat the same way as the day we dragged it out of the barn my father bought it from and it has sat in a dry garage ever since... he had thoughts of one day restoring it to pull behind my parents motorhome when they retired and traveled it just never took shape...

 

[tigereater]

B9200000 – B9205864 Series III Alpine
Yours is a GT. 1592cc, Single carburetor with the wood veneer dash. Under that steering wheel wrap you can check if it has a wood rim, also. Another "tell" would be no soft top or mechanism for one. It's got the "back seat". I always thought that it was so funny that they thought anyone could sit back there.
Gina

 

[Aladin Sane]

Where are you guys seeing these pics? I only see two pics of the vin tag.

 

[tigereater]

Where are you guys seeing these pics? I only see two pics of the vin tag.

They were there, then they disappeared. I thought it was my computer.
Gina

 

[Aladin Sane]

Ah, never saw them. Thanks