Sebring Alpine of Payne/Sheppard

[sunbeam74]

I was in LA yeasterday for the autoshow and spend a short time to look over the Aluminum panels that Steve Alcala acquired recently which originally were on his car in the 60's.

Amazingly, these panels traveled all over the US only to be reunited with the car almost 45 years later.

Steve has started to sand off the many layers of paint but stopped once he hit the Seacreast green.... you could still see the "43" on one panel. On the other, even more interesting is two "4"s can be made out. This may be the first bit of hard evidence that indicates this was the New York Autoshow car (versus the real Proctor/Harper Alpine). The theory being that the numbers were changed and repainted on this car since the Proctor/Harper car had been damaged. (If you read my feature article on the restoration of Steve Alcala's Sebring car you will remember this was mentioned)

Anyway, now... we know where 2 complete 1962 sebring Alpines are located. New information I have suggest that one of th e 1961 Sebring Alpines was destroyed... probably the one I tracked to Monterey Park, CA.

Steve

 

[AlpineIan]

Steve,

This is way cool information. Did you take any pics?

 

[sunbeam74]

Yes, I did... unfortunately, the images don't due the panels justice. I took them at night under sodium lights.

I can't wait to see them back on the car.

Steve

 

[AlpineIan]

Look at the mounting hole for the light just above the number circle. Awesome!

 

[AndrewM]

Steve,

Great to hear about the panels! Nice to see the holes for the roundel light on the driver’s door too!

By any chance can you tell from your pictures or from your visit with Steve how many bolt holes there are in the edge of the hood were it meets the cowl? The over center latches that were mounted on the left and right corners of hood on the #41 car were attached by two bolts/screws from the underside of the leading edge of the hood into the latch. The race photos with the hood up on the #43 car show six screws/bolts in the leading edge of the hood, two at each corner and two in the center.

Apparently some of the works Alpines were prepared with one latch in the center only. Stephen Hayes noted that that 9203RW originally had at one time a center latch with two corner latches being added later. The photos of #43 with the hood down show only the latches on each corner with what appears to be bolt heads in the former mounting point of what might have been the center latch location. The hood on #41 has no holes in the center, just the corners. The photos that I have of the #42 car do not show the hood up so I don’t know if it is the same as the #43 car. However, from the photos of the front of the car there does not appear to be same evidence of bolt heads on the #42 car as they are on the #43 car (six holes in the leading edge).

I think that at one point we thought that Steve had #42. (not sure how we came to that conclusion). If these panels were original to Steve’s car, then he has the Miles/Spencer car (#43) and the Pane/Sheppard car #42 went to California after the race.

We have got to find #42!

Andrew

 

[AndrewM]

Steve,

Great to hear about the panels! Nice to see the holes for the roundel light on the driver’s door too!

By any chance can you tell from your pictures or from your visit with Steve how many bolt holes there are in the edge of the hood were it meets the cowl? The over center latches that were mounted on the left and right corners of hood on the #41 car were attached by two bolts/screws from the underside of the leading edge of the hood into the latch. The race photos with the hood up on the #43 car show six screws/bolts in the leading edge of the hood, two at each corner and two in the center.

Apparently some of the works Alpines were prepared with one latch in the center only. Stephen Hayes noted that that 9203RW originally had at one time a center latch with two corner latches being added later. The photos of #43 with the hood down show only the latches on each corner with what appears to be bolt heads in the former mounting point of what might have been the center latch location. The hood on #41 has no holes in the center, just the corners. The photos that I have of the #42 car do not show the hood up so I don’t know if it is the same as the #43 car. However, from the photos of the front of the car there does not appear to be same evidence of bolt heads on the #42 car as they are on the #43 car (six holes in the leading edge).

I think that at one point we thought that Steve had #42. (not sure how we came to that conclusion). If these panels were original to Steve’s car, then he has the Miles/Spencer car (#43) and the Pane/Sheppard car #42 went to California after the race.

We have got to find #42!

Andrew

 

[64beam]

Hi Steve,

The trip you made would have been a real highlight . How much do the aluminium panels weight when compared with the standard panels?

Regards, Robin.

 

[sunbeam74]

Robin,

The hood is mighty light..... I haven't actually weighed it but just lifting it compared to the steel version is an eye opener.

Andrew,

It appears, though the paint isn't removed, that there was two additional holes in the center of the hood near the edge.

#42 is a real challenge... of all the cars I thought would show up that one I felt stood the best chance. I mean I have talked with many of the people who were involved with that car from the beginning... Steve Froines picked up the car, Bob Hagin worked on it, etc...

Unfortunately, I had one report by Dr. Moonstone the car was abandon at European Independent in Stockton. He wrote, "I believe that one of the factory cars ended up in Stockton, CA at a place called Europa Independent and was finally crushed. Unfortunately, they went out of business and I have lost contact with the former owner. Hope this info may be of some help, even if it lacks any great detail."

Could Dr. Moonstone be mistaken? He was 17 at the time. One could hope but if Dr. M is wrong where could it be?

Steve