-
Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.
If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.
Enjoy.
Oh My
- Thread starter Jim E
- Start date
husky drvr
Platinum Level Sponsor
Hi Jim,
Welcome back and congrats on your "membership token".
Welcome back and congrats on your "membership token".
Last edited:
"Now it seems the factions are restoration purists, maintain and drive, and modify and drive. Take your pick and start an argument."
Okay Don, here goes. My problem has distilled down to "Exactly what can I call an Alpine?" Or to be more precise, when can I no longer call it an Alpine? There is something inside me that says Alpine sheet metal containing a Mustang II front end, Jag rear with Willwood brakes, tube frame, I Did It steering column, racing seats, custom interior, 500 hp engine of your choice, 20 inch wheels, T56 tranny and riding two inches off the pavement is no longer an Alpine. I did it the pious way and tried to keep the car an Alpine. Pardon me while I adjust my halo.
Your turn.
Bill
Okay Don, here goes. My problem has distilled down to "Exactly what can I call an Alpine?" Or to be more precise, when can I no longer call it an Alpine? There is something inside me that says Alpine sheet metal containing a Mustang II front end, Jag rear with Willwood brakes, tube frame, I Did It steering column, racing seats, custom interior, 500 hp engine of your choice, 20 inch wheels, T56 tranny and riding two inches off the pavement is no longer an Alpine. I did it the pious way and tried to keep the car an Alpine. Pardon me while I adjust my halo.
Your turn.
Bill
Last edited:
Hi Jim - nice to see you back - we have missed your ideas and your posts.
The site is healthy. It is December and lots of us have retired our cars to various garages and storage facilities for a few months. It's not possible to work on a car when the garage temp is 9 degrees as mine was yesterday.
There are lots of nice cars being enjoyed, worked on, resurrected, etc. And our site continues to have as much or more activity as any Sunbeam site.
Enjoy the holidays - cheers from sunny South Dakota, Pete
Hi Jim,
Nice to hear from you ! Site it still very much alive. If you collect the Car in Cary, I am next door in Morrisville.
Steve
Nice to hear from you ! Site it still very much alive. If you collect the Car in Cary, I am next door in Morrisville.
Steve
Jim, don't let them kid you. Things have changed, online activity is way down. We seem to have a learning resistant contingent that has dampened enthusiasm. But there is more activity here than any other Sunbeam site. However, we can't seem to get more than fifty people together in one place, while TE/AE can get 100 with little problem. But they have no web activity.
No body seems to know why, so I'm giving in to reality and hosting an informal 12 car, 24 (max) people get together in June. Who knows, it may be the only SAOCA function to ever sellout.
Maybe if I drop it down to eight cars.
Bill
No body seems to know why, so I'm giving in to reality and hosting an informal 12 car, 24 (max) people get together in June. Who knows, it may be the only SAOCA function to ever sellout.
Maybe if I drop it down to eight cars.
Bill
Last edited:
65beam
Donation Time
Bill,
I'm sure you've noticed over the years that many threads on this site have to do with owners asking for help concerning how to keep or get their cars on the road . That's a good thing and has kept a lot of Alpines rolling. You have probably noticed the condition of the cars at a TE/AE United don't really need much work so that may account for the lack of forum activity. The monthly news letter also helps.. I've noticed that several posters also ask questions on the TE/AE forum but don't get much response from it but do get help from owners here.
There is a long standing organized plan for TE/AE United events. There is a four year schedule for Uniteds that keeps them moving around the country. Plans for 2017 were put before the officers and the board members during the 2016 United and work to set everything up began shortly after with info being posted on the web site and also published in the monthly news letter. There are many minds from the officers, the board of directors and the regional reps to call on for help when setting up any kind of event. There is also a manual that was carefully put together that makes setting up a United a whole lot easier. Over the years the Uniteds have turned into what could be called a "Family Reunion". I'm sure you have noticed in the last few years of your attendance at TE/AE events that new members are readily welcomed and urged to get involved. The attendance at events continues to grow. I saw several new faces at last years BASH and United.
Jim E
Donation Time
"Maybe if I drop it down to eight cars."
Bill,
Now that is sad, SCAT has put together bigger events just going to Eric G. house to cut a trans mount off a tatter of an Alpine.
The first Invasion way back in the mists of time had a bunch O cars maybe more Alpines than I had ever saw in one place, and now they are no more?
I am guessing Ian and S3 Scott are not so involved anymore, Ian was very much a driving force in the Alpine world.
Bill are you still doing it the hard way? that should bring in some lookie loos... hahahah
Well things change and things stay the same... have been looking back on my different Alpines thinking would be fun to play with one again, then saw the car for sale here thought it looked like a lot of car for the money and is close to me well a couple hundred mile away if I am thinking right. Current owner told me he thought a trailer might be a good idea... I am thinking a camera and a early start...
Jim E
Bill,
Now that is sad, SCAT has put together bigger events just going to Eric G. house to cut a trans mount off a tatter of an Alpine.
The first Invasion way back in the mists of time had a bunch O cars maybe more Alpines than I had ever saw in one place, and now they are no more?
I am guessing Ian and S3 Scott are not so involved anymore, Ian was very much a driving force in the Alpine world.
Bill are you still doing it the hard way? that should bring in some lookie loos... hahahah
Well things change and things stay the same... have been looking back on my different Alpines thinking would be fun to play with one again, then saw the car for sale here thought it looked like a lot of car for the money and is close to me well a couple hundred mile away if I am thinking right. Current owner told me he thought a trailer might be a good idea... I am thinking a camera and a early start...
Jim E
Bill are you still doing it the hard way?
Is there any other way?
You've got a pretty good view of the current situation. The initial movers and shakers are gone and the club is worse off because of it.
Speaking of thinking back, I sometimes think back to Invasion I. I was telling you my plans for the Alpine and you told me I was crazy. Six years later, when I showed up with the TurboPine, you looked at it and said "And I thought I was hard core" and walked away. All I can say is you certainly know how to compliment a guy.
I've missed you.
Bob, to me, the things you describe would ease the pain of putting on an Invasion, but I see nothing that would encourage participation. I really see little value in duplicating the United program, unless the location is at least a thousand miles from the United. So last year we tried to offer something different. Small venue, excellent food, no traffic, lots of driving and interesting sights.
Turnout was low, but the enjoyment factor was very high, or so I've been told. So we are dropping the things people said were unimportant, emphasizing the things liked and trying again. The nice part is it eliminates the PIA factor of hosting an event. It may be our last effort, depending on participation and most important, feedback.
Bill
Is there any other way?
You've got a pretty good view of the current situation. The initial movers and shakers are gone and the club is worse off because of it.
Speaking of thinking back, I sometimes think back to Invasion I. I was telling you my plans for the Alpine and you told me I was crazy. Six years later, when I showed up with the TurboPine, you looked at it and said "And I thought I was hard core" and walked away. All I can say is you certainly know how to compliment a guy.
I've missed you.
Bob, to me, the things you describe would ease the pain of putting on an Invasion, but I see nothing that would encourage participation. I really see little value in duplicating the United program, unless the location is at least a thousand miles from the United. So last year we tried to offer something different. Small venue, excellent food, no traffic, lots of driving and interesting sights.
Turnout was low, but the enjoyment factor was very high, or so I've been told. So we are dropping the things people said were unimportant, emphasizing the things liked and trying again. The nice part is it eliminates the PIA factor of hosting an event. It may be our last effort, depending on participation and most important, feedback.
Bill
65beam
Donation Time
Jim,
Ian spends his time restoring british bicycles. His blue Harrington is now in Australia and my wife has the RHD LeMans . Scott is now somewhere north of Boston. There have been years that there was no invasion. Bill has really tried to keep things going but you see where he is and it's no fault of his.
No grease, but I do have to remove the crossmember and install the semi-stripped engine from below, then bolt on the rest of the parts. Certainly no room to clap your hands, but it goes like stink.
No plans for a kit, everything is either modified or fabricated and it is necessary to take a bite out of the crossmember. I think the hot kit will be DanR's 4.0 Ford V6.
Bill
Jim E
Donation Time
Ian and Scott are the "Factory" guys and really knew "Correct" there is/was real interest in that side of the house and without them well, lets just say they are hard to replace.
Then you need too fellows who are looking to improve the wheel, how to get around, lack of easy to get bits, as in you can us this off of that car, swap this in... side of the house
I think both sides when active generate interest which is bigger than just a web site as in lets go to the event and see these cars.
Events are not simple to put on even on a small scale then too these cars are not always shall we say road friendly. Pretty sure I have never been to an event where someones car did not fail in a spectacular way...
Still I love the events and think they are important nothing like bolting a fresh engine in the day before tuning it tossing tools and such in the trunk and puckering up to drive 10 hours.
Just my thoughts I am on the outside looking in
Then you need too fellows who are looking to improve the wheel, how to get around, lack of easy to get bits, as in you can us this off of that car, swap this in... side of the house
I think both sides when active generate interest which is bigger than just a web site as in lets go to the event and see these cars.
Events are not simple to put on even on a small scale then too these cars are not always shall we say road friendly. Pretty sure I have never been to an event where someones car did not fail in a spectacular way...
Still I love the events and think they are important nothing like bolting a fresh engine in the day before tuning it tossing tools and such in the trunk and puckering up to drive 10 hours.
Just my thoughts I am on the outside looking in
The really cool thing about Ian and Scott is that while the were "Correct", they knew that correct did not necessarily get you down the road. Getting down the road was vitally important to them and they wanted to see a lot of active Alpines. As a result, they would accept almost anything as long as it kept an Alpine alive.
Shucks, Scott even installed a Holley on his Series III!
Bill
Shucks, Scott even installed a Holley on his Series III!
Bill
husky drvr
Platinum Level Sponsor
Bill,
You pose an interesting question, but one long debated due to the Alpine /Tiger/Alger debate. ,
Merry Christmas!!
You pose an interesting question, but one long debated due to the Alpine /Tiger/Alger debate. ,
Merry Christmas!!
Last edited:
DanR
Diamond Level Sponsor
Cross Country.....
A Quote: Would using the modified car to make a cross-country tour be fun? Doubtful unless it rides a trailer. Unquote.
Don, I'm not sure I understand your statement.
If you are saying an Alpine like say, toyanvil's or Bill Blue's or even my CommodoreBlue V6, would not be fun on a tour, I must disagree.
Many of our members have such cars and put many miles on them travelling across the country.
The recent UNITEDXXXV had a good many that drove many miles to get to Norcross (Some did trailer theirs). But most were driven as far away as Fla, SD, IN, Calif and might have from CT ? Can remember.
Or have I missed your point?
DanR
A Quote: Would using the modified car to make a cross-country tour be fun? Doubtful unless it rides a trailer. Unquote.
Don, I'm not sure I understand your statement.
If you are saying an Alpine like say, toyanvil's or Bill Blue's or even my CommodoreBlue V6, would not be fun on a tour, I must disagree.
Many of our members have such cars and put many miles on them travelling across the country.
The recent UNITEDXXXV had a good many that drove many miles to get to Norcross (Some did trailer theirs). But most were driven as far away as Fla, SD, IN, Calif and might have from CT ? Can remember.
Or have I missed your point?
DanR
65beam
Donation Time
A friend that specialized in Sunbeam restorations has asked Tiger purist the question "when do repairs or mods no longer make a tiger a tiger? " The so called experts don't have an answer. There has been some talk recently on a face book page concerning the use of an ALPINE script on the Alpine 260 cars. Everything boils down to the fact the cars were all Alpines at the beginning. Tiger bodies came down the Alpine line as assembled , trimmed out cars minus a few body parts and the Alpine drive train. Bill's car came off the assembly line as a complete Alpine. He's just made a few changes as others have also done.