My First Sunbeam Alpine

[AlpineWrench]

Hey I did some more work lately and had some more questions. First off I went down to the Sports Car Craftsmen shop in Denver and bought new brake pads for the rear hoping to fix the emergency brake problem I was having. When I took out the pads I realized they weren't like the old ones and ended up cutting them down and drilling holes to make them fit. While putting the new pads in we turned the tappit all the way in to get the brakes to fit. Supposedly the repeated should automatically adjust the adjustment wheel. Since we turned in the tappit it hasn't re-adjusted itself. Should we go back into the wheel and readjust it ourselves?
On another note I tried to put the emblems on the car and realize there wasn't any way to get behind the fender to the back of the holes... is there a trick to putting them on?
AlpineWrench
P.S. Im not sure if I used all the correct terminology let me know if you have any questions

 

[Ken Ellis]

In no particular order...

Take any pictures of the brakes before/after? I don't think you should need to modify them so much... I would adjust to "close" first, then see if the self adjusters work.

On the emblems, some have a little round clip for attachment. They might have fallen away, or might still be attached to the old trim. Check out the on-line suppliers, and the on-line parts book (via the home page) for the names. (Most modern car trim is installed with double-stick tape.) The parts book will cover the terminology.

(Speaking of terminology, assume folks here use phrases with the common meaning from 1967, rather than the current/Urban Dictionary definitions...)

Happy motoring!

 

[65beam]

alpine

self adjusting brakes use a different brake shoe than standard brakes with a manual adjustment. you probably won't get the shoes that you bought and modified to work.

 

[Bill Blue]

Even if you had factory correct shoes, chances are you would not get the adjusters to work. I was able to get one side to work. Other side, no way. Maybe if all the parts were brand new, but they aren't.

Simply a bad design that Rootes abandoned. The last Alpines had manually adjusted brakes.

Bill

 

[AlpineWrench]

Getting sorted....

Car is a driver now. Been knocking off items on the to do list slowly...I'm getting there. While the weber downdraft works..it is a boring looking carb...no offense. I have a pair of stromberg rebuild kits and I need to attack the carbs. I thought I needed a manifold, so I sourced one from SS ans started the rebuild. I have a question on the throttle shaft (travel) rotation that would be best answered by someone standing next to me with the carbs in my hand. But Unless someone in the Denver area offers to look over my shoulder, this may be my best resource. The primary carb (the one that the linkage attaches to has stps that prevent it from turnin (rotating as much as the second carb...is that normal? I know the rotation of the throttle shaft causes some movement of the piston, does the vacuum cause the piston to move further? Sure doesn't seem like the throttle shaft moves it very much. Also, can someone send me either a link to a rebuild thread, or a link to a rebuild manual, or at least a stromberg schematic so I know what to call all the parts. I have yet to identify where the jets are in these. And I am going to guess there are some basic set-ups that are going to be needed before I fine tune the carbs...something to help me at least get the car running when I swap them in for the webers. I plan to get them built, then swap carbs all in the same day. After my intake manifold arrived, I found that I already had one buried in my parts...so I guess I now have one for sale or trade. My exhaust manifold is showing some cracks, so I ordered a used one from SS and will replace it when I swap the carbs. I will try to weld the cracks, but I understand that welding cast steel is tough. My dad is a good welder, so maybe I will guilt him into helping me. I'll post pictures the day of the swap. Feel free to respond, but be kind.

 

[RootesRooter]

The 1725 Light Range Manual is available somewhere on this site. It has good Stromberg schematics and instructions.

 

[Gary T]

Work Shop Manual Series V

Go to the top of the page under Technical Data and click on the bottom entry. Find Series V and look at Fuel Systems. That should provide you with start-up information and carb tuning.

 

[bulldurham]

I could be wrong but the term for the clips to attach the emblems are called spire clips. You can source them from your local parts store in the paint and body supplies section.
Take the emblem w/ you when you go as they vary in size and design and if I remember the ones for the letters/script are different from the surrounds for the emblems. Double sided tape is great and pretty cheap.

 

[sunbby]

Go to the top of the page under Technical Data and click on the bottom entry. Find Series V and look at Fuel Systems. That should provide you with start-up information and carb tuning.

Be sure to get the 2nd part of the Fuel System section (C2).

direct link:
http://www.sunbeamalpine.org/downloads/WSM 145 SV Manual/6 Fuel System (C-2).pdf

 

[whoizrob]

Roll bar...

Autopower makes a roll bar for our car which is nicely patterned to fit around the battery box. It's about $800 shipped.

Not sure about the read brake shoes, had mine made through a great company called Porterfield. You send them your old pads/shoes and they reline them with what ever compound you want. Costly but their pads are second to none.

Car looks great! Take your time but more importantly enjoy the car. I've had a few project cars now in which I got so embroiled in the details I forgot about the joy of motoring. I sold the garage queen and bought my SIV and I love it.

Rob

PS. Not sure if you've addressed the seat belts but the anchors are standard 7/16-20 thread and any number of harness/hardware will fit with no fuss.

 

[Alpine 1789]

Autopower makes a roll bar for our car which is nicely patterned to fit around the battery box. It's about $800 shipped.

I may be mistaken, but I believe there are concerns with this roll bar for all but the SV. The problem is that the bar interferes with the soft top storage doors. There isn't a problem with the SV because it uses the soft cover.

 

[Dzynr_Ron]

PS. Not sure if you've addressed the seat belts but the anchors are standard 7/16-20 thread and any number of harness/hardware will fit with no fuss.

Isn't that same thread as wheel nuts ?, now it can really be said it holds the nut behind the wheel ) Ron

 

[whoizrob]

Hrmmm...

Not sure about the interference aspect of the Autopowers. My buddy has a 67 and it fits fine with the soft top and mine is a GT, so no soft top issues here

Rob

 

[RootesRooter]

Roll bars look sharp but . . . your chances of rolling the car and actually making use of the rollbar are tiny compared to the odds of being rear-ended. If your head is anywhere close to the roll bar, you'll probably hit it in a collision. In my case, I figured that anything in excess of a 5-mph rear impact could result in a severe concussion. Even top-notch padding would only have bought me a few more mph's.

The roll bar I'd used for a dozen years in my Series V went up in the rafters during a recent restoration and won't come down unless I get another chance at some open track time with the local vintage group.

 

[Alpine 1789]

I have a roll bar on my SV, but never considered it any extra protection in a rollover. To me, the bar serves two safety purposes. First, I like to think it might provide some protection if I were ever T-boned. I know the doors would collapse in an instant, but think that bar might keep the passenger compartment a little more survivable. The second use of my bar is to provide head restraints. I had it custom made at a race prep shop (for about the same price as an Autopower one) and it has a full length bar across the middle. I made up some head restraints and attached them to the bar with muffler clamps. It is my own design, but Classic Motorsports did the same thing on their racing Triumph Spitfire, so hopefully my design isn't too far off.

 

[Series6]

I have a roll bar on my SV and have never tried a soft top but the hard top goes on fine.

 

[Alpine 1789]

Mine fits just under the softtop. I am pretty sure the AutoPower one does too.

 

[Dzynr_Ron]

Mine fits under softtop too, don't know brand, bought used but it is for Alpine as it fits back platform and battery box cover perfectly , HOWEVER,
I didn't see it in the car it came from (parted out long ago) and am curious what its bolting to and thru... some bolts just one thickness of sheet metal,
but other places I expect it went thru box frame as I went thru steel again about 3" below platform. EXCEPT I have 4.5" bolts dropped in and not seeing end of them or the holes or daylight from looking down. Anybody know what it takes to secure as I don't have longer drill bits to keep going deeper ?? thx Ron

 

[Ken Ellis]

I think if you publish some good photos of the mounting locations, the group can help determine what lies below.

Single-thickness sheet metal is better than nothing, but you're right to be curious. You may find that steel plates on both sides are needed to spread the load, or that a stout angle thru bolted to pick up support from the frame elements below is the best way to go. (If you use the two plates method, you might need reinforcing tubes thru the holes too, depending on the strength of the cavity.

For one-time-use long drills, Home Depot has most sizes 12" long, and Harbor freight has 2' long versions (sets of 3), that are pretty inexpensive. Proper coolant/lube and drilling technique will make them suitable for your task. The key to drilling with "inexpensive" drills is to make sure they're making chips all the time. No sitting there and grinding away without making chips. Big torque-y drill motor, slow speed, and high pressure usually get the job done. Also, when you put the drill in the (keyed) chuck, tighten it in all three chuck positions, not just one. Make sure you have your feet well-planted, and brace your arms/elbows so you don't break your wrist if the drill catches. Double check what you're drilling thru, and what's just past the drill, keep 'er straight, and go to town.

 

[Alpine 1789]

I did not install my bar, but I have read comments here before that say the commercial bars can be bolted thru the frame without drilling all the way through. Hopefully, someone with experience will jump in, but as I recall there are boxed openings in the frame that allow you to get the nuts on the bolts. It is reported to be a PITA, but doable.
My car had a bar at some point in the past and the guy who build my bar discoveresd that the PO who installed that bar had cut access holes to get at the bolts in the area right behind the seat. He said that seriously compromised the strenght of the area and repaired them. He first riveted plates with welded nuts below the bar, so installing and removing my bar is now a relative breeze.